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I stared into the mirror, my eyes wide with horror as I saw the tightly-fitted, lacy monstrosity enveloping my slender body, barely hiding the bruises that were scattered like a wildflower garden. A horde of people had been swarming around me for hours, slathering my skin in makeup that resembled war paint. I felt numb, both physically and emotionally. I was completely overwhelmed by grief and misery. My men were gone, just like my freedom and my inner strength that had disintegrated with Atticus, so the only thing I had left was myself.
The air around me was thick with tension, nobody ever daring to say a word about what had happened last night or about my tears streaming down my face or lips. Everyone was just as scared as I was.
I knew what I had to do—succumb to Theodore DuPont’s demands and marry Lord Nathan or risk my unborn child’s life and keep fighting until the end. But what did I have left? Nothing. Not anymore.
Just my baby, and Theodore DuPont was even threatening to take that, too.
My body twitched as a maid approached me, her gloved hands gripping a small black box. “Lady Christine,” she said softly, her voice cutting through the loudest silence I had ever heard. I timidly glanced at the box she was offering me, my breath freezing in my lungs as I spotted a simple black ribbon wrapped around it.
My heart thudded painfully against my chest as I realized what it was—my wedding band from Lord Nathan. A reminder of defeat, a punishment for loving someone else. My gaze shifted toward the ring that August had picked out for me, my beloved Augustus, who I would never see again. Tears pooled in my eyes, and my throat tightened, struggling to contain the cries that threatened to escape me.
“He requests you wear it instead of…” Her voice trailed off as I stared helplessly at the two rings—symbols of what could have been and what would never be. I wanted to run away and never look back, to take back my freedom and reclaim my life, but there was nowhere to go. I was trapped between two unfulfilled desires, and there was no way out.
With trembling fingers, I took the box from the maid’s hands, not knowing if this action would cause me more pain or bring me some kind of peace. All I knew was that I had no other choice.
“Lord Nathan insists on seeing you before the ceremony, Your Majesty,” the maid announced.
I scoffed, a dread knotting in my stomach. “I thought it was bad luck for the bride and groom to meet before the wedding?”
The maid nodded and exchanged a glance with her friends. She lowered her voice. “If I may speak, my lady.”
My heart thudded as I tried to keep my breathing normal. “What is it?”
“It’s not just your life on the line,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “We’ve all lost friends and family. I implore you to—”
“I won’t do anything that’ll irritate Lord Nathan,” I said, cutting her off. I was aware of his power over us all in this manor, and no one was safe if I made him angry.
“Gratefully, Lady Christine,” she muttered before hastily exiting the room. My heart sank, pumping a rush of adrenaline through my system as I heard the door clatter closed behind her. I reluctantly squared my shoulders in preparation for Lord Nathan’s entrance. I shouldn’t succumb to him, I had to be brave—I was the heir to the throne, and he was nothing but a conniving pawn.
When he slunk through the door, I forced down my fear and steadied my voice. “Lord Nathan,” I snarled, my ire boiling over in my chest. He wore a pristine black suit with a deep blue vest and a rage red tie, his hair slick and his skin like porcelain. His deep blue eyes were clear yet seething with egotism. I wanted to scream in his face, but instead I buried my warring emotions deep inside and faced him with a stoic mask of composure.
“My, what a stunning bride you are. I can almost see why my brother was so smitten with you,” he said.
I kept my mouth shut, too broken to speak. To think. I didn’t have the strength to fight him.
“You caused quite a mess when you ran away,” he continued, his voice brimming with glee. “The maids were scrubbing blood off the floor for days. But we finally got you back.” I tried to contain my rage as I closed my eyes and opened them again, releasing a deep sigh.
“Was there anything you wanted, Lord Nathan?” I asked, my voice quivering with inner conflict.
“So submissive.” He sneered. “I knew killing your men was the best way to break you. Theodore was anguished, but it was for the best, don’t you think?”
My insides were boiling with terror, and my heart pounded a thousand miles per hour. I could feel my muscles tighten and my teeth grind together, each taking a tremendous amount of effort to stay composed.
“I believe I have something to propose,” Lord Nathan said, his eyes ablaze with an insane fervor as he glanced at the ring box in my grasp. Fearfully, I opened it. Inside was an exquisite silver ring—its band broad and encrusted with a massive blue stone, artfully adorned with a silver filigree design. “I thought this would be perfect for you,” he murmured softly, his eyes glistening with crazed pleasure.
“Why?” I queried, fear coursing through my blood. My conflicting emotions—rage and grief—throbbed inside me in an endless battle for control.
“It’s my mother’s ring. My brother had been holding onto it until the day he died. I assume he intended it for you. It’s a symbol of our power. Now a symbol of our union. We’ll be wed soon, wife.”
“Christine,” I said, trying to steady my shaking voice. “My name is Christine.”
He snarled, with a malicious glint in his eyes that sent an icy chill up my spine. The way he savored the moment, it was clear he was enthralled with the idea of tormenting me. “If I’m being honest, I have no desire to wed you, wife. My desires are far from what you’d expect from a gentle-hearted man. But there is something dark about marrying you. Something that brings me a wicked pleasure. Something that sends a rush of heat through my veins and almost makes me queasy with anticipation.”
I found myself aghast in a state of fearful paralysis, feeling the looming terror as my racing mind fought against my inner turmoil. I could barely croak out, “And what would that be?”
His lips twisted into a satisfied smirk as he clapped his hands together and spoke, “I think it’s such a glorious thing to break such an intrepid woman—the woman who killed my brother. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that the bastard is gone. But it’s still just so…wonderful.”
My body tensed as I squirmed, trying to reclaim the self-control I had lost. With a deep breath, I found the courage to re-establish my dignity and spat out, “I assume you want revenge?” He simply chuckled, further raising the hair on my neck.
