Angelica sighed in relief as soon as she entered her room, she closed her door behind her; relishing the favourable outcome she had just received.
Now all that was left was an official agreement between her father and the crown prince. She had overheard the maids earlier discussing the crown prince's strange visit and his promise to return tomorrow at the same time.
Angelica smiled, she liked how prompt he was, just like her. The sooner everything was settled behind closed doors the sweeter it would be to watch their enemies roll in the pits they had dug for them.
She absolutely hated it when people dragged their feet when they had something important to accomplish.
Angelica was not even given more time to revel in her minor victory when she heard a knock on the door followed by her mother's voice.
"Angelica open the door."
Angelica sighed, her mother was the last person she wanted to see at the moment, however, she knew that her mother would not leave until she opened the door.
Angelica stepped away from the door, she turned and opened it, instantly engulfed in a tight hug as soon as she did.
"Are you alright my love?" asked Ohara worriedly checking her from head to toe. Angelica did not like that at all, she preferred her personal space, but she knew her mother was just worried.
"I am fine mother, I am not wounded one bit." she replied distancing herself from Ohara.
Ohara who noticed how stilted her daughter was felt hurt, but she just overlooked it.
"Oh thank the heavens." she replied. Angelica proceeded to sit down on her bed and Ohara followed after her doing the same.
"So... how did things go with your father?" Ohara asked, she sounded hopeful, the fact that her daughter was here unharmed and there were no noises of extreme rage resounding in the manor, she was sure some good came out of their conversation.
"How else do you expect it to go?" Angelica replied rather coldly. "You spoke with him did you not?" Ohara nodded in response.
There was a certain stiffness in the air and with it followed silence. Ohara did not like how cautious she felt to speak with her own daughter, and she disliked Angelica's icy attitude even more. For heaven's sake, she was a lady, she had to be warm, her icy nature would be enough to scare anyone away.
"Thank you— for speaking to father for me." Angelica suddenly mentioned.
"You do not have to thank me my love. I did it because I love you." replied Ohara. "Besides, I hoped that by speaking to your father you would change your mind."
"Please mother, nothing you or he say can change my mind." she scoffed.
Ohara sighed, those were the words she did not want to hear. She did not know what to do, on one hand she had managed to stop Dariel from disowning their daughter, yet she was unable to convince Angelica not to continue with her plans.
"Can you blame me for trying?" Ohara chuckled painfully.
"Stop trying mother. Stop wasting your time."
"Alright, I hear you." Ohara said even though she had no intention of doing such a thing. For one, she was confused, she thought that Dariel had agreed to tell her the truth, Ohara was certain that if he had told her the truth, Angelica would have thought twice about this marriage.
"So, did you and your father reach an agreement?"
"He is not a fool, he knows that his ways of dealing with things are rather catastrophic." Ohara could hear the mocking in her tone. "Ideally he agreed, he finally put his pride behind him for once."
"That is good..." Ohara replied. "Did he..." Angelica heard her mother hesitate. Her mother rarely hesitated when they were speaking. It was unlike her to hide things when they were speaking with each other.
"Did he what?" Angelica asked turning to her mother.
"I do not know... did he— tell you about..." she stammered. "Tell me about what?" Angelica asked confused.
It was then that Ohara proved her suspicions correct. Dariel had indeed not told her the truth. She sighed, wondering what they had spoke about then.
"You do not have to worry my love, I thought he told you about her... I guess not." Ohara sounded dispirited. Angelica did not feel like she was in the best mood to ask questions concerning this.
"Father does not tell me many things." she replied.
"Yes... that is Dariel for you..." Ohara replied rather absentmindedly.
"Mother..." Angelica suddenly called out.
"Yes." Ohara raised her head to meet her daughter's questioning eyes.
"Have you... seen father's scars?" she asked. Yes, she knew that her father had already answered her question, but she wanted her mother's answer as well.
"He showed you his scars?" Ohara asked startled. Angelica nodded in response.
A look of relief washed over Ohara. It would seem that this news excited her.
"Yes, I have seen his scars before... severally." Angelica did not understand why her mother sounded so happy to hear that she had seen someone's scars.
"You always knew he had scars?" she asked.
"Yes, long before we were even married... I saw them countlessly." she replied. "Your father hates anyone seeing those scars, which is why he hides them intentionally."
"Do you not feel repulsed by them?" Angelica could not help but think of how disgusting those scars looked. "No... not at all, to be honest, his scars look better now than they did some years ago."
"Especially the horrid gash on his abdomen." Ohara said not sounded disgusted at all. This surprised Angelica exceedingly.
"He has one on his abdomen as well?" she asked.
"Yes, did he not show you that?" Angelica shook her head.
"He only showed me the ones on his back." Ohara nodded knowingly, she understood why he opted to show the minimal ones on his back, after all, she doubted he intended to horrify their daughter with the several scars he had.
"I see..." Ohara replied. "Why does he have a huge gash on his abdomen?" Angelica asked.
Ohara sighed, wondering if she should tell her or not. "Well your father's father, your grandfather, got really angry one day... he took his sword and cut open your father's abdomen while he was asleep." Ohara could barely keep herself strong as she narrated.
"Your father was no less than thirteen years old then. The wound was immensely deep that for years it refused to close up."
"Only our constant prayers eventually led to it closing up." Ohara said.
"His father truly did hate him..." Angelica said, showing no emotion.
"Hate is not a strong enough word my love, despise is more appropriate." Ohara sighed. "Only your father was treated that way, he treated his other children much more lovingly."
"Your father has never showed his scars to anyone except me, I hope that shows you how much he cares for you in his own way."
"Showing me his scars does not in anyway correlate with how he apparently cares for me." Angelica refuted. "Sharing anguish does not mean care." she added.
"You have to understand my love... your father is truly trying his best to be different." Angelica scoffed. "He is certainly not trying enough. I can see that for now you two seem to be in good terms, but something will upset him soon and he will go back to his fury."
"Be patient with him my love, that is all I ask you." Ohara pleaded. "And please give this thought of marriage some more contemplation, do not just rush into things, especially marriage." she continued.
"I doubt there is any time for that mother." Angelica said almost mockingly. "I overheard the maids saying that the crown prince gave father until tomorrow to make his final decision, and he surely will be back here at the same time."
"Now that father has agreed, I am certain that he will agree now." she said confidently.
"My love, please, do not do this to yourself..." Ohara begged.
"Mother, I hate it when people beg me." Angelica frowned. "If that is all you have to say to me then please leave... I am tired and need some rest."
"Is that what you want?" asked Ohara.
"If you leave me now, I will appreciate that quite a lot."
"Alright... I will come and check on you later." Ohara smiled, she reached out to caress Angelica's hair but Angelica moved away.
Ohara sat there, her hand stagnant in the air, her heart aching, how did she allow things to become this bad between them, to the extent that her daughter disliked the touch of her own mother.
"I will see you later mother." Angelica replied. Ohara got up and nodded, fighting back the tears in her eyes as she left.
Angelica felt nothing at all, no remorse, no sadness, no happiness, she honestly just wanted to be alone to think, and her mother was the last person she wished to be with at the time.