Beauty Marked

Beauty Marked part 3

 There I stood standing in front of the door to my father’s study, panting. I had ran all the way there with the fear that Devlin would perhaps chase me and continue whatever threats or come ons he could try, but he hadn’t. Now that I stood in front of father’s study a different fear stopped me, He had always avoided telling me what he’s hiding from me- telling me what I was. True I was scared to know, but my curiosity outweighed my fear, and today was the day I needed answers.

With a deep breath I tried to relax, running my fingers through my hair on my forehead trying to look presentable, and smoothing out my dress before knocking on the door. There was no answer. I knocked once more, “Father?” I opened the door without waiting for a response, and there he sat at his desk looking engrossed in some papers. He looked startled slightly when I opened the door, clearly not expecting me to come in. “Elise?” I walked in shutting the door behind me. “Elise why aren’t you showing around Lord Devlin?”

I tried to look into his eyes, but more and more recently I found he wasn’t meeting my gaze as much. “Father, I don’t like him. He’s exceedingly arrogant and rude and- well why should I have to marry someone I’ve never met, to be protected?” I didn’t have the heart to tell him what else Devlin had been doing towards me. I needed answers right now, not anger. Gren sighed heavily, “ I need to make sure that you stay protected and I won’t be around forever.” I grit my teeth, “That isn’t what I meant...”

He looked back down to his papers, “You know I’m not going to discuss it with you, I trust lord Devlin to help care for you and make sure no harm comes to you.” “But Father-” “No buts, I’m not discussing this.” “Tell me what being marked means.” I knew I had demanded the unspeakable, but I needed to know. Gren sighed and held the bridge of his nose as if fighting off a headache. “What did I tell you last time?” I felt like he was looking for an easy way out and got slightly annoyed, but answered regardless. “That I’m special.. But father that’s not the whole meaning, I know it’s not, please- what does marked mean?” I asked a bit softer, desperation seeping into my voice.

He finally looked up at me, sincerity in his eyes, “That you are very special to me, and dear to my heart.” I looked to the side angry, and closed my eyes trying to calm my frustration by crossing my arms. “As you are to me, but you’ve never referred to yourself as a marked... I know it is that word that forces my protection, why you’ve kept me locked away from the outside world my entire life. I’m almost 19! How much longer do I have to wait to know what has affected my life so!? To the point where you’re willing to marry me off to stranger!? Must I wait for it to be a wedding present?” I said the last without humor, I couldn’t hold back my frustration any more. I knew at this point my pent up feelings were being vented directly at him “Very well, wedding present it is then.” He said seriously. I should have known I was just feeding the fire.

“Why do I have to be special, why can’t I just be normal? A bystander?” I pleaded, what was it that made me marked, why was I imprisoned? What did I do to deserve being forced to stay within the grounds my entire life? Gren stood and walked towards me, his expression composed and formal as he could make it, “My dear, you have never been normal, you have been marked as what you are, and it makes you valuable to many and your choices few. I’ve done what I have for your protection from the outside world. They can’t understand how special you are. Has it really been so bad?”

Questions started spinning in my head, that was the most he had ever told me about being marked- but like his usual manner, it still told me virtually nothing. “It hasn’t, but-” “Then there’s no point discussing this further, I did what I have for you because you are like my very own flesh and blood to me.” He seemed to get lost in his own thoughts at  this point, in memory. “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”