Chapter 11 - Your mothers eyes.
I sat at my desk at the study, trying my best to write down my alphabets but each time they didn't come out the way I wanted them to. I frowned at my handwriting not wanting to finish it and Master Octavius sighed. "Little Iridesa I told you before, one must always look at how far they have come, not how long is left. I want you to appreciate every second of the hard work you put in and understand the value of it. Nothing good ever comes easy and that's the beauty of it." I thought about what he said and put my quill back on the paper, not giving up. "That's more like it." I finally finished off the last letter and even though it didn't look perfect, master Octavius smiled approvingly. "I want you to keep practicing, I already see much improvement." I smiled at his words and started to write again. Master Octavius had been teaching me for about two weeks now and in that time I had very much enjoyed attending his classes. I practiced writing a few more times. "Hey, I think your getting the hang of this faster than you think, kid." Blessing fluttered around observing my writing, I felt very encouraged by her words. "Y-you think s-so?" Master Octavius also looked at my sheets and nodded his head in agreement. "She's quite right, I think you should attempt to write something next." I felt so excited and really wanted to try.
Master Octavius rubbed his chin as he was deep in thought, "Now what should we write…?" I watched as he was deep in thought, "Ah! I know. It's a shocker that I didn't think of such an obvious idea straight away, let's write your name." He began writing on the board with his chalk. I watched it excitedly. Once done he turned back to face me. "Iridesa Orion." I felt strange hearing my full name. Sometimes it felt so surreal to hear. I began copying my name down on a sheet of paper. I felt my heart well with happiness at such an accomplishment as I finished writing and brightly held up my sheet of parchment to show master Octavius. "H-how is it?" He smiled approvingly. "I'm impressed, it's very good for a first attempt." Once class was over, Master Octavius let me keep the sheet of paper with my name on it and I happily carried it around to show Miss Delphine. I was so distracted by the sheet of parchment in my hands as I walked that I didn't watch where I was going and suddenly bumped into something. "Woah?!" I went flying back and closed my eyes bracing myself for the fall, but to my surprise nothing happened. I opened my eyes and I saw a pair of strong arms holding me and then suddenly lifted me up into the air. "Careful." The familiar gentle voice said to me. I looked back to have my eyes met with fathers. "I-I -I'm s-sorry!" I hid my face behind my paper as I apologized. "Did you do this?" I looked at him wondering what he meant. He was looking at the sheet of parchment in my hands. I quickly hid it flustered at my amateur handwriting. "I-it's not v-very good…" He gently took the paper from my hands and looked at it. I was so anxious as to what he might think. "Can I have this?" I was stunned at his request. "I really like this, could I keep it?" He asked again. I was so confused because he had all the riches and luxuries he could ever want, yet he wanted a scrappy piece of parchment with my writing on it. "I-I don't m-mind but are y-you sure you w-want this…?" He smiled at her softly and kissed her eyes lid "Thank you, I will cherish it and keep it safe." She smiled at his words. I still wasn't very used to father more than anyone due to his lack of emotion but prayed that one day the both of us can be close because I believe from the bottoms of my heart that's what mother would have wanted.
I noticed his hair swaying with the wind from the open window and I really wanted to run my fingers through his hair. I always liked playing with mothers long black long but I wasn't sure if that would be appropriate in this case and held back. (It looks so soft, I really want to feel it.) I subconsciously reached out a hand and father noticed and I quickly withdrew it. "What's wrong? Is there something in my hair?" He ran a hand through it. "N-no, I just re-really like your h-hair…it's j-just like mine…" I added slowly, trying not to stutter so much. He thought about what I said and then gently lowered his head towards me and I noticed a slight blush on his cheeks as he spoke. "Would you like to feel my hair?" I smiled excitedly as I slowly ran my fingers through his hair. "I used to p-play with m-mothers hair, all the t-time..." I said and he smiled. His hair was so fluffy and soft. I felt so happy running my fingers through it gently. I pulled my hand away and smiled at him.
He smiled back as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "It made me really happy when I noticed you had my hair." I listened to him as he spoke gently. "But the thing I like most is that you have your mothers eyes." I was taken back by his words. Everyone normally found them to be strange but my father spoke about them with such tenderness and adoration that it shocked me. I felt happy at his words and felt a little brave. I leaned forward and kissed him on the eyelid as he would do to me. My father's expression was frozen and I smiled at him. "I-I always l-liked m-mother's eyes too." I felt so happy at that moment but I should have known it was too good to last. "My lord! I have urgent news!" One of the knights came rushing over in a frenzy and the news he bought shook me to the core. "Lady Iridesa's Maternal grandmother arrived to claim her and take her away! She is none other than the patriarch of the Wayward family!" I felt my heart stop and my fathers face instantly went Grimm.
I was so confused as to how my mothers family had suddenly turned up. As far as I know they were all deceased, at least that's all mother ever said when I asked. What if they take me away! Did I even want to leave? Everyone here has been nothing but kind to me but what if they take me? Or worse, what if my father gives me away…!? I trembled at the thought of being abandoned and started to feel all my fears and trauma come back to me. I wasn't sure if I could trust father to that length at the end of the day and that terrifies me.
"They demand to see you my lord, we tried to turn them away but it's difficult with a family of such influence. They demand to meet lady Iridesa." My fathers jaw tightens and he holds me closer to him. He spoke in a low voice, his eyes burning with a silent rage. "I will first take my daughter to her room, I want you to bring me many guards as you can and stand guard outside her room and at least four guards are to be stationed inside her room, she is to be kept safe I don't trust the Wayward they are a known to be underhanded and sneaky lowlifes. I don't want even want their shadow to befall on her."
After making sure Iridesa was safe in her room, Paris walked over to the grand meeting room to greet his unwanted guests. He was stunned at the fact that Opal even had any existing family members, never mind the fact that they were the Wayward's. Opal had told him she was an orphan when he met her she was a healer working at a small rural village he had no idea that she came from such an influential family. Erida Wayward, the patriarch of the family, was one of the most ruthless persons Paris had ever met. She didn't have a single human bone in her body which is why the Wayward's effective at torturing prisoners and feared by all and respected by none. They're people lived under her tyranny and suffered each day. Paris will be damned if he ever let his daughter who was more fragile than glass to ever fall into the palm of their hands, especially considering the lives both his wife and daughter had to lead for the past twelve years even though they could have easily gone to them in the first place to escape such a fate, Paris now really began to suspect this family being one of the reasons his as to why his wife had to lie about her past and family and was compelled into running away and hiding as though her life depended on it. He stood before the door to the grand meeting room and threw it open, not bothering to hide his anger and annoyance. He looked over at his unwanted guests, the fire fuming inside of him. " You all must have some sort of death wish if you dared to take away the daughter of Paris Orion, the person who even the king himself wouldn't dare to anger."