A/N:
An update? On a Monday? Why, yes, and the reason is threefold!
1. It's our fandom herione's birthday (How old would she be if she were real? … 34, I think)
2. It's also my 28th birthday! Wohoo!
3. It's this story's 1 year anniversary!
So while it might be a little upside down that I'm giving you a gift on my birthday, it felt appropriate for all the above reasons xD
Title: The Duke & The Swan without Wings
Author: MarieCarro
Beta: Alice's White Rabbit
Pre-reader: Brierlynn03
Genre: Historical Fiction/Drama/Romance
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Edward Cullen, the Grand Duke and second son of the King, must find a bride. Isabella Sinclair, daughter of Countess Catherine and Duke Charles, was born out of wedlock and has neither titles nor land to her name. Could she be the bride Edward's looking for? But how is Isabella to marry a man of the royal family without a proper dowry?
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
{CHAPTER 25}
"Lady Sinclair," Alice greeted with a barely contained wide smile. "It's been far too long since we last saw each other."
Isabella reciprocated the warm smile with one of her own, even as she yet startled when hearing her new title of address coming from someone who wasn't her lady's maid. "It certainly was, Your Royal Highness," she agreed formally since they remained at the royal palace and surrounded by the King's servants and members of the court.
Alice took a hold of Isabella's hands and eagerly pulled her along. "Allow me to formally introduce you to my husband. I know you never got the chance to truly speak last time."
She was placed in front of the man she had only briefly laid her eyes on that visit at Spensley so long ago. Isabella knew he had been an Earl then, but now, after his union with the Grand Princess, she was uncertain of what titles he bore and how to address him. His expression was so solemn; she couldn't read how seriously he took his titles compared to the rest of the royal family.
Fortunately, Alice stood for the introductions. "Lady Sinclair, this is my lord husband, His Grace Jasper Whitlock, Marquess of Huntingmere and Earl of Whitlock. Darling, Lady Isabella Sinclair, Countess of Sunfield and Lambcox, and soon-to-be Grand Duchess of Spensley."
She offered her hand, and Jasper graciously accepted it, placing a light kiss on the back of it.
"A pleasure, most definitely," he said, his voice matching his serious expression, but there was also warmth there, matching that of his wife. "You have quite the story, Lady Sinclair, and it's not quite over yet, is it?"
"Not quite, no," she said with a sigh, hinting toward her exasperation of her current situation. "But I certainly wish it were, Your Grace. I'm not suited for a life surrounded by dramatics."
The company of three started to slowly walk together down the hall of the palace and casually conversing.
"You've had quite the win recently though. How does it feel to finally possess what's rightfully yours and left for you by your parents?"
"Mixed feelings, for sure. Ever since I was first told by my father—" Isabella momentarily stopped herself as she felt the urge to clarify who she meant before she continued. "I mean Lord James. Not the Duke."
Jasper smiled and nodded. "I gathered that was who you meant. The Duke of Swanselm was scarcely a father to you, but I know the basics of the story. My lady wife told me everything."
Isabella started again. "From the moment my father told me my mother had been a countess, I dreamed of the day I could claim the same, if only to be a little closer to her. Even before I met His Royal Highness, I never let the dream of Sunfield go, and a part of me always hoped for it to be realized one day, and now that it has, it feels right and as it should. Owning Lambcox is a different feeling."
"I can only imagine," Jasper said, his tone sympathetic. "Being the countess and head of an estate and yet it can't be announced must be quite a disconcerting feeling."
"Yes," she agreed. "But it's for the best if my relatives are kept in the dark for as long as possible. His Majesty agreed on that as well. As Lambcox is, symbolically, under the ownership of the duke, we'll just have to wait until after His Royal Highness and I are married. We don't want the Swans to interfere or potentially threaten the wedding before we can control it."
"Sensible enough."
They had just reached the gallery hall when Edward found them.
"Your Grace, my dear sister," he greeted. "Would you mind if I stole Lady Sinclair from you?"
"Not at all," Jasper said.
Alice nodded in agreement. "You go ahead, but Lady Sinclair, the two of us, as well as my sister, must get together before you return to Spensley. We have much to discuss."
"Of course." Isabella turned to Edward. "I believe we said we'll remain here until after Christmas, at the very least."
"Yes, you'll have plenty of time to see each other again."
"Perfect. I'll send word," Alice said with a pleased smile before she hooked her arm around her husband's, and they continued their walk.
Edward offered his own arm to Isabella, and the two leisurely wandered through the palace, but Isabella could clearly see there was something on Edward's mind, and it wasn't a pleasant topic.
"Is something bothering you?" she asked, and he grimaced, wishing she hadn't been able to read him so accurately and not asked.
"There is, yes. I've just come from speaking with my father and Carlisle." He gently steered her in a direction away from the occupied parts of the palace so they could speak candidly and in private. "And we had a most unpleasant conversation about those rumors the dowager duchess threatened with."
"They don't believe them, do they?" she asked fearfully. "You made sure to tell them I'm not what she claims I am."
"I didn't have to," he reassured. "Neither my father nor Carlisle entertained the thought for a second, but it's not what my family believes that worries them. It's what the people of the kingdom believe." Edward stopped them and placed himself facing her. "Once you're my wife, you will be a public person, a princess by marriage, and people will always gossip and speculate."
"Of course," she said. "I've already reconciled with that, and it's a price I'm willing to pay to be with you."
"I'm glad to hear that, but the problem lies in that some people, mainly Maria and Eleanor's former ladies, already believe you're expecting a child, a child sired by me no less. You know what sort of people those two are, and I can guarantee you they've already shared their beliefs with anyone willing to listen."
Isabella refrained from huffing with annoyance over the two flibbertigibbets formerly known as Miss Lockhart and Miss Spencer. "They will be the ones standing with long noses when that child never appears."
Once again, Edward grimaced. "I'm not sure they will. Our engagement and wedding are royal affairs now, my love. Everything will be announced to the public, and it will be done with quite a fanfare, as I was the last remaining unmarried member of the royal family and therefore, unfortunately, very sought after by the kingdom's eligible noble ladies. If we announce it soon, some will immediately believe it's a response to a misbegotten pregnancy."
"But we haven't even shared a bed," Isabella said and felt her stomach slowly sinking heavily.
"No, but you have stayed at Spensley for a considerable amount of time, technically unchaperoned. It would be word against word. Unless ..." He trailed off and looked away from her in shame.
"Unless what?"
He shook his head. "I don't want to say it because I find it utterly ridiculous you should be put in such a demeaning position, but Father said we might not have a choice."
Isabella started to grow worried and gently turned his head back to her with the light touch of her hand against his cheek. "What are you talking about?"
Edward looked into her eyes and found only innocence and worry for him, which only caused his shame to grow. He had to close his eyes before he revealed what had been suggested in the King's chamber. "He said the only way the public might be appeased would be for you to go through a … medical examination."
"Medical—what?" she asked, but then as she absorbed Edward's expression, his shame and discomfort, she understood what he was saying. "A virginity test, you mean?" Her mind and entire body immediately revolted against the idea, and she wanted to lash out in anger, but she knew it wasn't Edward's idea, and he clearly hated it as much as she did.
Still, she needed time to process and allow it all to sink in, so she met his eyes one more time without saying another word before she turned on her heel and walked away on her own.
Edward stared after her retreating form, and he wished he could take the words back. It didn't matter it wasn't his idea. He was the one who had said it to her, and the words had burned the back of his throat. He considered going after her, but the look she had given him before leaving was etched into his memory forever.
It had been a look of disbelief and betrayal.
He wanted to shout out that he didn't care what the people would believe about them. All that mattered to him was the truth between the two of them and the love they shared, but he didn't want to make anything worse.
Instead, he searched out Jane, Isabella's lady's maid, and asked her to relay a message. He needed for Isabella to know he understood her reaction, and he wouldn't blame her if she decided she didn't want to go through with it. He would never force her, and he would make sure his father wouldn't either.
The people of the kingdom be damned.
A/N:
With one win comes more drama, doesn't it?
But you know, she did spend a long time at Edward's estate, unchaperoned, with only servants milling about. Naturally, people of this time would question if they ever did the deed or not, so unfortunately, as unreliable and untrue as these tests have always been, that was the only way they did it in the past. Even in my little imaginary kingdom :/
Well, my birthday is reaching it's end since I'm in Sweden, so I'll probably just put on a movie and snuggle myself down on the couch until it's time to go to bed.
Until next time,
Stay Awesome!