The Beastkeeper's Redemption

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Six  

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Eight Years Ago

A sense of exuberance and accomplishment like no other filled Izzy, seeping from every pore on her skin. She couldn't help the grin that swept over her lips as she padded down the dark hallway towards her private quarters, the sounds of applause still loud in her ears- a not so distant memory that echoed and prevailed upon her mind, making her feel as if she could soar, as if she could conquer the entire world.

Not moments before, the final curtain had fallen on the performance where she had, after years of minor parts, concluded her first major leading role- and Izzy knew, intrinsically, that she had performed astoundingly. There would follow more interest in her position in the current company she was employed with, and possibly more from others, so long as her name continued to grace the playbill.

For the first time in years, she felt like her life had meaning and direction; a sustainable means to support her and her sister in a way that would ensure they weren't just scraping by. Her attempts had finally paid off and the exertions she had placed at entering the arts weren't wasted.

Entering her small rooms where she was boarding temporarily while she was set to perform over the next sennight, she began to remove the ensemble that covered her limbs- a tight corset and dusty wig. A lamp had been lit and set on the low table beside her cot, but its light wasn't enough to illuminate the entirety of her room, therefore her distracted mind hadn't registered that she wasn't alone. When she didn't finally catch sight of the rustling fabric in the solitary chair placed near the hearth, she jumped.

"Byron!"

Heart-thundering, she slumped against the wall for a moment, allowing the relief to rush through her at the familiarity of the intruder. Byron Woodward was certainly no threat considering he had been courting her for the last two months, and their relationship had only just blossomed into intimacy recently. The young man had become her first infatuation and Izzy believed that she could come to love the handsome clerk.

"You frightened me!" she reprimanded him teasingly, lowering her hand from where it had been clutching at her heart. Byron hadn't moved, however, and the shadows that caressed his face hid an expression that began to make her skin prick with a sense of unease. "Is everything alright?"

Byron shifted then, leaning forward slightly to brace his elbows on his knees. His head hung low between his shoulders, but before his dark hair hung over his brow and temples Izzy caught a glimpse of the tortured ache in his brown eyes.

Having removed enough pins from the wig, Izzy hurriedly rid herself of the uncomfortable contraption and moved towards him, her steps slow and cautious. Something was certainly amiss for never before had her interactions with him been anything but flirtatious and cheerful. This sombre mood made her entire being hum with an essence of dark premonition.

"Byron?" she said his name again, a hesitance in her voice.

He didn't glance at her, but she saw his shoulders tense under the plain coat he wore. They were both of working classes, young and endeavouring to make their way through life- to earn a sustainable and honourable living. That is what had initially drawn her to Byron all those nights ago when he had approached her after one of her plays that had taken place in a smaller theatre catering to cheaper tickets and the clientele who could afford them.

"I..." His voice was coarse, a low sound of flat despair that made her steps halt and her knees lock in place before him. "I must apologise."

For a moment, Izzy allowed her mind to replay every interaction they had in the past several days in order to find something that would warrant an apology from him, but she came up blank. There was no reason for him to be apologising to her, none that she could flawlessly recall in any event. "I am not sure I understand," she told him, anxious about the entire situation. "For what reason would you need to apologise?"