✔ Mrs Mandray

19. Village Ruins

Isabella

Oliver was stomping behind her, each footfall heavy with irritation and disappointment. Bat-Bat has been forgotten at home and it was the worst thing to happen ever. According to her son at least, who had cried his eyes out when Isabella had told him they were too far away to turn back home for the battered toy.

She tried not to glare at her son, it wasn't his fault for not understanding but she'd been getting little sleep and the winter months were harsh on them. Food was getting scarce so the Mandrays had already begun rationing and Isabella always gave part of her portion to Oliver.

Tomas had already taken their horse and cart down to the village. They sold wood openly in the market on Tuesdays and Saturdays instead of delivering crates to doors and Isabella was walking down with lunch. It was something to do, to keep busy and get Oliver out of the house.

It didn't hurt that Tomas appreciated the extra care and effort of a hand delivered lunch and she would need all the allowance she could get today. A reminder of the cramps in her stomach had Isabella stiffening. Her cycle had been uncomfortable before but since her pregnancy it hurt a whole lot more. Not to mention the actual amount she bled was ridiculous now. Logically she understood that it was her body learning from last time and preparing for a better pregnancy but it sometimes felt like some god was laughing down at her everytime she had to sacrifice more sheets and clothing when their supplies were already scarce.

Mrs Mandray had been a life saver. She was disappointed by the lack of a baby but that was more out of fear than any real judgement of Isabella. The older woman had appeared by her side early in the morning with a cup of tea and a smooth rock heated in a pan of water for her to wrap in a scarf and use for heat. Isabella had almost cried when Mrs Mandray had taken over her chores, cleaning the bedding and setting about making food even though she could see how the extra strain had her hobbling around in pain.

It was more than her own mother had ever done for her.

So Isabella had volunteered to take lunch down when that was usually her mother in laws job. The exercise was helping with the cramps and she'd have to pluck up her courage to tell Tomas of her most recent failure.

"Mummy, is that Aunt Fey's friend." Oliver tugged at her sleeve, pointing down the road to a cloaked figure staring at the wreckage of the Beddor house. The figure had no wings but even Isabella could feel the otherworldly presence about the man- male.

Her son had slowly begun tottering ahead even as she slowed down. The male in question had offered the boy a polite wave when he jumped excitedly and waved his hands for attention. It wasn't Azriel or Cassian with glamoured wings then. Oliver would have already been in their arms chattering away if it was them which meant-

"Afternoon, Mrs Mandray." Something tightened in the High Lord's jaw when he said her name, a flash of irritation in his eyes that was gone in a second. Isabella bobbed her head slightly, "High Lord."

"Rhys, please. There's no need to be so formal."

There quite possibly was since the last time she saw the male was when she and her twin were interrogating him over his intentions regarding Feyre. But Isabella didn't have Nesta here now but her small, very human son so she just nodded with a forced smile.

The High- Rhys, seemed to understand her hesitation. He had turned back to the ruins of the Beddor House, gaze tracking Ollie's movements as he wandered closer to charred remains.

"Did you know them?"

"Briefly."

He nodded slightly and in this light there was something pale and sallow about his skin. Perhaps the rumours were right then and the Beddors were murdered by fae. Of course it was only the outer villages that talked of that, everyone here kept their heads down.