Her icy blue eyes were mused as she saw the staggering, surprised, and angry expression all at once! Such a newbie.
'This is why she can't be Lennox.' Leah smirked. It was a victory. She had proved her point. The fact that the girl was unable to show any kind of physical reaction was
"Chaa," this time Helle slapped her in the face.
"You- you! Who permitted you to hit me?!" Leah screamed at the top of her lungs. She was baffled. Thwarted. She pulled Helle by her collar.
"I didn't know you could belittle someone and even physically attack while not expecting any sort of consequence." Helle had a calm tone. Cutting off the turbulence of the young woman before her.
"Shut up-" But before things could escalate any further, the pair of men were quick to barge inside the room and separate the two tangled-up women. Orion had a displeased expression, especially since he glared at Leah before taking Helle away.
"Ga-grampa! How could someone like her be my brother's wife? She doesn't even treat me well," she insisted. The quick temper was set aside, and changing her temperament, she spoke as though it was Helle who did her wrong.
"I'm sure she will treat you well if you give her a chance. Let's go home," Arthur sighed. He didn't want to scold his only granddaughter, although he knew that once he reached home, he had a lecture to give.
~
A multitude of flashbacks entered her mind while Orion's grip continued to sting her wrist. It was painful. It reminded her of the evening with Anton. The way his domineering actions hurt her.
"Wha-please leave my wrist." She tried to shake off his hand, but the grip was far too tight.
"What are you trying to do?" Helle continued to struggle. Using her weight, she tried to stop him, but it was all useless. He continued to drag her, and once they reached the washbasin area, only there Orion let go of her wrist.
"Don't ever do that to anyone in the future. If anyone physically harms or threatens you, then just tell me," he said while his back to his soon-to-be fiancé.
"I did-" She tried to reason after all; it was a consequence of a cause.
"You did," he was firm with his words.
"So you want me to live like a doll or a pet? Am I not supposed to show any humility or any kind of reaction while they trample over me?" She raised her volume to reflect the intensity of his rage.
"I cannot just stay still. I can't let everyone think that they can do as they please just... just ecause... Her voice trembled, palms clenched, but she couldn't complete her words. After all, it was something Orion couldn't understand anyway.
The feeling of being so powerless that anyone and everyone would do as they please. The ability to not be able to subjugate them. The helplessness.
While her chest heaved, her hands unclenched. Silence filled the room.
Rationally thinking of the situation, it was a big disadvantage for Helle. Gramps favoured his only granddaughter; moreover, they were the pillars of the family, and without their support, the future would be full of hurdles. But it was only for the next six months.
Orion sighed.
"This is why he said she couldn't understand," he muttered. The look of disappointment took over, and he turned around, about to leave.
"?" Gingerly Helle followed him after all; she was not a child. She was just there to act, to fulfill a role. Once she had no more usefulness, she would leave.
Understanding a person's emotions was tough, and the reason why Orion was so worked up was that she vaguely had any idea. The walk towards the store was filled with a crawling silence. With each step, their coherence came to sense. It was wrong of Helle to physically hit someone.
Leah and Arthur had left the store by the time they returned. There was a note left on the chair, and while Orion checked the note, Helle was quick to notice that all the bags were gone.
"It seems Leah has taken a liking to these decorations. We'll be taking them."
-Arthur
Since there was nothing left for them, they simply left the store with no baggage.
~
When they arrived at the residence, Helle was the first to slip out of her seat and head to the woods instead of her room, but no one cared. She wasn't a princess or a lady. If Orion didn't care, then no one would.
Sinking into her thoughts, the tears dropped on the cobblestones. Unbeknownst to her, her feet led her to the little hut from before. While the little tears continued to drip, she unlocked the door and entered the little kitchen.
It was warm. It didn't differentiate her, and most of all, it was all for her.
'Why am I breaking down so much?' She had no answer to her question but let the tears flow until she couldn't anymore. Pouring all the tears on the countertop while her head lay down, she stared at the window.
Was it because she expected something?
~
The next time she opened her eyes, the entire place felt dark. Her arms ached, and her feet were numb. "Uh, where am I?" Taking her time, Helle got up and walked towards the door to let in the light from the moon.
The night was charming, and the wind was cold. Her life in the new place had just begun, and yet the old habits never left.
'Tsk, how disappointing.' She sat at the edge of the porch and took her time to evaluate herself.
'I will apologize the next time I meet,' she made a mental note while gazing at the moon one last time.