“Let her go, Lucas.” My father speaks carefully and I know that taking my arms from her is wise. He’s beyond angry and that’s dangerous. I release her but don’t move away. My body can’t seem to distance itself any further. My father seems satisfied.
“He defiled my wife.” Henry is calmer but his voice is high pitched with anger that I’ve never heard before.
“Is the accusation true?” My father questions.
I tighten my fists. I don’t dare look to Ella. “She’s not his wife.” I state.
My father nods in agreement. “She’s not yours either.”
“Does it matter if she’s my wife? Can’t I have my fun just like you, father?” I’m crossing a line with both my father and Ella, I know it. She wasn’t fun, but I need to drive my point home that this is unnecessary. We don’t have to entertain Henry just because he isn’t getting his way.
My father’s stare is heavy until he turns his back on us. I’m not sure what is happening until he starts to give us a history lesson.
“Generations of the O’ Faolain’s have led this community. We rule tens of thousands of people, year in and year out it grows. We follow simple rules. If we start to bend and break them, chaos will prevail. The system will crash and we will have nothing left. I have bent these rules for both of you and it has done no good. In fact, it has harmed our family's reputation.”
He turns to us. “That ends now. I was given two sons, two possible leaders, and so far you are both a disappointment. I blame myself.” He takes a step towards us. Ella is still trembling beside me and I want to comfort her, but my touch will bring her too much pain.
“I spoiled you.” My father stands in front of me. “I allowed this,” He points at Ella without looking at her. “To go on for your pleasure, but it needs to end now and you will take your rightful place at the head of this family, with Sandra Crowley at your side.”
I don’t let his words sink fully in. But I see the truth in his eyes. “You can’t outrun this, you can’t leave. It’s really a pity you boys didn’t educate yourself better on our ways.”
My father turns to Henry. “Henry is correct. To not be a virgin before your wedding night to an elite is punishable by hanging.”
My stomach twists painfully as Ella whimpers. My father returns to me, his eyes glowing with the power of this moment. “To walk away from this community, son, is death.” He delivers each word like a blow. I can hear Ella’s breathing become labored.
Death sounds more pleasurable than this. My father holds up a hand. “Of course we aren’t barbaric.” He moves to Ella. “I won’t have you hung, but I have overlooked too much for you. This is where it ends.” He tells Ella and I want to stand in front of her and stop this. But any power I felt I had, is dwindling fast. If I do anything, I could make this worse.
“That’s not fair.” Henry’s whines are ignored by my father as he keeps his focus on Ella. “You will be locked up until I decide your fate.” Ella’s head snaps up.
“Master Andrew, I’ll take her place.” I take a step forward and I’m ready to beg. His eyes meet mine, the hardness in them is unshakable. He walks past me.
“The only thing that isn’t fair Henry, is that I was given a gay son.” Henry flinches at my father’s tone. “One who is a half-wit.” Henry flinches again. “I can’t keep protecting you. Not when you disregard my authority.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Henry points at me. “He always takes what’s mine.”
My father’s hand connects with Henry’s face and the sound bounces around the room. Henry recoils from my father while holding his face. “Don’t ever speak out of turn again.”
My father walks back to his desk. “This disregard ends here and now. No one will speak unless they are spoken to. My word is final.” He’s staring at me as he speaks.
“Mark.” I half glance over my shoulder as Mark steps up between me and Henry. I hadn’t known he was here. I turn again and see George never left either. His eyes clash with mine and he slowly backs out of the room.
“Take Ella to the guard house.” My heart slams heavily against my chest. It takes everything in me to stand still as Mark takes her out of the room. She doesn’t fight. Once they are gone, my father steps back up to me and Henry.
“This is the final time I am giving you a choice son. You either marry Sandra and take your place as the leader, or you will be banished from this community, with a bounty on your head.”
I’ve never wanted to kill someone so much. He is everything that is wrong with this world. He is all my violence and hate rolled into one. There is nothing left in my father.
I would take the banishment if it meant Ella was safe but she wouldn’t be. She would be locked up here and I would have no power to save her. Staying here meant I could at least try.
“I’ll marry Sandra.” My father smiles and pats my shoulder. “Good choice.”
He exhales and turns to Henry, who shrinks away from him. The pity I feel for Henry is short lived when I think of the situation he put Ella in. The truth is, I put her in that situation. I had no idea it could lead to this. My father is right about one thing. I had no idea about our history or our rules. That is something that will change. Now I need to find a loophole in all of this.
“I can’t keep allowing my love for you to cloud my judgment, Henry.” My father touches Henry's face that’s red with the print of his hand. My father had no idea what love is. He is cruel and cold, incapable of such a feeling.
He exhales heavily again and releases Henry’s face. “You will have to marry one of the other girls. Ella is no longer an option.”
“Yes, Master Andrew.” Henry’s voice is small.
“I still need to punish you, you don’t go around and air our dirty laundry.” His eyes flicker to me before returning to Henry. “You could have come here calmly. But I’m sure everyone heard your shouts. So Alex is not allowed here anymore.”
“Please father, don’t take him away.”
This time the sound of flesh connecting with flesh has me biting down on the inside of my mouth.
“You keep talking out of turn.” My father half laughs like he can’t believe how stupid Henry is. Henry holds his face with two hands and for the first time I see anger flash in his eyes. My father acknowledges it when he places his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “I’m only trying to protect you from yourself.”
I’m as confused as Henry as my father steps away from us.
“Any more problems, come to me directly. We need this house to be in order. You’re dismissed.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ELLA
The slam of the door seems so final and I can’t move. I can’t look around the small space that I am now confined to. The door has a small window of bars on it. I shuffle forward and my fingers wrap around the cool steel. Is this really happening? The tremble that had entered my body still hasn’t subsided. When Henry had stated that I should be hung, he had me almost laughing that was until I had looked into Master Andrew’s eyes. Everything in me had grown cold and I was staring death in the face.