Chapter 2: Crimson Velvet
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Cold calamity clutched the hall like death would a dying man.
A maid had been thrown to the ground causing the rest of the staff to freeze up in fear. The duke's expression was anything but goodwilling to anyone who didn't provide the answers he seeked.
"So?!" It was afternoon. A whole day had passed- the morning had been no different to any other. The duke woke up far from sober in his chamber and started the day by throwing up whatever his stomach still contained.
The sun was up, it was yet another beautiful spring day. It was at lunch that their father first noticed a missing presence. Kururi and Mairu weren't there.
It wasn't too uncommon for the latter to go missing. One might find her in one of her trees in a fit or just jumping around in the weapon chamber leading a sword.
For Kururi it was far from the usual but that fact had been ignored.
The duke wasn't a man to dote after his children. Had never been.
So it was only now, at dinner, that the absence of his daughters really drew his attention.
One of the maids, the tutor of the girls to be precise, was pushed forward to answer the lord's question.
"W-we don't know- today when we entered the chambers they were already-" the tutor was backhanded so hard it sent her to the ground with a bleeding lip.
"WHAT DO I PAY YOU FOR?!" Bows and chants of apology resounded from the woman as she quickly picked herself from the floor.
Izaya couldn't help but find relief in the fact that she was going to be released from this manor soon.
With no girls to teach arithmetics to her contract would end and she was free to go. Usually a tutor would never let herself be treated this way. Status and knowledge protected them of the maid's fate.
It had to be exactly that knowledge that made her bite down her anger as she left the hall in quick steps.
He felt bad for the maids, however, since they would never find his sisters.
They had fled the manor.
In the middle of the night Izaya had gone to their sleeping chambers. Clothes that didn't appear too fancy, jewelry, coins, a bag of food and a sharp knife were all they took as Izaya helped them slip into the night. It had been the only solution. No persuasion or deal could have prevented his father from executing his plans. He told them to run, if possible take a ride on a commoner's carriage to get away as far as possible.
They were to not reveal their names. Not tell anyone they were sisters and clothe themselves like lower class commoners so that no one would recognize who they were.
Mairu was handed the knife. Despite not wishing for her to take any violent actions, he knew it might become a necessity.
She was more skilled at handling the sword than Izaya so he had confidence that in the worst case she could protect her sister from any harm. As for Kururi, she was smart. Chances were they wouldn't even get into trouble as long as she was present.
It was hard to send them away- not knowing where they were, not knowing how they managed, caused a hole to open in Izaya's stomach. He had considered fleeing together with them. But who was he kidding? Neither financially nor physically would he be able to help them. He had no connections worth speaking of nor the prestige necessary to hide his siblings from their father's gaze.
Friends should be kept close, but enemies even closer.
If there was anything he could do, then it was staying close to their father. Surveil his actions, anticipate his plans and intervene if necessary.
So he couldn't really do anything right now apart from staying inside the hall and watching his father as he took his anger out on the servants.
"What are you waiting for?!" he bellowed once more, causing the staff to flinch, "Find them!"
Turning on the spot they did as told as they rushed out of the hall. Izaya was about to do the same when he heard his father speak again.
Terrifyingly calm.
Threatening.
"You seem awfully calm about this." Approaching with slow even steps the duke towered in front of the raven. Izaya felt his body involuntarily tense- the fear inflicted over years teaching him to ready himself for what might happen.
It was just then that the door to the hall burst open. One of their servants rushed in while picking up her dress so as to not trip.
"Lord, the king's messenger has arrived!" she choked out between quick breaths.
His father inhaled sharply, before straightening his stance.
"Tell him to come in." The maid nodded without losing time as she swiftly exited the hall.
Low voices were to be heard and it took half a minute until the messenger entered the hall.
"My lord, sad news has befallen the land." His stance tensed and he bowed to demonstrate his obedience. "The king has died." Silence befell the room for a second as a couple of emotions displayed on the duke's expression.
A gush of joy, quickly hidden as he knew better than to show it, quickly transforming into paleness and horror. The messenger must have thought he was really devastated to hear the king had passed when his father probably couldn't care less.
No.
He wasn't sad- he just realized that the marriage was going to be blown off with no other way to get his debt fulfilled.
"When?" He asked slowly.
"Last night. He took his last breath surrounded by his most trusted allies, pastors and family." Quickly clearing his throat the duke nodded.
"May he rest in peace and find his way to heaven."
Izaya said nothing. He was not in the position to. It was the duke's, or rather the heir's obligation to answer a king's messenger. Izaya was just the son, and even that position was probably unknown to the messenger as his father had done well to hide him from the eyes of others. He might as well have thought Izaya was just one more servant or tutor.
"A letter has been handed as one of our king's last actions." the man quickly continued, holding out a silver plate with a yellowed envelope on top. A seal of red bearing the king's emblem sealed the paper.
"I'm grateful to you for bringing me those last precious words." Izaya's father quickly thanked before breaking the wax.
His eyes basically flew over the content. Izaya couldn't see the words, but he could guess what he had written. Probably about the marriage and the debt he had to pay.
Izaya was glad for his quick reaction. He was glad he got his siblings out this fast.
Even if the king was gone, the prince, he was feared throughout the land. Just as cruel as the king.
He was heard to be violent, sadistic and a man that could not be negotiated with. A beast.
God knows where.
"The letter states the prince and next successor will marry one of my daughters as previously discussed. It is a matter of utmost importance and shall be fulfilled without delay." The duke finally stated, informing the messenger of the content of the king's words.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I have been instructed to guide the new queen to the king's castle."
The duke halted, his expression fell briefly.
"So soon?"
"Is there a problem?" Stance faltering the duke quickly regained his posture.
"Of course not, I will send one of my daughters for the wedding in due time. Just give me a moment to bid them farewell. It is quite the sudden departure after all."
Recognition and a sense of understanding crossed the messenger's face as he bowed.
"Of course, the carriage should arrive by nightfall so you shall be given the rest of the day to prepare."
It wasn't uncommon for daughters to leave quite suddenly once a marriage was arranged. And it would have happened just as fast as the messenger announced.
Feeling a wave of relief wash over the raven, Izaya realized that this charade would soon be over. No matter how mad his father was, once the new king learned that the duke's daughters had bailed from the wedding there would be no second chance to go through with it.
It possibly meant Mairu and Kururi could return to the manor in due time. Once the deal with the sadistic emperor was blown off there would be nothing to fear.
"I appreciate it. Meanwhile, why don't you take some refreshments? The trip must have been hard and burdening." His father spoke timidly, showing the messenger to another hall. It was fairly uncommon for him to act that way, especially to mere servants. But the impression he left on the messenger equaled the impression the new king was going to have.
"I appreciate the concern. Well then." The maid who had announced the messenger's arrival quickly hurried after the guest to make sure he was served everything needed.
The huge door's leaves closed shut and dead silence returned to the hall.
The messenger was gone, and the duke turned and it felt like ice froze the entirety of tha hall.
"Where are they." It was a question, yet it was not. A statement.
The duke knew Izaya was behind their disappearance. He might be too stupid to lead his land and folk, but he wasn't an idiot per se. Having told no one but his son the day before that his sisters were going to leave the manor only to have them disappear the next day only left one logical conclusion.
But hell could freeze over before Izaya would admit to it.
Straightening his stance he met his father's eyes.
"I am as clueless as the servants I fear."
A mistake.
The cane that was always by his father's side struck him with anger. Once, twice, thrice- Bending over the raven covered his head to keep his face safe from injuries but it was his stomach that was assaulted next as the vane rammed into his lower body.
All air was forced from Izaya's lungs and he broke into a coughing fit.
Wheezing he gasped for air as he couldn't breathe for a full minute. Tears sprang to his eyes.
"What do you think will happen when the new king learns there is no bride for the arranged wedding?!" His father yelled, bringing the cane down once more before adding a kick with his leg.
"Are you trying to ruin this land?!" Izaya was already on the ground covering but that didn't stop the relentless attacks. Yet he stood his ground.
His face rose in a short pause of kicks.
"I don't know what you are talking about," he knew he was wearing a soft glare but he couldn't muster a fake expression of obedience. Not in the face of someone that deserved not an ounce of respect.
"You-!"
Shielding his ears and temples Izaya curled in on himself. Strike after strike met his body.
It was fine. There was nothing his father could do to find the two. He had made sure of that. Not even he himself knew where they were right now.
"Finally you three would have been worth something- apart from mouths to feed you could have proven useful!" Enragement clustered his father's expression only tripled by the pity sight of his son covering in front of him.
Before Izaya knew it his arm was yanked to the side- "But now?!"
Black stars filled Izaya's vision as his guts screamed in pain. His father had kicked him in the stomach. "All I'm left with is you!" Izaya's hair was grabbed and his body forced upwards before feeling himself being thrown into the pile of his sisters' presents.
A sense of disorientation and vertigo overwhelmed the raven. His breath came short and his chest felt tight- if this continued- was his father going to beat him to death?
Holding onto one of the boxes Izaya tried to push himself up. The object however, shifted and instead caused another to fall down and empty its contents next to Izaya's head.
Izaya's heart clenched at the sight of the familiar color. It was the crimson velvet dress Kururi had favored.
Distressed, Izaya realized he might never get to see them again. Unbelievable sadness overtook his emotions for a brief moment-and so it took a minute until he realized his father had stopped the beating.
Izaya's head turned.
Slowly- as to not trigger another set of attacks.
He was just standing there. The duke. Expressionless.
He just looked at his son, sprawled in a pile of gifts.
Izaya looked small.
Weak.
But fairly fragile. Some might even say delicate.
Suddenly his father crouched down in front of Izaya. The crimson velvet of Kururi's favored dress was lifted to Izaya's face.
Izaya couldn't help but freeze.
The duke's expression was unsettlingly calm. Izaya should be glad he stopped the assault of violence, but instead the gentle action triggered a whole new horror.
"Fitting, isn't it?" his father suddenly said. Calmy, as if nothing had happened at all- as if his anger had just dissipated.
It took Izaya a minute to realize he was talking about the color of the dress.
Confusion took over his mind and his breath hitched when the duke suddenly reached for his face.
He expected a hit- a punch, anything that would hurt. Instead those old fingertips brushed across his skin and lifted Izaya's chin.
"You really are the spitting image of your mother." He brought the dress closer to his face. Looked at it, then back at Izaya. "As much as you act like a woman it's fitting for you to be one."
Getting back up from the ground the dress was dropped in Izaya's lap. Slight confusion filled Izaya's expression as his eyes followed his father.
"What do you mean?" The duke turned halfheartedly, before directing his attention to a couple smaller boxes belonging to the sibling´s gifts.
"Don't think I am stupid. I know it was you who got the twins out of the manor," he suddenly said, opening one of the boxes as if he were searching for something. "But if you think that will be enough to cancel my plans then you are wrong." Flinging aside most of the presents he halted when he opened a small mahogany chest.
"How thoughtful." It was filled with jewelry. Droplets of blood like crystals had been set in a filigrane frame of silver. Patterns of leaves and fine spots of clear stone created the chain. If anything it seemed like the perfect fitting to the dress in Izaya's lap.
Taking one of the earrings his father twisted the crimson droplet inside his palm.
"You will dress up as a woman. Pretend to be Mairu or Kururi, whatever, and marry the king."
to be continued~Straight to the point, the plot structure is set and we are ready take off xD
Sadly I had a little too much to study for exams in june so this is the only update I can give- BUT August the 1st I will be there, updating everything for sure :3
With that said, I hoped you like this chapter and see ya soon~