Rebellious Hearts | HS AU (completed)

XI

❝As I returned home, the skies were already becoming darker, and the sun was completely gone, thus leaving no traces of the beautiful, warm day that it was, in the middle of grey December.

As we were getting closer to the castle, I found myself wishing, ironically, that today will not be any different, and that my father, nor Benjamin, will notice my absence.

Once Liam was done rescuing the little boy from the flaming house, and putting the fire out, alongside a group of older men, he offered to escort me home so that he could take my brother's anger instead of I. For obvious reasons, I had to decline, not wanting to give Benjamin any more reason to be mad.

Expectedly enough, when I eventually walked back to the carriage, Walter did not say a word to me, and I was quite certain that the man was avoiding my presence completely.

I had no clue that the loyal coachman's behaviour, would have such an affect on me, until I had found myself thinking of him the entire ride home, wondering whether he worried that he might lose the job, once my father is informed, that the he had, quite literally, lead me into the fire, and if so, where would he live? Does he have any family he's breadwinning?

"Hello, Roger." I greeted the knight, who appeared to be at the exact same state he was when I walked out of the castle, that morning, causing me to feel as if no time had passed at all.

Once I noticed Roger's lack of response, I knew something was not right, and I was mentally preparing for what was about to come.

I refrained from hanging my soft, long, cloak on the coat hanger that was placed at the beginning of the hallway, in order to get to my bedroom as quickly and as quietly as possible, feeling as if I was a minor, creeping back into their house after snaking out.

On the surface, the house appeared as silent as always, almost as if nothing has changed since the morning, and it was only when I passed the great hall and heard the voice of my father calmly calling my name, that I knew I failed at escaping reality.

At first, I stood still in my place, outside the big room, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose, as if to relieve my stress, which did not work, in preparation for the dreaded conversation I was facing, before walking in.

The first thing I laid my eyes on, was my father leaning against the long table, his arms crossed on his chest, a sign that, as I came to learn with the years, meant there was a serious speech ahead.

Seated by the dining table, were Benjamin and Niall, the two's expressions utterly blank.

I found myself becoming angry at fate, having these three man's attention on me, the only day I did not, at all, wished for it.

I unconsciously imitated my father's posture, leaning against the doorframe, crossing my own arms, as well.

It was in a matter of seconds, that I decided to stop acting as if I had done something bad, waiting to be scolded at.

"Where have you been, Ivy?" My father was the first to break the uncomfortable silence, apparently since he held patience in his voice, which I assumed, Niall and Benjamin were lacking, from the way their fingers rapidly tapped on the table.

"Outside." As silly as it may be, I felt a rush of adrenaline, simply from standing my ground, for what felt like the first time in my life.

However, the men in the room did not seem to enjoy my rebellious behaviour, as much as I certainly did, which was earning me some blunt eye rolls.

"Ivy," my father spoke again, his voice much less patient and much more threatening. "Were you present at the city centre's fire?"

For a moment, I wondered how could my father possibly know of events happening in town, when he's being locked in his office room all day, yet quickly remembering that parents had their ways of knowing everything, more specifically, everything we did not want them to know.