The Consort Of House Marasarah

22

In the days that followed, Issy could not recall how she had found the concentration necessary to drive home. However, she had made it back to the palace and up to the stairs to her bedchambers seemingly on autopilot. She ought to have sought out her father and tell him her perceptive of the night's events however, she couldn't face the male. The night had start with so much promise that she was sure the entire thing had been some twisted joke. She had failed him and could not bear to watch the disappointment colour his icy blue eyes.

She took the most direct route to her room. Issy couldn't stand the idea of running into a family members. She breathed a deep breath of relief when she was inside her bedchambers, or at least she tried to. The moment she closed her doors it felt as though the bodice of her dress was squeezing the very air from her chest. She had to get out of the goddamn dress before she suffocated. Issy pulled viciously at the delicate material in an effort to get out of it. It had taken two assistants to get into the thing, she vaguely recalled, but she couldn't wait for any assistant; she needed to get out of the thing that minute.

When she was finally free, the beautiful gown was ruined with the satin material of the underskirt torn at the seem and the delicate fasting at the bodice ripped away. Issy fell to the floor just as the first sob was loose from her now unconstrained body. Once the first one was out she couldn't stop the second or the third.

Isalinah, as the elder females would remake, took to her bed. She felt so physically weak that she couldn't move. In the back of her mind she knew she could have used her phone and called the male but she couldn't stomach the idea of Massillon rejection over the phone line. She imagined his tone would be very polite and reserved, cold and unfeeling with his mask perfectly in place, and surely that would be far worst. She also knew that logically she was overreacting. She barely knew Massillon and was more than sure he was keeping things from her. This was a virtual stranger and she was being a fool. She knew all of that and still she stayed curled in a ball in her bed in the middle of the night hiding from reality.

There had been a few attempted visits from her mother, her aunt Meaganna and May who had knocked on her locked door asking to come inside. Issy had sent her a text in response. A simple, 'I wish to be left alone'. None of them had pushed and Issy had been grateful for that. Food had been sent up and the dishes miraculously cleared away while she slept. She hadn't seen a single member of her mother's household staff but she knew  they had entered and tidied up. The remains of her ruined dress was cleared away and Issy had not seen or heard a thing. The Highguard had nothing on her mother's staff when it came to stealth, Issy thought was a touch of humour.

It had been days since she has hidden herself away and her usually active body itched with the need for exercise. Training was an ingrained part of her daily routine but Issy didn't want to expose herself to the world and their judgment just yet.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door of her bed chambers being flung open. Anger bubbled up in her belly at the unknown intruder and her turned her body to face him or her. She had assumed it would be her mother armed with some snarky remake but Issy was ready for the female who had automatically taken her precious baby boy's side.

"How dare..." Issy began but the comment died in her throat as the intruder came into view. It was her father and he looked annoyed. The male was impeccably dressed in a deep marine blue suit.

"I will have no more of this, daughter mine." Raphael announced coldly as he surveyed the room.

"You will bath and dress for dawn's meal which will be served in one hour. Do not dally." He continued, " do not force me to have to come get you a second time. My mood has soured already. "

Issy lost all the fight that had bubbled up in her gut only seconds ago. She nodded her head and gave a barely audible "Yes my Liege," in response, but the male had already turned around and left. Issy huffed out a defeated sigh as she realized that automatic need to obey her Doeshar was being used against her. She wanted to rebel but hunger gnawed at her, further pushing her to obey.