Emily's POV
I had no business with her, I could never address someone in so little clothes, so I looked at Dathan, he held my stare for about two minutes before giving in.
"Au revoir, ladies." He said, getting up from the bed where they littered around him, and he threw on a shirt.
I shifted away from the entrance, a foot or two, just so none of them have reasons to make bodily contact with me.
All of them promptly exited the room, leaving Dathan and I.
"I'd rather we left the door open." I said to Dathan, as he moved to shut the door.
"I'd do whatever it is I want to." Dathan said, and banged the door shut, loudly.
"What's up with you?" I asked finally.
"Did Damon put you up to this?" He asked me.
"No." I answered quickly. "I'm here of my own volition."
"So he doesn't even care." Dathan said to himself, shook his head while smiling sadly, and gulped down the remaining content of an open bottle.
"Forget what I said. Yes, he did. He gave me the permission to. He just said to be careful." I answered, a little jittery.
"You're not even fully his Luna yet, and you're already lying on his behalf, covering his ugly tracks." Dathan laughed out so loud, making me feel stupid. "You're a sweet girl Emily, you do not know what you are getting into." He added.
"And that's why I need you, to have my back!" I interrupted him. "You're the first person to be nice to me, aside from the orphans I lived with, and my friend." In truth, I had forgotten all about Zyna till that moment, and I made a mental note to reach out as soon as I left Dathan. "I can't stand you being so cold and unbothered. I need you, please." I begged.
"How can I be at your back, when I want to be by your side?" Dathan asked, taking his bloodshot eyes off a piano that rested on one end of the wall, and looking at me. "How do you expect me to be jolly and merry, when you have someone else where I'm supposed to be. Damon, of all people!" Dathan punched the table, just like Damon did, only that his own hands burst open, and blood started trickling down his fingers.
"Please let me help with that."I begged. I used to feel nauseous at the sight of blood. But that was before I was put in charge of younger girls in the orphanage. I just had to step up.
"Don't touch me." Dathan replied.
I stood, not knowing what I was supposed to do.
I kept staring at the hand, and how the blood had stained the expensive furry rug that coated the floor.
"Are you okay?" I asked him, out of sheer speechlessness.
"What do you think?" He asked, "Luna…" Dathan stretched the word out so long.
I flinched so hard on the inside, and only then did I realize how not ready I was.
"Why does everyone have their own plans for me?" I asked, leaning against the wall.
"That's one way to see it." Dathan replied to me.
"What other way is there?" I asked him.
"This, for you, is saving." He replied. "You don't want to know how life is down there." He had a look of disgust on his face, pointing to the direction I presumed the servants quarters was in. "You didn't even span a night there. You should count yourself fortunate."
"This is crazy." I said.
"My brother asks you to marry him, and you say yes, without even thinking it through. I tell you how I feel about you, and you think it's crazy." Dathan addressed me, smiling. "I think I want to be alone now."
"No. Dathan. That's not how I meant it." I apologised. "It's just, you know, it's all coming at me at once. It's too much to process."
"Just go to him." Dathan said. "I wish you the best. I also wish to sleep now."
I walked out of Dathan's room, embarrassed.
Thankfully, it was between just him and I, so I stalked off to my room.
Immediately I shut the door, I felt a little at ease.
I was away from everyone else. From the people, who as from the next day, would become my subjects. I willed the idea to sound enticing, but it did not. On the other hand, I was scared.
I took off the clothes for the rites, and hung them neatly. They're heirlooms, and the next Luna would have to use it. They were made to last.
"Why did it take you so long?" Damon's voice startled me, it didn't help that I had few clothes on.
"I'm sorry." I whimpered. "I lost track of time." I added.
"The conversation, if there was any, must have been so intense then." He said.
I couldn't see his face, but I could clearly picture how scary and terrifying he must look.
Damon was not the kind of guy to mess with. Just a month in the palace, and I knew that already.
"It was." I admitted.
"Wanna tell me about it?" Damon asked. As sincere as he sounded, I knew that it wasn't a question, it was a command.
"Things are moving rather too fast for all of us." I said.
There's no way I'd ever tell him what Dathan said. It died between us both.
"Is that all?" He asked.
I blinked rapidly, thinking of other unnecessary details I could add, to beef up my narrative.
"He had company, so I had to wait a while." I said. Maybe it was not entirely true, but it was true.
"Really?" Damon asked. "What company?"
I can't tell Damon that Dathan had begun to bring sleazy girls over. Nothing good could come out of it.
"I couldn't see the face." I replied to him, looking down, even though everywhere was pitch black and I couldn't even see as far as my hands, talk less of my toes.
Damon turned the light on, with the switch right next to where he leaned on the wall.
"We have a long day tomorrow. I need you to look your best. Get enough rest. No eyebags, and no stress marks." Damon said.
I couldn't have been more grateful for the change in topic.
He stood up from the wall he'd been leaning against, and began to walk towards me, in the direction of the door.
"And tell him that I wouldn't treat it with such levity if I ever saw his hands on your waist again." He said in my ears. "He should restrict that to his 'guest's."
His voice was low, but it carried every weight of the threat he made effectively.