Mafia Princess (OxO Closed)

Yurie waits there, patiently, for his new wife to get up and calm herself.

He wasn't big on physical contact. Or comforting people. The only thing he really cared about was his mafia, soon to be expanded. He'd control two countries instead of one.

The thought makes him smile. It wasn't a nice smile.

After a while of Ariella sitting there, he squats down in front of her.

"Are you quite done yet?" he asks quietly.

Ariella raised her head to glare at him. Her makeup was smudged from her crying but she made no attempt to fix anything.
She glared at the man in front if her. Just another man to control her and lock her away. She had no intentions of ever being locked away and hidden ever again. She was a De Luca. She was the daughter of an empire. She was not sine play thing for everyone to control.
"You are cruel," she sneered. "You could have had the decency to wait until after. My father isn't even in the grave yet, pezzo di merda (you piece of shit)."

Yurie chuckles darkly.

"My dear, if you knew the accuracy of the words 'you are cruel' when said to me, you'd be hesitant to look at me like that. As for waiting after, there were 3 people here who were planning on shooting you. I had to protect you, per the conditions of my deal with your father. And as for the fun Italian insult you hurled at me. . . ho sentito molto peggio, quindi pensa a qualcosa di più creativo per chiamarmi." he replies without humour, pulling the girl roughly to her feet.

"Now, will you finally listen to reason and follow me?" he asks, straightening her clothes and hair with quick jerks of his fingers.

(I'm so glad Google translate exists)

(Same XD I know literally nothing of Italian)

Ariella yanked herself out of his grip. "And I think we both know you could have gotten rid of them subtly. You could have waited to drop such a thing on me."
At least he confirmed her suspension that someone was going to try to kill her there. Might as well throw her in the coffin with her father and make it a funeral for two.
"And where will you have me go? Back to Russia with you? I do not think so. Italy is my home. I will be staying here."
She didn't know anything else. She didn't know much more than her own home. She never left her house other than the few picnics she was allowed on to get some fresh air. Occasionally, if her father was in a good mood, she would get to go horseback riding and take the trails through the acres of land they owned.

"Yes, I could have, but this was quick. Subtlty is such a pain at times, particularly when there are no rafters or buildings across the street. Or really any streets, for that matter." Yurie says, straightening the cuffs of his suit.

"I would have thought you would be eager to leave the country and explore. After all, being cooped up here can't have felt good." he says slyly, examining his nails.

He was feigning any semblance of human emotion very well. He'd been taught by the best actors.

"And besides, don't you want to see what a place like Russia is like? It has just as rich a history as anywhere else, if not more so." he adds.

Ariella sneered. "Italy is my home. It is the language I speak. It is my culture. I will not go with you, not anywhere."
Her hands clenched into fists at her side. She threw the contract at the man in front of her. She didn't care what her life had been like previously. She refused to go to abnew country where she knew no one. She would fight tooth and nail against it.
If Yurie thought he was getting an obedient wide, he had another thing coming for him. It didn't matter that she had been sheltered. She had a mind of her own and she was stubborn as a mule.
"I'm going home now. It's been a long day."

"Mm-hmmm. Noted. Then I shall go with you. That is the terms of my contract." Yurie shrugs, catching the contract easily and folding it back up.

"Again, I shall follow you." he nods, no longer bothering to pretend human emotion. His voice goes flat and dead, his face goes blank, and his eyes become chilling and broken.

He'd brought no guards, only clothes. He'd expected difficulty on Ariella's part. He'd only wished she'd been willing to go to Russia.

Ariella turned on her heel, not giving him a second look. Her guards trailed behind her as she exited the church and towards the awaiting car. Her aunt had since left and she was grateful, she didn't need anyone more than necessary seeing her breakdown.
She ducked into the armored car and found her seat. She expected that Yurie was going to join her in the car. She did not want to be in close contact with this man, much less the same car. She wanted to put as much distance between them as possible.
"My father is dead. There is no one left to uphold this marriage. You can leave. Back out anytime and no one need know."

Yurie follows close behind the woman, slipping into the car right after Ariella.

"False. I am left to uphold the marriage." he counters, staring her down.

He didn't make a habit of backing out of deals. Neither had his father.

His father was dead. He would not die for a good while.

"Now, as for living arrangments. We won't share a bed - you probably won't allow it. However, I shall sleep on the floor of your room, and every other day we will shift your room to a new part of the house. I will cut the number of armed guards on the premises, and that follow you outside the house. I will take their place. You are allowed to leave the house whenever you'd like, but you will notify me first. Is all this understood?"

Ariella scoffed and shook her head, looking out the window. She kept her gaze on the outside world, taking it in as they drove. It was all knew it to her. It was overwhelming.
"And why, pray tell, will we be moving to different rooms every other day? I have no need for you to sleep on my floor or in my room for that matter. There are plenty of bedrooms you can take up as your own. You can take my father's room if you please. It's the biggest. You can use it as you'd like."
There was a fat chance she would notify him of her comings and goings. She had had babysitters her whole life, guards and maid's watching her twenty-four seven. She was finally free. She would do as she pleased and there was no stopping her.

"Because it is a simple solution to the conundrum of someone finding our address and kidnapping you. If you have a new room every other day, they cannot possibly kidnap you, because you have no fixed room. As for me sleeping on your floor, it is merely a precaution against any insiders we may have. After all, loyalties can change, especially when command changes. On top of that, I have no intentions of taking your old man's room. I am not seeking to replace him." Yurie explains simply.

No. He merely planned on making sure noone besides Ariella remembered there was someone to replace. After all, how can someone respect the ghost of someone if they can't remember they had to?

Ariella shook her head. His logic made no sense to her. How could she have her own space and privacy if she was constantly moving rooms? Her room was her space. She had made her room hers. She had turned her prison into a comfortable home. She was always changing it, always something knew. She had to stare at the se four walls everyday, she might as well mix it up.
She crossed her legs and clasped her hands in her lap, picking at the shorn nails. She wanted to shower. She wanted to dress in sweats. And she wanted to go to bed. She had no appetite for food. She hadn't for days. She noticed she had been losing weight rapidly but she found she didn't care. Her nice figure was disappearing by the day but it was the least of her worries.

Yurie tilts his head at Ariella.

"It may not make sense to you, but you know it is smart. If I'm reducing the number of guards around you, it's the least that needs to be done."

He swats at her hands.

"Stop picking. It is harmful and it ruins your fingers. I don't care if it makes you look less beautiful. Scars can come in handy. But I do not tolerate self-destruction just for the sake of itself." he snaps.

"And when we get home, I will prepare a meal. I am dismissing the cooks and waitstaff. They cannot be trusted." he adds.

Ariella turned her head to him sharply. She inhaled. She wasn't used to people getting on to her about her having. She was never in public for it to matter. She straightened her fingers against the fabric of her dress, gripping the material.
"You cannot dismiss my staff. They are mine. I hired them. I pay them. They are loyal to me. You cannot swoop in and change everything. There is already an order." She said firmly.
She would not allow him to come in and change everything. They had order. They had routine. He couldn't disrupt everything that she had done. The house was hers. She ran it.

Yurie raises an eyebrow.

"What? Not used to being reprimanded about that, are you?" he asks.

"They are no longer your staff. I can very well do what I want. I am not a very trusting man, even more so when it comes to the handling of my food. Nobody has dared to try anything, but it's better safe than sorry. And the order that's been established can very well be changed. I did it in Russia, I will do it here." he replies, leaving no room for argument.

"Questa non è fottuta rusia," Ariella muttered under her breath.
She didn't care if he over heard her. She didn't care who heard her or the consequences. She drummed her fingers on the arm rest, watching as the city faded into the trees and they neared her home.
The country side was beautiful, there was no doubt. But she had came to loathe it. It was all she ever saw. Trees and hills and grass and meadows. There was nothing else. Nothing around. She was isolated through and through.
And while it was smart to have their home hidden, despite the circumstances, she wished she wasn't on such a short leash.
She saw the house appear in the distance, growing larger with each foot as they approached. It was a ten bed, six bath, complete with a media room, a full kitchen and bar, a living room, a sitting room and several offices. Such a large home foe only a father and daughter, along with their staff.

"Non ho mai pensato che fosse la Russia. Né ho insinuato che pensassi che lo fosse." Yurie snaps.

He watches the countryside roll by, then turns his gaze once more to Ariella.

"Sembra che entrambi amiate e odiate questo posto. Più amore che odio, ma c'è ancora odio." he notes, watching the way her body seems to relax mostly, with a few cores of tension, mainly in her shoulders and neck.

Ariella took a moment before turning her head back to him. She tilted her head, in thought.
"It is my home, for better or worse. It is beautiful, isolated. There are many rooms to entertain oneself. I have many fond memories. But it has also been my prison. I have left the estate grounds only a handful or times because of my father's fear. And while I would prefer to stay in my home, I want to be free. I don't want to be confined in my rooms or otherwise the house. It's lonely and boring." She looked at him, truly studied him.
"Perhpas some day I'll sell it, or buy a new house elsewhere. Have them both. But this is what I know. I would like to stick with that."

"And now it is not just one person's home anymore. I live there now too. I do admit, the surroundings are beautiful. I can see that in an objective way. Subjectivity is. . . useless to me, however. The most I can do is acknowlede that it is beautiful. Beyong that I form plans and escape routes. My mind is focused on securing the area, figuring out what defenses there already are. So while you will not be confined to the house or your rooms, there is a certain point on our estate where I will have to make sure you do not go past it." Yurie explains.

The sunlight catches his face, highlighting it, and more importantly, the wide, ropy scar stretching down it. His eyes were cold and dead, but there was a false pretense of light to them, from the surrounding area. Even Ariella would be able to tell that this man had no semblance of empathy or compassion, and any time he seems to, he is acting. Ariella would know, in her heart, that she is living with a cold, violent man. If she didn't already.

"Stick with what you know then. There is no harm in making no change. Not in this regard, at least."

Ariella turned to look back out at the window. They pulled into the drive. She turned to Yurie one last time before exiting. "Quindi sarai il mio carceriere. Almeno sei più carina."
As the driver opened the door, she stepped out if the vehicle, ducking her head so not to hit it. She straightedge her dress and held her head up high. Walking in front of the others, she stepped up the steps to her door and swung it open.
She greeted the maid's cleaning at the entrance. She pulled her heels off, her feet aching in them. Only her tights covered her feet. She walked up the stairs, shoes in hand, and headed towards her bedroom. She didn't bother closing her bedroom door behind her, knowing her fiance would follow.

"Non direi che sono più carina, ma meno dura per certi aspetti." Yurie murmurs, looking away.

As soon as the car stops, he steps out of the car, shoes tapping against the asphalt.

He follows closely after Ariella, taking note of the rooms, bathrooms and closets that he passes, already memorizing the layout.

Stepping into his fiancée's room, he's astounded by the ammount of stuff everywhere, but he doesn't show it.

He merely looks around before poking his head into the bathroom, then the closet.

"Nice room. Very. . . decorated." he nods.

Ariella didn't turn to look at him as she disappeared onto the bathroom. "I did have to find some way to entertain myself. I stayed in this room most of the time. What else was there to do?"
She took off her makeup quickly. There wasn't much. Some concealer, mascara. She didn't want to worry about anything streaking. She brushed out the curls and placed her hair in a simple plait down her back. She entered her closest and make quick work of changing into some plaid sleep pajamas and a graphic tee.
She walked back into her room. "I would appreciate holding off on any wedding talk for the time being. My father did just die. I need an adjustment period."

"Fair enough." Yurie shrugs.

When Ariella comes back out without any makeup, he examines her, then watches her further after she's done changing.

"Sure. That's fine." he nods, considering her.

"Как ни странно, я чувствую возбуждение желания. Я не понимал, что я был достаточно человеком, чтобы чувствовать это." he says softly, with just a smidge of humour.

Ariella gave him a funny look but didn't comment on anything. She sat down on her bed, picking at her nails.
"So, what happens now? Any other demands you have for me? Anymore staff you would like to hire? How are you going to run Italy and Russia?" The questions started spewing out of her mouth and there was no stopping them.
It was a nice distraction from the current grief. The sorrow had burrowed down and backed away. She didn't find herself on the verge of tears as she had been for the past week.

Yurie turns over each question on its own, then all together, taking his time with responding.

"As you have asked, we wait for any talk of marriage. No, I do not, at least not yet. No, I shall be firing a lot of the staff. Phones and internet exist, and I have remote cameras set up that I can watch everything from." he replies slowly, his accent really thickening for a moment.

He stares down Ariella, waiting for more questions.

Ariella thought for a moment. "Will you be leaving for Russia anytime soon? And I'm sure we can get a blow up mattress for you. You'll have to ask the staff you'll be firing, however, for accommodations. I don't know where they keep anything."
Not a complete truth. She knew where plenty of things where. She often found herself cleaning and doing household chores. It wasn't as if there was anything else for her to do.
"And as for my engagement ring," she announced, "I want something big, expensive. Nothing less than a mil. And I want more than just diamonds. Diamonds are boring. Maybe sapphire or emerald." She was going to drain his bank account dry if she could. A form of retaliation. There was only so much she could do.

"No. I won't. As for the mattress and accomodations, I have those covered. My stuff will be arriving next week. In the meantime, I'll sleep on the floor and buy whatever I need in the meantime." Yurie sighs.

"Done." he says without batting an eye. With the addition of Italy, he had literally limitless money. There was no way she could bankrupt him. He didn't even really care about the money, though. He just cared about the power he gained.

"I shall inspect the premises and commence with the firings. Do what you wish in the meantime. Just do not go outside of the land's borders." he says, stepping out of the room without waiting for a response.

Ariella clenched her jaw. "And if I do not want you ti fire my staff? I have handpicked them all. I trust them with my life." That was a bit of stretch. "I know them, personally. If you fire them, many of them will end up on the streets. This is their only way to feed their families and keep a roof over the heads."
She bit her lip, picking at her nail so hard it made her wince. "And-and they know me. They know the house. To let them go would be dangerous. They could go to my enemies in retaliation for being let go. They know too much. It's safer to keep them where you can keep an eye on them."
She hoped she didn't just sign their death warrant as she made it blatantly obvious that was the only other option. She did not want to see her staff let go. It was one of the few choices she had in her life.