chapter 74: Elysia's Disapproval
Elysia swept into the council chambers, the train of her emerald robes flowing behind her. The members of the High Tower faction's ruling council - distinguished men and woman adorned in glittering finery - bowed their heads respectfully towards her as she took her place at the head of the ornate marble table.
Settling into her high-backed chair, Elysia cast a sharp gaze around the room. She noted each council member's expression, paying special scrutiny to her daughter Isolde sitting quietly in her customary seat.
With a tight smile that didn't reach her gray eyes, Elysia began the meeting. Her cool voice echoed authoritatively throughout the vaulted chambers as she addressed various matters of trade agreements and border security. But underneath her crisp words, tension brewed.
She could feel the shift in dynamics amongst her normally focused advisors. There were hushed whispers when they believed she could not hear, averted eyes when she looked upon them directly. Most troubling was Isolde's behavior. Her daughter, once so astute and engaged, now seemed withdrawn and distant.
What was causing this uneasy atmosphere amongst her trusted council? Elysia intended to find out. Knowledge was power and she needed to know what transpired within her stronghold's walls.
As the last of the petty merchant disputes was resolved, Elysia waved her hand to dismiss the lower-ranked members. Soon only Bryn and Isolde remained seated across from her.
Elysia studied her daughter carefully. Isolde showed little reaction, her gaze downcast, avoiding Elysia's probing inspection.
Turning her attention to Bryn, Elysia broke the tense silence. "Speak. Tell me plainly what everyone in this room seeks to hide."
Bryn's face paled but her voice was steady. "There are rumors of an inappropriate affection between our Isolde and one from the River Faction. I gave counsel for Isolde to renounce this love before talk spread further."
Isolde jerked her head up, eyes flashing. "You presume too much. My personal affairs are my own," she said sharply.
Elysia frowned. Isolde rarely used such an insolent tone with her elders. This was troubling indeed.
"Peace, daughter," Elysia said. "If this affection compromises our faction's strength, it becomes my concern."
Isolde's mouth twisted in a bitter smile. "Of course. The faction's strength and standing must come before all else. What does love and happiness matter when compared to power?"
"Mind your words, girl," Elysia snapped. "You are heir to the High Tower. Your actions and conduct reflect on this house's integrity. Who is this River Faction youth who has caught your eye and so utterly erased your sense of duty?"
Isolde paled but lifted her chin defiantly. "Tristan is his name. And he has not erased any sense; rather he awakened what was numb before. He sees me as I truly am, not just your heir to mold."
Elysia sucked in a sharp breath, outrage mixing with surprise. She had noticed her daughter's increased absences over recent months but nothing to suggest something as scandalous as a romantic liaison with an enemy faction. Tristan of the River Faction, no less! Has the girl lost her wits completely?
"This cannot continue," Elysia declared, standing swiftly. "You will never see this Tristan again. As High Tower Lady you have a legacy to uphold. You know this. To dally with that river boy betrays all we stand for."
Isolde shot to her feet, palms slamming on the table. "And what do we stand for, Mother? Certainly not love or compassion. Just cold ambition it seems!Perhaps the High Tower fears what influence an alliance by marriage could bring..."
The sharp sound of Elysia's palm striking her daughter's cheek echoed in the sudden shocked silence. Bryn gasped softly. Isolde's head jerked back, eyes wide, raising a trembling hand to touch her flaming cheek.
Elysia stepped closer, eyes blazing, though her heart ached to see pain in her beloved daughter's face. But the girl needed to remember her place.
"My word is final in this, Isolde. There will be no more discussion or rebellion. You will break off this fanciful fling at once before you jeopardize the security of this house and faction."
Isolde stood motionless, the red mark on her cheek slowly fading. For a long moment mother and daughter locked eyes and wills. Finally Isolde lowered her gaze, the fire in them dimming to embers.
"Yes, my lady," she said tonelessly. "If there is nothing else, might I take my leave?"
Elysia nodded curtly. Without another word or glance, Isolde turned, skirts swirling, and quit the room.
With a heavy sigh, Elysia sank back into her chair, dismissing Bryn with a wave. She sat alone as darkness fell outside the tower windows. Had she been too harsh with the girl? No, she reassured herself. As future leader, Isolde needed to learn that the welfare of the faction outweighed all else. Personal desires could not distract from duty's demands.
Still, an unfamiliar discomfort gnawed at Elysia - she had never struck her beloved daughter in anger before. But what other choice did she have? She could not permit Isolde to foolishly threaten generations of power and stability.
She would make the girl understand in time. Restrict her movements, monitor her associations, remind her why she must make strategic alliances. Isolde would thank her someday for steering her back onto the proper path.
Elysia hoped when it came time for her own retirement from leadership and Isolde's ascendance, this painful incident would fade from memory. But in her heart of hearts, she wondered - could bonds ever fully mend once so bruised by harsh words and hands? For even she did not have that answer.
Rising wearily, Elysia quit the empty council room. She tried not to imagine young Isolde crying alone somewhere within these cold tower walls, nursing her wounds - both visible and unseen. Such thoughts did not fit within the disciplined and proper mind of the High Tower Lady. And yet...Elysia's own heart ached for what she had so necessarily yet cruelly done this day.