Wars of the Heart
Amelia Luna-dynn is a young damsel of unassuming character. However, there is a deadly secret she harbors: that she is the daughter of a forbidden race, a tribe despised by the royals of the Kingdom. She is the sole survivor, discreetly living an unseen life as a commoner. But there are scars on her back that betray her origin, requiring her to cleanse herself in order to stay alive and unrecognised. With such reins attached to her race, it is impossible to find someone who would love her despite the dangers of her origin. But one night, when at the verge of being eaten by beasts, she is saved by a mysterious man from the grasp of death. Curiosity drives the damsel to chase love. Despite being downtrodden, she stumbles upon the opportunity meeting with high society by joining a Book Club run by the beautiful daughter of the Duke, Charlene Walterus. Amelia makes friendships with nobles and soon comes close to a romance with a man she suspects to be her secret rescuer, but is hopeless that his heart is far gone in the arms of the duke’s daughter. Will she win a wedding with the man of her dreams? But most importantly, will her fantasies of a perfect marriage come true? Or will she suffer a strained marital relationship, with unrequited feelings, far from the heart of the one she loves? Excerpt: That night, he was exhilarated to have married the woman of his desires. But Charlene had told him a bothersome fact about the origin of his newly wedded wife that he could not shake off his mind, for he knew she would have told him, had it been true. The tall man stepped into Amelia’s chamber and found her seated at the rim of the bed, blushing. The very sight of her innocent disposition had always brought him the insane urge to sweep her up in his arms and protect her. But before they would make love, there was an important question blaring at the edge of his mind. “Y-you’re here”, her soft voice was almost breathless. She rose to her feet, but rested against the wall, shy and nervous. “Amelia”, he tasted her name, drawing close to her. Tenderly placing a finger under her chin and lifting her face to meet his, he gazed into her eyes and asked, “Is it true that you are of the Celeste Clan?” There was silence in response and fear in her eyes. She did not deny it. A strong feeling of hurt enveloped his chest, when he realised that she was no different. Charlene’s words about her were not simply contemptuous lies of jealousy planted to his attention, but the raw truth. ~ Amelia gasped when he rammed his fist against the wall in the absolute pangs of frustration. It was like it burnt his senses to think that she would deliberately hold something as significant as her origin from him, regardless of all things of his secrets that he had shared with her, while they were yet secret lovers. She knew the fault was hers, but she had been too scared to relay, for she had loved him far too much to lose him. “Why did you hide this from me?” he breathed, voice cold and low and deadly, colored by his unpronounced rage. His face was dangerously close to hers, such that she could hear his very breath, seething. Tears began to pierce her eyes, threatening to fall. She had never meant to deceive him. But in that moment, she was afraid. Heart throbbing loud enough to be heard, her lips were quivering and she shivered. When his gaze swept down at her frightened disposition, there was a flicker of tenderness in his eyes. But it lasted not even as long as a moment’s worth. He was cold. He did not confront her for the secrets she was keeping, but silently withdrew himself. There were many things she wished to say in apology, but she could not find her voice. And by the time she could speak, he had left her chambers. Tears flurried down her face. She could not believe that her fears had ruined the very first day of her marriage. It was the day she had wished to divulge her secret to him, but it seemed like it had already been out.
32. Hopes and Denials for New Arrangements
Hopes and Denials for New Arrangements
~
The Estate of Duke Walterus,
The Town of Crimsonton,
Kingdom of Velicia,
The hours after Noon,
The Eighth Day of the Month of November,
Thirty Third Year of the Reign of King Jesse Crestings
Charlene Walterus was there, in her father's office, considering the various details of the terrible things that had happened to her heart during the past engagement she had sustained with Cryspus Lemiron.
When the relationship between the two had grown strained after the royal ball, they spent months of not speaking with each other, nor meeting. Then finally, there was a letter to the house of Duke Walterus from the Lemiron family, inviting them to the wedding of their son Cryspus and another baroness of their City.
It had been a heart breaking affair, and Charlene had cried for a whole fortnight. Her father had been by her side to comfort her and wipe her tears away. But as bitter as the event had been, the golden haired beauty was a woman of strong personality, who would not let a single shade of rejection overshadow her happiness.
She rose from the dust and held her crown high. Her goal was not only to have a wondrous marriage but to show her first betrothed that she could even win a man in the highest of societies in their kingdom: The Crown Prince.
But before marriage, she wished to build herself. Her father had suggested various prospects, but she had rejected them all, for they were no houses wealthier than their own estate. The Duke was in close communion and good reputation with Prince Rayzenn every day and therefore, Charlene knew that her father had hopes, somewhere deep, to have her marry him instead.
But for how depressed Charlene had been during the past month after the terrible news, the Walterus head granted her all her heart's desires.
Although her father did not like the acquaintance of the Knights of the West Wing coming to their Estate and all the number of male friends she had, for he did not trust their intentions towards her to be pure, he allowed her to start the Reading Association with them.
Charlene, however, enjoyed the club and its meetings, for there was a great deal of attention she received from all the people thereof. It was validating and made her feel desired after being so brutally rejected by her ex fiancé.
It was begun with the goal of developing their business and taking it to greater heights. Miss Charlene had met with the Royal Chief of the Palace's Libraries and Archives and had voiced her idea. This granted her the opportunity to submit reports on various books to the Imperial Castle every week for some renowned book.
Thus, Miss Charlene would visit the Palace to convey the reports, with hopes of meeting the Prince. But during the past three occasions, there had been no luck. He had always been off on duty or sport.
In addition, she had wished to meet the royal prospect along with her father, when he made his fortnightly visits to the Imperial Castle regarding the vigilantism in the village of Drift-Combe after every bestial rampage. The Duke had not taken her to accompany him, however, since that would seem like they were desperate for the Crown Prince's favour to marriage.
But of course, as her fair fate would have it, the first hints of good news had reached the Estate of Walterus that morning in the shape of a letter from the Royal Palace itself! The Prince had honoured their house and paid a personal visit, instead of the Duke having to go as per practice to meet the Crown Heir in his office.
It was an obvious sign of the Royal family's interest in finding their second son a worthy mate in the daughter of the noblest family present in his dominion, such that he would make his way there by himself. Charlene knew that by that hour, news thereof would have reached Cryspus.
It swelled her heart with excitement and a sense of victory. But further, there was a chilling sensation of exhilaration when she thought of the Crown Prince himself desiring to make her his wife. The fantasies of becoming the queen excited her.
She returned her senses to her father's most expectant question at hand:
"Are you still hesitant towards the idea of marriage? Or would you feel comfortable with my arranging you a worthy new mate?"
To this, she knew that the source of his enquiry was the visit of the crown prince.
"Well", the golden haired beauty began. "I believe I have fairly recovered. But who is the groom you hold in mind, papa?"
The elderly man's face assumed a smile and his eyes held her solid gaze as he answered: "If I may entertain you with this thought, my dear; what say, the Crown Prince?"
Charlene could feel her cheeks and neck heating up and a smile beyond her control blossomed across her lips. "Ah, dear me", she said, fanning herself with her hand, as her father chuckled largely.
"There will be much responsibility and duty for you, sweetest, but nothing beyond the absolute wit and intelligence that you are. The Kingdom itself will be in capable hands", her father reassured.
"Of course, papa, I will disappoint no one", the damsel dressed in the wine coloured gown cooed. "Did the Prince ask for my acquaintance today? Is that why he made the personal journey hither?"
"Well", there was a slight hint of hesitation in his voice. "The intention of his visit to our estate was induced by the Regent Queen, but that is all the more reason to consider it a solid affair", her father winked. "After all, the Prince will marry whom Regent Queen Eliza bids him to, for the good of his future kingdom."
Charlene's excitements fell. "I see", she responded.
The young damsel of twenty years realised that it was not the crown Prince's personal initiative to come see her. Further, the more her thoughts dwelt on how bitter that was to imbibe, the more she realised that the royal heir had made no particular conversation with her during the meeting, but had simply been in ill tempers throughout, for Head Knight Erion was receiving a reprimanding for his knights' slackness.
It was the first time she had not absolutely captivated a man's senses with her mere presence.
~