𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 || 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒔 𝑺𝒏𝒐𝒘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

"𝒐𝒉, 𝒊 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆
𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆"

                 -𝒅𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅 𝒌𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒏𝒆𝒓

______________________________________

The next morning Ismene went down the stairs to have breakfast.

"Good morning, darling. You got some flowers yesterday but you went to bed so early, I didn't want to bother you." Mrs. Charmion smiled at her and gestured to the coffee table where was a bounqet of white roses.

Ismene instantly knew who it was from. Coriolanus. She just nodded at her mother and quickly mumbled a 'good morning' then went over to the table. She was too curious to not read it but she wasn't sure that she could forgive his behaviour just yet, exspecially after what she found out yesterday.
She opened it, it said the following in Coriolanus' neat handwriting:

Dearest Ismene,

I'd like to apologize for my behaviour, I don't know what had gotten into me.

The way I spoke to you and treated you was truly unacceptable. All I want to say is, that I just want the best for you, really so everything I said was to ensure your safety. I am not saying what I did was right by any means, just willing you to try to see the situation from the point of view of somebody who deeply cares about you and want you to be alright.

I sincerely hope that you can forgive me, Isme.

                                            Yours, Coryo

The nicknames reminded her that maybe he was still the same person who carried her home when she hurt her leg and offered her food, even though he was starving.

A single tear escaped her eye, because this was the first time that he has expressed his true feelings. She knew that he had a hard time opening up.

She wanted to go to his house right now and tell him that she forgives him but she knew that it wouldn't be wise to do that just yet. She needed to think this through.

She was happy that he apoligized but at the same time she also had the suspicion that he his feelings weren't exactly honest. He lost her trust and it took some time to win it back.

"Who is it from?" Her mother asked, trying to peer over her daughter's shoulder to see.

"It's from Coriolanus." Ismene answered and folded the paper, putting it into her pocket.

"Oh, he's such a gentlemen! You are lucky to have him amire you."
Mrs. Charmion exclaimed.

"Yeah." Ismene said curly, still lost in thought. "I have to go now, bye Mom."
She said and gathered her bag to head to the car.

After a few minutes she got to the University. She got out of the car and entered the building. Almost immediatly she saw Clemensia waving at her. She crossed the hall and went to her friend.

"Hi, Isme. Guess what happened." Clemmie greeted her, her face a bit pale. "Dean Highbottom was found dead."

"Oh." It's all Isme could say. She was not suprised, because of the amount of morphling he took but she was one of the few students who didn't hate him.

"I'm sorry, darling." Clemmie embraced her in a hug. She knew that the Dean liked Ismene and the other way around.

"It was expected, I know it's just...He was always so kind to me. I don't even know why, he hated everyone."

"Yes, I know. You are just impossible to hate, Isme." As Clemensia said that she saw she saw Coriolanus approaching. She quickly stirred Isme towards a classroom so Ismene won't see him. She was already upset and Clemmie didn't want the boy to upset her even more because she knew they had an argument." Come on, let's go to class."

-✦✦✦-

The two girls were in the canteen having lunch.

"Do you want to talk to him?" Clemensia asked looking at the entrance. "Don't turn around."

Ismene obeyed. "Who is it?"

"Coriolanus."

"Oh. Well I don't know. He wrote me a letter and apologized but I can't be sure that it was completely honest. You know, I can't trust him easily now. And I also found out something horrible from Dr. Gaul." She said, lowering her voice.

"What?" Clemmie leaned closer, sensing that this was secret imformation.

"He was the one who told on Sejanus." Ismene whispered. "Dr. Gaul approached me yesterday to tell me that she liked my essay and then just told me that Coriolanus isn't honest and told me this."

"That old freak loves causing trouble and ruin relationships, but whatever. This really is horrible. They were friends of some sort after all." Clemmie declared, glaring at the Snow boy's back as he was putting food on his plate. "What was in the letter, though? How could he explain this?"

"He wrote it before I came to know this and I don't think he knows that I found out." Ismene said and pulled out the letter out of her pocket.
"Here. Read it. And he also sent a bonquet of white Roses."

Clemmie opened the letter and read it. "Such a charmer, isn't he? I wonder if it's true though."

"I was thinking the same. And no, I don't think I'd like to talk to him right now."

"Right. You'll have to tell him, though because he will never listen to me." Clemensia answered.

Shortly Coriolanus started walking over to their table. Clemmie shook her had at him with a serious expression. Coriolanus glanced at Ismene's back for a second then back at Clemensia.
He walked towards another table.
He understood that if he wanted to win her trust back, he has to give her some time. It was frustrating, yes because he wanted to talk to her but he knew it was wiser to wait a little.