The Compromise

Chapter 10 - A Letter of Impending Doom

Missi awoke slowly, her senses sluggishly coming back into focus one by one. She peacefully listened to the faint snores from the rooms around her and the sounds of birds outside her window before a feeling of heaviness on her chest pushed her down. Something warm was pushing her down onto a slightly bumpy mattress - definitely worse than her own and the more she thought about the spring poking into her rib the more she felt the urge to move.

When she finally opened her eyes to the slowly brightening, overly cheerful world around her she hissed.

Fucking hell!

Her head was pounding something awful as she moved to sit up, the weight on her chest skittered and hissed and she hummed a reply, eyes clamped closed to futilely ignore the lulling of pain in her skull.

Slowly opening her eyes to the still too bright world around her, she groaned rubbing her forehead to pass the pain and saw a familiar black feline giving her the stink eye, clearly not impressed at her waking him.

"Good morning Simone," she croaked apologetically, petting the feline's silky fur gently which eventually earned her a loud purr. I guess he forgave her then. Her throat burned, coarse like sandpaper as she swallowed dryly.

Her eyes glanced around the unfamiliar room, relatively bare but refreshing compared to the luxury of her home. Her eyes quickly found a vanity with a pitcher of water with several cups scattered around. Without even thinking she moves, stumbling towards her salvation and after a near fall, she quickly pours the water into a cup and takes greedy gulps until it is all gone.

The burning faded and she sighs in relief before her eyes drift down to the mirror, looking at her disheveled self. She looked like fucking hell. Her eyes sport dark bags, her hair is an utter mess and her cheek is bruised - and from what she knows there is no makeup to cover it until she got back to the manor.

She fingered the afflicted area, feeling the indefinite sting that solidified her nightmarish dream did indeed happen the day prior. Her brain amidst some of the fog conjures images of Duke, at her feet staring at her face, his eyes concentrated as he lightly dabs the cloth across her skin. Her skin prickles at remembering the sensation of the damp cold cloth. He hadn't been watching her look at him, looking into his almost blood red eyes - ones that reminded her of demons painted in the churches but she blames her muddled brain when she thinks back.

She would find it almost romantic, his gesture but his eyes wouldn't leave her mind, they sear and they seem to glow slightly in her memory in such a way that it's familiar to her. She'd seen it before. More than once.

Missi slouched down onto the vanity's stool as she thought back. Back to when she'd met him or that night she'd had one of her nightmares, and bumped into him in the dark hallway. She hadn't even heard him coming, it was as if he'd formed from the shadows themselves and it had honestly scared her the more she'd thought about it. Why would he be walking the corridors so late at night. He'd told her why but why was he watching her for so long - she had been stood at that window for a while trying to find that owl again. The thought unsettled her.

She had to get away.

~~~~

Missi had climbed up her makeshift rope, flopping onto her bed as her joints ached in exertion. Despite having climbed it multiple times before on her mini escapades, she still hadn't gotten used to it. Her dress and boots were scuffed and her hair was knotted from all the bushes she had ducked in.

Her family didn't expect her for another two hours- not that she'd acquiesced their request to see her, she'd had plenty of time to draw a bath and get ready, picking out a simple dress and moving to her study to relax in peace. She needed to find away to leave Duke before they even got married, she had even started to collect jewellery and other expensive items in order to sell off, had already got enough funds for the journey across taken from her allowance.

A gentle knock came from her study room door as Lilith entered, carrying a letter with her and Missi offered her a gentle smile.

"It is good to see you Lilith." Missi closed the book she had been writing in and moved away from her window seat to greet her properly, enveloping her in a light hug. She may not of been her mother by blood but Lilith was by bond.

"It is good to see you as well, my lady." Lilith pauses before reciprocating the hug awkwardly. "Your parents have requested that you join them for breakfast and an invitation has come through the post for you."

Lilith pulled away and handed Missi the letter she had been holding, which she quickly flipped and saw the Casmir family seal. It was an interesting design of a bat mid flight with the letter C surrounding it. She didn't pay much more attention to it as she grabbed her pen knife to peel open the letter before reading the contents.

Elaborate cursive met her as she skimmed over the message. Esteemed guest, engagement party, family members were welcome. Not again...

Missi deep distaste for functions began to swirl sickly in the pit of her stomach. Flashes of jewels, gossips and gowns began a vicious cycle within her head, taunting her and laughing.

Oh god...

Missi didn't think she could handle another fucking dress with an enormously heavy skirt and crinoline. She was already concocting ways in which to 'cull' herself off so she wouldn't have to go through one more of those bloody evenings when something sparked in her head.

Why shouldn't she buy her own dress?

Now that was an idea! Missi's eyes sparked with a newfound scheme and a smirk lurked on her face to which Lilith looked at oddly.

"My Lady... are you quite alright?" She had a worried look on her face at the girls peculiar expression - she had look horrified barely two seconds before.

"Yes, everything is fine. Actually everything is just splendid!" Missi smiled brightly. "Tell my Mother I wish for her to accompany me after she has finished eating."

Lilith paused unsure of her next words.

"And do you mind telling me if you wish to eat with your family and what you wish to do, so I can relay it to Lady Georgina?"

"Oh no- I'll have my meal here in my study and for what to say to my Mother," Missi paused to gulp down a sickly lump that had risen in her throat as her stomach began to fill with both excitement and dread.

"Tell her that I wish to go dress shopping."

———

Heya my lovelies. I'm sorry there was such a long gap between my last updates. I won't lie, I may have neglected this and forgot about it for a while.

But anyways, I still hope I'm getting everyone's character right - and before people ask about the cat's name being wrong - there's a reason for that which will come into play later on.

So, Missi's meeting the Casmir family, what will they be like, what will happen? So many questions! I also hope people enjoyed the title - I thought I could convey Missi's panic and dread with a little bit of humor.

Also I want to thank everyone who is still reading this and for all of your support and kindness that you've shown me as it makes me really happy!

As always, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out for you all as at the moment it's only a quarter done and I'm writing it backwards. It's also looking to be a long one so I might split it out into several chapters and get them out to you when I can.

Love you all lots!

Watermelon-ice
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