Queen of Darkness

Chapter 9 - Insight

Chapter 9 - Insight

After Pierré left me, it was hard but I slowly got stronger, not just my heart and my health but mentally too.

Robert was very supportive and accommodating. He personally took on furthering my education, he also assisted Abigail with my practicing of Magick. Robert insisted that I sit in on some of his business meetings, the decision obviously opposed by the other parties as anything pertaining to business was a man's job and no place for a woman.

I had respect for Robert because he was open minded, believing that there were intelligent woman in the world, capable of doing great things, if only given the opportunity and the education, it became his personal mission to empower me. In everything Robert only showed me kindness, it was a strange concept that a man of his stature and power would be so kind and forthcoming.

When Robert was confident that I had the education and skills I required, he completely took me by surprise by insisting that I also had to obtain combat skills and weapons training to be able to protect myself against his enemies.

For this task he enrolled the General, to educate me. I found it odd that someone chose to be known by their title rather than their name, until he told me his actual name... Which I couldn't pronounce and I'm sure no one else could either, thus he was just called The General. Other than pronunciation it was a long name too..... Akshayakumaar, which was an Indian name meaning Indestructible Prince.

Since the day I met him he fascinated me, at first I thought it was because his features reminded me so much of my father... He also had the olive colored skin tone and pitch black hair, although my dad's origins were Egyptian and The General's origin was Indian they looked fairly similar, but later I think he just fascinated me because he was like a machine.

The General was a focused man, intense, on his guard, always ready for a fight. Everything was a potential threat. He had so much focus and energy that it was hard to keep up, he particularly enjoyed actual fighting as a tactic to train me... I think he just enjoyed whipping my ass, because I was an easy target.

I wasn't that good at fighting and most of the time I was bloodied and bruised, not wanting to try again and The General constantly got frustrated and irritated about my lack of focus, determination and willpower.

For my nineteenth birthday Robert decided to host a ball in my honour. I've never been at a ball and the idea of a ball gown and looking like a princess excited me but knowing there would be a lot of people around and dancing in front of strangers, made me very nervous, so much so that I asked Robert not to host a ball but he insisted.

He advised me that he often hosted balls and were known for it but because he was away so long and then having me there he decided to put hosting balls on the back burner, but he had been receiving alot of requests from business partners and he couldn't put it off any longer... My birthday celebration would be the perfect excuse to start hosting balls again.

It was not long before the first guests would arrive, I was not dressed yet, and couldn't get my hair to look the way I wanted it to. I was nervous and frustrated and irritated all in one.

I was sitting in front of my dresser mirror when thoughts of my parents flooded me... It was my birthday and we were about to celebrate but they would be feeling nothing but sorrow today on my birthday, believing that I was dead.

Then the sadness just overwhelmed me and I thought of Pierré again, hating myself for falling in love, hating him for what he did to me and for leaving me.

Tears started to flow down my cheeks just as Robert walked into my room and my sadness turned to anger.

Me: "Don't you knock?" I snapped at him. Immediately regretting it, Robert had only been good to me, he had changed my life for the better.