16 Graceful Retaliation

 In the past, when Jessamyn was young, she used to snap at her abusers and that gave her the name 'shrew'. 

No one taught her how to handle difficult situations and she let her instinct take control. She would shout and strike back. No one cared why she behaved that way and yet they gladly punished her for her misbehavior. It didn't matter that she didn't start it but the way she handled it was the problem. Her mother didn't teach her the proper etiquette either. 

When Joar married her, his mother was not very welcoming of their union. Joar thought that his mother would eventually warm up to her, but she never did. Jessamyn, out of her love for Joar, bore with his mother even when she was treated unfairly in his house. She didn't want to bear the name of a shrew anymore in her marital home and endured everything. She wanted to show his mother that she had changed.

But she regretted it after "it" happened. 

She didn't mention the problems to Joar either. She thought she was sparing him headaches but only later did she realize that she had hurt him by keeping it from him. He asked her not to bear with unfairness. He didn't mind it even if she acted like a shrew. He asked her to protect herself. 

She tried her best to protect herself to date to honor Joar's wishes. But since she stayed away from high society for the past seven years, she didn't encounter this type of situation. 

She had lived a quiet life the past seven years, except when she went on the hunts the council asked her to. She had resentments and anger deep-rooted in her heart. She found an outlet—exterminating mutts and wiping the smiles off the faces of smugglers and abusers.

As for the maid, she could slap her then and there. It would teach a valuable lesson or two for her insolence. Word would spread among the other servants and everyone would be careful around her. 

She would feel better and it would work. 

But…

This was not Joar's home. This was Jerrick's home—the same Jerrick who still had his wife's portraits in every room of his residence, the same Jerrick who still employed the maids his wife hired. Not to mention, that man was holding Isadora as a hostage.

It might be deliberate. She noticed him stopping William from leaving. He probably wanted to hurt and humiliate her. 

She couldn't do what she wanted to do. But she decided not to bear with it. At 28, she was too old to bear with pain.

William noticed it too. Although that maid had her back to him, her actions were not at all gentle. She was purposefully hurting the lady. He thought Jerrick would stop her but he was staring at Jessamyn without doing anything. Surprising! 

"That is enough!" Jessamyn said in a crisp tone. 

The maid tried to continue holding her ankle but Jessamyn gripped the maid's hand tightly enough to hurt her. 

"Thank you. You may stop now," she said. Her voice was crisp and clear; her eyes focused and her grip tight as the grip of a python. The maid's hold loosened. 

Jessamyn smirked. She could return the hurt gracefully. It was a hard lesson to learn. 

The maid's eyes watered. Jessamyn didn't let go of her hand.

William saw the strength in her eyes. Jerrick was smirking as if he was enjoying what he was seeing. William understood his silence only then. 

As always, assertiveness is attractive.

"It's not enough. She hasn't finished yet," Jerrick said. 

William leaned back wondering what he was planning next. 

Jessamyn looked up with a smirk. Her hands were shaking as she exerted a lot of force on the maid. 

"I can help myself, but if Your Grace finds it wiser to get help for me, I'll request Isadora," Jessamyn said politely. 

Jerrick chuckled. 

"She suits my heart," Jessamyn added with a polite smile, letting go of the maid's hand.

She didn't know what he was planning but she didn't want to sidetrack. She wanted to see Isadora and that's what she'd concentrate on. 

The maid crawled out of the reach of Jessamyn and then stood up with her hands trembling.

Jerrick's chuckle turned to a full-blown chortle seeing that. Jessamyn rolled her eyes seeing him laughing as if she did some trick. 

William felt like he was intruding on a couple's private time. It was awkward to see Jerrick laughing that much. That had never happened before. He decided to leave to let them settle whatever was between them.

Jerrick gestured for William to sit. 

"Ask Bernard to bring Isadora," he waved his hand at the maid.

The maid did a curtsy and rushed out of the room. Jessamyn watched the maid leave. She couldn't believe he gave in that soon. She slowly got out of the coat she was rolled in while keeping an eye on him. It was hot in there. 

-----

Meanwhile in Isadora's room. 

Isadora was bored beyond words could describe. Sitting beside the bed with her hands hugging her knees, she looked at the mountain standing by the door and curled her lips. 

He tried to throw her down. She wanted him to throw her down so that she could find an escape but then that plan was foiled. 

She was tired of trying to talk to him. She talked for an entire day without a break, and yet that man didn't say one word back. She thought her Lady was tough but this guy could be a greater challenge than her. 

"Hey! You will not tell me about my lady. But, will you open the window? How do you even lock your window? I've never seen a window that can't be unlocked from the inside… Hey!" Isadora said. 

Her throat was hurting. Otherwise, she would have shouted at him. Not that it would have done anything even if she could reach his ears. 

He really was tall as a mountain. 

"I need some fresh air… I am suffocating… My throat hurts…" Isadora held her throat. 

No matter what she did, it didn't move that mountain. The first day, he was standing outside the door. She shouted a lot at him ruining her throat but he didn't open the door. 

From the next day onwards, he stood inside the room, leaning on the door. She didn't even see him taking a break. How could a man stand in the same spot for two days without a single break?

"Are you a ghost?" Isadora whispered.

Didn't he find the need to use the outhouse? Or take a bath? How?

The man looked at her with the same old plain expression on that scar-ridden face. 

"Are you a half-giant?" she asked next. She was curious as she had heard of the giants that were part of their Kingdom in the past. "Are you deaf? Ah… that must be it…" Isadora patted herself. 

But then she realized. He listened to the Archduke's orders perfectly. He couldn't be deaf. 

"Why aren't you answering me?" she pouted. "I hate you."

The man who had been standing by the door for days walked to her. Isadora's green eyes widened with fear as the giant loomed before her. She gulped and scooted backward. But the man pushed forward like a grizzly bear. 

"What do…"

Suddenly, the talkative Isadora lost her voice. 

"Stop!" She waved her hand after clearing her throat seeing him bending down. His face magnified in front of her. 

 "What do you want?" She gulped as her back hit the wall. 

The man did not reply to her. Kneeling in front of her, he leaned closer to her face. 

Isadora held her breath and clutched her chest fearing her heart would race out of her chest.

A bunch of his knotted hair slipped from behind his shoulder and dangled in front of his face. The tip of his hair grazed Isadora's cheek and she scrunched herself to a ball.