❝ Everything I was afraid of happening, happened ❞

Unpleasant and uneasy. Those were the two words that could describe best how he was feeling right about now. Apparently the great Duchess herself would be visiting their home. She was the aunt of his father, he knew, which meant that she was a sort of family to him too. But just like he had a hard time viewing Charles as his dad, he knew that he couldn't view the lady as more than the duchess. And besides, why did she even come over? Was it for Ella or perhaps even Clarence? Maybe both Charles and Clarence...? He didn't know... All he knew was that he had to put on his best show, even though he didn't want to. Putting on the best suit he had on top of making sure that his hair laid perfect. Showing off his best manners to the best of his capabilities and all that. It made him annoyed, really. Was he going to be left alone with such a figure? Because he believed that he shouldn't. What if she saw straight through him for what he really was. It scared him, but he tried to ignore it as much as possible. Something that was rather hard with everything new going on in his life.

Getting dressed with his new arm was weird. He was used to rolling up the free sleeve to just cover up the little nub that was supposed to be his arm. But now he had an entire mechanical one instead. One that he could move freely, even though it was still very hard to do so. Precise things, such as writing or even holding a cup of tea were rather hard with it. However, getting dressed was going quite well, until he got to his buttons. As he fumbled with his, he let out a desperate sigh... It took way longer then he had anticipated, but eventually all was done and he was dressed nicely. Moving his prosthetic up and down one last time as he checked his fingers, he nodded. He just hoped that he didn't screw anything up with this dumb thing.

When he came back downstairs the maid informed him that uncle Clarence and his niece were out for some business, leaving him alone in the mansion. He blinked in surprise, not really knowing what to do with that. "What about the duchess?" he asked her with a frown on his face. It would seem that he was bound to entertain her for now. He took a deep breath, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all that. Was this really how it was supposed to go? Just him and her together in one room. Isaac was nothing more than filth on the floor and to her he was most likely even worth less than that. It made him feel even more insecure about himself. It made him feel so little. He didn't want this... But this was his life now... And as son of the secretary himself he had to prove that he was something. But it was hard to even think about anything to keep his chin up high, when he couldn't even think of one good thing about himself.

❝ Everything I was afraid of happening, happened ❞

The more he thought about, the more uneasy he became. He was alone in this house with the most powerful woman in the whole land. This should have never happened to him. He was from the lower ring, he was never supposed to even be here to begin with. But he was taken from the place he was raised in and put on display. A pretty suit and bow to make him look all pretty. He did fit in quite well with his fair skin and dark hair, that much was clear. But anyone that knew him, would see right through him. He was no nobleman's son. He didn't have that aura about him. Even Ella, his cousin, had that air about her. She acted so grown up for her age and was so gentle in nature. But what else could you expect from a family blessed by Renestrae herself? He really was out of place between them. Being born a hellspawn himself, he didn't deserve any of this. But he was too scared to tell them or even mention it. He didn't want to die, not yet. He had tried to live for so long, he wouldn't give up so easily.

And as he fumbled with his fingers, looking at the maid with big scared eyes, a noise could be heard. He quickly turned around, straightened his back and tried to get all his emotions in check. One last deep breath. He could do this... Right? He needed to do this. His life would depend on it, literally. If she through him for the monster he really was, she would kill him on sight. He was sure of that. The Winters had always been such horrifying creatures to begin with. But not in a monstrous way. No... They were so good, so blessed by everything holy, that their presence alone brought people to their knees. He couldn't dare to imagine how it felt to be like that; to be so pure and so grand. He really was just a polar opposite to them. As his eyes lifted he could see her and he froze for a moment, his breathing hastened for a second. He quickly regained himself and bowed for her, lowering his head humbly just like his father had shown him. He couldn't make mistakes, he really couldn't afford it. He had to do his best, had to keep that demonic thing within him in check. He couldn't let emotions get a hold of him. It would result in a catastrophe.

She spoke, saying his name and Isaac tried to stay calm. As he slowly restored himself to stand up properly again. For a moment he looked up at her, trying to make eye contact, but he couldn't. He looked to the side immediately as their eyes locked. He could already feel it inside of him, if he even looked at her it would be too much. He had to be calm, had to be collected. She eventually went on and the boy blinked slowly. He remained very neutral in his expression as he nodded. "It's..." He froze mid sentence as he didn't really know what to say. He felt like he should speak, say something, but didn't know what. His throat tightened from the stress, the fear, that grabbed him. No... No... Say something idiot! "I'm... truly blessed by the fact that you would take your time to meet me, your Grace," But he was all too aware that she wasn't here for him. She was most likely here for his father. He tried to remain calm, but his one good arm trembled softly, barely noticeable. Perhaps it would have been better to have two metal arms instead of one.

❝ Everything I was afraid of happening, happened ❞

Of course, he was nervous, how could he not be? He stood face to face with perhaps the most powerful woman of Ashmoor. The Duchess not only had power to her name due to her marriage, but she also had this demanding presence about her. She radiated power, demanded respect by simply being in a room. And for such a fragile boy like him that kind of stuff just felt suffocating. His entire body was screaming it out, ever fiber of his being wanted to flee from this room, from her. It was that primal instinct that just told him that something wasn't quite right and he should either put up a fight or run. Flight or fight response... He had read about it and had always found himself in it. But despite all the hostile situations he had found himself in in the past few years, it still felt like this one was the worst yet. And that frightened him. Not only for his own wellbeing, but also for the people around him. He wasn't an idiot, after all. Even though the woman in front of him was family to his adoptive family, he could still feel how tense Clarence was around her, or at the mere mention of her. And for family to think of someone that way... Well... That was just a terrifying thought to say the least.

Isaac never really stuttered, despite the fact that he doubted himself a lot. He had always been quite good with his words if he really wanted to. It was mostly his fears that dragged him down. But that was for more than just his attitude or the way he spoke. He knew that if he didn't get these feelings in check, his magic would activate once more. And with her being here, in the same room as him... She was the last person on this planet that could know about this. Because if she did, that would mean his end. She spoke to him, and he nodded, lowering his head a bit in the action. He kept his green eyes focused on the ground for a bit, trying to focus himself on other things than this nervous tension that was tugging at him. He bit his lip a bit as he placed his hands behind his back. He gently laid his fingers over his prosthetic hand, the cold metal not really giving him any peace of mind. So he just started to count in his head, hoping that that mere action would distract him from her.

But she stepped forward and in that moment he felt his heartrate rise. His eyes widened a bit as he clenched his hand around the fake arm he now had. Just... Just stay calm Isaac it was fine. She wasn't going to do anything, not here... Not in the home of her nephews... Right? She wasn't going to lash out to him if he didn't step out of line. He had done everything by the book, like he had been taught. So why should he even doubt himself? Was he afraid that she would see right through him? That she would see the monster that he really was? He slowly clenched his jaw a bit, trying to hold himself back from taking a step back to compensate for her coming forward. He knew that if he did, it would be seen as disrespect... So he couldn't do that, not to her. Maybe if she had just been the duchess to him, everything would be fine. But she was part of his adoptive family. Suddenly a nobody like him had been pushed to the front. For some a blessing, but for him certainly a curse. He already longed for later today when he could curl up in bed and forget all about this.

He gasped for air when she grabbed his chin, forcing his head to tilt upwards towards her. He blinked rapidly, his eyes quickly going from the ceiling to her and back. He tried to keep his face straight, not showing any emotions, keeping his fears at bay. Every time their eyes crossed he could feel that suffocating feeling increase in his chest, almost as if she was holding on there instead of his chin. And before he knew it, she spoke again. Words he didn't quite understand. But he knew he had answered them. "Not really, your Grace," he said honestly, trying to keep his eyes focused on her while he spoke. "Thank you for the kind compliment," he said softly. He was surprised by the fact how calm and steady his voice sounded when he spoke. And that gave him some strength to keep his eyes focused on hers. Not really with a gaze that said much, although one could easily find that fragile spark of fear in them. He just hoped this wouldn't escalate, as he couldn't keep his eyes hidden when she kept him like this.