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.
29. The Cry of a Plague and War
The Cry of a Plague and War
Chambers of the Reading Association,
The Estate of Duke Walterus,
The Town of Crimsonton,
Kingdom of Velicia,
About an hour before noon,
The Eighth Day of the Month of November,
Thirty Third Year of the Reign of King Jesse Crestings
"That is exactly what I'm saying!" Chae cried, making the damsel of dark brown hair to feel like she had just supported the spoilt young noble.
Amelia hesitated, hoping the others would not think she was siding with her, for all she had intended to do was soothe the tensions. She looked around to see that all the others at the table held their heads low, like their eyes didn't wish to meet each other's.
She wondered if she had spoken out of turn, creating a marred impression on her very first engagement with them.
The young noble, Chaessy, went on to great lengths about how her views on the novel determined a great deal of how people should perceive life and love. After she was finished, no one particularly agreed or disagreed with her, rendering her silent.
The Luna-dynn damsel of brown hair looked around, hoping the mood would lighten.
Sean cleared his throat and tapped the table to gain everyone's attention. Charlene began to speak, "I would praise the novel for its beautiful language, concept, and depth and for the details. The characters are very well flushed out and the literature is lacking by no means."
Everyone collectively agreed. Except Knight Roden, who said, "While that is true, I would say the characters are slightly deficient in matters of whether the relationship was a rebound or not. After all, it is potential. We do not know how unhealthy it is; the author has made no mentions of it."
"That is left to the reader's interpretation", Head Knight Erion responded, closing Roden's interruption of Miss Charlene's statement.
"Right', the shabby, olive haired knight nodded, seeming fairly subjected.
"Erion, what are views?" the daughter of the manor asked, with a smile that revealed dimples against her high cheek bones.
There was a pleasant smile that spread over the Head Knights lips, hanging lope sided, before he answered the young lady, saying, "Well, I believe you have mentioned everything that I would have willed to say."
"Aw, how sweet", Charlene cooed.
Something about the way they exchanged unsaid feelings across the room made Amelia feel like her heart was sinking. She felt drained, like she did not wish to stay in the meeting any longer, like she was better of elsewhere, alone.
Subconsciously, her fingers began collecting the folds of her skirt, gripping them tight in her grasp. She blinked back, feeling warmth spread over her neck and chest and waves of unpleasant feelings weighing her heart down.
Just then, Sean cleared his throat to regain everyone's attention. He raised a round of questions for everyone's opinions or criticisms and then folded the discussion professionally.
"Kindly have your elaborate opinions on the novel drafted in the next few days and lay it here with the Walterus Manor. Per-haps even on the bulletin board. I shall have them submitted to the Imperial Castle for credit to the Royal Literary section", Charlene said, with a pleasant smile that dug simples into her cheeks.
There was a collective response of agreement sanctioned to the damsel's statement. It made Amelia wonder about the gravity of the club. They truly were influencing the crown with the prose of the period. The whole affairs of the association was a lot more important than just discussing reads. It was setting a culture and bringing back what was lost in the passage of time.
The dark haired damsel further knew that Princes Francis and Rayzenn had a liking for reads. It was potential that they would peruse the reports if it was sent from one of the most prestigious houses of the Western Kingdom.
Sean tapped his hands to regain an audience with the gathering.
"Alright, folks! Let's decide on the next book for the club" he said, clasping hands and looking over at the golden haired dame that headed the association.
"Let's see now", Charlene looked down, long lashes sweeping down her eyes. "I have decided to choose 'The Cry of a Plague and War' for the next", she said.
Amelia swallowed the difficult knot in her throat. She had known that book all too well. It was the one that was written about her race, portraying them as the most malicious humans to have walked the earth, as the very cause for the plague that killed many and the war that rose before such.
As a survivor of the reality, she was far more equipped with the facts and circumstances that actually took place than the author himself. But there was, naturally, no means of her conveying such things to the world, for that would cost her her head.
As much as it was true that her father had deliberately caused the plague, there had been no deaths from the spreading sickness, for the clan of healers had rushed in to save the perishing with their powers. It was the scheme.
Further, the wars were happenings of natural course, needing the healers on the battle field to save fallen soldiers; not instigated by the Celeste tribe.
However, after her people had murdered the queen, all blames for unrelated events were thrown on them and there was no means of clarifying, for it was believed that the wild wolf monsters had ravaged and killed the entire race.
Amelia could not breathe of the fact that she had survived the massacre.
Presently, she did not mind reading the book over, though the uninformed lies would be a bother. Her true concerns at the prospect of the issues was that at the end of the book-reading sessions there would be another discussion held regarding the tribe and how treacherous they were. She would be unable to change their strong opinions.
Such would subsequently be submitted before the Imperial Castle, rekindling the hatred they harbour for the dead clan. And if, at some future day, her secret scars came to light, she could be banished or killed and her brother will face similar cruel consequences.
"Let's collect each our copies of the book from the deck there and leave for the day. Thank you for your time, everyone. It has been nothing short of absolutely pleasurable to have you", Charlene smiled, clasping her hands on her lap.
~