The Promise of the Dawn

Chapter Sixty: Taken

"What's wrong with her?" One of the trainees asks as we all stand and stare at Brianna, who sits cross-legged in the grass of the training grounds, staring off into the distance.

"I think you'd be the same way if you watched your childhood home burn down right before your eyes" Jasper interrupts as he approaches the group, pushing straight through us and stopping when he reaches Brianna.

He squats beside her, gently placing his hand on her back, which draws her attention to him. He then offers his hand to her and she smiles, taking it and allowing herself to be brought back to standing.

"Did I interrupt training?" She asks as she sees all our eyes fixated on her.

"Not at all. Come along trainees" I say, gesturing for the group to enter the field.

Since the fire, Brianna's entire family had moved into the Estate temporarily while they organized for their own Estate to be rebuilt.

"Will you be joining us this morning, Brianna?" I ask.

She shakes her head solemnly.

"I'm afraid my mother might have a heart attack if she found out about my training" Brianna replies with a slightly joking tone, that's disguised by sadness.

"Well if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us" Aurora adds as she walks by us, making her way towards the trainees.

Brianna smiles sadly. All this talk of family and unimaginable disasters made me realize something. I'd been so caught up with my own life that I hadn't seen my sisters at all recently, or sent them their usual baskets. I hadn't even thought to invite them to my own coronation.

"If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." I say, breaking away from the group and heading up towards the Estate.

I leave Aurora in charge of training for the day. I enter the Estate at a brisk pace, still trying my best to avoid the wandering eyes of the staff as they scurried about with their wedding tasks. I enter my bedroom, where Samael sits on the bed, pulling on a new shirt for the day. I head straight for the closet, grabbing my cloak before setting off back towards the door.

"And where are you off to, my dear" Samael interrogates me right as I'm about to leave again.

I turn around with a mischievous smile, knowing I wouldn't have been able to just leave.

"Nowhere that concerns you" I say with a mischievous smile.

Samael stands up, walking over to me and standing in front of me in an attempt to intimidate me.

"We've been engaged for barely two days, and you're already hiding things from me?" Samael says.

I can tell he's joking, because the right side of his mouth is set in a slanted smirk.

"I'm not entitled to tell you anything" I reply, smiling softly as our noses touch.

"I suppose so. But as the future Duke and your future husband, I think I deserve to be told what exactly you're scheming" He replies.

I narrow my eyes.

"I'm going to visit my sisters" I finally decide to say.

Samael steps away from me, surprised.

"Your sisters? That's all?" He asks me.

I smirk, stepping forward and kissing his cheek.

"Quite" I say before turning around and beginning to leave again.

"Now, wait a minute. You'll need an escort to go along with you. I'll ready the carriage and we can go together" He replies.

I turn around, shooting him an impressed look.

"Already familiarizing yourself with being a Duke, I see" I joke.

"Did I have another option?" he jokes in return.

I shake my head, exiting the room.

The ride to the cottage was bumpy and muddy, and I felt a strange sense of nervousness the entire ride, because when I reached the cottage, it would be the first time I was seeing my sisters as the newly crowned Duchess. Not only that, but when I arrived, I was prepared to ask them a question which would change the courses of their lives forever. I would give them the opportunity to move into the Estate, so we'd always be around each other, just as our parents had wanted.

When the carriage finally comes to a stop, Samael gets up first, opening the door and stepping out, then offering me his hand. I take it, then step down out of the carriage, taking in my surroundings. I felt just as Brianna had did when she watched her home burning down.

Lost, yet home.

I half expected my sisters to run out of the cottage and embrace me happily the second they saw me, and when I wasn't met with their bubbly presence, a strange feeling began to form in my gut. Samael and I exchange strange glances, and I walk towards the cottage briskly, uncaring of the mud that dirties my boots. I waste no time in opening the door, which is unlocked, and revealing the singular room which I used to know so well, confirming the strange feeling in my gut. My sisters were nowhere in sight, and a singular letter sits on the desk which used to store my sisters' writing. I walk over and select the letter from the desk, promptly tearing it open and reading it's contents. Samael watches as the blood drains from my face upon reading the letter.

"What is it?" He asks.

"It's the Rochdalians. They've taken my sisters" I say, setting the letter back down on the desk.