The Archduke's Songbird
***Completed*** Lady Jessamyn brought home a ten-year-old orphan when she was eight. He was handsome ^_~. She provided him with a place to stay and warm meals. As they grew up, she desired to marry him, despite their differing statuses. As war raged, he signed up for the military, promising to ask for her hand when he was worthy. Two years later, he became more than what he promised he would be. He became the Archduke of Ayberia. But he broke her heart by marrying her friend. Years rolled away; life happened. She married a man who loved her and fell madly in love with him. She didn't think of him again. But fate was cruel; she was widowed at the age of twenty-one. She lost everything. Seven years later, she met a mysterious wolf while she was out at work in the Archduke's fief. She had a fall. The next morning, she found herself on the Archduke's bed. Did fate bring them together again? Or something nefarious is at play? Is this a chance for a second love? Will she find out why he abandoned her in the past? Is it possible to rekindle their old love, or is it too late? ----- Join me in this journey. Your comments and votes are appreciated. Gift me to motivate me. Updates will be daily.
Preparing To Defend
Jessamyn pulled her hood up, her fingers trembling as they brushed against the rough, worn fabric. The hood cast a shadow over her face, hiding her features from the world, but it did nothing to quell the terror that gnawed at her insides.
She squeezed her eyes shut, sending a fervent prayer to the gods above. Please, she begged silently, let him pass by. Let him be oblivious to the trembling woman cowering beneath the roots of this ancient tree.
The sound of his footsteps echoed in her ears, each step a thunderous beat that matched the frantic rhythm of her heart. She could hear him approaching, the crunch of snow beneath his boots growing louder, closer.
And then, suddenly, the sound ceased. Jessamyn's heart nearly stopped in tandem with the silence that followed. Her entire body went rigid, her breath caught in her throat as she felt his presence loom above her, oppressive and suffocating.