"You summoned me?" Allaria asked as she broke the silence, her heart pounding in her chest.
The Duke and Duchess turned to each other, sighed, and then turned back to Allaria saying, "Yes... yes, we did."
Allaria had expected her Aunt and Uncle to be salivating in her pain and suffering but they just seemed indifferent. They had no smile or cheeky grins and their eyes didn't shimmer with the thrill of the chase. It made Allaria even more concerned.
There was something about the way Allaria broke off from the mold that her Uncle was never able to get over but for some reason, that wasn't showing, yet. Perhaps he blamed Allaria for tainting Guinean and turning her into a wild thing. She did know he blamed her for her disappearance, that's for sure. Ever since then it had been a little, hostile between the two which made their calm all the more disturbing.
Edmond, her uncle, stood up from his seat and gestured to his guards, "Leave us." he ordered, his tone oddly gentle. All that kindness seemed to leave his eyes as they fell upon Allaria. As if he was looking at some sort of colossal failure, "Can you explain something to me?" he asked, as he descended the steps of his throne.
Allaria had trouble maintaining eye contact with him, his gaze made her feel weak and inferior which was something she wasn't used to, "I don't know, can I?" Allaria snapped, reverting back to sass and backtalk as a defense mechanism. She winced at her own tone and immediately regretted her words.
Lucinda gasped, flicked her fan open, and started to fan herself as if she would be faint, "Oh my."
Edmond clenched his fists, "You will treat me with respect young miss." he sneered, fast approaching Allaria. She backed away slowly, an action Edmond noted. He started talking with his hands, "You need to stop seeing me as your enemy." he told her, forcing the harshness out of his tone, a decision that made his voice come across as strained and growly.
Allaria could feel her face heating up, "Are you kidding me?" she gasped, as if she was out of air. She took a step forward and hissed through her teeth, "I have lived my entire life under your thumb." she reminded him, emphasising her point by pointing her finger at him, "I have had to come up with the most creative ways to stay here as long as I have because you insist on making me a proper lady." she snarked, "Why can't you just realize I'm not what you wanted me to be and let me live out my life. No nobleman in his right mind is going to want me. If you send me to court I'll come back an old spinster."
Edmund stepped back, raising his hands up in the air and then ran them through his hair, "I don't know why my brother puts up with this from you but I will not tolerate such delinquent behavior in my presence."
Allaria couldn't help herself, she took a step closer, now stepping into his personal space, "Delinquent?" she asked, her eyes widening. She folded her arms across her chest, "My father raised me to be a strong woman... a real woman, not some pretty thing you can put away in a neat box and if you can't handle that then don't summon me into your presence." Allaria couldn't believe herself as the words came out of her mouth; she was in it now... so deep she could feel the air leaving her lungs as she drowned.
It was as if she knew deep down this was the last chance she'd ever get to say these things before they sent her away. Then her husband would keep her leashed just like Lucinda; sitting pretty in a big chair thinking she's secretly pulling the strings when in reality she's as useful as a stump in a farmer's field.
"My my." she gasped, waving her fan faster, and then snapping it back together. Her eyes darted to Allaria, "Don't you dare speak to the Duke that way!" she sneered. She turned to him with a knowing eye, "That tongue won't get her very far at court."
Allaria's posture went from tense to straight as a rod, "So you really are sending me off to court?" she croaked, her voice cracking.
Lucinda grimaced and turned away, unable to watch her husband break it to Allaria.
"Yes." Edmond replied, he watched Allaria's reaction carefully, "Allaria," he sighed and looked down before looking back up, his eyes changed to a hard and stern stare. "It's time to grow up Allaria." he gestured back to Lucinda and himself, "We have tried to give you time to live your life but this is the last straw. Your time has come and it's time you did your noble duty and finally serve your kingdom."
Allaria shook her head and laughed, "You can't possibly be serious?"
Edmund held firm, "I am." he looked towards Lucinda, giving her a solemn look and then back to Allaria, "We just want to do what's best for you." he paused, "And we think there are certain things here-"
"And people," Lucinda added, pointing in the air with her fan at Allaria.
"Yes, and people," Edmund continued, "That are getting you into trouble."
Allaria couldn't take this anymore, "What are you talking about?" she raised her voice louder than she would have liked but at this point, she was fighting for her life and didn't care whose toes she stepped on.
"Oh!" Lucinda cried out, "Just look at yourself." she gestured to Allaria's bandaged wrist, and scoffed. "You almost got yourself killed."
That was enough for Allaria and she snapped, "At least I was trying to make a difference unlike you two, pulling out on your own people."
Edmund rolled his eyes, "That isn't the point." he shook his head and ran his hand over his face, dragging it down, "and you would do well to remember you're only nineteen and you don't know everything. We pulled out of the slums for good reason." he shook the idea off; knowing it would lead them off topic and rubbed the back of his neck, "You need to go to court and be around people your age, make friends, and maybe find a proper suitor."
Lucinda lit up at the opportunity to jump in, "Oh yes, we saw you dancing with prince Caden-"
"No!" Allaria yelled, turning shades of red.
"Yes!" Edmund yelled back and lunged forward, grabbing her arm and squeezing it tightly. Allaria let out a wince and a quiet whimper. "Look." he sneered into her face, his spittle flying into her face, "You're going to court and you are going to bag me a big fish, come home with a baby if you can, whatever you can do to secure our lineage." he even went so far as to shake her to get his point across, "I don't care if it's Caden or one of his brothers but you grab me a prince or some princely substitute or don't bother coming home." Lucinda stood up from her chair, her face plastered with mixed emotions over Edmund's sudden outburst but remained quiet. Edmund pushed her away like she was a piece of a rancid meat saying, "You've been a child for too long. Now it's time to grow up." Allaria squeezed her eyes shut to shield them from the final shot of spittle from his the harshly pronounced final words. He waved her away and walked back up to his throne.
Allaria could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, they stung almost as harshly as his words. She couldn't believe anyone could say anything so cruel with such utter heartlessness. He looked into her eyes as he settled back into his throne and for a split second she thought she saw pity but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Her entire body quivered and shook the second he let her go, she looked up at Lucinda and was shocked to see her aunt looking... sympathetic. It came as a brief warmth to her heart but it quickly was replaced by the frozen fear that was flowing through her body.
Edmund finalized their argument and her judgment by saying, "A couple years at court did wonders for your cousin, I don't see why it can't do the same for you." his eyes uncomfortably locking with hers.
Allaria mustered together all her might to keep it together and not break down into a pool of tears, "Do I not have a say in this?" she asked, an act of desperation.
Edmund chuckled, "No." he watched her hands tremble at her sides and her leg quiver as she shifted her weight to the side.
"My parents?" she asked, her voice cracked and the water pooled in her eyes so much she could barely see.
"No." he turned to Lucinda and noted her quiet nature.
Allaria sighed, she remembered how she thought they were just going to scold her for being reckless, remind her how they cared and they didn't want her to get hurt. It didn't matter if it was all lies because anything was better than this. Although she had feared this outcome, something inside her still thought it wouldn't happen. Oh, how she had been wrong.
She could feel every last bit of the hope she once had drain from her body. It was like all the life was being sucked from her and soon she would be dry and empty husk.
"Do you even care about what happened last night?" she asked, her heart pounding, as new hot blood fueled by rage started to flood through her body.
"Not really." Edmund snuffed, "It was only a matter of time before you hurt yourself, this was the last straw. It was bound to happen. The slums are the slums; there always going to be falling apart. I'm not concerned with whatever you think you've discovered."
Allaria shook her head, "So you don't care that Guawyn and I were almost murdered? That something big is going on down there?"
Edmund smiled but Lucinda responded before he could, her voice sounded hurt, "Of course we do, that's why we're sending you off... to protect you... to protect Guawyn."
"To protect Guawyn?" Allaria gasped, her fists clenching so hard her nails almost torn through her bandages.
"Yes Allaria... the things you drag him into will be the death of him," she answered, her face still but rippled with concern which seemed alien to her features.
"W-what?" Allaria stumbled back, her heart sinking as she realized it was the truth.
"It's for the best. For both of you." Lucinda explained, jumping off her throne and closing the distance between them and grabbing Allaria's hands into hers, squeezing her smaller hand tightly, "Allaria..." she sighed, "Sometimes truly loving someone means being strong enough to let them go."
Lucinda's words hit Allaria hard, she felt her heart skip a beat and stumble to catch back up into a regular rhythm. A tear fell from her eye, "Can I go now?" she begged.
Lucinda grimaced and let go of her hands to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Of course." she agreed, and Allaria didn't wait for Edmund's blessing before running off. "Allaria!" Lucinda called out before Allaria got to the door.
Allaria took a deep breath and turned around, slowly letting it out, "Yes?" her voice cracking.
"Prince Caden will be coming in a week to collect you," she paused, "You will be his guest and I want you to treat him with an open mind. You must represent your family well or you will have to face the consequences."
Allaria nodded and ran off, not able to take the tension in the room any longer. She used her rage to fling the door open and rounded the corner. A wave of shock fell over her as she saw Guinean standing in the hallway, staring at her as if she had been waiting.
Allaria stopped dead in her tracks and watched the girl, her eyes red with tears just like Allaria imagined her own were. Then, to her surprise Guinean rushed towards her and pulled her into a tight embrace, almost squeezing the life out of her.
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, pulling away to face Allaria, "I'm sorry." she muttered so fast it almost floated away like a wisp on the wind. "Go to him..." she began to say but her eyes trailed off to another world, "Before it's too late," she paused and sniffled, "Life has a way of taking the things you loved most."
"Guinean?" Allaria asked, stroking the strands of hair out of her face that had clung to the wet tears.
Then, like a wave had washed over her, Guinean tensed, leaned in close to Allaria and whispered in her ear, "Do as they say Allaria," she paused and sobbed, "For his sake, please.... don't make the same mistake I made."
Shivers ran down Allaria's spine as Guinean's chilling words washed over her, "I-I will, Guinean I thought you'd left... are you okay?"
Guinean shook her hands and ignored what Allaria had said, "There are daggers in the dark closer than you think." she pulled back and sighed, "the court does something to you... please don't let it change you," she said and looked around, worried that her parents might come out and see her, so she ran away.
Allaria followed the girl with her eyes until she was out of sight just to make sure she hadn't dreamt the entire exchange. She realized her mouth was open and quickly shut it. There were still tremors coursing through her body as she stood there in silence, alone in the hall.
Then the guard came back with a glass of water, looking around for someone. He glanced up at Allaria and sighed when he saw her bloodshot eyes and blotchy red and white cheeks.
He walked over to her and handed her the glass, "Miss Guinean, asked me to get this for you."
Allaria cocked her head to the side and accepted the glass, "Thank you." she said timidly and wrapped her fingers around it tightly. She wondered if Guinean had sent him on this errand so she could talk to Allaria in private but the water was still appreciated.
She sipped away at it while she made her way to Gauwyn's room. The water was soothing to her lips and calmed her as it slipped down her throat. Before the sweet water had its chance to moisten her throat, it felt like someone had shoved her mouth full of cotton. Even with her thirst quenched, she couldn't shake what Guinean had said yet again.
Everything everyone had said to her was swirling around in her brain like a tornado. If someone came up to her and told her smoke was pouring out of her ears she would believe him as her brain felt like it was going to catch fire as the gears ground against each other. Suddenly, Allaria knew what she had to do.
Whenever the stress of life got to be too much, Allaria would make her way down to the barracks and pound the wood out of some dummies. So, she wasted no time getting there and once she had released all of her pent up energy she would go see Gauwyn... or maybe she'd ask her brother Nathaniel; he was always good to give advice. Either way, she was going to get a sword in her hand and swing it at her problems.
Ouch! What a low plow for Allaria! Good thing she's strong XD I hope you're enjoying it and find out what happens next :) thank you for reading :) I hope you have a great day :D