Raquelle's Resurgent

Goodbye

Thirty minutes felt like an awfully long time as Ishilda stood outside at the porch. Looking up at the sky, it was a moonless night as the cool breeze blew right through her. Standing all alone, even the chillness of the evening left her unfazed except for her thoughts. She left them wandering, returning to the time when she was at the Tenebris House.

Back then, she didn't managed to collect her thoughts. The conversation she had with Duncan, Rowen's father had put a sudden halt to her plans. There were too many words left unspoken, especially to Rowen. No matter how upset she was, she knew she needed to speak to Rowen. She shouldn't have left him hanging then and there.

She could have made up some sort of excuse but no matter how she thought of it, how she tried to twist and turn her words, she wasn't sure there was any way for them to be together. The problem was she understood Duncan's reasoning far too deeply and knew if she persisted to stay together, something will go wrong.

Sure, let just say they took precautions and ensure that no matter what, the truth would be kept forever disclosed. The risk of leaking this very substantial secret would not only affect their families but many others. How far the extend of the consequences might reach, even she did not know.

If their end was the inevitable, then whatever attempts made now might seemed futile. Yet, Ishilda simply couldn't let go. She didn't know if she had the strength to forget their memories and the time they spent together. It got to a point that she wanted their relationship to mean something. A bond which could last forever and possibly bear fruit.

She loved Rowen, truly she did and while she had came to Markenlof to meet with his family, secretly deep down, there was another motive altogether that she kept hidden from Rowen. Just after their engagement, she had received a black letter.

For a Vanguardian, a black letter symbolises the most paramount order which once received makes the recipient unable to refuse. Coming from only one specific person in the top ranks, whatever the instruction was, it must be performed under the strictest of secrecy and be accomplish no matter what.

For Ishilda, knowing who sent the black letter and delivering it specifically to her meant that her grandfather must had plans for her. It was in fact more than a year ago that she even heard from her grandfather so why did he took the effort to reach out to her now?

She didn't know the reason behind this sudden change of plans as she have yet to return home after so long but there was this undeniable feeling she had, knowing that her time with Rowen was getting limited and her responsibilities in due.

"But dad, why are you leaving so suddenly?" Ishilda could hear a child's voice from outside.

"I know it's rather sudden but the faster I finish this job, the faster I can come back home."

"Then you promise you'll be back before my birthday?"

"Of course. You know that your father won't make promises he can't keep." His wife came to his side, holding his shoulder.

"Okay." His son looking rather dejected.

"Don't worry, Wyatt. Your father just need to deliver some items and he'll be back before you know it." His mother comforted him. "You promise you'll be back for his birthday?" She whispered to her husband as she gave him a hug.

"I promise." He gave his wife a kiss on her forehead in return. "Take care of each other and stay safe."

Both mother and son stood at the front door as they watched her husband and his father made off in the distance.