Chapter 4: No Villainess more worthy of her title II

Because Geoffrey chose to protect her, Serena got her fake dignity back. However, everything went downhill from there. Geoffrey's political standing weakened, then she found out what Geoffrey did to her which she suspects was the reason he was so good to her.

He violated her without her knowing. And when she thought that she was pregnant with her and Charlton's love child and that Charlton chose to abandon her for his family, he proposed marriage. She thought he was her savior, her knight in the shining armor. When she hinted that it might not be his child, he denied it and did not let her explain.

So, she married him with all her guilt towards him because she thought he had no idea of her transgressions, while all that time, apparently, Geoffrey had been the instigator of her misery. Though to be fair, she did not feel miserable with Geoffrey that time since as they say, ignorance is bliss.

In any case, after everything, he stayed with her through thick and thin. During their marriage, he made her feel like she was his only princess, that he was ready to even die for her. He gave her so much devotion, perhaps it was love, but then again, maybe it was guilt.

She did not want to hate Geoffrey. It has been years since, and it's not like she too was innocent. However, with everything out in the open, she doesn't feel like they can still salvage their marriage. Besides, no matter what excuse she tells herself, she also could not forgive Geoffrey for what he did to her.

When she filed for a divorce, he did not grant it. However, he could not stop her from leaving their residence and going back to her parents' duchy. Geoffrey has no chance to chase her because there was a war looming, and not long after she left, the war broke out.

Geoffrey went to battle, but even during then, he wrote her letters. She did read them, but she did not reply because she didn't want to make him feel like there's still hope between them.

When she found out about his death, she cried. Again, though he did what he did, she also did what she did. It was a tit for tat, and even though it should not be measured that way, no matter what, they also did share good times. That aside, she did truly love him at one point.

She regretted not replying to his letters, that at the very least, she should have told him that she forgave him since he kept asking for her forgiveness in his letters. She doesn't know what she was holding on to, was it her pride? But whatever it was, a part of her was truly regretful. Or maybe, perhaps, it's just that the death of someone who we used to hold dear makes it easier to forgive them.

Anyhow, she quickly travelled back to the capital, ready to be his widower and observe her duty. However, before she could even step foot inside the palace, her mother-in-law, Queen Loreta barred her from entering and was coldly slapped with the fact that she was officially Geoffrey's divorcee. In the end, she could only stay in the capital for a bit longer to gain sight of Geoffrey's coffin during his funeral procession.

When she went back home to their duchy in Cornwell, she found Geoffrey's last letter has arrived. It was longer than the usual letters he sent her. Reading through it, he first apologized for the lengthy letter but asked her to excuse him for it might be his last letter for her.

She remembered crying more while reading the letter because even though he committed that grave sin towards her, he made sure to make it up to her all through his life. He mentioned how much he truly loved her, how he fell in love with her, why he did what he did, all emotions he felt that time, how he felt during their marriage, that even then, he knew that what he had with her were stolen moments.

He regretted what he did but did not regret the chance to be with her. His biggest regret was that they started on the wrong foot, and if given a chance, he would have changed everything from the beginning so that they would not have gone to the point where they did.

He then mentioned signing the divorce papers the other day and that he has sent it to be legalized. It was not that he truly wanted to divorce her because truth was, he was a very selfish man. However, with the current situation, it was better for him to do so.

He did not explain why but simply said that she was already smart enough to understand what he meant. He advised that she stay in the duchy as the capital would soon be perilous. He no longer elaborated in his letter, but he signed it with the words, with never ending love and devotion, Geoffrey William.

After reading the letter, Serena could only feel loneliness. Geoffrey must have been truly miserable even to his death and she regretted not even replying to him once.

Anyhow, Leonard was still in battle even though Geoffrey already died. He learned of what Geoffrey did through various investigations, but it was already after Geoffrey's death and that aside, what was the use? It was already too late to extricate themselves from the monarchist.

It was a damned if you do, and damned if you don't situation, and if the monarchy fell, then no matter what, so would their family. So even though how unwilling, he continued to battle.

But in the end, it was all futile. The monarchy still fell, there was a purge, while they, they landed in this situation.

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TBC