Chapter 16 - The only woman.

Chapter 16 - The only woman.

I felt my tremors run through my entire body as Father bellowed in the courtroom, his voice echoing loudly. My first instinct was to hug uncle Arthur but I managed to refrain from doing so, I didn't want to look weak in front of everyone so I tightened my grip on his arms and held steady, swallowing back my tears. Uncle Arthur put a hand over mine reassuringly and faced Father not frightened in the slightest. The judge, seeming annoyed with the sudden outburst, declared a ten minute break and we all left the courtroom.

I sat on the sofa next to my brother with my head low as father and uncle both argued outside. "It's the only chance we may have! Don't you see that!? Besides Iridesa wants to stand up for herself and not just rely on all of us!" I heard Uncle shout at father who just became more and more infuriated. "I don't need her to do anything! I will handle it myself and strictly forbid you from bringing her here! Do you know exactly what dangers you have exposed her to!?" I clasped my hands onto my ears not wanting to hear anymore. I have to stay strong! Ruby and Evelyn both looked at me worried. Brother put his hands over mine helping me to keep out their voices. Soon it had gone quiet and only my uncle had entered the room. "Where is father?" Brother asked and uncle sighed. "He left to cool off his head."

I was so worried I may have angered him further but I didn't regret my actions. It was time I stood up on my own two feet and did something other than cower and hide. I stood on my trembling legs and everyone looked at me. "I-I want to speak with him. I will c-convince him..." I tried my best to hold back my tears and sound confident as I spoke. Everyone looked hesitant at first but then brother chose to escort me to him.

Paris stood in the gardens trying to calm his anger. He remembered his daughter's expression when he screamed at Arthur as they entered the courtroom. "I must have looked like a monster." He felt his heart quiver at the idea of his daughter hating him. He wanted to smack himself hard so he finally stopped making these mistakes but he couldn't help it. After he lost Opal and after seeing the state they lived in he had grown overly protective of his daughter and just the tiniest spark was enough to set him off into flames.

He sensed a presence behind him and turned back swiftly with his guard up. "Oh my, if you look at a woman with such eyes she'll melt before your feet, Lord Orion." He felt irritated as he recognized who it was. Cera Wayward, rumored to be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Paris scoffed, to him she looked no different to a desperate slimy lizard who threw herself at every man she found. No wonder her fiance had left her after finding her in bed with two other men, yet she managed to convince most the society that she was innocent and framed the poor man of being the one who commit infidelity. She approached him, he noticed how she purposely wore a tight outfit that showed her cleavage and had a slit that showed off her long legs. If she was trying to seduce him but she was in for a surprise because the thought of ever allowing such a disgustingly cheap woman to touch him made bile come up his throat and his hair stand on edge.

Cera seemed ticked off by the lack of affect she had on him, how the hell did her sister who was always beneath her with those ugly different colored eyes of hers ever land such a powerful and handsome man, it made her blood boil with envy. She wasn't going to give up, she seduced hundereds of men and there is no way she will let someone like him get away after all he was rich, powerful and breath taking. She deserved him not her pathetic sister. Cera went closer to him. "I see you're a bit tense, I can help with that, you know…" she tried to reach out and stroke his muscular arm, but froze at his words. "Lay one dirty finger on me and I will rip each one off slowly and painfully." She stopped dead in her tracks and bit her lip in anger. Paris didn't stop there, he wanted to make sure she knew her place. "The only woman who has the right to my heart, soul and body is Opal. How dare someone like you who can't even compare to the dirt under her shoe ever think to violate that right." Cera felt her blood boil at his words. She had never felt so insulted in her life! " Paris smirked noticing her expression. "You could be the last woman in this world and I still wouldn't want to even breathe the same air as you, after all you're just a used dirty old shoe that has been worn by any man who is desperate enough to lower his standards."

Cera had never been so humiliated in her life and his words were a huge blow to her ego. She shook with anger (I see how it is! Fine if seducing you won't work then I'll have to settle for the hard way!) she thought to herself as a psychotic smile spread across her lips. "How do you know my sister is so pure?" Paris stopped dead in his tracks.

Cera had him right where she wanted. "I doubt Opal wasn't doing every dirty man at that inn. She's just a disgusting whore and just like her I bet her daughter-Aaargh?!" Before she could finish her words, Paris grabbed her by the neck and pressed her against the wall with such force she felt as though her bones would shatter. "YOU BITCH! YOU MUST REALLY WANT TO DIE! Cera felt fear for a split second as she stared into his dark eyes that resembled that of a provoked beast, she clawed at his hands but he didn't budge an inch and she almost believed that her plan may not have worked and she may just die this very moment but when she heard that shrills scream from behind him she smirked knowing her little tactic had succeeded.

I walked out into the garden searching for my father, along with my brother. We couldn't see him anywhere and the break time was almost over. (Maybe we should give up…)

Just as I was gonna ask my brother if we should go back, we heard a scream and a loud thud came from nearby. "W-what, was t-that?!" Brother stood before me protectively. "Stay behind me." We both followed the noise and what I saw shook my core.

My father was holding Cera up by the throat choking her and the expression on his frightened me and I screamed loud feeling all my pent up fear release within me. Father heard me and dropped her and immediately looked back at me.

I noticed Cera spit blood as she fell down and my knees trembled and tears poured out of my eyes. "Iridesa…" Father said my name gently but at the moment all I felt was my airways tight and my vision blurred as I felt dizzy and suffocated. As he came closer I screamed. "Noooo! S-stay away!!!" My father froze in shock and I immediately ran off. "Iridesa!" Brother ran after me, but soon lost track of me as I ran deep into the forest.

I ran for what felt like a long time until my legs finally gave in and I fell across the dirt grazing my hands and my knee. "O-ouch…!" I sat up as I felt the sting across my skin and tried to steady my breathing. I felt my tears pour out but not from the pain I felt on my body but the pitiful way I ran. "I r-ruined everything. F-father won't w-want me now." I sobbed loudly as I felt all the loneliness and fear come back and realized I may never see anyone at the castle again.

Arthur stood in the courtroom, his nerves were in a frenzy as he waited for everyone to show up but no one came. Could something have happened? He wanted so much to leave but if he did then the ball would be in their court and he wouldn't allow that it were up to him to hold down the fort for as long as possible until everyone came back. He just prayed that everything was fine. He looked over at Erida and her butler Claude who stood next to her. They looked very confident and calm and he knew what this meant. They were definitely up to something, he had to trust that whatever it was his brother would handle it.

I had finally stopped crying and stood up to observe my surroundings. "W-where am I…?" I ran so deep into the forest that I became completely lost. "B-brother…?!" I called out but no one replied. I looked around trying to find my way back but it seemed hopeless. "Grrrr…." I stilled as I heard a low growl from behind me. It seemed I was not alone here.