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Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis.
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Desires and Destiny
Chapter 11
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Chad stared at Lucy, who stood there in shock, her mouth open in surprise and a tear running down her cheek.
A part of Chad was content to see that. He wondered why she was crying or why she seemed so sad. She had brought it upon herself. She was the one who had decided to cheat on him with Harry. Shouldn't she be happy that she could be with Harry now?
Another part of Chad wanted to rush forward and wipe that tear away. Seeing her hurt made his heart ache. He wanted to see her happy, smiling, laughing – the way she always did. Tears were not meant for her, they did not suit her. At all. He wanted to take them all away.
But he couldn't do that. Not anymore. He was a married man now. And she, she was someone who had chosen Harry over him.
It was all over now. It was all in the past now.
And then, much to Chad's anger, Harry came up behind the Valiant Queen. The hazel-eyed man stared at Chad and he glared back.
Chad had to keep his anger in check when he saw Harry whispering something in Lucy's ear. The Valiant Queen, who seemed shaken, turned to look at him and said something. And then she rested her head on his shoulder.
The Lord of Daelhr gritted his teeth.
How dare she?
If she was so much in love with Harry then why the hell was she crying now?
His anger only grew tenfold and any guilt of last night washed away from his mind when he saw Harry slowly wrap an arm around Lucy's shoulder.
And Chad looked away, his mouth set in a firm line.
"Milord?" a low whisper caught his attention.
The Lord of Daelhr turned to look at his wife. Forcing himself to smile, he shook his head lightly. "It's nothing."
[][][][][][][][]
The reception was in full swing. The orchestra played a merry tune and many people were dancing on the huge dance floor while the stars twinkled in the sky above them. The round tables were set around the dance floor - a typical 'Susan' touch to the arrangements, no matter how much Kayla insisted otherwise - with servers bringing food to the guests who were seated, chatting as they ate their dinner. Each table was decorated with different assortments of fruits and flowers. Numerous lanterns and candles illuminated the gardens that were decorated with floral bouquets, tulles and ribbons that set off the bright colors of the spring wedding.
Chad was seated at one of the tables, with Alianna to his right, talking to the guests who came over to congratulate the newly weds. It was a tedious thing to do, but it had to be done.
"Congratulations!" A noble who had come to talk to them.
Chad smiled as he picked up his glass of wine. "Thank you. I'm glad that you came."
"You two make such a nice couple," the noble's wife gushed as she addressed Alianna, "He is so handsome and you are so lovely."
Alianna mumbled a 'thank you', clearly embarrassed from all the attention she had been receiving all evening.
"I bet you two will have beautiful babies!"
And Chad choked on his drink. He coughed, spluttering the wine he had been drinking and glanced up to find the guest couple and Alianna staring at him.
"Sorry," he lied, reaching out for a napkin and wiping his mouth. "I t-took a large sip."
"Of course. Look at our bad manners, we are disturbing you during your meal," the woman said, "We'll see you later, milord, milady."
Chad smiled at them as they walked away and then sighed. This had been a really long day and he was tired. He couldn't wait to go home and sleep.
"Chad," Philip, who was sitting on his other side, said, "You wouldn't mind if I dance with your wife, do you?"
Chad smiled at him. "She is your sister."
"And your wife."
Chad chuckled. "Go on, enjoy."
He watched the two walk over to the dance floor when he heard someone calling his name. He turned to see Irene walking towards him, hand in hand with a girl of about her age.
"Chad," she said as she came to a stop before him. "This is Hadiya, my friend."
The Lord of Daelhr smiled at Hadiya. She was a pretty child, with curly light brown hair and green eyes. (A/N: Link in the profile) "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Hadiya."
Hadiya curtsied. "You too, milord."
"Are you girls enjoying yourself?"
"Yes," Irene nodded, jumping onto Chad's lap – something that had become a habit of hers over the past few years. "The cake is delicious!"
"I bet you and Peter had big slices."
"We did."
"So, Hadiya," Chad turned to the other girl, "Have you been to Daelhr before?"
"No."
"Do you like it?"
"I haven't seen much of it," she replied. "But I love your home. It is so big."
"It is," Chad agreed. "So, your parents work for the Kings and Queens?"
"No." She looked sad for a moment. "I've never met my parents."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Who are you here with?"
"My brother," she replied happily, a huge smile spreading over her face. "I love him!"
"Do you now?" Chad smiled.
Hadiya nodded. "He is very nice to me. He cooks for me and reads me really nice bedtime stories," she told him. "And whenever he has time, he plays with me too."
"That is very nice of him."
"Have you met him?"
Chad shook his head.
"You should."
"I'd love to," he said.
Hadiya looked around and then giggled. "He is looking for me right now."
"How do you know that?"
"He is making his 'I'm-looking-for-Hadiya' face," the girl replied and then waved to someone. "Here he comes."
Chad followed her gaze and his body involuntarily stiffened when he saw the man walking towards them.
Ahhh, crap!
[][][][][][][][]
"Calm down, Lucy," Harry said to the Valiant Queen.
"How can I calm down? We didn't get here on time. Chad got married and I failed."
"Please Lucy," he said. "I'm sure you will not let Demetrius succeed in his motives. And I will help you to the best of my ability."
She slowly nodded, glancing at Chad who was sitting with Alianna. "He should know what his friends are planning."
"I'll talk to him."
"No." Lucy disagreed, gesturing towards his face. "Do you not remember what happened the last time you talked to him? He will not listen to you."
"I doubt he will listen to you too, considering how angry he was with you too."
She sighed. "I know but I'll have to try."
The two were silent for a minute or two –
"I think I should talk to the guests for now as is expected of me," she said. "You should enjoy the party as well. Act normal."
With that, she was gone.
Harry sighed and walked around, looking at the dancing couples and chatting people, wondering how the world had flipped upside down overnight.
Chad – who, according to Lucy, was a great person – had beaten him up mercilessly last night.
Kayla – Chad's sister, whom Harry had never even spoken to in his life before – had bandaged him up, expressing her dislike for him throughout the ordeal.
Demetrius, Philip and Alianna – who were supposed to be Chad's most trusted friends – were actually plotting against him.
And then his hazel eyes came to rest on a young girl, about eight years of age, talking to someone he couldn't see. The dancing couple blocked his view.
Hadiya?
What was she doing here?
She wasn't even invited.
And bubbling with curiosity, Harry made his way through the dancing couples, his eyes trying to get a glance of the girl. Had he really seen her or was he mistaken?
He was not.
Sure enough, he saw Hadiya stare at him and smile. She waved him over.
Harry took a few steps forward and when he was close enough to see who she was conversing with, he stopped, his eyes going wide.
What the hell?
Hadiya, his little sister, was standing near her friend, Princess Irene, chatting animatedly with Lord Chad.
The Chad who hated him, the Chad who had beaten him like a punch bag…
The world had indeed gone upside down.
Harry saw the shock on the face of the Lord of Daelhr as he stared at him.
A small moment of silence passed and then Hadiya gasped in shock, taking in her brother's appearance. "You're hurt," she said, rushing over to him. "Your face is injured!"
"I'm fine, Hadiya." Harry said.
"Did you get in a fight? Who did this to you?"
And involuntarily, Harry's eyes snapped to the groom, who was staring at them blankly. "I'm fine, Hads," he lied, smiling at his sister. "It was just an accident."
She nodded slowly and then grinned, taking his hand and dragging him closer to the table. "I want you to meet Lord Chad," she said gesturing towards the Lord of Daelhr. "And milord, this is my brother, Harry. He works for Queen Lucy."
Chad set Irene down and stood, glaring at Harry.
"My Lord," Harry said in an even voice, holding out his hand. "Congratulations on getting married."
"Thank you," Chad said, his voice cold.
A second passed and then Hadiya giggled. "Did you forget milord?" she asked, her eyes on Chad, "When someone holds out their hand, you have to shake it."
Chad smiled at her before grudgingly shaking hands with Harry.
"Harry, Lord Chad invited me to his wedding," Hadiya said.
Harry stared at Chad. "Why?"
Chad shrugged, "Irene wanted Hadiya to be here."
That explains it, Harry thought. "I see."
"Now, if you will excuse me," Chad said coldly and then turned to Hadiya. In an instant, the hardness on his face was gone and he smiled. "I'll see you later, Hadiya. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
"He is really nice," Hadiya said once he was gone.
"Hmm."
"Where have you been?" Hadiya asked him. "I haven't seen you ever since we left Cair."
Harry got to his knees so that he was at level with her. "I'm sorry, but I had my duties to attend to. The Valiant Queen needed me."
"You always have duties." She pouted. "I haven't talked to you in days."
"When we get back to the mansion, I'll visit you and then we'll talk till late tonight."
Her face lightened up. "Will you tell me a nice bedtime story?"
"I'm out of stories at the moment," he said. "But I'll try."
She clapped with excitement. "Yay!"
Harry glanced at Irene who was now sitting on the chair that had been Chad's, drinking some water and looking at them. "How about you go and play with the princess now, I'll see you later?"
"Okay!" Hadiya said and kissed his cheek before dancing away with Irene.
Harry sighed.
This had been such a long day and still it was not ending.
His mind was currently at what they had heard in Philip's room. He could not help but wonder why Demetrius and Philip had wanted this 'revenge' from Chad.
What had Chad done that would make them plot against him?
Even Lucy couldn't guess.
And that was bad. An enemy whose motives were hidden was always bad.
Chad was so unaware of the situation. What was worse - the only two people who knew of Demetrius' intentions were currently untrustworthy, at least according to Chad.
Harry knew that it was not a matter that affected him directly - at least for now. But still he was worried. He wanted to make things right.
No matter what happened between Chad and Lucy, no matter how Chad had treated him, Chad was a good governor - a good ruler and Daelhr had flourished in peace and prosperity under his rule over the last five years. And Chad was very loyal when it came to the monarchs and Narnia. Such a man does not deserve to be brought down by people such as Demetrius.
And Lucy certainly wouldn't to see Chad like that.
Harry owed it to Lucy. To Narnia.
He would have to do something.
But what?
Well, the first and most important thing to do would be to inform Chad of Demetrius' intentions, just like Lucy said. But Harry doubted that he would listen.
Chad was a stubborn man. And he was furious at Harry and Lucy. No, He would not listen to her.
But someone needed to be told, so that they could remain wary, so they could keep an eye on Demetrius and Philip, so they could make sure that Chad's wife did not end up murdering him in his sleep or something like that...
But who? Frustrated, Harry pressed his fingers to his temple - that was covered with that bandage that he had loosened after returned to his room last night.
And something in his mind clicked - that was it! The answer to his question.
It took a minute of searching, but finally Harry found Lady Kayla on the dance floor, dancing with King Edmund.
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Kayla laughed over Edmund's latest joke and then twirled as she moved on to her next partner for the dance.
And she froze.
Harry - Queen Lucy's personal guard - gave her a small smile and placed one of his hands on her waist and grabbed her hand gently with his.
It took a small second for her shock to disappear, but when it did, she moved to step away.
"Please, my lady," he said. "People are watching."
She stopped, grudgingly, knowing that he was right. "What do you want?"
"I'm just dancing to this beautiful song," he paused. "And I wanted to talk to you."
"What part of 'me not being very fond of you' was hard to understand, Harry?" she asked, irritated.
"Forgive me, my intention was not to annoy you b-"
"And yet you are," she pointed out.
"Listen to me, Kayla," he said, "There is a pl-"
"Since when did you come on first-name terms with me?" she asked.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You just called me 'Kayla'."
He blinked. "I'm sorry, Lady Kayla."
She sighed. "I cannot think of anything that you would want to talk to me about, so it would be better if you don't."
"This is about your brother."
"He is married now, I do not see the point in reminding him of how much he is hurting Lucy now. Please, just stop it and like I said last night, stay away from my brother and myself."
Harry frowned. "You hold a very strong opinion about me, milady."
"Indeed I do."
"Yet you do not know me at all to judge me."
"I seem to know enough."
"And what might that be?"
"You should know," she said pointedly. "You should know what you did and what your actions caused."
He frowned. "I don't get it." he shook his head before she could reply. "In any case, I just want you to listen to me. Just give me two minutes and I'll explain everything."
"You ruined everything," she told him, her voice harsh. "You ruined my brother's happiness and you expect me to listen to what you have to say. I do not wish to be in your presence for twenty seconds, let alone two minutes."
"Look, I heard some things. And you should know so that if -"
Kayla stepped back. "I do not want to see you trying to talk to me again, Harry." she said. "You're the Valiant Queen's personal guard and you should be close to her instead of dancing with me."
With those words, she turned and walked away.
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An hour later, Chad found himself standing next to his... wife on one side of the huge dance floor, staring at the guests who were dancing.
Chad felt awkward - the two had not really talked to each other since the wedding. He did not know what to say to her. He remained silent and so did she. But then again, Alianna had never been the talkative type.
However, the silence did not last. And when it shattered, it brought a wave of anger and discomfort with it.
Queen Lucy walked over to stand before them, her face blank. "Chad."
Betrayal and heartbreak washed over him and he pressed his lips into a firm line, nodding in greeting.
An awkward moment passed.
"My Queen." Alianna spoke, her voice low. "I hope you find the reception entertaining."
Chad noticed Lucy stiffen. "It is nice," she replied coldly.
Alianna noticed the tone as well. "I-I did not see you at the wedding, my queen," she said, slightly confused.
"I had better things to do than attend the wedding ceremony," Lucy snapped.
Chad frowned. This was so unlike Lucy. Had Lucy not loved Harry, Chad would have understood Lucy's resentment towards Alianna - considering how Chad was now married to her.
Besides, Lucy's body language and her tone while speaking to Alianna were simply... mean. He could not find another word for it. And Lucy would never talk to anyone like this. Not for this reason.
He glanced at his wife, who seemed surprised. "Have I offended you in any way?" she asked her.
"Stop this, Alianna, I'm not here for this."
"Then why are you here?" Chad could not help but ask, slightly annoyed.
Lucy turned her gaze onto him. "I need to talk to you."
"What is it?"
"Alone."
Chad glanced at Alianna. Why was Lucy behaving with her like this? It was not fair. "I'm sure you can talk in front of my wife."
He saw a flash of hurt in her brown eyes at the word 'wife', but before she could reply -
"It's alright," Alianna said, a small smile on her face. "I'll leave." And she walked away.
Chad took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk to you, Lucy," he said, his voice harsher than he intended. "I thought I had made that clear."
"This is important."
"A lot of things were important, Lucy." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.
She blinked.
A few moments of silence passed.
She sighed. "Just listen to me, alright?"
"Speak." He said shortly.
"I know you will find it hard to believe but you are being played, Chad," Lucy began. "The people whom you trust are not worthy of it. De -"
"You're right about that," he nodded towards her. "I put my trust in the wrong people, especially women."
Lucy ignored that. "This afternoon, Harry and I heard -"
Fury bubbled inside Chad's veins. "Oh, so that is where you were during the ceremony," he exclaimed. "With Harry. I should have figured that out."
"Chad, you are -"
"Not that I care," he went on, folding his arms over his chest. "It's just that the guests must have wondered where you were. If I were you, I would have either waited for my romantic moments or I would have told them that I was going to take strolls with someone special."
The Valiant Queen glared at him. "Look, I'm not here to listen to these taunts."
"Then why are you here?" he snapped.
"To warn you."
"I trusted you. My trust got shattered," he snorted bitterly. "I think you're giving me the warning pretty late, Lucy."
"I never cheated on you."
"Right." Sarcasm laced his voice. "Well, it has been lovely talking to you. Now, if you would excuse me, I believe I have many guests to attend to."
He took a few steps when she called his name.
He stopped. Turned.
She walked close to him, her face merely inches away from his. Anger swam in her brown eyes.
"You've lost your mind at the moment, I'll talk to you about this later. But," she paused for a second, clearly trying to keep her voice low so people wouldn't notice that they were arguing. "Next time, don't you dare hit Harry."
He smirked.
She glared at him. "I mean it, Chad. I trust him. And I don't to hear that you've hit him."
"Then you should tell Harry to mind his own business and stay out of my life," he almost growled. Taking a deep breath, Chad stepped back and bowed. "Good evening."
With those two words, he turned and walked away.
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It was late at night now. Guests were beginning to leave and the newly wedded couple was standing in the courtyard of the Fulton Manor along with their families and the monarchs of Narnia. A huge carriage stood before them, ready to take the couple to the Ardross Mansion, where the Lord of Daelhr lived.
And Alianna looked back at the Fulton Manor. That had been her home, she had spent her entire childhood in that place and it seemed sad that she would have to leave it now... She didn't want to go.
But she knew that she had to.
She was a married woman now, and the Lady of Daelhr. She would have to live with her husband in his home.
Husband...
From the corner of her eyes she saw Chad talking to her brother, laughing over something.
He had barely spoken to her since the ceremony. Not that she minded. She liked quiet and peace. Besides, she didn't even know how she would have replied if he had spoken to her, in any case.
"So, Chad," Philip was saying. "Should I call you 'brother-in-law' now?"
"No," Chad said. "Chad would be fine."
"But you're now my sister's husband," he said and pushed Alianna towards her husband. "I'm so happy!"
Alianna smiled slightly.
Next to her, Chad did the same. "How many drinks did you have, Philip?"
Philip seemed to be lost in thought for a long moment. "I lost count."
"I figured."
"You should have gotten drunk too."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's my wedding."
"So?"
"So... I don't want to," Chad finished lamely.
Philip shook his head. "In any case, it is too late. You are leaving now and you're taking my sister with you," he paused. "Are you sure I cannot have Abaccus?"
"No." Chad said instantly. "That horse is mine. Why do you even ask?"
"It was worth a try." he paused and stared at her. "Are you ready?"
Alianna knew that the question meant a lot more than what it seemed. And that frightened her. She gulped. "F-For what?"
Philip's eyes darkened for a millisecond before he laughed. "To go to your new home," he joked. "I'm the one who is drunk and you're the one who can't remember that you just got married!"
"Stop teasing your sister, Philip," Demetrius walked over to them.
"It's not like I'll be able to do it all the time now." Philip shrugged.
A pang of sadness washed over Alianna.
It was true.
Her brother and her father won't be there with her... Instead she will be with Chad, someone she barely knew.
Why did she have to marry him?
She knew why her father disliked him. She knew why they thought he had ruined their family - though, in her mind she was torn. There were times when she could not help but wish that Chad had not done what he did, but deep down in her heart, she could not help but think that what he did was completely justified. Not that she would ever admit it out loud.
Still, if Chad really was the bad person who ruined their family, Alianna could not help but wonder in misery why she had to marry him. Why was Philip letting this happen? Why did Demetrius gave her his blessing?
Did they not care that Alianna would actually be living with Chad? Did they not know that if they were caught, she would have to suffer anything that her husband directed towards her? Did they not care?
Of course, her father had spent long time explaining everything to her, telling her what she must do.
But she was not sure if she wanted to...
No, she told herself strictly, I must respect father's wishes. I must obey him.
But what about her own opinions?
They do not exist, the reply came. They must not exist. Not now.
Now now. Not when her father and brother had finally succeeded in making sure that Chad did not marry the Valiant Queen... that Chad married her, Alianna, instead.
And here she was, standing next to Chad as his wife, ready to go away with him to the Ardross Mansion, her new home.
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her father speak.
"Keep my daughter happy, Chad. She now belongs to you so love her and care for her, always."
"I will," Chad promised.
"I know you will."
Alianna's lower lip trembled.
She didn't want to go...
She didn't want to go...
She didn't want any revenge...
Not if it meant this.
"I'll see you later, sister," Philip said, embracing her.
She hugged him back, tears now forming in her eyes.
He pulled back and stared at her. "Take care of yourself and of your husband."
She tried to nod, but could only stare at him helplessly, pleading him to stop this.
He understood and his grip on her arm tightened for a second. "Be happy, sister."
The message was clear in his eyes.
She had to do what she had to.
There was no choice.
She turned and hugged her father tightly, her frame shaking with misery and fear.
"Ah, my child," Demetrius said, hugging her. "Why are you so nervous?"
She shook her head lightly, pretty sure that if she opened her mouth, she would start crying.
"Be brave and be happy."
She remained silent, holding on to her father for a few moments before pulling back, her eyes now filled with tears.
Demetrius smiled at her and then at Chad. "Go, now. It is late."
The couple slowly walked to the carriage and a servant came up to open the door. Chad stepped back, to let Alianna get in first before following and taking a seat to her left. The door of the carriage closed.
And her heart started beating madly in her chest. Her hands were shaking and she clenched them into fists. The moment the carriage started moving, she looked out of the window at her home... her family. They were waving her goodbye.
She smiled at them, hoping she looked determined, just like they wanted her to be.
And a minute later, she was outside the gates of the manor, out on the road, alone...
She was alone.
Her father and her brother were not here. She was with her husband - whom she did not know at all. And she would have done anything to be anywhere but here...
Despair filled her and she could not hold back her tears. They ran down her cheeks as she cried silently, feeling silly.
She could feel Chad's gaze on her, but she could not bring the tears to stop.
The carriage was drowned in silence for a couple of minutes, the only sound of the horses and her occasional sniffling.
"Here, take this."
Chad's kind voice startled her and she looked up. It took her a second to realize that he was holding out a handkerchief to her.
She took it without a word and wiped her tears away.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on her lap.
"You should not cry. You can visit them whenever you want. You'll be in the same city as them."
In the opposite corner of the city... and Daelhr was huge now. It had grown a lot over the last decade, expanding until the nearby villages merged with it. It was the second largest city of Narnia, first being the capital - where the Kings and Queens lived.
She would be alone in one corner of the city, in a mansion that stood tall on the hill. That fact alone didn't make her feel any better and more tears threatened to fall.
She heard Chad chuckle lightly. "Besides everyone knows that Philip practically lives at Ardross before I kick him out every night."
She couldn't help it, she smiled at that.
He cleared his throat. "Alianna, why did you marry me?"
Did he know?
The fear she was feeling before increased ten-fold.
"Because you asked me to," she replied.
No, he couldn't know.
There was no way that he could know.
"Yes, but you knew that I..." he trailed off. "That I had feelings for L-Lucy and yet you accepted my proposal."
He did not know.
The relief was comforting, but she couldn't help but wonder why he was asking.
"I-I did what my father wanted, milord."
His turned to her, staring deep into her eyes. "Is that how you justify this?" he asked, gesturing between them.
"Do I need to justify our marriage?" she couldn't help but ask.
"No," he shook his head to let her know that she misunderstood his question. "I just want to know why you agreed. I mean, you could have found someone who loved you and -"
"I did what my father wanted," she repeated in a low voice.
"Alianna," he hesitated. "I... need time."
She blinked and looked away.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The seconds crawled by.
"Did I offend you?" Chad asked, his voice apologetic.
Alianna looked up in surprise and shook her head.
"Then why did you not give me an answer?"
"What you said was not a question," she told him.
He seemed to be considering her words. "Agreed, but I would like to know your reaction."
My reaction?
Why would he want to know that?
No one had asked for her reactions or opinions before. Why was he looking at her as if it mattered to him?
"I have no reaction, my lord," she spoke.
Chad sighed and then reached out for her hand.
His fingers caressed the back of her hand and she bit her lip. He held her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and pulling it so that their hands were in his lap instead of hers. His touch was gentle, careful.
"You are my wife, Alianna," he said, his voice full of honesty. "I know I have many responsibilities towards you and I promise to fulfill them all."
He held her gaze.
"There is, however, one thing I want you to know," he said slowly. "Alianna, I'm not in love with you..."
Her eyes slowly moved from his eyes to their hands and she nodded once.
"But I will try to love you," he went on, still trying to meet her eyes, "And I'm sure that one day I will love you but for that I need time."
She remained silent, absorbing his words.
"I'm telling you this because I want our relationship to be based on honesty," he explained. "That is, after all, the most important thing in a relationship. Right?"
That was the one thing she could not give him. Listening to his words, she wanted to, but she knew she couldn't.
Pressing her lips in a firm line, she nodded.
"I will be a good husband, a good friend and a good companion to you. I will try my best to become a good lover too," he said, his tone soft, "But please do not expect something from me that I cannot give, at least not until I am ready."
"... I understand, milord," Alianna said, looking up at him. "You can have as much time as you want."
"Thank you," he squeezed her hand once before letting go.
She smiled slightly in return.
The rest of the journey back to the mansion went by in silence. Neither of them felt the need to say anything else and therefore remained silent.
And when the carriage came to a stop in the courtyard, Chad helped her out of the carriage.
A servant girl hurried up to them and greeted them both.
"Your chambers have been prepared." she told them. "All of Lady Alianna's belongings have already been put away properly."
"Very well," Chad said. "We shall retire for the night. Could you please see to it that the others are welcomed properly when they arrive."
"Of course, milord."
"Thank you."
As Chad silently led Alianna into her new home, treating the servants with great kindness, she couldn't help but wonder if all the things her father and brother had said were true or not.
Was this revenge they had planned really necessary?
There you go. A long chapter comes to an end... Liked it? Hated it? Do tell us!
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