Chapter 56

I stared at his character which in all honesty reflected in each of his children. All of us were resolute in our decisions. He had risen us to be careful decision makers and if we believe we are right then let no one tell us otherwise except our own short comings. Mother was no different, she had made the decision to marry to my father with the exact same resolution.

"No".

I could hear the echo of my voice in the large room. A sudden breeze, seemingly from nowhere, made my hair flutter back.

My father did not flinch.

"I've told you already child" he emphasised the word mockingly, "I have not come to this decision randomly. That is enough".

"Is it the same reason you will not treat me like Rodrigo or Mathias?"

That caused a change in his expression, a glint of surprise as his brow twitched.

"I treat you better…"

"You don't allow me to live my own life" I countered, speaking entirely on the rebellion that fuelled me.

"You've made a name for yourself already so come home now" he stood up, holding onto his cane. It was the one visible weakness he wore.

"Chicks do not leave their nests to return to it" I replied, trying to calm myself. But even I couldn't cover up the fact that I did not want to fight with my father. I wanted him to understand.

He gestured to the sofa before him.

"Sit down, Madeline. We have much to discuss today".

His voice softened and he cleared his throat, guilt evident in his actions. He was rarely so emotional, and I sat without a thought as he gripped and clenched his cane.

"I understand your mother and I tend to keep you out of the spot light. Rather strenuously might I add. I had thought doing so would make it so you lead an easy life" he let out a deep exhausted sigh, giving me a small smile as he continued, "but you have this perpetual flame in you. It seems fate can not be altered".

I raised a brow at the suddenly riddle-some man before me. Feeling as if, for the first time I was seeing below the surface of the controlling father I knew him as.

"What does this have to do with fate?" I asked, sceptical of my fathers mental state, "you haven't hit your head have you?"

"I was getting to it" he furrowed his brows at me, shooting me a glare that shut me up, "you were born on a day of little significance".

"Right…"

"So little that your mother and I were sure you weren't going to amount to much at all. Yet on that insignificant day, a man claiming the sight of the future was in town. Reading the future of anyone and everyone for no charge at all" he stopped to take a sip of his tea, enough time for me to speak up.

"Don't tell me you ask some conman to see my future?" I remarked, caring less for the story than when he hadn't even started.

"Of course not. We don't believe such nonsense- or we didn't. The man came to our doors himself and demanded to see you. I threatened to apprehend him, but your mother let him in. She wasn't in her right mind having just given birth, but I wasn't going to go against her wishes. He touched your forehead and then chanted something ineligible before he took your mothers hand and told us that you", he took a sip of his tea, be it for dramatic effect or his parched throat I wasn't sure, "you would destroy Grandor as we know it".

I stared at my usually level headed father and almost laughed at the sheer stupidity.

"This man saw a child and said"-

"He did not have clairvoyance Madeline. That man was from the future and was visiting to warn us. He visited the city only to see you and say that. I didn't believe it. I did not, but he left events yet to happen and listed them off. Some in countries far off and others in the royalty of Grandor, all of them happened. All of them. He said you would open boutiques one day. I laughed it off until the day you opened your first store and surprised me with it".

I recalled how angry he was when I first told him. The shock and then anger washing over his face. Even my brothers didn't understand it at the time. He threatened to close it but i was already opening my second store and had no plans on doing so.

"That…" I was at a loss for words.

"I can't let you continue this".

He was right, but If someone had visited to put a stop to the end of Grandors legacy and I was a great cause in the downfall, then why not just kill me? Why go through such a lengthy process…

Then there was the fact I couldn't stop. Stopping would put everyone in danger. I could already the blood dripping from his blade.

"Father… you should have told me of this years ago. Why… did it have to be now?"

"How can I even begin to explain such a thing… I was hoping I would never have to".

"It's too late" I wanted to throw my hands up in frustration as the last few years of my life was suddenly explained in a single sitting. All the years I spent annoyed and bitter. All of them because of some mystery man.

"I was hoping the notion of a man being interested in you would have you running back".

I frowned.

"Do you refer to the mystery man in the letter?" So that's what that was. I was rather relieved about hearing that.

He nodded tiredly.

"What do you mean by its too late?"

I didn't answer that and instead I dwelled on the fact that someone had gone out their way to magically visit the past to warn of my future. Who would do something so strenuous? How much of a risk did I pose?

"Do you recall his face?" I asked, ignoring his question. His face looked irked but he answered.

"It was wrapped".

"Wrapped?" I squinted at my father.

"With… bandages. He looked quite strange, said he was covered in burns" father frowned at my question, wondering what bought it about probably.

"Do you not find it strange that someone visited you from the future just to stop me" I asked, hoping he might have dwelled on it long enough to have an answer.

"I understand your thoughts, but after thinking about it. This man went through all the trouble of doing something which could have been laughed off as insane. I came to the conclusion he was simply that desperate" I listened to my fathers words with equal understanding. He was right. The man was fuelled by a such a desperate need to avoid my fated future, but again… why not just kill me?

"Did he have any discerning feature at all? Clothing? Hair?"

Father shook his head and then with a frown.

"He had a ring. An Opal ring if I recall correctly- maybe even just a colourful rock" he offered but I didn't think it was all too helpful. He suddenly grimaced and he spoke in a voice that was both low and shaken. "Madeline… that man said if you don't stray from your fate then it will kill you in a way no human should suffer".