Exorcise Banshees
When Elara had rode the carriage for three long hours on her return journey, she was expecting to get herself a warm cup of tea and sit on her warm bed reading a book. Or listening to the experience of the child of his day.
She had even welcomed the idea of battering servants in the hall and their strange gazes when they looked at her but she had never in her dreams thought she would land up on this scene.
When she returned the carriage near the stables and walked toward the palace. She noticed all the staff were collected in the hall with their heads bowed low. Elara paused, hoping that it was only because they had done a shoddy job in taking care of the house and the duke had finally decided that he wanted to pay attention to the palace instead of girls and alcohol.
But as she walked closer, she noticed Killian standing in the center while Cedric sitting on the sofa with a new woman beside her. Could he stop changing women everyday like he changes clothes? She ignored him and scanned the room again.
Scared servants, trembling and raging child and cold duke with a smiling woman? It did not take a genius to know that happened.
"Is it so hard to apologize, Killian? She is our guest." The words came soft as a whisper but Elara knew better. The intensity of them could ruin the mind of a child. Yet, she hoped that child would do as he was told and take a step back.
She would hold his hands then and take him away from here. To a safe place where she could ask him what happened and help him. She had warned him to not show disobedience to the duke but she knew his wounds were still raw and his hatred for duke could not be hidden.
"I did nothing wrong." he repeated, his words slow and powerful for a child and she would have clapped if the pressure in the air did not increase.
"It is alright, your grace. He is just a child and the tea was not that hot. I did not get burned." The woman smiled softly and held Cedric's hand as if she was trying to stop him, but her smile said otherwise, "you did not need to punish the child just because he believed it is not wrong to throw tea on others. After all, he is without his parents to educate him." The light flinch did not escape Elara and she was moving toward the child before she knew it.
"I apologize for his mistake, my lady." Elara stood in front of Killian and bowed her head. "It was my mistake to not assist the child when needed."
Killian raised her head and stared at Elara as if she was an alien. As if he did not recognize this woman, did not recognize her voice, did not remember when was the last time someone stood up for him and when one tried to protect him.
His eyes burnt with hot tears as he held her dress. She covered his hands with hers. Her silent way of assuring him that she was here for him.
"You are?" the woman raised a brow, displeased that someone interfered and ruined the show. Elara did not raise her head but she could feel it in the voice of the woman and realized it was intentional. But who planned it, was it this new woman or the one who brought her?
"I am his governess. It is my duty to discipline him and make sure he did not make mistakes, my lady." Elara's voice was full of soft whispers and flattery. "I assure you that I will teach him better for the future." a promise to punish Killian in private.
After all, he was still the only son of the deceased duke. The woman could not refuse the offer. If she pressed, it would be harmful for Cedric.
"That would be more appropriate." The voice came with a force that Elara knew well but she nodded nonetheless. When she finally raised her head, she noticed the woman had a foul look on her face while Cedric.. He was staring at her and his gaze burnt her skin.
There was something in the way he looked at her. Those blue eyes pierce her until she lowered her head.
"Then I request I shall take Killian to his chambers." the woman nodded, losing her interest in the child.
But just as Elara turned, Cedric stood up hotfoot gaining the attention of everyone.
"I am amazed how everyone is able to decide the next course of actions without waiting for my words. If I did not know any better, I would have thought Killian and I did not hold any authority in this palace." there was a smile on his face yet it made everyone pale.
Elara turned with her gaze narrowed on the man. If he wanted to bark orders, he should have… why was he sitting there like a mute child!
"Cedric!"
"Lady Grace, you have introduced yourself as a cousin of my deceased sister in law. Do you not?" the woman sat erect at once, nodding. Her head was higher.
"Diana's mother and my mother are siblings. We were close till our marriage but then I got married in Canterbury. It was hard to…" her words were cut short when the man laughed. He looked amused by her introduction when her gaze deepened.
"My lord…"
"And yet you did not ask the child how he was or treated him well but announced him as an orphan as soon as you met him and when his hands trembled and tea fell. You screamed like a banshee. If I was not thinking of calling priests to exorcise, I would have told you to stop but I see that you have a way to punish little kids to show your love to them. I am impressed."