But she lived in Venice where she got used to strange things. Every year in these days the mood of the carnival was enveloping the city. First, she thought Dave chose these dresses because of the carnival, but she doubted if she was right. She pushed musing over this strangeness aside and went down to the great hall again, where he was waiting for her.

Viola felt a light blush on her face, when she saw standing her host next to the table and his intense stare wandered slowly up and down on her body.

"You look wonderful tonight" he greeted her and reached for her hand to kiss it lightly before helping her to take a seat at the head of the huge dark oak table that dominated the dining hall.

"Thank you, David. These clothes are amazingly beautiful. I never wore anything like this."

"Oh, what a shame not to show this fragile flower to the world..." he noted smiling broadly.

“You mean my perfume, right?” she asked and turned her head to face him. She needed to gulp from the intense gaze she met inches away from her own face “Yes… it is…”

Dave smiled and there was nothing on his face from the previous struggle. He was that charming man again as he straightened up “Simple and elegant…” he noted and walked back to his seat.

But his thoughts were set on his new "bride". He imagined how it would feel to kiss her. Exchanging a kiss, that is literally all teeth and tongue and bites. Suddenly he realised, he wants the girl badly. He decided the very next twilight he’d send a message to the elders with Mario, the boatman.

Meanwhile Viola didn't sense his true intentions just saw that rare, dark gaze which sent a chill down her spine. But somehow she liked it. She found Dave a mysterious and charming man, a dark prince. She needed to stop her thoughts and put her feet back on the ground. But she couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. She lifted her head and met his intense look again. Silence fell on them for long moments, but they didn't break it. Then Dave opened his mouth to speak.

"I'd like you to join me tomorrow. I need to attend a ball and I'd feel myself lonely. You don't have to fear that someone'll recognize you, because it's a masquerade. So would you..."

"Yes!" came the straight answer and he needed to smile.

"Good...”

Viola surprised herself. What did she do? She bit her lip, in fear she would say more. She didn't know what hit her. Usually she was rather shy and reserved. But this guy was blowing her mind off. She didn't really understand it why. She wasn't adoring money in itself. The secret has to lie somewhere else.

She didn't know the answers yet, but somehow she liked this uncertainty, it kept her mind going and she started guessing what this whole thing was, while they had dinner - or rather she ate, Dave just watched her with his wine again. Viola was curious about the next evening. What will happen? Where will he take her? These questions stuck in her mind, she didn't say another word just tasted the roasted meat.

---

The next evening was a festivity. The streets and palazzos were lit beautifully. This was the last day of the carnival, the big finale. Viola was walking down slowly on the marble stairs, on the red carpet, in a crimson red, sateen dress, wearing the mask of a roseflower-girl.

She was looking at Dave, who was holding her forearm with perfect elegance and a satisfied smile appeared on his covered face when he nodded towards a few acquaintances.

Viola was calm on the surface, but she couldn't stop her eyes wandering around all the sights tonight. Although she lived here in Venice since her childhood, she'd never seen such a masquerade! She was amazed by the richness and vividness of the event. All the guests had divine and expensive clothes. Every mask was unique and the sparkling of the rubies and crystals blinded the eyes. This was Venice's cream with their guests: the richest and most powerful people. Dave didn't tell her too much, but she knew that this was an important evening.

She was at a loss, when Dave - with her hand on his arm - stepped into the winter-garden where three elderly and very respectfully looking men were talking with each other discretely. When they arrived, they looked up and greeted Dave and his company with a nod.

Viola did a little courtesy while Dave bent his upper body in an elegant way. She could sense a little stiffness in him and from this she knew the three men were important guests. Maybe Dave’s overlords? But how? And in what situation? Because she could not imagine him working somewhere. Were they princes or something else? She didn’t know and this was not the time for such questions.

She lifted her head and met three heavy gazes. Their eyes didn’t show anything of their feelings – if they had any at all. They were distant and lifeless, we could say cold, but not in an adverse way. They were simply old, wise and experienced. And now she was the object of the examination of those eyes. She felt herself a bit uncomfortable and grabbed Dave’s forearm a bit harder. He didn’t look at her but felt his little reassuring squeeze on her hand. Viola let out a small invisible sigh from the feeling. It felt good that he was aware of her discomfort and tried to ease it.

The silence started to be too long, but it seemed the old men needed time to examine her. She felt as if their gazes reached down to her core and couldn’t decide whether they liked what they saw or not. She felt Dave stepping forward and tugging her with him. She didn’t like the idea, but she didn’t want to seem inattentive either.

David introduced Viola to the men in black. All three wore black velvet and the same timber-wolf mask. Viola found it a bit strange, but she knew there are men's clubs and she thought they belong to the same club. And oh boy, she was right! She couldn't know it, but it was the Midnight Sanctuary Club. The three men belonged indeed into the same clan, the Crimson Heart Clan, the most ancient one among all clans.

She was a bit relieved when Dave finally took her hand and said good bye to the strange men. For a moment he turned back and nodded whispering "Yes, later we'll speak."

She didn't understand it, because it seemed that it was an answer, but they weren't speaking for a while when they parted. She just shook her head and followed Dave.

"It was a strange meeting. Who were they?" she asked turning her covered face to Dave. Previously for some reason they needed to show their faces for the old men and now she put back her mask on its place.

“They are my renowned business partners, one of them is my mentor, the other is my teacher and the third one is my father's best friend, he knows me since my birth.”

“Oh, I see. If it is not uncomfortable for you, I would like to ask, what are you doing for a living? I mean, I know, you don't do it for the money, but sure you do something.”

David was laughing, but then he looked seriously at Viola. “Viola Dear, feel free to ask, but I have to warn you that unfortunately I cannot answer all your questions. Later, perhaps you will see why. For a living I have tea and fruit plantations in the Amazonas region and in the Congo. What I do, to entertain myself is composing music and painting.”

"Yeah, just as I thought" she smiled behind her mask and took a glass of champagne while stepping outside to the garden.

"What do you mean?" he followed her with the promise of a smile in the corner of his lips

"I imagined such an occupation for you, I mean, like being a plantation owner. I cannot imagine you sitting in an office and working as average men do" she stepped to a stone banister and turned her face to him. "You are not an average man, right?" she looked up at him questioningly.

Dave didn't say a word just examined her face. She couldn't possibly know his secret. She was just groping in the dark.

"Anyway" she continued and pulled off her mask to sip from the champagne "I like arts too. I sell my paintings. That's how I earn a little money to survive in such a cruel city like this."

---

After the third glass of Don Perignon, Viola was carefree and in a dare-devil mood. She seemed to loose her inhibitions and asked David if they could dance together. Dave said a happy yes, he was a good dancer and loved to dance a lot. On his arm Viola with her dress floating behind her "sailed" to the middle and started to dance onto the first notes of an old, long forgotten Walzer, which Don Cardonne loved a lot.

"You are a great dancer" he noted and turned her to the rhythm just to face her again.

"So are you, Signore Cardonne" she chuckled "I can't believe that I'm dancing here on such a luxurious ball like this. Somehow I feel like I don't belong here. Like the ugly little duck from the fairy tale" she giggled again from the amount of the consumed alcohol.

"Don't say silly things, you are beautiful, Viola" he pulled her closer to his body and rested his glance on her uncovered clear face. He loved the way she blushed and gasped for air when his hand on her waist went a little further down till he reached the place where her perfect bottom started.

"But I don't belong here" she whispered drunken from his masculine scent as she leant closer, pressing her body softly against his. David needed to take a sharp breath. The hotness radiating out of her body mesmerized him just like her dark-grey eyes.

"It doesn't matter. You are here with me tonight, you are my partner... you are mine..." he whispered into her ear and smelled her beautiful neck, brushing his lips lightly against the soft skin. He felt her body tensing between his arms. Yeah, the girl was his, but not fully...yet. He pulled away a bit, when he felt a touch on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Signore Cardonne, but I'd like to ask a dance from the lady, if it's possible..." a young man was standing there in his elegant costume. Dave wanted to send him back to hell, but his