Valentina (one direction au)

Valentina - Chapter 8 - Courageous

Valentina's POV

When I finally awoke, I was alone.

I looked up at the ceiling a long time after I finally opened my eyes, unsure of exactly what I was feeling. The pattern was impressive, above the four poster headboard, there was a curved and ornate decoration in the plaster, mimicking an ancient Roman ceiling or the way marble looked when carved.

I felt violated. That was the best word for it. My body ached but my pride was hurt the worst of all, shattered into pieces and scattered for the vultures to peck at. I had thrashed around in my sleep from the looks of the comforter on top of me, and Harry had abandoned me at some point during the night. He had finished with me. He was full. I was no longer of value to him.

Pulling the sheets up to my bare chest, no tears came when I wanted them to. When I thought of my family, of my little Aria, no teardrops of sadness would touch my cheeks. Only hatred and anger. It was misdirected, though, as it normally was. Where I felt hatred for Harry, I should have felt it towards his father, who was owed the debt by my father. Then was I to hate my father? That's when it clicked. I sat straight up on the bed, letting the sheet fall from my hands and staring at the bureau in front of me.

He needs me. Harry needs me. Whether he likes it or not, especially whether rose likes it or not, he needs me to make him look better. A nice, pretty, unknown girl to bring to brunch and create a wholesome American rock star. That means, with public exposure, my family would know I was okay. I was safe, cared for even. Perhaps my mother would see an awful tabloid picture of me on a newspaper and praise God I had finally gained some more meat on my bones.

My place in the mansion, however, was not secure. I needed to prove that I was not only worthy of the heightened position I was granted, I needed to prove that I was invaluable. That he needed me more than I needed him. It would be a feat and a half if I could pull it off, but I swore to myself, for my little sister if not for me, that I would show Master Styles that I was the missing puzzle piece required for his public image. If that meant begging for press exposure so my parents could see me splashed across the front page of a trashy newspaper, so be it. I would make every other slave in the mansion absolutely positive of my love and devotion to Master Styles, to Harry. No one, not even Rose, would briefly suspect that I was really a slave.

Picking myself up with a burst of newfound courage, I marched over the bureau, flung open the doors and picked out a blue blouse with light washed jeans, sandals and beautiful silver earrings to match my Cartier bracelet. My cuff. My reminder of slavery. Sitting before the smaller mirror and accompanying vanity, I swiped blush on both cheeks and lined my eyes the way girls in the maid school did, to look older and more desirable. Opening the door to my room with a confidence I hadn't felt since I sprung out of the black car while arriving at the mansion, I stepped out and immediately into Louis, who was buttoning his long sleeve shirt at the wrists. His eyes bulged when he saw me, giving me the kind of hungry, lustful look a man gives a woman. I shrank back against the wall at this look, quickly feeling like I had done much too much with the clothing, the makeup, and most of all the attitude.

"You look incredible." Louis stammered, clearly feeling as embarrassed as I had from his overt display of interest.

"Thank you," I replied calmly, carefully selecting my tone. It was sweet and airy, but steady and not flirtatious. I felt like a new person, born into a body I was unfamiliar with, learning how to operate a new mouth with new secrets and new ideas.

"You're looking for Harry." Louis finally concluded, and I nodded quickly. He regained his composure, offering me an arm which I gladly wrapped my hand around, and is moving us swiftly through the hallway towards the master suite. He knocked twice, loudly and with purpose, before I heard a mutter of "enter" from within the room. He opened the huge oak door and gestured inside. Taking a deep, shaky breath I walked in, cork heels clicking softly on the marble. Harry looked up suddenly, eyes taking on the same intense stare that Louis had given me in the hallway.

"Good morning." He offered me with a smirk, leaning back at his desk and throwing his hands behind his head, swiveling towards me so he could better give me a degrading up and down, which felt like a jab in the ribs at the reminder that I was his property. Shaking off the feeling, I walked over and sat in his lap confidently, beginning to wrap my arms around his shoulders and smiling at him, throwing him completely off guard.

"Good morning, Harry." I smiled down at his open mouth response to my overt affection before he caught my wrists on their way to wrap around him.

"On your knees." His tone had shifted dramatically, from pleased to stern, and I complied, kneeling in front of him like a scolded puppy might sit at your feet after you've pushed its nose out of your lap. "You will address me as Sir or Mr.Styles when we are alone. You are my slave, Valentina. You will not touch me unless I allow you to. You have more freedom than any other slave in this house because I allow it, and in public, you will show me small amounts of affection, purely for the entertainment of paparazzi. You may refer to me as Harry with the men and with the other slaves. But, in this room especially, you are mine to do with what I please." He smiled sadistically, reaching forward to twist a piece of my hair and tuck it neatly in my air. It took every ounce of my self-control not to bite his hand, scream, or attack him. Instead, I let my eyes fall to my legs, folded neatly underneath my body. Kneeling seemed to be something I was doing a lot of these days.

Bruises were starting to appear on my thighs and I was sure there would be some on my neck and back. I nodded.

"Yes, sir"

I will escape.

"Good girl"

I will prove to him I'm invaluable.

"Is it time for breakfast, sir?"

If I can't be invaluable, I will escape.

"Yes, we should walk down together."

I will kill him if I have to.

Hi again! This is my second new update since picking this story back up, and it's a little slow moving right now because I'm trying to get exposition in and figure out the backbones again, but I hope my writing has improved since starting this ~scandalous~ story. Let me know what you think!

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bye!! <3 -megan