Red

Seventeen.

Isaac looked over at the house where the older couple now lived. He watched as the man pulled up with the draft horses. Isaac bit his lip while watching them as he swung the axe down on the piece of wood splitting it in half.

He dumped the rest of the split wood into his father's mule's wagon. His father was a wood chopper and he worked for him. 

Isaac watched as the man parked the wagon before releasing the horses from it and putting them in the pasture. His wife came out to greet him. Isaac saw the tense body posture between the two, but he knew something was off about the two.

They weren't new here; nobody new came to the village. No one would dare to make their way through the forest with the wolves or even attempt to leave.

Isaac knew those two were the ones who use to own the cabin on the edge of the woods. They took it because of its cheap price. But obviously they made enough to move closer into town. However, Isaac had sworn they had a daughter.

Isaac didn't visit anyone much besides Ysabelle. He didn't want to spend most of his time alone, so he took his company to Ysabelle. But he swore they had a daughter.

Isaac loaded all the wood up into the wagon before he got in to deliver everyone their respective wood that had purchased some. On the way Isaac's mind remained plagued with the thought that the couple had a child, yet he had seen no one besides the two of them.

Even when the man's wife came out it was only ever her. On his way back he decided he'd ask them to put his curiosity to rest. He could easily pass it off as looking for a girl. Isaac was reaching the age where his father would expect him to have a wife.

Once Isaac had delivered everyone their wood, he returned to his house and put the mule in the back before making his way to the house. He decided to bring a bundle of wood to gift them. People loved free gifts, especially firewood with winter approaching.

"Hello ma'am, I have some wood for you." Isaac said as he came up behind the wife who was spreading seeds out for the chickens.

She looked up and smiled at him. "Thank you." Isaac handed the wood to her as she set it down next to the chickens. 

Isaac smiled at her which she returned. She seemed nice enough.

"If you don't mind me asking do you by chance have a daughter?" Isaac asked deciding to go straight to the point.

She froze under his gaze watching him as Isaac smiled at her. "Sorry, I don't have any children, Sten and I never had any." She said just as her husband came out and Isaac backed up as he smiled at him.

"Everything alright Elia?" Sten asked and Elia nodded.

"Yes, our neighbor was just bringing us some firewood." Elia said and Isaac nodded as he took a step back.

"Have a nice evening." Isaac told them as he turned and walked back noting how tense she got at the mention of a daughter. He wasn't sure what was going on, but she seemed nervous. Isaac shook his head as he walked back to prepare dinner for his father.

☾

"Was he bothering you?" Sten asked Elia as she set down a plate of stew in front of him.

"He was asking if we had a daughter." Elia answered as she took a seat and Sten looked up at her and sighed.

"He was asking about Ruby?" Sten asked and Elia nodded.

"You didn't tell him anything did you?" Sten asked.

"No, I told him we never had kids. I'm aware the king doesn't want anyone to know about her. I don't know why he was asking besides looking for a wife maybe, Ruby didn't have any friends." Elia frowned as she took a bite of her food.