The Villainess's Story Retold

The Unfortunate Ones

AN:  sorry for the late update but here's a long one and please be advised that this is now my new way of writing :)

     It has been several days since the incident between the sorcerer and the knight, and now Adalyn is buying herself to make a Solstice gift for the King and Queen. Her mind has been wracking ideas on ways how to make her more favorable than Victoria. Her business with her isn't finished yet, and she is calculating ways on how to exact her revenge.
     In the midst of her scheme, the door quietly opens and reveals Luis carrying a tray of tea and butter cookies. "Lady Adalyn, you must rest. You have been inside for almost a day." Luis worries but Adalyn paid his words no mind. For her, it is more important for Victoria to pay for all the troubles she had caused.
     "Thank you, Luis but I will be fine. Besides, you should be busy yourself with your apology letter to the head butler." Adalyn snickers at that tease. Although Luis may be in more trouble than Adalyn, he will make sure that she, too, will suffer once they go back to the house, "If Lady Adalyn has this much energy then may I inquire of you can help this servant with his chores?" Luis shoots back with equal mockery. Adalyn clicks her tongue and stubbornly looks away from Luis. Before she could insult him back, a maid rushes in and asks for Luis's presence in the main hall.
     Luis and the maid bow and left Adalyn alone in her lonely world, but the silence comforts her from all the troubles she would rather forget. Adalyn sits further back on her chair, her mind flies to the thought of the sun and sure enough, the warmth and brightness of it can bring people out of their winter shelters, called home. She takes a sip of her tea washes away the fatigue she has been experiencing early morning. A knock disrupts her peaceful afternoon, she knew that Luis wouldn't knock on her door and maids will only call out her name for her to answer, but the person behind the door somewhat feels powerful.
     Adalyn opens the door and Castiel barges in, "Brother Castiel why are you here?"
"I've heard from Dylan that you ran off. Didn't you consider how worried grandfather would be?" Adalyn shrinks back, Castiel would normally ignore her presence in any social gatherings but now he is here scolding her as a mother would to her child.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize." A small huff, masked as a sigh escapes Castiel's lips, "You shouldn't just run away from your problems Adalyn. Even if it's between the family, you need to face it with dignity, not with cowardice. What would mother think?" He continues, not bothering to sugar-coat his words? He turns and leaves Adalyn who is gripping onto the door frame. She knows that he is right but his words still hurt.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

     The heart of the town is as beautiful as it is during the day, now the rain and dark clouds wash away the filth on the road but it can never clean the dirty people who found no comfort in the cold and damp streets of the land. Adalyn continues to watch the poor men and women try and seek shelter against the cold, hard rain. The pitter-patter of the water droplets creates a tune of flawed drums. Her sour mood matches the gloomy weather and she didn't bother concealing it in front of Luis who is sitting uncomfortably.
     "Lady Adalyn did something, perhaps, happen between you and Lord Castiel?" Luis questions, unable to sit quietly in this awkward situation while Adalyn is busy clutching her cloak.
"I believe you know the answer, Luis." Luis shifts a bit on his seat, "I do but-" before Luis could inquire further, the carriage came to a halt and the coachman lightly lifts the window curtain. "My Lady, Lord Castiel ordered us to stop here while he finishes his business."
     Adalyn nods at the report and relaxes in the warm comfort of her carriage. It won't be long until she would suffer Marie's rage but that is a problem she'll have to face sooner. Adalyn's eyes wander around outside and she slightly turns to Luis's direction without breaking her view,
"Luis, do you see those poor people outside?" Luis raises an eyebrow at her question and looks out of the window of the carriage. He sees a number of people with tattered clothes seek comfort behind the dumpsters. His eyes indulge in reminiscence, a powerful feeling of Deja vu hits him like a ton of bricks.
     Luis grips the curtains that hid the awful sight outside and answers, "Yes, Lady Adalyn." His voice containing a tinge of sadness and pity at those people outside. Rich nobles and merchants pass by them like invisible maggots of the town then a small voice rings against the loud rain.
    
     "Sir, would you please spare us some change? For my brother and me?" A small girl in a tattered brown dress and ragged towel that hides the top of her hair begs with a small bowl on her hands. Adalyn and Luis continue to watch in the carriage. The man wearing expensive-looking garments does not glance at the poor girl by his side and continues on his way. The girl then begs at a woman whose frilly dress could awe many suitors, stops by.
     "Oh, you poor thing! Here, a dime to get you by the night." The lady exclaims, garnering the attention of many nobles who smile at her action. Adalyn frowns, How could a dime help her and her brother through the night? She wonders and continues to watch, oblivious to the annoyed Luis in front of her.
     "Thank you, Madame." The little girl cries out. The lady is about to hand the dime to the little girl but then she lets out a horrible shriek of horror. Adalyn and Luis stare with wide eyes at how violent the lady reacted.
     "Red hair! A demon! Help!" The lady screech making the little hooded girl stumble back. She hits the ground with a loud thud and upon seeing the girl get hurt,  Adalyn straightens her back in surprise.
     "My Lady!" The maid of the lady calls out in worry, "Anyone, anyone! There's a demon child attacking My Lady!" The maid shouts for help and immediately an officer rushes in and yanks the little girl to her feet. The loud slap resounds despite the deafening music of the rain. The hood of the little girl comes off because of the impact of the heavy hand, to reveal a dashing color of fire. The little girl's face shows emotions of shock and fear, a look that no other normal young girls could ever make, stirs a dark emotion inside Luis.
     The little girl silently cries as the officer shouts at her ear, "Demon! I thought I already took care of you, yet you still dare to harass a lady? Come, you'll have to answer to the law!" The man drags the crying little girl who tries to pull her arm away from his iron grip.
     "What are you doing to my sister?" A little boy suddenly screams and then attacks the officer's leg with a bite. The officer cries in pain and he retaliates his action by kicking him in his stomach using the leg that the boy had bitten, "Edric!" The little girl cries to see his brother clutching his stomach in pain. The officer hauls the boy in his feet and drags him along. The rain now showers little to no drops, extinguishing the sound of loud drums but it doesn't clear the gray skies that frown down on the crowd.
     "The two of you are arrested for obstructing the law!" The officer proclaims and many people around clap their hands at the 'justice' he had displayed. Adalyn who watched the entire scene unfold gets off the carriage, and with a loud and powerful voice she commands, "Let those children go!"
     All the people around turns and looks at the hooded Adalyn with scorn. Who would dare go against an officer? No one but Adalyn. The officer slits his dark eyes in a glare, feeling annoyed at the woman who defied his words of Justice.
     "Madame, I commend that you do not get in my way. These brats are demons! They attacked an innocent Lady." The officer explains but he made sure to assert his dominance over Adalyn.
      "Oh?" Adalyn says with a laughing smile hidden in the shadows of her hood. How amusing to think that a mere low ranked officer would allege his power over Adalyn, he certainly hasn't felt the authority of the Crown Prince, "How could you, sir, know that these two children caused such disturbances in the middle of town? Were you present during the scene, itself?" Adalyn asks.
     "No, but seeing the Lady very shaken is enough reason for me to take these two behind bars." The officer response while the little girl shakes her head in denial. Adalyn looks at the girl. Her magnolia eyes stare at Adalyn's green ones, begging her like the whispering voice of the martyrs.
     Adalyn looks up again to the officer, "May I inquire, what is the kind sir's name is?" She interrogates with a sweet voice, hiding the malice behind her teeth. The officer smiles and answers, "Sir Astrid Madame." Adalyn smiles and without a word, she punches him in the jaw. Astrid stumbles back and lets go of his hold on the little girl and boy. The shock is too much for him to handle, never in his life would anyone dare to raise a hand against him and now a woman is brazen enough to cause such a scene.
     "Yo-you dare!" Astrid screams at Adalyn who does nothing but massage her swollen knuckles. She really did gave him a heavy punch, one that he wouldn't forget. The two wet children scurry on their feet and hide behind the figure of Adalyn. The people around her gather and with hateful eyes, they try and bring down Adalyn.
     "Ma'am, don't interfere with the law. No one can stand above it even us, nobles." The maid of the lady who screamed at the little girl explains. Adalyn only stares at her, her eyes show no emotion whatsoever. Adalyn does feel tired after seeing so much trouble in one day, and right now all she wants to do is get these two children a safe place to stay and go back to her home with her Grandpa.
     Adalyn slowly takes off her hood to reveal, again, her face to the disrespectful crowd while Luis appears beside her with a look of annoyance and anger directed to the gathered populace.
     "There, now officer the swine showed her face! Get her name and arrest her for standing against the Eunice family." The lady with frilly dress commands with a vain smile. Adalyn stares in surprise at how thickheaded and ignorant the lady is.
     This woman doesn't even know the favored Granddaughter of the duke!? Just what kind of education has she been receiving? Adalyn wonders, letting her guard down for a moment, and immediately Astrid also handcuffs her.
     "Of course Lady Sitara, I will make sure she gets what she deserves. To rot behind bars." Astrid explains and upon hearing his words, the two little children come out behind Adalyn and kick his legs.
     "You brats! You too!" Astrid is about to reach for the two but Luis blocks his stubby fingers from touching the little children. Luis may be weaker than the officer but he is faster to retaliate than him. Astrid grits his teeth in annoyance, this day surely isn't his lucky one and now even a young butler dares to defy him. All this commotion continues until another hard blow hits Astrid on his right cheek but this time it's much more powerful than Adalyn's, and Astrid doesn't stumble back, he falls down completely and the puddle stains his uniform to black.
     "You imbecile! How dare you touch my sister!?" A honey voice shouts and the murmurs of the crowd instantly disperse. Astrid looks up after hearing the all too familiar voice.
     "Lord Castiel! What are you doing here?" Astrid greets with great respect and his eyes unconsciously shift towards Adalyn's direction, incorrect assumptions clouding his sense of rationality, "M-my Lord I have this all under control! There's no need for you to lift a finger." Astrid says in a pleasing tone, unlike the one he used against the children and Adalyn.
     Castiel who is annoyed at the bastard's words punches him again, this time in the crown of his shaggy hair, "What are you saying?" He dangerously growls, making the people around flinch at the overwhelming power he exerted. Castiel immediately hauls the confused looking Astrid to his feet and forces him to grovel at the feet of Adalyn.
     "What do you want to do with him, sister?" Astrid stares at Castiel with confused and shocked eyes. The daughter of the Blanche family is personally here in the streets? It seemed impossible for the rich people around to believe so since the ostracized daughter was never seen outside her home.
     "I would love to forgive this ass- no, this gentleman's forgiveness but I'm afraid Grandpa wouldn't allow such incident go." Adalyn sadly explains, her voice tells a sorry and pitiful apology while her eyes show the soul of karma. Two ironic entities in one person, "that is why I expect him to be revoked from his duties. Immediately."
    Castiel hides his smile under his serious face but he feels proud to see his sister picking on someone who actually had done something immoral, "You heard my sister, I don't want to see your face in my training area once." Castiel dangerously commands. Though Adalyn is known for being abandoned by the Marquis family, it is still known that the only Duke of the land favored Adalyn relentlessly and he would stop at nothing to grant all her selfish wishes.
     "Oh, and don't think I wouldn't forget about you Lady Shit-tara, was it? Anyways, I expect your family's compensation for tarnishing my reputation. You know that I am rumored to be very picky with my gifts so please do find something that I consider valuable." Adalyn commands with a satisfied smile after seeing the annoying Sitara blush beet red in embarrassment and fury. She turns to the direction of her brown carriage and sees Luis carrying the two children in his arms, and without a word uttered they enter the warmth of the wooden transportation.