IN THE ARMS OF DEATH

As I look at my reflection in the mirror, I notice an image that makes me look like a newlywed princess with her prince charming. The make-up is perfect, conveying a serenity that does not reflect my whirlwind of emotions; I sigh deeply. I still can't believe I'm married to Death.

I am terrified that he will find out the truth! How could I get him involved in this? I drugged him with Aunt Giulia's help, removed our clothes, and lay in his bed, making him believe we had slept together.

I take a deep breath, but there's no going back now; I'm already married. I look at the ring and think I am free of Robert. But what will Death do when he finds out the truth?

Rachel entered the room, closely followed by her niece's accomplice. Olivia and Giullia had made a colossal mistake. Her niece, well, she was just a girl, so it was understandable. But her sister, how could she help her in this madness?

"How could you get involved with Death to the point of forcing him to marry you?" She couldn't comprehend the gravity of the stupidity she had committed and the trouble she could be in when she found out. Rachel tried to remain calm as she expressed her concern.

"I know, Auntie! Do you think I didn't realize the mistake I made? I acted without thinking straight. It seemed to be the only way out at that moment. And Aunt Giulia shouldn't have told you anything," Olivia replied, trying to calm down.

Your grandfather only wanted the best for you, so he chose Robert. But now you're married to that dark, monstrous individual," her aunt argued. Olivia sighed deeply, turned, and sat down, hoping they would understand her perspective, even though she knew it would be difficult. So she just watched her thoughtfully.

Ever since she was twelve, she had liked his dark, mysterious manner and how he blinked when they saw each other. She didn't see him as people judged him, as a cruel, heartless man. Although she had heard terrible things, she refused to believe they were true. When he realized that there was no point in defending himself because nothing would change his aunt's mind, he said:

"You don't know what you're talking about! Robert is not what everyone thinks," he repeated for the thousandth time, trying to make her understand who Robert was.

Rachel almost lost her patience, running her hand through her blonde hair. She took a deep breath and looked at her niece sitting before her. Trying not to hurt her feelings, she said:

"Still with that story about Anne's death?". She sat down next to her niece and hugged her tightly, hoping she understood the gravity of the situation. Olivia had married Death; this man gave her the creeps. Rachel thought.

"It was Robert, Auntie, I know!" she declared, but it seemed Rachel wasn't listening or pretended not to.

"My worry now is when your husband and grandfather find out what you did," Rachel said, looking at her sister.

"Stop it; I don't see anything wrong with this marriage; I think it can work," declared Aunt Giulia, who had been silent until that moment, standing by the window.

"Are you serious?" asked Rachel in disbelief, thinking her sister could only be crazy, so she asked:

"You are crazy; you know very well why this won't work," she said, receiving only a nod from her sister. Hearing her aunts arguing over her made her even sadder.

"Oh, my God! Are you serious? You know him, and that would never work, Giulia."

Olivia sighed deeply, biting her lip and squeezing her fingertips together; she always did that when nervous. She had liked her aunt's idea; maybe she could win him over, just like her Uncle Max and Flavia. I was excited about the idea. Ever since she had turned fifteen, she had always found a way to get his attention, but he never looked at her with interest. She had always found him fascinating, and, what was worse, she still did. Besides, he had always been kind. Ever since that night on her seventeenth birthday, when she had impulsively tried to seduce and been rejected, she had been unable to look at him without feeling embarrassed. Now, how would she face this situation, being married to him? She felt lost just thinking about it.

"It's time; I have to go; he must be waiting for me," I said, trying to smile to hide my fear.

My bags, they were in the car. Aunt Raquel holds my arm and hugs me tighter; it feels like I am being sold or sacrificed. I say goodbye to everyone and leave to find my husband. Aunt Giullia walks me to the car and says:

"Enjoy," a wink that makes me smile because she knows I have always liked him.

He starts the car slowly, and I watch the city disappear. We make the whole trip silently, and I dare not say anything. I can see on his face that he is upset, and it is because of me. I feel bad about the situation, but there's no undoing it; I keep watching the town, and the road gets more deserted with every turn until I realize we're heading toward a hill. We arrive at a massive gate with many security guards who inspect the car. Only then do they open the gate? I am amazed at all this care, so I ask:

"Why all this?" I didn't get an answer; I was already expecting it. We pass through the gate, and a landscape unfolds before us.

"In our world, you always have to be prepared, so I demand it, even if I'm the driver. You should know that" I hear him say, to my surprise, and I nod, watching the landscape that follows a tree-lined path. Soon, a large house stands out. The view enchants me. It looks like it's floating, but it's built high above the ground, and the lights around the gardens and outside emphasize the wood and stone details. As soon as it parks, I get out and take a look. It takes my breath away; the lights make the house look magical. I turn to him and ask:

"Do you live here?" That's the only thing I manage to say. I can't wait for dawn. But I notice that he is looking at me with an unfriendly expression. He's never looked at me like that before; I feel my blood run cold in my veins, so I decide to stay put and get my luggage.

"Is my house not up to Princess Scannell's standards?" I hear him say and roll my eyes. That shows I was right; he is angry. I even wanted to explain that I liked the house, but I'd better let it go.

"Come, I'll show you the guest room." Hearing these words, I felt discouraged and sad at the same time. "What was I thinking, that we would make a loving couple?" He will give me to Robert if he finds out I am a virgin. I'm sure of it. I'd better not upset him; the only thing that matters is that I'm free of that monster. I grab my luggage from the car and follow him, looking around - a massive TV in the living room and a sofa that looks very comfortable. The whole house is made of stone and wood. I follow him down a small corridor to the last bedroom at the back.

"He's in a bad mood," I think, letting a small smile form on my lips, but it disappears when I realize I'm being watched and open the door, allowing me to enter. The room is spacious and quite airy. The bathroom is large, and the closet is simply fantastic.

"I hope this pleases the little princess," I hear his deep, mocking voice behind me. I ignore what he just said.

"How many people live here?" I ask, looking at him over my shoulder. I see him standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

"Me, now you and a maid who comes three times a week. Maybe I'll fire her now that I have you here". Hearing what he just said, seriously, what did he say? Are you thinking of enslaving me?" I shook my head, pushing that thought away.

"I'll get the rest of your bags. He speaks again, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"No!" I spoke so fast it sounded like I was being rude. Then I said:

"I mean, I don't want to cause any more inconvenience than I'm already causing." Watching him leave, I felt better. I took a moment to grab the rest of my bags from the car and looked around, with no sign of him.

"Better this way," I thought. Two more trips and my bags are all in my room.

"Great! But I still have to unpack," I tell myself, making a crying face as I sit on the couch. After everything is packed, I feel proud. I take a relaxing shower and put on something comfortable. I leave the room, and there is no sign of him. I take the opportunity to get to know the house, which is very cozy, with a fireplace and a well-equipped kitchen. There is a large wooden veranda, ideal for relaxing, reading a good book, or simply observing nature that stretches as far as the eye can see.

"What a beautiful sunset!" I exclaim, grabbing my cell phone to take a picture. Everything here is breathtaking. I think.

"You're here!" I look over my shoulder, and here is the man who, for a long time, has occupied most of my thoughts. Seeing him like this, it is evident that he still thrills me. He is wearing black pants and a white shirt, open, exposing a bit of his hairy chest and neatly aligned hair. My eyes fix on this site, and I look away.

"Your house is beautiful; I hope you don't mind; I was just looking." I've been avoiding him since that damn night I tried to seduce him and got rejected. I promised myself never to try to seduce him again. I tried dating other men, but it was a failure. I know he's upset about the state of our marriage; unfortunately, I can't change what I did.

That Olivia hadn't looked him in the eye since that night made William angry. So he said:

"Now she's yours too! I'm going into town; do you need anything?" I heard him

"No, thank you. I'm going to bed; I have a bit of a headache". I walked past him with my head down. His perfume has a pleasant smell. When I get to my room, I throw myself on the bed, grab the pillow, put it in my mouth, and scream. I turn over and stare at the ceiling with my hands on my stomach, waiting for the sleep that insists on not coming.

After midnight, I change my clothes and grab a pair of short shorts and a T-shirt. I walk around the house, which is in total silence. I walk to the balcony and lie on one of the lounge chairs, looking at the starry sky and the moon that threatens to come out from behind the clouds.