Down there Danielle sensed as if someone had pulled the earth from beneath her feet. The harsh, strongly gripped cuffs released her intricate wrist at once, however, a strange fear clawed at her heart stronger than the grip of that guard's hands.
Enrique's raging gaze fixated neither at Danielle nor at the guard, but the way he was holding her hand. Though, his intentions were not negative, but his action was surely a sin.
How could he dare to touch his master's possession?
What did he think before taking this action?
The guard had realized his mistake when he saw Enrique's face, though his voice alone was enough to send this realization away to him. Respectively, he loosened his grip around her wrist and stood by herself with his hands tied in front of him.
It finally happened, what she had been fearing!
It was an already failed plan, she had a clear idea of it even before the execution. Nevertheless, she risked it all for the sake of what! A freedom?
Huh. What a fool am I!
She cursed herself inwardly as the maids Enrique had sent to the back arcade came to take her inside. Danielle though had tried to hide her shivering body, and rising fears. But was it not visible anyway?
Meanwhile, the guards came to take the guard who unintentionally committed a crime with the intention of winning all the praises of his master.
Enrique's heavy feet were impatiently scurrying around the hall, the staff had gathered around the wall facing the huge windows opening to the lush green lawn located on the east side of the house. All eyes were glued on Enrique's walk, and minds busied in assuming the scene which was going to happen next.
"You think he's going to kill her?" A maid murmured to the one standing next to her in the row. She rolled her eyes down and in a suppressed tone said.
"Keep quiet! Else we are going to be the one who has to face the anger of the master!"
She warned her and pulled her head back straight.
Every single person present there was very well aware of their master's anger. All eyes turned towards the door when the group of female staff entered carrying Danielle along with them.
The atmosphere in there grew intense suddenly, the wind blowing in through the window stopped, the air became dense and suffocating. The light peering in through the open spaces seemed to turn into darkness, reflecting the anger in his eyes. Danielle's frozen figure was pushed in front of him as he kept on pacing around. The staff deliberately moved back, joined the row and stood there respectively.
Everyone was now waiting for Enrique to say something, to roar at her, look at her, punish her for disobeying him, betraying him. However, he remained walking around silently and didn't even bother to spare a look at her.
Meanwhile, Danielle's fear was dying just like her body, cold dead, frozen, and immovable. Yet, an unidentifiable sensation was rushing over her, which oddly gave her hope of survival. He was not a monster. Though she had assumed so about him. But right now her heart was assuring her that he would spare her for her mistake.
Technically she should have been relaxed and happy over this realization but it wasn't helping. How could she believe it, considering her past experiences with him.
It was just to revenge for a slap that he had bought her. And now she wants to believe in this odd illusion that he would let her go without punishing her.
Sooner, the poor guard was brought inside, and positioned next to Danielle.
She didn't dare to steal a look at him. Nevertheless, she could not bring herself to imagine what could be his fate now.
The audience seemed more hooked and intrigued in the live play happening there than at any theater. After the guards took some steps back, Enrique's feet stopped. His back was on both of them and hands tied at his hips. Danielle could see his broadly shaped body hunched back. The shoulders of his powder blue coat rose up, and hair nicely gelled back.
She hadn't seen him getting ready as she was pretending to sleep. So, she had the first glimpse of his today's look partially considering she still hadn't seen his face. Neither did she have the courage to.
"Rogue!" Enrique's cold voice broke the silence.
A guard separated from the row and hurried towards him as he respectively said.
"Yes, Sir!"
"Make arrangements!" He said coarsely.
Danielle creased her eyebrows in confusion and contemplation. What arrangements he was talking about? She thought.
What was going on in his mind?
She trailed her orbs towards the staff, their pale faces were not suggesting anything good. Then she carefully turned her face to her right to look at the guard next to her.
His face had grown grey, gloomy, and lifeless. She prayed in her heart to God.
"Please save us!" Since she was being brought here, she didn't feel so guilty and petrified as she was now.
She had brought trouble for not only herself but also for this man. What had he done?
After moments of crucial wait, the staff he ordered came, hesitantly dashing towards them. Danielle's eyes shot wide open with disbelief. She felt her body collapsing the moment her orbs caught sight of the thing he was carrying in his arms like a baby.
A huge thing laid in his arms covered in a purple velvet piece of cloth with a golden embellishment over it. She reckoned from the engraving that it belonged to his ancestors. He decently came near Enrique, stopped, and offered him.
What could it be? As she thought, most probably, many of them had already guessed what it was.
A gold sword which belongs to his ancestors. It was his grandfather's sword which he used in many fights and had won many battles against his enemy. Today, he was going to use it for a purpose no less than theirs. To save his dignity, honor, and self respect. How could any man dare to touch his possession.
Enrique elegant yet furiously received it from him and unsheathed it. It glimmered in the yellowish rays streaming in through the Windows.
"What the heck!" Danielle's heart stopped beating.