A MAZE OF GREED

Both Ruth and Thea lessened the distance to 'the great manor' in quietness. They were both lost in their worlds of thoughts. Thea was worried about Rees, and with his true identity as a werewolf, she didn't know what to expect in a situation like that.

She had not enough awareness to come up with a smart and logical guess. Hell! Nothing seemed logical to her human mind since the day she had found out his truth. And to top everything, she was soon to be a part of his world- a world that was new to her, that intimidated her yet was inescapable.

Ruth, on the other hand, only hoped for two things. One- let Rees be safe. Second- she didn't get to cross paths with the blue-eyed monster.

From afar, the superstructure looked like a castle from a fairytale. Ruth's hazel eyes didn't waver from the tall walls and towers of 'the great manor'. The brilliant and eye-catching architecture stood proud amidst the rows of lush green trees. The centuries-old building testified the history of the Vincardine and its generations of people.

Ruth had read a fairytale in her childhood in which a princess falls in love with a prince and after their wedding, she gets to live her dream in the grand castle along with her husband.

Little Ruth's brain had only caught on the thing in whole twenty minutes story was falling in love with a prince and rule his kingdom beside him from within the beautiful castle.

She started daydreaming about life in the castle and the love of a prince. Every time she thought about that, her nerves became jittery in excitement.

Childhood fantasies are always fascinating! They make you believe in the things that are too good to be true. But still, you believe them… every single bit of them. You hope that someday, a miracle would happen and that fantasy of yours will turn into reality.

You are ready to live that change, that adventure, and you close your eyes while inhaling a deep breath with a smile on your face. 'I am ready for this!', you chant in your head over and over.

And the moment you open your eyes, instead of your fantasy world and the brightness of all rainbows and sunshine, adulthood greets you with a devilish smirk on its face. It has responsibilities in its one hand, and the other comes crashing on your face like a slap of reality that every fantasy of yours dissolves into ash as if it never existed.

Ruth released a shaky breath after those thoughts. She shouldn't have walked down those memory lanes. Not after facing every brutality by life.

But that memory also reminded her of one thing that her mother, Bertha Moore, had taught her.

'Instead of waiting for a prince with castle, BUILD one by yourself!'

"Ruth…"

"Ruth!"

"Huh?" She blinked rapidly when Thea tugged at her elbow. "What?"

"We are already here! The God only knows what goes in that pretty brain of yours!" Thea huffed, rolling her eyes.

Smiling sheepishly, Ruth apologised.

As the large metal gate with brick wall frame of 'the great manor' neared, Ruth saw the guards stationed there straightened up. She recalled the last time she was here with Florence.

She didn't know if Florence had kept her words with the guard, but Ruth was not the person who could lure him the same way.

"Stop right there, ladies! Who are you and what purpose you have to come here?"

To Ruth's dismay, the man was the same guard whom Florence had tricked in getting entry into 'the great manor' with the help of a fake promise, sugar-coated words and her womanly assets.

The man's eyes rested on Ruth's face a moment longer, his brows creased as he felt the familiarity with this unknown beautiful woman.

"My name is Thea and this is my friend, Ruth. We are here to meet Rees." Thea cleared her throat and told in a steady voice.

Rees's name pulled the guard's eyes away from Ruth's face that had turned red in embarrassment.

"Rees?"

"He is Edwin O'Dell's bodygua-"

"I know who he is, Miss. And please show some respect while taking Young Master's name." He said gruffly.

His instruction didn't go well with Ruth. "She took his full name. Isn't that name given by his parents?!" Her words dripped with sarcasm, and that infuriated the guard.

The way his face changed the expressions from formal to requiting, Thea's heartbeat accelerated.

'What if he is a werewolf?' Her brain thought in alarm. Rees had told her enough about their low levels of patience and tolerance to challenge. She had experienced that enough with Rees.

To save the situation, Thea threw her head back with a fake laugh that made her cringe at the irritating sound. But she had to try something after all.

"Hahaha… my friend… she has a very unique sense of humour. Hahaha…. Only few people get it, right Ruth?" Thea glared at Ruth, who just rolled her eyes at her lame try.

"And I am definitely not a part of those few people, Miss Thea!" The guard glared at them with flared nostrils.

Clearing her throat for the second time, Thea pulled the course of their conversation on the right track.

"We are here to see Rees. If you can call him or let us in-"

"NO!"

Thea blinked dumbfoundedly. "No?"

"NO!" Came his firm answer.

"But why?" Now Thea also started getting annoyed with the man.

"We are ordered to not allow anyone to pass through this gate. You can not go inside." He crossed his hands over his bulky chest.

"Then call him here. We can wait till he comes." Ruth suggested though she had no will to speak with the man.

"That is not possible."

"Why the hell it is not possible?" Thea groaned, heat coming out of her ears in steam. She was tired of these obstacles between her and Rees, and this arrogant man was not helping her situation even a bit.

"Because it is NOT POSSIBLE!" He put the stress on the last two words while looking down at the two women, who clearly looked like civilians of the Eastern side of the Vincardine.

Inhaling a deep breath, Thea tried to maintain her cool. "Listen, sir. It is very important for me to see Rees. He has not came his home for six days. His parents are worried about him. Let us just meet him once and we will not take more than five minutes. It's a humble request!" She exhaled through her mouth, her hands fisted tightly around her dress.

The guard stared at Thea for a second. "And who are you to him?"

"I am his fiancée!"

He blinked. The other two guards, who were listening to their conversation, followed his action.

'Good. Now you know who I am and-'

Thea's thought remained incomplete as the three men burst into loud laughter. Thea and Ruth shared a puzzled look. They didn't understand what they found funny in Thea's answer that they were laughing as if there was no tomorrow.

The guard sobered up for a short moment to ask, "You… you are Rees's fiancée?"

Now feeling self-conscious, Thea peeked through her lashes at him and answered in a low voice. "Yes."

That made the guard split into another fit of hilarity. Thea felt humiliated. She didn't understand what was wrong she said. But out of every possible reaction, she had not expected this one from the guards.

Her throat got clogged with a lump that she tried to suppress but failed.

"If you are done with your non-sense, we would like to see Rees. Call him!" Ruth had enough of their bullying.

She was so mad at their rude behaviour that she wanted to slap all of them across their faces. Only thought of Rees held her back.

Like a magic wand, her words made wonders and seized the three men's cackle. But the side effect was their downward corners of the mouth and narrowed eyes.

"How dare you say that?" The guard thundered with a scorching glare.

"Isn't she the same woman who came with Florence more than a month ago?" Another guard recognised Ruth's face.

She didn't have an easily forgettable face. She was a rare beauty that gets imprinted in a person's mind for a long time.

Recognition dawned upon the guard, and his angry eyes glinted in a strange glint.

"Aha! Florence's friend! Now I remember you pretty girl." His attitude instantly changed from a roaring lion to a cunning fox.

A part of Ruth felt nauseated and braced herself for what was about to come her way. But a major part of her screamed at her to kick that ratbag right on his truncheon.

"You have got a sharp tongue for that pretty mouth of yours, beautiful!" He commented while running his tongue on his lips.

"And you have got a disgusting mind for that honourable title of yours, gibface!" Ruth didn't hold back and retorted, matching his gaze.

The smirk wiped off his face in a second. "You, wagtail!"

"One more word and I will scream my lungs out till your Lord Augustus hears me!" Ruth was way out of her element. But for once, she enjoyed this adrenaline rush, this sense of defiance and power. She liked it!

For once, she felt free after breaking the shackles of modesty and politeness.