Chapter Nine

We returned to the house in silence. Inanis's mother gasped when she saw her beloved son covered in mud.

"Vita!" She shouted, her eyes wide, "You are covered in filth!"

He didn't spare her a single glance, as he turned to me, "That was a lot of fun." He spoke loudly, a tone that was a bit odd for indoors. "I hope next time you will let me be on top, I don't fancy the worms slithering on my body as you have your way with me."

His mother screamed appalled, "What?" Her voice cracked she spoke so loudly, so threatening and terrifying for such a short woman, "What did you do?" Spit flew from her mouth as all her fire was directed towards me.

Of course he said that. What other way to wreak havoc than to tell his mother -who already hated me- that he was marrying a girl who couldn't even wait until their wedding night.

Not that I was planning for anything to happen on our wedding night.

I frantically shook my head, "We didn't do anything!" I turned to Inanis, "Tell her you're joking!" I didn't care whether she thought I was a whore or not, I cared about her coming into my bedroom during the night and slitting my throat because she thought I was an impurity to her son.

He seemed to act like this was all a game, "Oh, don't be modest my dear." He wrapped his muddy arm around my moss-covered shoulders, "I will never forget it as you hungrily pulled my coat off, pushing me into the mud, so eager to-"

"Shut up!" I shoved him away.

"You." His mother pointed at me, her voice deep and wicked, "You are an animal. You bring nothing good for my boy. You should have been killed on stage, you are nothing but an embarrassment to the Messor family."

My skin burned as I took a step closer to his mother, "First of all," I said, having to control myself from leaping on the woman like the wild animal she claimed I was, "I never wanted to be here. Second, if I had a choice, I wouldn't touch your son with a ten-foot stick. Third, you may call me the animal, but I'm not the one carving living men and women in front of the nation, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a long bath, and wash away every thought about how appalling it would be to have such low self-respect, that anyone would ever lay a finger on your precious Vita."

I didn't bother looking at either of them, as I turned away, and headed up the marble stairs to my bedroom. Though I didn't look back, I could hear them talk behind me.

"She's a wicked thing," I could hear his mother say, "I have never met a girl with such a disgusting attitude."

"And yet," Inanis's voice was practically dripping delight, "I can not wait to prove her wrong."

"I think you should just be rid of her already." I could hear his mother start to walk away.

"No." Inanis's voice was faint, "No, I think I'm starting to like my wicked girl."

I returned to my bedroom and slammed the door behind me. Making a beeline for the washroom, I turned the bathwater on, and impatiently waited for the tub to fill up. I couldn't stand another second in these filthy clothes.

I pulled my clothes off and when the water was high enough, I dove into the tub, making the water immediately turn murky and brown.

I had to drain the water and fill it back up three times in order to get clean, and even then, I sat in the tub and thought about things for hours. I recalled the day's events, replaying them back in my mind. The questions Inanis asked me were odd, but I expected them to be because, well, Inanis is just that. But the more I thought about them, the more unsettling they became.

How would I kill myself? What scares me most? My thoughts on marriage?

They all seemed to connect with each other. I wondered if he purposely asked them for a reason.

I began to question if he thought I'd kill myself because of how I was scared of marrying him. Realizing that only made me wonder if he wanted me to kill myself, or if he was prying into my mind and motives because he wanted to make sure that I didn't.

The whole 'do I believe in God' question must have been a morality check. Something for him to use to make fun of me, or worse, use against me.

And then the last question, the one I couldn't understand no matter how much I pondered it.

Did I believe in fate?

Did I?

Inanis believing that I was his fate was laughable, and yet, I wasn't laughing. As ridiculous as it was, it put me on edge more than anything.

He had no plans to kill me.

He really did want to marry me.

This wasn't just a joke to him.

I dove my head under water, holding my breath for as long as I could, hoping the steaming hot water would melt away my nerves.

When I arose, gasping for air, I didn't feel worse. In fact, I felt dirtier than before I scrubbed my skin raw.

I couldn't figure out what I wanted more, for Inanis to think of me as nothing but a joke to pass the time, or to take me seriously as his wife for the foreseeable future.

I stayed in the tub until my fingers became prunes, and all my anxiety was swept away with hunger. I quickly dried myself off and put on some clean clothes I found in the bedroom's closet. The clothes were a bit baggy, and I wondered if these belonged to someone before I arrived here.

I didn't ponder on that for long.

Exiting the bedroom, I knew I'd have to overcome my nerves and face Inanis's mother again. In fact, within the next few days she'll be my mother in law, so we were going to have to get used to each other, whether we wanted to or not.

The guard placed at my bedroom door stepped aside as I walked out. He followed me wordlessly as I made my way down the marble staircase. I pretended to ignore him as I walked into the large living room where I previously had scalding coffee thrown at me.

Inanis was sitting at the piano in the far corner of the room, but he wasn't playing it, instead he was hitting random keys with his left hand as his right hand held some papers that he seemed to have trouble paying attention too.

I almost laughed at the sight, he really couldn't do one thing at a time. The great Bone Cutter had trouble focusing on one thing for more than a few seconds.

Maybe I can use that against him in the future.

I took note.

He glanced up when I walked in. Our eyes met, and he stood, "I have been waiting for you."

"In that case I should have taken longer."

A faint grin rose on his lips, "Well if you were to take a second longer I would have come up there and watched."

"You're disgusting."

He waved his hand, as if bored of the conversation already, "You and I will be attending a dinner tonight."

I rose my eyebrows, "Why?"

"Because I am the Bone Cutter, and nearly every American in the country wants to eat dinner with me."

"Wow, and I thought I loved myself." I sat on the couch, forcing myself to ignore my growling stomach, as I pulled my legs up to my chest.

"Impossible." He stated, throwing the paper he was holding onto the piano seat as he began to walk towards me, "My love for myself is quite strong."

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"When you do what I do, you need all the self-love you can scrounge up."

"I'm sure you're doing just fine then."

Inanis grinned, but before he could reply, his mother walked in with a new dress on, and her hair perfectly curled. She looked fine until he spotted me curled up on her couch.

Her face turned into the ugliest scowl I have seen on her yet. "Do you think you are wearing that to the dinner?" She beckoned to the grey sweater and jeans I was wearing, "Go upstairs right now and find something more appropriate."

"I'm fine in this, actually." I told her, hugging my legs tighter to hide my brewing anxiety.

Inanis sat beside me, and my skin immediately burned as the side of his body brushed against mine. I felt like I was going to burn alive in my own disgust.

But then again, he was also a shield against his mother.

"Enough." Inanis told her, "I will help my future wife dress acceptably, do not fret, mother."

I snorted, "There's no way in hell I'd let you-" I could barely say the next word as he placed his hand over my mouth, shutting me up entirely.

"Has anyone ever taught you to be thankful when someone offers you help?"

I spit on his hand.

He sighed, removing his hand, and wiping it on the sleeve of my sweater. "You're a disgusting thing."

"Next time I'll bite."

"I'll look forward to it."

I rolled my eyes, and stood, forcing myself away from him. I refused to do as they wanted. I crossed my arms over my chest, looked Inanis straight in the eyes and boldly stated; "I'm not changing."

I was wrong.

Inanis narrowed his eyes as if he was ready for the challenge and clapped his hands twice. Two guards came stomping into the room, ready at his command. "Take my future wife up to her room for me, and don't let her out until I find the perfect outfit for her."

They latched onto me before I could think to move.

I didn't even bother to fight them, knowing it was an impossible victory, I allowed them to carry me away like a limp doll. "Fuck you." I spat at Inanis, who waved goodbye to me without a word.

I was thrown into my room, as they slammed the door behind me, I could hear the faint click of the lock as I realized this time I was locked in here for however long Inanis wanted me to be.

My anger had made me forget I was a prisoner here, but this was a brutal reminder.

I sat on my bed, stewing in my own fury for God knows how long. I childishly murmured my hatred for Inanis and his stupid mother over and over not caring who heard.

The world deserved to know anyway.

Minutes passed by, and I was ready to give up any hope to be let out anytime soon, when Inanis came bursting through the door. Behind him was one of his own guards, holding a stack of dresses in his arms.

"Ready to become somewhat presentable?" Inanis asked, amusement lacing his tone.

"I'd rather skip to the part where I choke you with a wad of lace and pearls."

"That's the spirit." He grabbed one of the dresses from the guard and held it up. It was navy blue, with puffed sleeves, but a pencil-skirt for the waist, it looked like something that came straight out of the 1940's.

I gagged.

He nodded in agreement, "I suppose this would look rather unflattering on you, considering you have no curves to fill it in."

"Keep talking and I'll slit your throat with my pinky-finger."

He threw the dress, along with my empty threat aside and picked up another dress. This one was worst than the first, it had laced up sleeves, and looked so short a carefree college student would feel uncomfortable.

The worst part was that is was the color of a swamp-like green.

"This has got to be a joke."

Inanis stared at me, then the dress, "What's wrong with it? I thought you'd like considering how much you enjoyed this afternoon."

"Go to hell."

He smirked and threw the dress aside.

He went through a few other dresses that were almost as hideous as the first two. I could tell he was getting as bored as I was, and so I finally picked a simple red dress with a flowy satin skirt.

I beckoned for Inanis to leave so I could change, and to my surprise, he did.

It took me longer than necessary to put on the dress, when there was a slight knock on my door. A skinny older woman slid in the room with a box of makeup and hair supplies.

I held in a groan.

It took nearly an hour for her to finish. An hour of her prodding her stick-thin fingers through my knotted hair and attempting to make it look presentable.

Did it work? I couldn't tell.

I stared at myself in the mirror, when Inanis came barging in without knocking. "Jesus, are you planning to take all night? I have things to-" He paused we he saw me, and suddenly the annoyance flared out of his eyes, a cool grin appearing instead, "I'd prefer the swamp dress."

My eyes narrowed at him through the mirror, "I'm sure you would."

He ignored me. That seems to be the how all our conversations go. He says something insulting, I insult back and in return he ignores me.

He always ignores me. "Either way, if this is as good as you're going to get then it'll have to suffice."

"What is that supposed to-" He cut me off by taking my arm and pulling me out of the room.

He moved down the stairs two at a time, and with him still gripping me along, I nearly tripped after him twice.

We left the house and entered the vehicle waiting to drive us to our destination. I still had no idea where we were going or who we were meeting other than the fact that we were going to be having dinner with them.

By the looks of our attire, it must be someone important.

When the car fell silent, and I gave up trying to inch myself away from Inanis, I finally asked him.

"Inanis?" I said, watching his foot tap rapidly on the floor. He doesn't like to sit still. "Who are we having dinner with?"

He turned to me, his wild eyes lighting up in amusement, "I thought you would know."

"Why would I know?"

"Because," He stated simply, "It's tradition of course."

"You're not making any sense."

"Tonight, we will be dining with the president." He said as if it were the most casual thing in the world, "And we will be announcing our wedding engagement to the public."