Princess by Blood

38

I have been sitting on the beach for an hour, watching the waves roll in as the sun starts to go down.

I've come to the conclusion that maybe I am insane. I'm insane to still love my abuser. I'm insane to defend him when Giovanni is clearly right. I'm insane to say he did nothing wrong when I have bruises and a baby as proof.

Luca comes out of the house and sits down next to me, watching the ocean as well.

"I don't want to hear it." Luca nods.

"I wasn't going to lecture you. I'm on your side actually." I look at him, confused, and he simply smiles at me before looking back at the waves.

"I don't think you're insane. I think you're perfectly sane." I frown at him but he doesn't look at me.

"What? But you heard everything that happened in there. I sound like I belong in a mental asylum. Even Giovanni thinks so." My voice breaks at the thought of what Giovanni said. It hurts me to know that he thinks that about him.

"Giovanni doesn't understand. He doesn't have the mental capacity." I laugh before looking back out at the ocean, falling into a silence again.

"You wanna know what I think?" I turn to him and nod. He smiles back at me before speaking again.

"I think that you followed what your mother and father wished for you and that was marrying Nicholas. You were so set on not disappointing them, that you stayed with Nicholas through everything. You were so stuck on that idea of the perfect family that it was easy for Nicholas to manipulate you into thinking that you were in love and somehow love justifies everything." I take in everything he is saying as a tear rolls down my cheek. I look away from him, embarrassed that he has seen me cry this much in the past day.

"I think that despite everything, you still choose to give him the benefit of the doubt. You still hold his name high like it's some diamond that no one can touch. And you want to know why? Because you're pure Anna. You haven't been affected by the world like the rest of us have. You have a heart of gold and that's something no one can take away." I smile at him and he wraps his arm around me, pulling me into his side.

"I know what this feels like. I'll always be here for you Anna. I'l always be here to protect you." He plants a kiss on my forehead before heading back into the house. I stay outside for a couple more hours thinking about what he said and I don't even realise that it's dark out until the lighthouse comes on. 

I stand up, shivering, and walk back inside the house. Luca and Angelo both look up at me, greeting me before I walk up the stairs. My fingers and toes are numb as I slowly make my way up the stairs. I walk into the bedroom and am shocked when I see Giovanni sitting on the bed.

"Oh sorry. I'll go-"

"Anna, you're shivering." He cuts me off and I look down to see my whole body shaking. I look back up at him and he walks over to me, leading me into the bathroom in the bedroom.

He walks me over in front of the mirror and I look at myself while he turns on the shower. Giovanni was right. My eyes are dark and swollen from crying but my cheekbones and jaw sticks out like a sore thumb.

I analyse my whole body. I feel sick as I look at how thin I look. Even with a baby bump, I look bony. I let out a sob as memories of Nicholas infect my mind at the thought. Giovanni turns around and catches me, hugging me into his chest. His hand runs up and down my back as his other runs through my hair.

"Mi amore. I've got you. Shh." He soothes me and I look up at him through teary eyes.

"I am insane aren't I?" He shakes his head and grabs my cheeks, wiping my tears from my eyes.

"No you're not baby. I realise now. You were stuck with him and manipulated. It's not your fault. I'm so sorry baby." He kisses my forehead before holding me to his chest again.

He pulls away from me to check the shower before walking back over to me. I continue to stare at myself in the mirror.

He turns to leave the room but I grab his arm, pulling him back to me.

"Stay." He nods and begins to help me undress. He pulls off my dress, revealing my naked body before he does the same to himself. I wrap my arms around myself in attempt to cover up my marks and how bony I am but he notices and pulls my hands away.

"You're beautiful mi amore. Don't ever hide yourself from me." I nod and he kisses me on the lips before he leads me into the shower. The warm water hits my back and I sigh in relief.

Giovanni grabs the shampoo and starts to wash my hair. I close my eyes, enjoying every moment of this before he speaks up.

"Anna?"

"Mhm."

"What did he do to you?" This question hits me like a ton of bricks and I turn around to face him.

"What?"

"You're spine is sticking out of your body and you have bruises all over you. I need to know mi amore." He cups my face and desperately looks into my eyes. I sigh before answering him.

"He locked me up the days he was there. He would only feed me every couple of days and even then it was a lousy piece of bread. All while beating me if I made any noise. He completely ignored me. I was completely neglected." Tears escape my eyes and Giovanni pulls me into his chest.

"I'm so sorry mi amore. I've got you now and I'm never going to let anyone touch you again. He is going to pay for what he did." I nod into his chest and a thought strikes my mind.

"Where is he?"

"Angelo and Luca took him to a warehouse we have in Venice." 

"What are you going to do?"

"Make him and everyone else pay for ever putting you through that pain."

//