As the rays of the morning sun gently filtered through the curtains, Isabelle slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the unfamiliar comfort of the place she laid on, and the blanket that kept her warm from the cold. A wave of confusion swept over her until the events of the previous night rushed back—the death of her personal maid had left her emotionally shattered, and she had—
She suddenly became aware of a strong arm draped protectively around her. Turning cautiously, she found herself face to face with the man she hated more than anything, Icarus. He was seraphic as always, even in his sleep. She took a minute to admire every arc of his face, before finally returning to reality.
An unfamiliar feeling welled up within her, but the grief and exhaustion from the night before had left her too drained to resist the comfort his unexpected embrace provided. She lay there for a moment, grappling with conflicting emotions—resentment tangled with the solace of another's presence.
As reality settled in, Isabelle carefully disentangled herself from Icarus's arms, trying not to disturb his peaceful slumber. The room seemed colder without the warmth of his embrace, and she couldn't shake off the vulnerability that lingered after the night's emotional turbulence. Nor did she anticipate that shared grief could momentarily blur the lines of disdain, to leave her entwined in the arms of her greatest enemy.
She walked towards the restroom, but a knock on the door stopped her in her tracks. She thought it was Julian, but a second knock told her otherwise. Julian would have walked in after the first knock. Although she now shared a room with Icarus, Julian always seemed to forget that she was a female, and somewhat deserved privacy.
She expected the knock to wake Icarus, but it didn't, so she was forced to answer it herself. The heavy oak creaked open to reveal Isaac, clothed in his full knight attire.
"What are you doing here?" Isabelle asked in a whisper, her eyes wide with shock as they inspected every part of Isaac's new clothes.
"I came to serve Adamine Icarus," Isaac replied, his voice a mixture of contempt and humility at the same time. Isabelle's gaze lingered on him, searching for signs of the man he had become since his release. This was the first time she was seeing Isaac in three days now, and he seemed completely different. Thanks to the thief in the castle, Icarus had confined her to the safety of the room.
"Wait outside," she instructed. She peeked outside to make sure that there weren't any servants or guards around. These people still thought of her as Icarus's bride, and if she was caught whispering with another man, it was definitely going to cause a lot of problems for her and Isaac.
Isaac took her a step backwards, his eyes fixed to Isabelle, who stood guard with a stoic expression. He reached out to pull her into an embrace, but Isabelle hesitated. She pulled back instantly as though Isaac's hands were leprous.
"Not now Isaac!" She cautioned before turning around to bump into the figure standing behind her.
"What is it? You look troubled." Icarus asked. His right hand had found its way around her waist, and his dominating figure loomed over hers seductively. He only noticed that the door was open when Isabelle's eyes traveled to it and back to him. Instantly, he molded a blade of thin air, but the princess intervened and stopped him.
"It's just Isaac." She informed and watched as the blade in his arms slowly disintegrated. He had warned her not to get close to the door no matter what, but she had disobeyed that order. He really couldn't blame her, he had overslept, and someone had knocked, it was only natural that she answered the door.
Reluctantly, Isaac lowered his head in respect, but Icarus wasn't exactly happy to see him. He had asked him to begin duties today only because he needed a competent soldier to keep Isabelle safe while he pays one of the noble families a visit. He would have chosen one of his guards, but they'd probably try to harm her the moment he left..
He considered taking her with him, but he couldn't risk them getting attacked by demons. Since she was from the pure realm, she was basically a walking magnet for the demons around. She was a threat to their existence, and they'd do anything to eliminate that threat. It was one of the main reasons he suspected that a demon might have stolen the book, and the reason why he wanted her under his protection at all times.
"You can leave for now. I'll call you when I need you." Icarus dismissed and Isaac nodded in compliance. He closed the door and turned towards the standing princess, his eyes scanning her body for any kiss marks.
"How did you sleep?" He asked as he closed in on her. Isabelle retreated slowly until she met the wall, and she knew there was nowhere else to run.
"Not so good, Maria is dead, remember?"
Icarus knew she was lying, but he decided not to press any further than this. There was a lot of trouble piling up for him at the moment, and quite frankly he had no idea how to solve the majority of it.
"Get prepared, you're coming with me to a meeting." He informed after a minute of lengthy silence.
Isabelle managed to push him aside and walk out of the confined space before asking, "Are we paying Maria's people a visit?"
"What?" Icarus replied with an arched brow.
"I asked if we're paying her people a visit. You know, for condolence?" Isabelle repeated, her eyes searching his own for an answer.
"We'll do that later, this meeting comes first." He answered. Two people have died while serving him, and not once had he paid the family affected a visit. He did send them gifts and his condolences, but a personal visit was not something he was familiar with. Maria used to be an important person to her, but it was risky walking around the Kingdom with her. The people hated her, she wasn't liked by the demons either.
However, he couldn't leave her here, not when he still had no idea what the thieves' motives were. For now, until their enemy is apprehended, he was going to make sure she was by his side at all times.