It seemed as though she had fallen back asleep judging from the peaceful snoozing sounding from the bed. He on the other side was still wide awake just as he had told her he'd be. Then again there was no way that he would be able to go to sleep even if he had wanted to.
As the sun had started rising outside and letting some light into the room he was finally able to resume looking over the mountain of work but he couldn't concentrate. His mind kept wandering back to what he had done earlier, to the thoughtless action he had taken.
'I promised myself I wouldn't touch her… for me to not even last a single night.'
He put the documents back down on the coffee table with a groan and rested his forehead in his hands.
'She must've been disgusted.'
Dario Beaumont had not believed his eyes that night when he first spotted the head of vibrant auburn hair. It was a particular shade of red that he had not seen on anyone else other than 'her'. But the woman who was kneeling on the floor alongside her family was a noble, the daughter of a filthy traitor and someone that he had been ordered to kill, a far cry from the freckled streetkid that he remembered,
Still, he would've always regreted it if he didn't make sure. Just one look at her face and he would be certain…
Dario had felt his stomach drop as she lifted her head and so that he could see her. Her face was thin with sunken in cheeks and dark circles underneath her eyes and she wore an expression that barely revealed any emotion, appearing like she was taking a casual stroll in the garden rather than being in life-threatening danger. She couldn't have been any more different than the expressive girl from his memories.
That is if it weren't for those kind eyes hidden beneath thick eyelashes. They were hazel colored with a yellow pattern around the pupil, making her irises resemble sunflowers. There had been no mistaking it that the woman kneeling in front of Dario was indeed 'her'.
He had wanted to cut the family's neck right there and then seeing the state that she was in. But even making them suffer until they begged him for death wouldn't have had come close to soothing his rising anger. The only reason he managed to contain himself was because he needed to get Amelia away from him first. The look of absolute terror she had shown him all those years ago was still etched into his mind.
"Sir Paul, escort miss Amelia back to my residence. Make sure she's well treated." His command that went against the direct order from the king could be considered treason but that bastard owed him one.
Dario squeezed the handle of his sword as Paul led Amelia towards the door. It had taken all of the last bit of self control he possesed to remain calm. Only when there was an adequete distance between did he begin reading the family's verdict.
"Viscount Graham Ainsworth, Viscountess Miriam Ainsworth, Lord Layton Ainsworth. For treason against the kingdom and the laundering of public funds I sentence you to death as ordered by His Majesty and the royal council. Do you have any last words?"
As he spoke the Viscountess had began wailing, almost drowning out the sound from the front door. He had barely managed to hear it being opened, his signal that he could finally let himself go.
"You're disgusting, you know?" Dario stared at the family with contempt as he reached for his sword, drawing it slowly so that they would have plenty of time to contemplate their inevitable death. It was time to show them how cruel he could be.
"If I weren't here with a job to do you would not be getting away so easily. But now that I think about it His Highness never told me what to do whith your bodies. Should I feed you to the dogs or perhaps impale your heads on spears and decorate the entrence to my estate?"
With a smirk he rejoiced in the family's growing desperation.
"What do you think, Miriam? Layton? Or perhaps the Lord of the family wishes to decide?"
At those words Graham had started cussing at the top of his lungs only stopping momentarily to spit at Darios feet.
"I guess I could do both since no one here seems to have a preference." He approched the Viscount and grabbed him by the hair, pressing his head down to the floor.
"You should stay still if you wish for it to be a clean cut."