The Eye of Chaos (Council of Champions Book One) ✔️

Chapter Eleven: Cornered

            She stared at her father, eyes widening in disbelief. Cecilia clenched her hands together, her lips quivering in the effort not to break out into tears.

            “What do you mean, ‘stop’?” I’ve spent years, years! Searching for him.”

            “And you found him didn’t you?” Father said his face scrunching in concentration as he filled out form. She slammed her hands down on his desk, causing the papers to fly in every direction. Soon almost half the sheets were lying stationary on the floor, forgotten in the moment. “Cecilia! Control yourself.”

            “To the Abyss with controlling myself, I am going to Vraik!” She and her father had returned to Zemmick from Fileatte only months before, there homecoming had been celebrated with a feast fit for a king. Also her parents had spent the next three shut in their room, only coming down for supper. Cecilia suspected what they were doing, but felt that she would need help had she thought more about it.

            “Hold your tongue, daughter! And know your place.” He growled, his cold brown stared her down, causing her legs to shake from underneath her. But she held her ground. She would go to Vraik if it was the last thing she did.

            “Why can’t I go?” Cecilia stomped her foot hard, crushing a sheet into a ball. When she lifted her foot back up to stomp again, the dirt from her traveling boots remained as an imprint.

            “Listen here, girl. I adopted you because I couldn’t have any children and soon after my wife died. Keep in mind that if you wish to keep all of this,” he rose quickly, spreading his arms to their full width and spun around. “Then I advise you keep you’re mouth shut and obey what I say as if the King spoke to you. My word is law.”

            “But you are not King! You are a High Lord.”

            “Well, the King isn’t much of a king,” muttered her father quietly, speaking the words of a traitor. When she gasped, he spun on her, jabbing his finger into her chest, his eyes flashing dangerously. “That was for your ears and your ears only, do you understand?” When she nodded, he grinned knowing that he had won the argument.

            “You will be visiting Lord Zellock out in the outskirts of Caedule,” He said firmly. “I hope that you will have an enjoyable time there.” His grin widened, as he continued. “I think it’s about time for you to find someone to marry, do you not?”   

            Cecilia simply sat there, her body refused to move. Her father’s words had not been any different from usual, yet there was a hint of malice in his voice that scared her down to her soul. The moment her father shut the door, her legs folded beneath her and she crashed to the floor.

            “Damn it,” she whispered. “Damn it,” louder now. “Damn it!” She was screaming now. “DAMN IT!” Cecilia hit the ground with her hand, water filling her eyes until she thought she had gone blind.

She sat there for a while, collecting herself until one of the newer maids came in to get her. Emotionlessly she followed her to the doors of the castle, where Cecilia guess her ride was waiting to take her to Caedule. Her father always made quick on his decisions, having them always come true only moments after he speaks the words.

‘M’am. M’am?” She waited a few moments before looking at the maid while wondering why she had stopped calling her. The maid had reached out to tap her but her hand had frozen in place above Cecilia’s shoulder, her eyes had glazed over with fear.