Heart of Darkness

Angelica’s father started to act more and more strangely after he told her to never meet the King again. He also stopped her brother from going to his lectures at the castle and told them to never leave the home. Meanwhile, he came home late every night, intoxicated.

He would yell a few words no one could understand, and then he would pass out. Angelica was worried for her father and asked him several times what had happened to him, but he always seemed too frightened to tell her. After that night when he first came home drunk, whatever he had seen had been haunting him. But why couldn’t he tell them what he saw?

Thomas, who went out unlike her and William, would tell her about what happened outside the walls of their home. More young women were found dead, and no one knew what or who was killing them. The people of the town believed it was Lord Rayven. Why she wasn’t sure?

“Do you think Lord Rayven is the killer?” Angelica asked her brother while they had lunch.

“No,” he said. “People don’t really believe he is the killer. They just think he is the cause of their deaths.”

“How?”

“Do you know that Rayven is his first name and not his last name?”

Angelica shook her head. She didn’t know that.

“He has no last name. They say his family disowned him because he was a bad omen. That is why he got the name Rayven.”

Ravens were a symbol of bad luck. How sad for his family to believe he was bad luck and even give him such a name. She wondered if his family was the reason he hated people.

“Angelica, please do something. I am suffocating here.” William said.

Angelica was suffocating as well, but she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t defy her father’s orders and going out alone wasn’t safe either. The only time she could go against her father’s orders would be if the King asked to see her, but a week had passed and she hadn’t heard from him. She couldn’t believe that she actually hoped to hear from him.

“Father will calm down eventually.” She assured her brother.

William shook his head. “He is terrified. He won’t change his mind.”

“What is he afraid of?” she asked.

“What are humans afraid of?” Her brother asked in turn. “The unknown. Whatever they don’t understand frightens them. It becomes a threat.”

A threat?

Angelica became concerned that her father would do something stupid to eliminate whatever he thought was a threat. He did say he would do something. She felt like he would put himself in danger. She had to speak to him before that.

“I’ll go talk to father,” she said, standing up.

William said nothing as she left.

On her way to her father’s room, she heard his voice and another familiar voice coming from their garden. She went to see who her father was talking to, but as she neared, she recognized the voice. It belonged to Sir Shaw. What was he doing here?

Angelica did not like the man. He didn’t know what the word “no” meant. Hopefully, he wasn’t here to convince her to marry him again.

Before she could turn around and sneak back, her father saw her. “Angelica, come here.” He ordered, then turned back to Sir Shaw with a smile. “She is here.”

Angelica clenched her jaw as she stepped outside and went to their table.

“Sir Shaw came here to see you.” Her father said, looking happy as if delivering good news. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

Angelica forced a slight smile as she turned to him, “good evening, Sir.”

“Good evening, Lady Davis,” he smirked, eyeing her.

“Sit!” Her father ordered and Angelica complied. “I’ll leave you two alone to chat.” he then said, standing up from his seat.

Angelica clenched her hands under the table. She was very uncomfortable with Sir Shaw. She would rather be with the King.

Sir Shaw was a respected knight. He was in his mid-twenties and quiet handsome. His golden curly hair reached right beneath his earlobe and his round eyes were bright and brown. His face was slim but sculpted and his body was one of a fighter. If it wasn’t for his terrible character, she might have enjoyed his company.

“You don’t look happy to see me,” Sir Shaw spoke once her father left.

“Sir Shaw, I already told you…”

“I know,” he cut her off, leaning over the table. “But you know I won’t give up on you. Don’t you want someone who fights for you like I do? I am not stopping until you become mine.”

Angelica frowned. He was getting more determined each day and it was both worrying and disturbing.

“You will be trying forever, Sir Shaw. My decision won’t change.”

“Then I guess you will become mine, despite your decision. Your father has already agreed,” he smirked.

He was also getting bolder; she realized.

Angelica stood up hastily from her seat before looking down at him. “I will never be yours, Sir Shaw.” She said with certainty.

That only seemed to amuse him. Angelica guessed that he somehow liked the chase. It excited him and repulsed her. Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and went to her room, locking the door behind her. What was her father trying to do? Would he now force her to marry Sir Shaw? And why did he suddenly change his mind about the King?

Angelica would rather marry the King than Sir Shaw. The king frightened her, but Sir Shaw disgusted her.

Feeling uneasy, Angelica paced back and forth in her room. Just what was her father up to? How could she get out of this mess? Sir Shaw wasn’t one to change his mind or be scared off and now that her father sided with him, she was doomed.

“Angelica!”

Oh no! Now he would scold her for misbehaving.

He knocked loudly. “Open the door!”

Angelica opened the door just to be met by her father’s bright red face. He was fuming with anger.

“I’m getting tired of you. I have spoiled you enough, but now you will do as I say. You will marry Sir Shaw.” He said with finality.

“Father, I don’t want to.”

“And I don’t care. You will do as I say.” He said between clenched teeth.

“And if I don’t?”

His nostrils flared and his eyes widened to intimidate her.

“If you want to stay in my house and with your brother, you will do as I say.”