I looked forward and almost gasped.
Is that his castle?
We turned down a road that was heading right to it.
Oh my God. That must be his.
It was this luxury gothic castle perched high on the cliffs with dark stone walls seamlessly blended with the surrounding black rock.
It was an imposing structure with tall spires and gargoyles.
Wow.
We rode up to massive iron gates that opened instantly.
Near them I spotted two guard booths with heavily armed men.
As the car continued, I looked out over the edge of the cliffs.
Breathtaking.
Below, the beach stretched out in a long, dark ribbon of black sand and rippling turquoise water.
The car began to slow and then stopped right in front of the huge gothic castle.
Just wow. I don’t even know how I will get used to living here. It’s just like the castle in Mom’s drawings.
Two armed men appeared, and one opened the door for me.
I stepped out into the cool air and got a closer look at the castle.
Will this really be my home now?
I swore the walls must have been constructed from the same obsidian stone that gave the city its name. These sinister black stoned walls were massive, surely thick enough to withstand any siege.
And now I could see that it wasn’t just gargoyles on the roof, but demons too. And they watched me.
There were tall windows on the first level and second, but on the third level some windows tapered to fine points at the top and bottom.
The main entrance was a set of massive iron doors, and the gold handles were shaped like serpents, their bodies coiled.
And waiting near the front entrance was the castle's staff, all dressed in crisp, white uniforms. They stood in two perfect rows.
Gianni got to my side and tenderly took my hand. “This is now your castle too.”
I swallowed.
“And you will be the queen, making sure that the staff does what they’re supposed to, and everything is working perfectly.”
“What do I know about managing a castle, Gianni?”
“You will learn.” He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my ring finger. “You must.”
I glanced at my ring finger and then back at Gianni with a guarded look in my eyes. He was handsome, but his eyes were as cold as the obsidian walls that surrounded us.
I raised my eyebrows. “Are you angry about something?”
“Not angry, just dreading a conversation that we must have.”
