Weakness

Hope you guys like this one ;)

Chapter 2
Weakness

"Rosetta! This is the most important night of your life. How dare you waste it sleeping? Get up at once and prepare yourself. Bathe quickly and be back within fifteen minutes, before I lose my patience. Why must you always be so childish?" my mother hissed, her voice sharp as glass.

Even after the bath and the careful ritual of dressing, I could still hear the pounding of my own heart, a relentless drum inside my ears. It was the same dizzying rush as waking suddenly from a nightmare.

"Look at yourself," my mother purred, her eyes glittering with ambition. "So beautiful. So innocent. Use that face to capture Mr. Robert's heart."

I didn't care for her words. Standing before the mirror, I saw only a stranger staring back at me a fragile girl cloaked in pink. The gown draped off one shoulder, its delicate folds a cruel disguise. My reflection was dressed to enchant, yet the trembling in my hands betrayed me.

A knock came at the door. "Madam, the ceremony has begun. We must go," came the voice of my mother's loyal servant her shadow, her guard, her accomplice in every sin.

"We are coming, Bolter," my mother replied, her tone bright, almost joyful. I had never seen her so radiant, as if this night was the crown she had long awaited. But for me, the name Mr. Robert echoed like a curse. Was he the man meant to buy me, to claim me as property? My steps faltered, my legs weak as I followed her toward the ballroom. Terror filled me so completely that I wished for the impossible that the ship would never reach England. That it would sink beneath these black waters and carry my name with it into silence.

The ballroom was not crowded, but every detail screamed luxury. Golden light spilled across polished floors, silver platters overflowed with delicacies, and men cloaked in arrogance lounged at their tables, cigars glowing between their fingers. Laughter and intoxication thickened the air, yet to me, the room felt like a cage, closing tighter around my throat with each breath.

"You surprise me, darling..."

The voice slithered from behind me. A stranger, close enough that his words brushed the back of my neck, and the stench of alcohol clung to his breath. A jolt ran through me, sharp and electric, as if someone had set my very veins alight.

I turned quickly, my golden hair whipping across his face. There he stood smiling, smug, savoring my shock. A man well into his forties, eyes glimmering with amusement, as though my fear were his greatest entertainment. My mother's voice cut through the noise of the ballroom, sharp and sweet like poisoned honey.
"Mr. Robert, you cannot imagine how impatiently we've been waiting for you. Rosetta was so eager to meet you."

I turned toward her, my eyes wide with disbelief. What is she saying? The words burned on the edge of my tongue, but when I tried to speak, pain caught in my throat, silencing me once more.

Mr. Robert's smile was cold, his voice low and edged with cruelty.
"You needn't lie. I know well enough how anxious you are to receive your money. Remember, if anything goes wrong tonight, no one will suffer more than you."

He leaned close, whispering in my mother's ear. She chuckled darkly, her eyes flashing with triumph. Then she produced papers from her gown and pressed them into his hands. Their smiles met two devils sealing a pact. And without hesitation, without even one glance back at me, she turned and left.

"My darling," Mr. Robert crooned, stepping closer, too close, "this is going to be the most beautiful night of your life. Smile for me."

His hand tightened around my waist, the other crushing my wrist in his grip. His nearness was suffocating, his breath heavy with wine and possession. My mind screamed. If I could break free, if only for a moment, I would run. I would leap into the sea and end it all.

And then I found my chance. Summoning every fragment of strength, I tore my wrist from his grasp and fled.

The deck opened before me, the black sea gleaming like a mirror of night. Wind slashed across my face, cold and merciless, carrying the shouts of men behind me. I heard Robert's voice among them, furious, bellowing orders to his servants. But none of it mattered. The railing was just steps away.

The ocean stretched endlessly before me, vast and cruel, yet somehow... inviting. Its waves called to me like a dark lullaby. One step upon the rail, one more and the abyss would embrace me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but my lips curved into a smile. A smile born of pain, of surrender. I closed my eyes. Darkness wrapped itself around me.

But before the sea could claim me, something else did.

A strong arm encircled my waist, wrenching me backward. My feet no longer touched the deck, but I was no longer falling. I was held. Against a chest broad and solid, radiating warmth against the icy wind.

I opened my eyes.

He was there his face so close, his eyes locked on mine. Concern burned in them, sharp and unyielding, as though he could see into the very marrow of my soul. His expression was hard, carved from stone, his mouth set in a line of iron. Yet there was something else, something I couldn't name, buried deep within that severity.

"What were you thinking?" His voice was low, thunderous with anger. "Do you not know how painful a death by the sea can be?"

His grip tightened, as if he could anchor me to life by force alone.