"Do I have to force you to eat?"

I shook my head frantically to both sides. I did not want him to hurt me.

"And... you don't have to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you. ... unless you do something so bad that I have no other choice."

I gulped and reached for a piece of green looking vegetable I have never seen before. All the stuff on his plate looked so foreign to me. I recognized none of them.

"Not with your fingers!" Edmund exclaimed so sudden I dropped the piece back in its place. Hmm... you don't know how to use fork and knife..."

"N..no..."

"Fine. Eat it like that, otherwise, you will starve to death by the time you learn. It would be such a waste of money. Also, you need to put some weight on. You almost look like a dead person." He looked hard at me, but it sounded more like he is talking to himself.

"Sorry..." I said timidly, while tried to nibble with my teeth on the same piece of vegetable.

"You don't have to be sorry. It is not like it was your choice to become like this. Your previous owners should feel ashamed."

I did not say anything back. It was not my place to voice my thoughts about my previous owners.

For a moment we were silent. I was quietly enjoying the taste of the food, savoring and cherishing every bit of flavor I could get. It tasted like heaven. And in front of my eyes, a cup of desert tempted me to take a straight bite into it. Chocolate, snow-white cream and beautifully decorated pieces of colorful fruits made it look like a piece of art. I was afraid to taste it. It looked so precious to me. I could not bare a thought, I will have to destroy it with my hungry mouth.

"...Thea!THEA! You know I don't like to repeat myself!"

„I...I am so sorry. I did not hear you..." a small tremble went over my body. I did not want him to get mad.

He smiled. „I said I have great plans for you."

"What plans?" I did not feel pleased hearing him say that.

"First of all, I told you before, what you will become..., second – you will have some hard work ahead of you and third thing – whatever I do, I do it for my self good. I want you to remember, that you are still a slave no matter what kind of treatment you receive from me."

And for a second I thought he might be a nice person, but what he said again proved me wrong. These people were not nice just for the sake of it. There was always personal gain in their actions. So did Edmund - it seemed.

I did not feel at ease around him, as his eyes were following my every move - scanning my body for signs unknown to me, with those pale orbs. Edmund definitely had something in store for my future.

He swiftly slid off the bed and moved to the other side, watching me through the corner of his eye. A subtle, barely noticeable smirk was playing on his young face. I saw him taking hold of the fur rug with his foot and drag it slowly beside a bed, roughly touched it and kicked slightly, until he seemed satisfied.

„You will be sleeping here."

I peeked over a bed just a little, to show I paid attention. There? On the floor? I felt a grim feeling come up in my throat. So it was true. I will be treated like an animal, sleeping like a dog beside his bed and will be forced to obey his commands.