The Essential Bride

The Essential Bride (20)

For the last four days I have tried very hard to stay strong and determined to starve myself. I know how bad that sounds, but I was desperate to get a rise out of someone. Mainly Leon.

The day after my huge meltdown, my first day here, Leon visited me once after placing me in bed. It must have been around breakfast time because he insisted I get up to join his family for a meal but I didn't even acknowledge him. I didn't even open my eyes.

Leon signed "Demetria. I know you're awake."

Still. I hadn't moved.

"Fine. Starve." He said coldly, I imagined a small smile on his disgusting face, but didn't slam the door behind him.

So I decided my best option was to starve. By the time I skipped dinner, I think it caught on to Leon what I was doing, not that he came in to try to confirm it from me.

The next day he didn't visit, but the servants came in without welcoming to drop trays of food off to me silently. I would have thrown them down the hall, but that wouldn't affect anyone but the servants and their life was clearly terrible enough with any of my help.

I had stopped one of the young girls who entered my room to deliver my lunch and take my full tray of cold food, probably reporting to their 'master' that I hadn't even eaten a bite.

"What is he to you?" I asked the brown haired girl, young and not nearly as pale as Jon. "Who is Leon to you?" I could tell she wasn't used to hear just anyone say his first name. Still no answer, she left silently. I didn't even bother to talk when someone else came in in the evening to take the full lunch tray and give dinner. It seemed they were taunting me though, making the meals smell better and better, that could have been the hunger though.

I knew very well that in the last few days I'd only drank water.

Yesterday had been the hardest, right when they dropped off breakfast I followed them out, still refusing to talk to me, but i still refused to make a mess for them to clean, so I'd politely put it right outside my door and slam it shut. I couldn't stand the smell any longer.

This morning, I woke early in the am after a night of tossing and turning restlessly, hunger pains digging at my skin. I refused to eat, determined to prove to Leon I was stronger than him. He would eat his words before I would eat food. He may have the power of my freedom but he didn't control my choices, I chanted to myself for hours. I watched the sun rise, willing myself to not be hungry.

My strong will was fading quickly as the minutes passed, and all I wanted was for Leon to bring the food to me himself. If he did that, with an apology this would be over. It had been days since I last saw him, why forcefully take me across the world and then not be around me? All this talk about constantly being by his side seemed useless now.

Why would I want Leon by my side? I asked myself, and didn't have an answer.

When the sun was still touching the tops of the trees I got out of bed. My legs wobbled under my weight, my mind swimming in confusion. My whole body hurt, and suddenly all I could think was what am I doing? I hadn't left this room in days, my hair had tangled and marred so badly I couldn't get it out of the bun. I felt disgusting, and my heart ached. A little voice in the back of my mind was telling me that wasn't the hunger pains, or due to the fact I hadn't showered in days. It was because I hadn't seen Leon. I was hurting because of him.

I slowly worked my way to the door, trying to keep my mind with me. With shaking knees I worked the heavy door open and stepped into the hallway. Those neutral, boring walls stated at me, the house around me freezing compared to my room. There was a large window at the end of the hall, casting sunlight down to my toes, warming the carpet.