Chương 36: Fire
Isabelle's POV:
Isabelle walked down the courtyard early in the morning whilst Annette was either still asleep or having her hour-long bath before she dressed up. In comparison, Isabelle was an early bird. It gave Isabelle time of freedom in the mornings. She already checked on the greenhouse and was pacing outside to get as much of the fresh air as she could before being cooped up for the rest of the day.
Annette wasn't very keen on the outdoors which made her time outside sparse.
She was enjoying the morning stroll when she noticed Rupert who was running up towards the castle, his cheeks flushed in red, and his movements almost frantic.
He was staying in the city in recent days, helping his family in preparation for sowing. He would leave in the late evening and come back at nearly noon, carrying baskets of vegetables for Anthony and his cooks.
It was way too early for him to be back in the castle, Isabelle knew that.
"Rupert? What's the matter?" Isabelle asked, seeing his panicked face as he was nearing her.
"There's a fire." Rupert said between the panting as he continued running up.
"Where?"
"Two houses are ablaze by the market. It's spreading quickly."
Isabelle froze momentarily as she tried to comprehend what she was just told. She looked behind Rupert as the realisation of the dire situation set in. She run to the stables as soon as her brain could really comprehend the words.
The fire by the market risked many houses burning into the ash, if not all of the market stalls. Many people could get hurt. They needed evacuating and fire needed containing.
"Gilbert, I need a horse." She stated in a much more commanding tone than Gilbert ever heard before. Gilbert slept on the bale of hay in the attic of the stables. He jumped up at her voice and came down the ladder.
"I can prepare Midnight for you." Gilbert pointed to the stunning horse in the furthest part of the stables.
"No need." Isabelle didn't have time for this. She led the horse out and tried to mount it. Her dress was too tight for it. Without a second of hesitation she ripped the layers of the dress between her legs which allowed her to mount the horse, commanding it to "Gallop" thereafter.
Midnight was easy going, understanding Isabelle's commands without a word, reading her body movements perfectly.
Isabelle whooshed past Samuel who looked behind her in shock. She didn't pay attention to him. She didn't care for being welcoming and pleasant when people were in danger.
The fire could easily spread through the market which was constructed from wooden beams. She needed to help the people. She needed to save them.
It didn't take much to work out where the fire was. A heavy smoke carried itself from the market.
Once there, Isabelle jumped off the horse and run towards a few men who run between the house and a well. This wasn't quick enough. This wasn't efficient enough. By the time each bucket reached the house, the fire spread further. Many onlookers stood in panic.
"Form two lines!" Isabelle commanded. "Two persons at a well, filling the buckets, rest in two lines to pass buckets back and forth!"
The men looked surprised at her. "Quick! Before the fire spreads!"
They've listened. Whether it was her voice, et decisiveness, her royal dress. She wouldn't know and she didn't care.
"Get as many pans and pots and buckets as you can!" She ordered the onlookers who nodded in agreement. "Has everyone left the buildings?"
"We think so." The man nearest to her nodded.
"Good. Let's evacuate the entire street, just in case. We cannot risk any casualties. What about the neighbours?"
"We got the ones on the right, but we weren't able to get a hold of old Mrs Geraldine."
"Leave that to me." Isabelle marched to the house and knocked as hard as she could but the thundering didn't seem to reach the elder. The smoke was already coming out of the upstairs bedroom.
Isabelle looked around and picked a rock off the road, using it to break the handle of the door, banging at it with as much strength as she had, finally cracking the wood. She kicked the door open and run inside.
"Mrs Geraldine!" She roared in a very unladylike manner. "I need to take you outside!"
"I'm upstairs." A weak and hoarse voice sounded from the second level of the house. Isabelle run towards it and as she reached the very bedroom with the elder she realised the flames reached it, burning through the wall. The elder lay on the bed, watching flames in terror and sheer panic. She was unable to get up as her walking stick fell too far away.
Isabelle run towards her and helped her up, almost picking her entire weight.
"We need to go, Mrs Geraldine. We need to go now, okay?" She said, pulling two bits of cloth from woman's dresser and tying it around their each faces. There was too much smoke in there already. It was black and blinding. As they've reached the top of the stairs, Isabelle realised that Mrs Geraldine will never come down them in time. "Get on my back." She ordered. The elder looked worried. "Now!" And then obliged, wrapping her arms around isabelle's neck. Isabelle grunted as she lifted the elder and walked down the stairs, feeling the heat of the fire on the back of her feet - it reached the stairs.
She put Mrs Geraldine down at the bottom of the stairs, as she couldn't carry her much further, and pulled her towards the door. She pushed the broken door falling out of it.
The men were already evacuating further houses so Isabelle pulled Mrs Geraldine at safe distance from the house.
"Close the windows if you can!" Isabelle ordered. "It'll slow down the flames!" The men listened and used long beams to close the windows, throwing buckets of water through the doors of the houses. "Are you harmed?" Isabelle turned towards the woman again who shook her head. "Get plenty of water to drink and rest as soon as you can." She instructed before pulling away and trying to analyse the situation. As she straightened up she was met with someone's chest. She looked up and Cassian's darkened eyes glared at her dangerously. "Your highness…?" Isabelle squeaked just now realising that what she has done was far from being appropriate.
Cassian hasn't budged as he looked down at her, overshadowing her with his size. Isabelle stared at him with her eyes wide open. He looked nothing like the stoic man she was now accustomed to. His hair was wild and his eyes… they were nothing like the eyes of Atlas right now.
Isabelle took a step back and her lip quivered. She bit it to try to control her reaction and hoping to stop the whimper that tried to escape her lips. She was in a big trouble, that was not a question.
The loud sound of horseshoes hitting the stone echoed through the city. Isabelle was briefly distracted by it. She looked in that direction to see Samuel on his horse. In comparison to Cassian, he was composed. Samuel looked like a leader, Cassian looked like a beast ready to kill. She now understood why so many feared Cassian and the rumours of what he was like on the battlefield. She didn't doubt it now.
Samuel led many men on the horses, soon other men and women from the castle followed.
They all jumped straight to help, but the fire was already contained and no longer spreading thanks to Isabelle and her quick actions.
Cassian grabbed Isabelle's arm and turned her to face him. His fingers dug deeply into her skin. She knew they will leave the mark.
But that seemed like a lesser worry. She might lose her head by the end of the day.
"Go home now." Cassian said through his gritted teeth. "Now." He repeated. His voice was stern and low. She wanted to argue but she knew it was going to be fruitless. "Samuel, give her your horse." He ordered looking away from Isabelle.
Samuel obeyed and brought his horse nearer, passing the reins over to Cassian who still held onto Isabelle. Cassian's grip on Isabelle was tight. Too tight.
"Adam." Cassian called one of the guards and passed Samuel's horse's reins to him. "Take her highness straight back to the castle and ensure that she doesn't go anywhere outside of my study."
At last, Cassian let go off her arm which was now sore.
Isabelle looked at him as he turned around and rushed to help. She wanted to tell him that she did it because she cared for the people of Ariadna and she didn't want them to be harmed. She wanted to shout at him so that he knew that it wasn't her being frivolous. She was doing an important job. Or so she thought.
She wanted to tell that she was no dainty princess and that she didn't want to be closed off in the castle all the time. She wanted to tell but nothing escaped her lips.
"Your highness." Adam said towards her. She looked at him and the two reins he held. She gave him a nod and mounted Samuel's horse which had all the equipment secured to it. It was a stunning saddle with Cassian's emblem engraved. Her way back was slow as the horse trotted along the road and to the castle. It felt like forever. Once in a while Isabelle looked back to check if the smoke was getting smaller, it did.
She walked up the stairs and was led by Adam to Cassian's study. She realised that she never before stepped inside this room.
She stood on the side impatiently, awaiting the punishment that was to come. But time has passed and Cassian was still not there.
She started to be anxious about him, pondering if he got hurt in the fire. She tried to occupy her mind by looking around the room, pacing, reading the backs of the books stocked on the shelves, looking at his desk with a stunning fountain pen, pot of black ink, plain paper, and many documents he had to review.
She noticed a letter with a familiar stamp on it. A letter from her father. She walked around and read it.
The letter was a difficult read. It mentioned that Cassian revoked all of the trading rights. Her father asked for reconsideration, mentioning the challenging winter and damaged crops. He was desperate.
Cassian was writing a reply when he left. He denied the trading rights reinstating that his reasons are clear. His wedding band was on the letter.
Isabelle's heart stopped. She concluded that she was the reason that he ended the trades. She was the reason for Galborians to suffer, for her own people to suffer. While she was saving Ariadna's people, her own people will be dying of famish in the months to come. While she rationed and help Ariadna to preserve the food, children of Galbore were going with empty stomach's.
And now, his wedding band was off his finger. He was going to get rid of her. She wasn't sure whether if today was the final straw or whether this is what he decided since Annette came back into his life. She held her tears back but barely. She tried to think of the way to save herself, but most importantly, people from her kingdom.
She walked around the room, trying to come up with a plan but her mind was a barren.
"What we're you thinking?!" Cassian roared at Isabelle as the door swung open. Annette tiptoed behind him but Isabelle barely could look at her. She had a more obvious concern at hand.
Cassian's rage flowed through him. His hands tightened into fists. His nose flared up and his veins became visible. His face turned red. And his eyes… Isabelle could barely see the man that she got to watch and be around over the last two months.
"I-…" she stuttered as she wasn't sure whether to try to explain herself or beg for forgiveness.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER DONE THIS!!! NEVER!"
"I'm sorry." Isabelle looked down in embarrassment.
"This was a stupid thing to do! You should have never mounted the horse without a saddle or reins! You should have never rushed into the fire!" Cassian took a step toward Isabelle at which Isabelle panicked and dropped to her knees.
"I'm sorry, your highness."
Cassian stopped. He took his sword off his belt at which Isabelle curled into the ball. She was certain that it was going to be her beheading. Not the way she wanted to go. She covered her head with her arms defensively and closed her eyes.
"Go to your chamber." He ordered through his gritted teeth. Isabelle nodded and run out of the study. She stopped just outside of the door, taking deep breaths to calm her heart beat.
"This is outrageous!" She heard Annette through the door. "She should have never done that!"
"Exactly." Cassian agreed. It hurt to hear him agree with Annette.
"This is inappropriate of a princess."
"I know."
"She embarrassed herself, and you!"
Isabelle couldn't bear to hear more of it and run to her room, tears streaming down her face. She was embarrassed but also angry. She did what she thought was right. She went to save the people that were in danger. She went to save people of Ariadna, her new kingdom. But instead, her actions hurt the people from her homeland.
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