# Chapter 3

He is an actual human being and is not imaginary, isn't he?

Phoenix asked herself repeatedly since she arrived a week ago. There was no wedding ceremony, just a small gathering of legal practitioners so she could sign the contract of becoming his wife.

To her knowledge, he'd already signed it. And all she saw was his name; Lorenzo Salvador.

She was allowed to study for her exams and do whatever she liked, allowed to stroll the manor grounds and the garden, and allowed to tour the manor.

But not all of it.

She was allowed access to her floor which is the third floor, the second floor, first floor and the ground floor. But she was not to go near the last floor. She was restricted from the fourth quarter east wing of the manor, she wasn't allowed to speak to the maids, wasn't allowed to stroll or even leave the house on her own.

She had a husband, all she knows, on paper for sure but not really. She had asked the attendants of the manor if he was unkind or ugly or shy but they all said nothing.

Her new life, she thought, was a bore.

***

With another sigh, Phoenix stopped walking. The men a few feet from her rushed towards her like she'd been broken into pieces.

“Are you alright Miss Salvador?” One asked with his face awfully close to her.

She stepped back. “Yes. Yes I am.” She looked at them, dressed in all black like gentlemen. Her thoughts pondered on why.

She could walk through that gate and baggy tees with jeans would make absolute sense but in here, in here was like a jump through the time machine.

She has asked about it of course to the head attendant whom she was only allowed to speak to and he had told her that the Lord of the Manor; Edd Alessandro Salvador, was keen on keeping everything formal, classical, historic and traditional. Although his origin of Italy spoke through his accent, he preferred the embodiment of the British and wanted it suited that way of course.

In his own words, “The world should never have advanced except for guns.”

She was free to wear her baggy tees and jeans. But she was also newlywed, wanting to respect the order of the Manor, wanting to please her husband.

“Can I ask you something?” The two guards gave away their nods and she continued. “Can you tell me about Lorenzo Salvador?”

She noticed they pulled back, slightly fumbling in their steps and unable to respond.

She frowned. “Is he really that much of a scarce topic?! How shall I not know my own husband?!”

She sighed frustratingly again, she was even starting to speak like the attendants of the Manor. The guard who had asked her if she was all right suddenly spoke.

“Ma'am, if you would like…let us ask the kitchen staff to make you a most enjoyable meal for the noon.”

Phoenix gave up, storming away with talks of ‘’ugh’ and how everything about the walls beyond Sherwood Forest would lead to her doom.

***

It was one day after the other you see, the need for survival was intense and it was slowly chipping away every bit of sanity Phoenix had.

As her exams were the next day and she would most probably get to work with the local police, she wondered if she would leave the house with guards to her place of work without being questioned, she wondered if she had to wear a flowery gown to work and then change to her jeans and top, if she was going to have to speak all western and then cenare da solo when she returns home.

“Niccolo..”

She sort of liked Niccolo. He was tall, nice enough to explain things to her with kindness. The highest ranking attendant of the Manor whom she could speak with only.

Niccolo turned, a fresh late sixties looking man with Gray hair to show his honour of old age. He smiled warmly at Phoenix.

“Anything I can help with Miss Salvador?”

“Niccolo, I wanted to ask… I'm having my forensics exams tomorrow, I surely can't trouble the guards in following me.”

“I'm afraid orders have been given out Miss Salvador and I am in no position to say otherwise.”

“It's not like I'm running away Niccolo…”

“I am sorry Miss Salvador but these orders have been placed to keep you safe except…”

Phoenix, thrilled to hear what could contradict the awful lot she's been hearing cut in. “Except what?”

“Except your husband grants you his permission. For then if anything happens to you, he will bear the cross.”

Her thrilled aura decreased. “My husband?, You mean Lorenzo whom I haven't seen since I got here.”

“Patience Miss Salvador. I cannot speak ill of my superiors but I will tell you this; your husband is very much the kindest Salvador I have ever seen.”

“Well..” Phoenix ticked her tongue against her teeth. “I don't know, guess we'd see.”

But as Phoenix walked towards her room, she felt relieved with what Niccolo had said. Yet, it did not put an end to the fact that she was going to be dismissed from participating in the exams tomorrow because of some orders.

She had sacrificed her happily ever after but she was not going to sacrifice her dream.

So before dawn the next day, Phoenix had already gotten dressed, her jeans clung to her hips but let loose on her thighs all the way to her feet and her small top highlighted the curves of her breasts, threatening to spill them out of their confinement. Her lofah shoes were well cleaned, black and shiny.

Her plan? She'd sneak past the guards and find her way to the gate, bribe the guard at the gate and walk away freely.

She walked out of her room, proceeding to close the door when she heard the low stern voice of a passerby.

“I thought newly wed wives sat around lazily all day in the house….”

With a sharp gasp, Phoenix turned to meet the gaze of the passerby. His bronze hair was slicked back on the left and wavy on the right, his jaw, well defined and his body which walked brooding like towards her was a case 143.

“But not you I see…” He cornered her, making her press her back against her door. She met his eyes and he met hers. His was a shine of bright blue, like the skies.

“You're sharp on your feet..” his words pulled her thoughts back to this very moment. This moment where his gaze upon her very face made her hot and heavy, feeling numb in the head and knees. “Wife” he completed.

Phoenix's gaze softened, her hands reaching to touch his face and when it did, her thumb gilded softly from the corner of his lips to his cheek. For a moment, his features softened, a questionable look on his face and then a shocking one when she spoke.

“Jeremiah?”