The Shield Behind The Rebel

Mr. Cole knocked on Lady Luciana's door, and she invited him in. He explained that he wanted to discuss about Lilian, but his worried expression gave away his true concerns. Lady Luciana noticed his unease and asked,

"Is everything okay? Is Lilian alright?" Mr. Cole took a deep breath before speaking. "Have you ever thought that Lilian might be... different?" he asked hesitantly. Lady Luciana was confused.

"Different in what way?" she asked. Mr. Cole nervously rubbed his palms together.

"Mothers usually talk to their daughters about life, relationships, and marriage. Have you had those conversations with Lilian?" Lady Luciana nodded, but Mr. Cole continued,

"Has she ever mentioned her thoughts on marriage or falling in love? I've noticed she's never been interested in boys." Lady Luciana realized the same thing.

"You're right, I've never seen Lilian with a boy. She played with boys as a child, but nothing more. Whenever I brought up marriage, she showed little to no interest." Mr. Cole understood that Lilian's differences had gone unnoticed due to the family's conservative nature. He asked,

"How do you plan to stop this marriage? Lilian cannot marry Daemon, she will not be happy." Lady Luciana replied,

"I have told you before, I'll tell Daemon where to find Eleanor and find a better match for my daughter before Wilson tries to send her to hell again. Sometimes, I'm thankful he is not her biological father" Mr. Cole reminded her that her actions might have consequences,

"Wade will be greatly affected." He said, but Lady Luciana was resolute. She only thought of what she wanted for her daughter. Mr. Cole couldn't reveal Lilian's true feelings, fearing it might expose her. Lady Luciana had become unpredictable, and disclosing Lilian's attraction to Linda might not be wise.

Lord Wilson noticed that Lilian looked happier than usual and assumed it was because she had finally accepted the proposed marriage to Daemon. He thought to himself,

"She's finally come around to the idea!" with a big smile on his face. He walked up to Lilian and gave her a tight hug.

"My sweet girl," he said, looking at her with affection and kissing her forehead.

"You look like a blushing bride, eager to start your new life." But Lilian had actually forgotten about the proposed marriage until Lord Wilson's words reminded her. She felt a pang of sadness but controlled her expression and simply smiled.

"I am loyal to my family, sir," she said with a nod, trying to hide her true feelings. Meanwhile, Linda was trying to uncover more information about Francis' death and Loretta's connection to it. She asked Loretta,

"You knew exactly where to find the body, but Eleanor never told you where it was. How did you know?" Loretta realized Linda was trying to piece together the events and quickly came up with an excuse.

"I wasn't thinking straight. I just ran to wherever my legs took me. I missed my way a few times and I had to ask around." But Linda was suspicious.

"You came home one night, burned your dress, which had blood stains, and the next day, Francis was found dead. It looks suspicious. Did you kill him? How did you do it? Where did you get a gun?" she said. Loretta feigned tears,

"How can you think I'm a murderer? I would never take a life, especially not the father of my children. It doesn't benefit me in any way. Francis was a terrible husband to me, but he was a good father to our children. I love my children, I endured all the abuse for them." Linda immediately regretted suspecting Loretta and apologized.

"I'm so sorry, my dear friend. I was wrong to suspect you. You are right, you would never hurt a fly, I do not know what came over me. Please forgive me." But Loretta was hurt and angry, taking her basket of flowers and leaving in a huff. As Lilian struggled with the thought of marrying Daemon, her mind kept wandering back to Linda.

She couldn't forget the romantic kiss they shared and the magical night they spent together. She longed for Linda even more. Just then, she heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Mr. Cole standing there. She welcomed him into her room with a smile, and he sat down on her bed, looking at her with concern.

"What's wrong? You look worried. Have I done something wrong?" Lilian asked, noticing the furrowed brow on Mr. Cole's face. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"What makes you happy?" he asked, but Lilian was confused. Didn't he already know what brought her joy? Mr. Cole noticed her confusion and rephrased his question.

"Who makes you happy? Is it Wade, your mother, your father, or maybe someone else... like Linda?" Lilian's eyes widened in shock as she heard Linda's name, and she began to stutter, fear creeping into her voice. But Mr. Cole quickly calmed her down.

"You don't have to be afraid, Lilian. I promise I won't tell anyone. I just wanted to be sure if it was a moment of weakness or if you are just experimenting." Lilian took a deep breath and nodded, feeling a sense of relief.

"I've always known you were different, Lilian. I just didn't know it was this way," Mr. Cole said with a gentle smile. Lilian rushed to hug him, tears of gratitude in her eyes.

"Thank you! I really do love Linda. She makes me feel seen, and valued. I wouldn't have it any other way," she whispered. Mr. Cole reassured her,

"I would never do anything to harm you, Lilian. But I fear this is a dangerous path you're on. Your family is very conservative, and they'll never accept this. Do you have a plan, or will you go through with the marriage regardless? If your father finds out about this, he will be very furious." Lilian looked around the room, searching for answers.

"I never planned to marry Daemon... Linda wasn't part of my plan, it just happened. I don't know what to do; I don't want to be married. I just want to be with Linda, and no one else. I will not be happy with any man." Mr. Cole stood up; his face filled with determination.

"Then you won't be married, Lilian. I will protect you. Your brother and I will protect you. You are safe." Lilian smiled, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders, and hugged Mr. Cole again in appreciation. Mr. Cole rushed to find Wade, who was grooming Stormfire in the stables.

"We need to protect your sister, Lilian. She needs us now, more than ever." he said, his voice filled with urgency. Wade looked up, confused, and asked,

"Is Lilian in danger? Is she alright? What happened?" Mr. Cole replied,

"Not yet, but if your father discovers her secret, he might harm her rather than disown her. He won't let her live. Her path goes against everything he stands for, especially his reputation." Wade's eyes widened in fear.

"What secret? What's going on? Lilian has a secret? I don't understand anything you are saying to me right now." he asked. Mr. Cole explained that Lilian was in love with a woman, Linda, and that he had seen them together the previous night. Wade stood stunned, unable to move or speak for a moment.

He had never imagined his sister could be in a same-sex relationship.

"Forget about Father for now," Wade said finally.

"Mother would be furious if she found out. Indeed, father would kill her." Mr. Cole nodded in agreement. As they spoke, Alicent, who had been eavesdropping, snuck away to inform Lady Luciana, hoping to gain favour with her.

 Alicent found Lady Luciana on the balcony and approached her humbly.

"Good afternoon, my lady." Lady Luciana was surprised Alicent had come without being summoned.

"What is it, Alicent? Why are you here?" she asked sternly. Alicent hesitated before speaking.

"I overheard Master Wade and Mr. Cole talking. Lilian is refusing marriage because... she's different." Lady Luciana's curiosity was piqued.

"What do you mean? What did you hear? Why are you even eavesdropping on Mr. Cole's conversation with my son? Okay the, tell me everything you heard." Alicent glanced around nervously before whispering,

"Lilian is in love with a woman... she is refusing marriage because she loves a woman, and I believe her name is Linda, from the low-town." Lady Luciana jumped up from her seat, disbelieving what she just heard from Alicent.

Lady Luciana was sure about the way she raised Lilian and she wondered where she went wrong or what she did wrong. Alicent assured her she had heard them correctly. Lady Luciana quickly retreated to her bedroom to process this news.

"My children must be cursed," she thought.

"My son loves another man's wife, and now my daughter loves a woman. Is this punishment for my past mistakes? Is this a punishment for my infidelity? Why must my children be punished?" Determined to act,

Lady Luciana decided to present another potential husband to Lord Wilson, hoping to speed up Lilian's marriage and prevent a scandal.