Chapter 6; Odd Restrictions

eleanorah's eyes opened and she stared at the sky but couldn't see it as she was in a room, shroud in darkness even though it was morning and she had heard the crowing of the chirping birds.

the room was dimly lit and had no sunlight coming in because of the curtains that were covered.

she noticed that they had been changed while she was asleep.

everything in the room had been changed from the multiple colours that had been used to design it.

most noticeable was the curtains that were changed to a thicker and black material unlike the light flowery former that had been used on it.

she also noticed that the wardrobe had been changed too, everything has been changed except the bedsheets she laid on, which were still brown and the only brown found in the room.

she stood up and went to the window and shifted the curtains to allow the sunlight into the room.

turning back she was startled by what she saw.

dmitri was still in the room. he had stood by her side near the bed throughout the night. she noticed that he was sleeping while standing, trying hard to keep himself awake but being won over by nature and the sleep that filled his eyes.

"dmitri?" she called out to him.

"yes signorina, i am here for you" he answered immediately, fighting back the sleep that was in his eyes.

"didn't you sleep last night? why are you still standing?"

" my duty is to protect you signorina, i can't take asleep" he replied, making way to use his hand to scratch his eyes as if doing so would make the sleep go away.

not wanting to probe further, she allowed him be fearing that she might hear things that would make her more afraid than she already was from the events of the other night.

"i am hungry, lead the way to the kitchen so i can make something to eat"

but he did not move" signorina, the chefs are in the kitchen already. i will inform them to make a light breakfast for you to eat" he put forward.

" don't bother doing that, just lead the way to the kitchen, i'd make my breakfast by myself" she said again.

" i'm sorry signorina, but i cannot oblige your request. if you have any other thing you need, you can ask me for them, as long as they fall accepted by the rules the don has set out concerning you" he said.

rules, rules, rules. she muttered under her breath.

" lead the way to the dining then, i'm almost starving" she said indignantly, feeling defeated.

*******

"what? i am only having one apple for breakfast?" she asked horrified.

" i'm sorry ma'am, but we were instructed by the boss not to overfeed you today before the wedding. he needs you to appear the prettiest during the wedding that would happen later today"

" wedding? he told me nothing about it. what business does the wedding have to do with me eating only one apple as breakfast?"

" ma'am, he needs you to fit into the dresses that'd be tested on you soon. also, he doesn't want you to disgrace him during the wedding because of your troubled stomach. it was written in your medical records." the head chef replied again.

her month dropped in utter bewilderment. he had not only found out everything about her father, but he had found everything about her as well in the space of a night.

if not , how did he get to know that she usually had an upset stomach and visited the toilet many times any time she overfed or ate a new diet that her body wasn't used to.

she felt a wave of embarrassment run through her. the chefs were all makes but she could still feel herself getting embarrassed by them.

looking up to take their attention away from what he had said last and the awkward attention it had garnered, she asked.

"what about the don? where is he and why didn't he tell me anything about the wedding he had planned for today. why hasn't he come out yet?"

" ma'am, the don is currently not in. he hasn't returned yet but i'm sure he would do so soon before the wedding"

" what a self conceited mysterious shrek he was" she thought.

it was still very early, where might he have gone. she wanted to guess but shrugged it off.

it was none of her concerns anyway. whatever he did was none of her business and she didn't want to make it any of her business because she didn't want to cross paths with him anymore.

she had decided within herself that she would resign herself to her fate, obey whatever he said so she wouldn't get into troubles with him while she waited for the year to be over and for the contract to end.

she picked the apple and began to chew at it angrily.

she hadn't eaten the other night and her stomach growled angrily as they hustled for the crushed pieces of apples she was eating.

the don was very wicked and heartless she thought. not just was he ruthless and mean to people, he was also heartless in the way he treated them because if not, why would he command only one apple to be served her as breakfast, then the wedding that was going to happen later in the day, how was she going to cope with one apple being in her stomach while she went through with all the activities that were associated with weddings..

she raised her head when she noticed the doors of the mansion being opened.

she thought it was the don that had returned but she saw a woman being accompanied by men who pushed a trolley containing hanged dresses with them.

she was surprised.

she recalled that dmitri once told her that the don did not allow females enter his fortress, even though she had began doubting him after she was taken to his hidden room, her thoughts had began changing after all the workers she saw were males only and with no traces of a female amongst them.

"be quick ma'am so she'd check the perfect dress that'd size you. the don had allowed her come to try the dresses on you, but he would be back anytime soon and if she is still here when he returns, we might all pay for it with our heads" the head chef said to her.

that explained it. that explains the reason, she snapped.

but why would he allow a woman come if he hated them, why allow her come into his fortress to help her dress up. it was odd. why propose the contract to her in the first place when he hated women. thoughts and more like this roamed through her head with no direction not answers.