They whispered in town about him. They called him a beast. They called him cruel. They called him ugly.
People were repulsed by his face. They treated him like a deadly disease, avoiding him like the plague. They didn't dare talk to or in front of h...
The next day, Angelica sent her brother with Thomas to the castle for his lectures. She wanted to stay at home in case her father came home. She didn't want to miss the chance to talk to him this time.
The day went by with her being anxious and unable to focus or think about anything other than her father. It was making her feel sick, and she could barely eat.
"My Lady, you are not eating," Eva said, concerned.
"I am alright. Prepare some food for William. He must be home soon."
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When William returned from training, she was shocked to find him covered in dirt and bruised hands. He also had scratches on his knees. Angelica became furious to see him like that.
"What happened?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Training."
"Like this? Your hands are blue, and your knees are bleeding."
Her brother sighed. "Angelica, it is hard to train without getting hurt."
"Not this hurt," she retorted.
He was only ten. He wasn't even supposed to start his training yet, and Lord Rayven knew that. How could he let him get hurt like this during training? Was he mistreated because of his hatred toward her?
"Eva, help him clean his wounds and get changed." She ordered the maid.
Eva took William with her and left. Angelica turned to Thomas. "Did you find out anything about father?"
He shook his head, "no, my lady. No one knows where he is."
Angelica sighed, frustrated. She didn't know who to turn to for advice or help. What her father was doing was something no one could find out. Not even Thomas.
"Keep looking for him," she said.
Angelica hoped he would come home that night, but he didn't. She had never wished for the night never to end this badly before, but the sun peeking through her window was brutal to ignore even if she wanted to.
Thomas took her brother to train after breakfast, and then he would look for her father again. To her disappointment, he came back without finding anything about him.
Angelica was already stressed about her father's situation, so she became mad when her brother returned with more bruises after his training. She could almost see Lord Rayven's smirk in her mind. If he was doing this to annoy her, then he was wrong. Because she wasn't upset, she was angry.
"Thomas, take me to the castle." She ordered.
Thomas looked at her confused but said nothing and followed her orders. On her way to the castle, she thought she would calm down, but she didn't. She was as angry when she arrived, and as she tried to find her way to the soldiers' quarters, she hoped not to cross paths with the King. She wasn't calm enough to think clearly.
