Dante hardly ever spoke to her after she turned ten, it was all Emilia now and even  if a few of her siblings were jealous about that, she wasn't, her father was  worthy of every other emotion, but definitely not love, even as he never showed love to most of them, he still granted them the basic necessities, gifted them with the things they needed, they were fed properly, clothed well and cared for by their mother.

To her Alice was the Greatest Gift the man had gifted any of them, she loved her mother so much, they all did, and she deserve to be loved indeed.

She was never appreciated enough for all her efforts, she would work hard and do the most she could, but her husband never regarded her, sometimes Alice would hope they would kiss at least or Make Love as they used to, but no, Alice had not been touched for a long time and she couldn't frown about that anymore, it was her fate now.

Bellissima could remember when her father once loved her mother so deeply, she was only six, so she couldn't remember much but till today she couldn't place an actual reason why the love died.  Alice could, he was tired of her, to Alice there were true loves, soulmates and if anything, he was not any of those to her.

she was blessed with the opportunity to choose who she wished to marry and she blamed herself, she could have waited, waited patiently, she was so blinded with the gifts that Dante would send, and she really convinced herself that she was in love with him.

No, she wasn't, she was in love with the gifts he sent her, the affection he showed,  not him, never him and every morning she prayed that her children received love and affection from whoever they ended up with.

She prayed for Rosa and her husband every day that she would only receive love and care from her man, she prayed every night for Renata, when they had begun to plan her wedding ceremony and now, now she prayed for Bella and Dominico, that her daughter would only feel enough, pleased and loved in her marriage.

"I think we need a proper introduction"  Dominico spoke again "I know you're pissed, I am too" she looked up to him "but regardless you are going to be my wife soon and I need to know more about you"

wife, the word sounded big to her, she was going to be a wife, very soon, what kind of wife would she be? how many children would  they have? she thought

Ew, she said to herself, she shouldn't be thinking of these things

"You could ask me anything" Bella smiled "I'd gladly answer"

"I do not want to ask you nything in particular" he stopped for a while before moving again "I want you to talk to me, to speak freely" she stared at him for a long while, admiring his features and thanking God that he looked nothing like Leonardo

what beautiful babies, they would have she thought to herself

Ew bellissima stop that, the woman scolded herself again.

"I'm Belissima Cassato" she smiled at him "you already know that"

"please go on"

"I have five beautiful sisters" she spoke blushing at his intense gaze on her, she wondered why he stared at her in such manner but wasn't pissed he did, she loved that he looked at her that way, it made her feel more beautiful than she thought to be "I could tell you all their names, if you want me to"

"What is your favourite colour?" He asked interrupting her, if it were to be someone else, she would have thought it to be rude, but it made her smile instead

"Black"

"Why?" Dominico eyed her suspiciously

"It's dark" she said to the man, looking at her feet as she moved, a habit she was very fond off, somehow it helped her with her anxiety

"What's yours?"

"Blue"

"why is that?" She asked him, still staring at her feet.

" it's the colour of your eyes"

She turned her head immediately to look at him, and blushed after.

Oh God! She really liked the man.

-----------

The couple had been talking for about an hour smiling sheepishly and laughing heartily. Bellissima found him to be extremely sweet and could see herself spending the rest of her life with the man

"I thought you to be rude" she answered when he had asked what she had imagined of him.

"why?"

" men usually are"

"you think I'm handsome?" he raised his brows at  her,

"you know you are"

The man looked at her for a long time then forced himself to look away she was attractive, very attractive.

Bella wanted to ask what the man thought of her, if he had thought her to be beautiful, but she restricted herself from doing so, that would be very embarrassing if he said no

"tell me about someone you love the most"

"Hmm, tough one" she pretended to think and he looked away holding a laugh.

"Emilia Cassato" she said after a short while "my sister"

"and what makes her to be loved the most by you?"

"She's literally the sweetest person I've ever met" she spoke smiling

"and the others?"

"Urgh, Renata is the worst" Bella chuckled

"I wonder what it must feel like having so many people around"

"it's terrible!" She exclaimed and they both laughed "like I mean every word it's the absolute worst"

"I think that's just too much" he smiled bringing forth his hand to help her over a puddle.

"Thank you" she blushed, at his gesture

" so you're saying, you hate every one of your sisters asides Emilia?"

"Not hate, hate is not the word, although I do not particularly like the second Renata" they continued to walk besides one another his hands at his back as they moved.

"your turn" she turned to him giggling

"ask whatever you want"

"I do not have anything to ask, tell me about yourself"

"there is not much you know about me, nothing dramatic" she rolled her eyes and he squinted, the two laughing hysterically.

"I'm sorry, if you found that disrespectful" bellissima spoke

"It's fine"   "do you speak Italian?" He asked after a short while of Silence

"yes I do"

of course she did, they all knew how to, all her sisters and sometimes they communicated with each other in Italian. While they grew, her father had deemed it necessary that they all learnt the language and at that time she had found it very annoying and was pissed but now she was actually very grateful that she had learnt it

"How well?" He smiled at her, stretching his hand for her to take it. She blushed when their hands were together, she found the gesture intimate and her stomach was instantly flooded with butterflies

"try me" he widened his eyes and she giggled excessively

Stop giggling bellissima, she scolded herself, you're acting like a child.

"sei mai stato con un uomo?" He asked his voice coming out sweet like melody to her ears.

(Have you ever been with a man?)

"what?" she turned to him, laughing at how absurd the question he had asked was.

"Hai?"  He raised his brows at her.

(Have you?)

she smiled and looking at her shoes.

"No"

Dominico turned to look at her after she had spoken, perplexed.

"Perchè?"

(Why?)

"Perchè?" she repeated shocked he'd ask her why, the man nodded and she realized he had actually asked why she had not slept with someone. How could she

"because...."

" Italian please" he interrupted not even sparing her a glance.

She looked at him taken aback this time. Had it  been her mother that had been interrupted, the woman would yell  guarda il tuo tono meaning watch your tome and she would immediately muster a smile and apologize but she couldn't say that to him, he was her fiancee and that would be very disrespectful.

"perché sono fidanzato"

(Because I am engaged)

"and if you were not engaged you would have done otherwise?" he squinted.

"I don't know I have never thought of that"

she wanted to ask him the same question he had asked her, had he slept with someone else, but she kept her mouth shut.

"so could you please tell me about yourself now"

He turned back to her and smiled a little, not saying anything, after that Bellissima frowned and decided to keep to herself.

They kept moving, both quiet, "did I do something wrong?" she asked after a short while.

He stared back at her and smiled sweetly, moving his head to say no.

"so why are we not speaking?" she asked again, her heart racing that she had done something wrong.

"Nothing"  he looked at her, she appeared so innocent when she spoke and he couldn't tell if it was a facade or not, he just hoped it wasn't.