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“Your Grace” Harrison pursed his lips into a conflicted expression. “What is it?” Jack knitted his brows. “Are you ready to come home?” “Aren’t we home?” Mira twisted her lips. “Your Grace, as Duke and Duchess of Southamberston, your home…….” “Husband, I want to stay here.” Mira interrupted Harrison tugging Jack’s hand with a cute pout. “Then we will stay.” Jack turned to look at Mira with an affectionate gaze before turning his gaze back at Harrison “My home is where my Duchess resides.” His tone and aura were not that of a peasant but that of one born to rule. Harrison bowed low to acknowledge “What orders do you have for us, Your Grace?” “Go about as usual.” Jack waved as he turned back to enter the house. Harrison and the others still stood without moving. “Anything else?” Jack half turned his head as he asked noting that there were all standing in attention. “Your Grace, we are your personal staff.” Harrison spoke with an embarrassed expression “Our place is with you.”
“No, Your Grace.” Harrison answered truthfully although his face was twisted with embarrassment. “We haven’t either.” Mira giggled “Come in… I will see what we have.” “No, Ma’am… we can’t possibly…” Harrison trembled at the thought of making his mistress cook for him. “Husband, they despise my cooking.” Mira pouted as she tugged Jack’s hand as they entered the front room. Jack looked at Mira causing mischief for no reason with a helpless yet affectionate gaze, but he couldn’t bear to see her pouting, so he turned his stern gaze back at the men “Do you dare to despise?” “Not on my life…” Everyone responded in unison and rushed to enter the front room and stood awkwardly. “That’s more like it.” Mira giggled shrugging happily as she ran to the kitchen. The men waited in attention in the front room while Jack followed his wife. Mira winked at Jack and took out the bread and some of the scrambled dry peasant from space and scrambled some eggs. She poured a jug of warm milk from the p
Jack and Mira set off along with their personal entourage while the maids and men were busy cleaning the cottage getting it ready for the Wards. Old master Slegh along with his three sons and a few guards arrived at the Ward cottage around 9:30 in the morning. Joan too arrived along with Caster accompanied by Emma wearing a silk gown; It could be seen from her gown that she had received new favors from the Slegh’s. John and Beth along with Oden, Martin and Anne-Marie were gathered in the front room, anxiety written all over their faces. They didn’t know what to expect or what to do…. Neither John nor Beth thought they would live to see the day they were free men ever again. Although Oden and Martin were aware, they didn’t expect their dream to be a reality so soon. They were all dressed in the outfit they wore to yesterday’s event; this was their best outfit. The neighbors were all gathered around the cottage, some filled with jealousy while the others genuinely happy for their good
“Let me see who dares.” The guards paused their steps as everyone looked towards the source of the ferocious roar. Jack and Mira walked forward with an entourage of knights; Harrison and Carl followed closely as well. Old master Slegh twisted his lips in displeasure as he saw the person who arrived; the people who he had trodden under feet were now riding in heights beyond his reach. Old master Slegh knew his station was way below that of the Duke and Duchess of Southamberston. Anne-Marie sighed in relief as she saw reinforcements arrive and ran to Mira’s side. Oden and Martin nodded gratefully towards Jack and Mira but were ignored. Mira hugged Anne-Marie comfortingly as she walked towards Beth. “Very well” Cain laughed sinisterly and ordered his men “Check the cottage for damage and other liabilities before this lot run away.” He was thoroughly angered by Jack’s arrogance. “That is a must.” Jack nodded as he ordered Carl “Mr West, please follow and document the condition of the
“I will follow you.” Martin didn’t have to think. He knew his current bounty was Jack’s benevolence. He had decided to follow Jack. “Me too.” Anne-Marie looked at her parents even though she had voiced support for Martin’s idea. “I don’t know.” John shrugged with a helpless expression “I don’t know what I want to do. I never thought I would live to see the day I would be free.” “When I was younger, I wanted to have my own cow and sheep to tend to…. I wanted to farm my land…. But…. I don’t know anymore.” “Is that all…” Mira laughed innocently before boasting “I will make sure you have all of the above.” “But you can’t leave us.” She pouted innocently as she held Beth’s hand. “What nonsense?” Beth shook her head as she patted her hand “Why would we leave you?” “Oden’s father, let’s follow the kids.” Beth turned towards John. “Alright.” John nodded. “That’s settled then.” Mira smiled brightly. “Not yet.” Anne-Marie shook her head as she turned her head towards Oden who was sitti
“Woman, aren’t you bothered by the fact that another woman lives in your husband’s heart?” Albert asked curiously. “Why should I be?” Ursula shrugged “He never told me he loved me… nor did we marry for love?” “Shouldn’t I be bothered if he didn’t love his wife?” Ursula quirked her eyebrows in ridicule. “Why did you marry him then?” Second brother, Alden looked extremely confused. “I fell in love with my bumble bee.” Ursula smiled showing her dimples, a rare smile that came from her heart. “I couldn’t bear the thought of my bumble bee having anyone else as her stepmother.” Ursula spoke naturally “We got along well, and she was very attached to me, so when Mr Marsden suggested we get married, I didn’t have to think twice.” “Why did he suggest that if he didn’t love you?” Alwyn knitted his brows. “He needed to be away from home for long periods of time to search for his friend and little Mira would be on her own. So….” Ursula didn’t complete the rest; she just waved her hands sugge
“An unwed single woman living in a household with a widowed man and daughter… you can guess the rumors.” Matthew pursed his lips “I wanted to let her leave, but Mira was too attached to her and she to Mira. I was selfish” Matthew shook his head regretfully “I asked her if she wanted to marry me to clear her name. I did tell her that my heart was too small, and it could only hold my wife.” “I told her that I would give her everything that was a wife’s due except my heart.” Matthew laughed regretfully “Little did I know this foolish woman would take that seriously to this day!” “She agreed without hesitation.” Matthew smiled in self- mockery “She told me that as long as she could have Mira as her daughter, she wouldn’t ask anything more of me and she had kept her word.” “I have wronged her terribly not just in the past but also recently.” Matthew shook his head in self-blame and retold the incident around Mira’s marriage. “You and us, both.” Cyrus too felt regretful. He played the jo
Harrison left two maids to help with at the manor and sent the rest back to Southamberston to get four cottages close to the Southamberston manor and all the apartments in the manor ready. “Since you all insist on staying…. I am not sure how to organize the living arrangements.” Mira knitted her brows as she thought of all the people left behind. “Nothing to it, Your Grace.” Harrison shrugged “We will all stay in the second cottage.” “What about the guards?” Mira pursed her lips in thought. “They have their own arrangement.” Harrison began to explain as he saw that Mira’s expression didn’t loosen “Ma’am, the guards always bring their tent along. Sometimes, we camp with them as well.” “But this is not for a day or two.” Mira frowned as she turned to look at Jack for a solution. “Your Grace, it really is not a problem.” Lazarus opened his mouth in a timely manner. “We are used to it and works better for us.” “We will have to trouble Your Grace to provide us with space to raise two
The next morning, Cornelius and the rest were ready to leave when the Bellevue palace had another visitor, the duke of Warringal.“Brother in arms.” Cornelius greeted Uzi with their customary elbow handshake.“It has been a lifetime.” Uzi nodded in acknowledgement.The two men looked at each other, the past and their loss reflected in the depths of their eyes. And yet, they were helpless to do anything but smile remorsefully.Uzi shook hands with Baldwin as always, but his gaze suddenly stopped at a face that seemed to have come back from the past. He rushed forward but came to an abrupt halt before Jack, frightening Mira who had involuntarily pulled Jack back a few steps with her.“That was very impolite…. My sincere apologies…” Uzi bowed deeply towards the youngsters before straightening but he still couldn't stop staring at Jack without blinking.“This is my husband.” Mira puffed her cheeks and even though she was trembling in fear, took a step forward to stand in front of Jack, lo
Baldwin knitted his brows as he too had thought of the incident, but he didn’t look at Mira, instead he looked at Linus and asked somewhat awkwardly “Uncle, what do you think of dreams?” He didn’t have his father around anymore to ask, the only person he was close enough to ask and still breathing was Linus.“Dreams???” Linus arched his eyebrows, however Elias and the rest started making a ruckus teasing him if he wanted to share the details.“Our forefathers thought of them as forewarnings passed by our ancestors from the beyond...” Linus answered seriously once the ruckus quieted down “passed on to the purest of heart….”“Divination?” Humphrey’s son, Derek who had been a silent listener all along slowly asked hooking his eyebrows.“Not quite…” Linus shook his head “Divination is the ability to see into the future at will and it is a skill that some are born with while others can cultivate.”“Dreams are different.” Linus paused before saying “While most of them can just be wishful thi
“Hymph!” Mira humped unhappily “Looks like this trip left us with more questions and no answers.”“Not entirely true.” Edith spoke in a gentle tone, an affectionate gaze stopping on Jack’s face “We got to reunite with our Leander, and you got to know the culprits behind your grandfather and grandmother’s accident.”“We had guessed.” Mira pouted “You still don’t have proof for that….it is still a guess at best.”“Would us releasing the news that all of you are returning to regain your rightful positions make them act hastily?” Jack slowly opened his mouth “Would that give them room for error and give us the opportunity that we need?”“We cannot just release news….” Cornelius shook his head as he narrowed his eyes “It has to be believable to those receiving the news…”“How about saying that you have reconciled your decade long differences and that they have agreed to come back since you have promised them a huge compensation for their grievance?” Mira asked smiling like a sly fox before
“Uncle, if old Drew is still alive, where do you think he is most likely to stay?”“Uncle, do you know who plotted against the grand duke and duchess?”Both Cornelius and Baldwin asked in unison.Linus sighed, frustration and unreconciled anger evident in his every breath. He turned to Baldwin, as though to answer his question but the guilt in his heart made it impossible for him to hold gaze with the righteous indignation in the eyes of the man in front of him; he lowered his gaze as he spoke in a low voice “I don’t, although I do not have evidence, I have a hunch.”His guilt stemming from the fact that while he had given up, lost hope, it was an outsider who had never given up, never stopped looking.“We are all ears.” This time, it wasn’t Baldwin or Cornelius who spoke but rather Elias. He had been asking this same question for the last decade and yet he couldn’t get a single word out of his father.“Our cousin…. It is a no brainer.” Linus shrugged before he gritted his teeth “But w
“Sit down you two…” Linus sighed helplessly “No one is going to crucify you. We just want to know what happened?”“Why Leander never came home even though you knew we were here?” Elias added through gritted teeth although he quickly lowered his head after being glared at by his father.“Is this also part of big brother’s plan?” Wilkin asked curiously; he was Alex’s most obedient little follower, from diapers to pants, that never changed.“Perhaps, this was the only variable in his plan that he had not anticipated.” Corenlius sighed as he sat down with a dejected expression and recounted the past, of how they finally met Jack.“How is John and Beth?” Elias asked once everyone had digested what they just heard.“Uncle and Aunt are well.” Jack responded politely; there was no fluctuation in his tone, no sign of closeness nor alienation.“I still cannot believe that John was able to hold off…” Humphrey shook his head; of all the Zumerong siblings, other than Alex, he was the one who was mo
“That bitch… I always thought that she had organized the whole event with her brother, just for the sake of making her son the rightful heir. But there was no proof.” Edith cursed at first but then her eyes became blurry “He was the only one worthy of his ancestor’s legacy, but he withered like a pitiful bud without ever having the chance to bloom to his full potential.”After reminiscing, Edith raised her head curiously as she couldn't remember hearing about anyone talking about this event nor did she hear about the poor boy being avenged, “But how come no one heard about it?”“Alex’s favourite one liner…” Baldwin shrugged “As long as justice is served who cares about the ballads?”“You three…..” Edgar shook his head “I can never understand your madness.” Although his words seemed disapproving there was only affection in them.“My lord, the food is ready to be served.” The butler announced, his grace directed at Linus awaiting his orders.“Good…. good….good…” Linus repeated in quick s
“We were happy to see that your bond only grew stronger with time and have always been proud that it didn’t get tainted with the murk of the world around you.” Edith sighed “This is also why we never questioned his decision when he decided not to retaliate and hold the fort together till you got back.”“Do you think your father could have sat steadily in that throne if not for Alex single-mindedly protecting him?” Linus’s eyes were sharp, there was the undeniable Zumerong arrogance, that was filled with righteousness indignation “With just a snap of his finger, everything around you, including your father, the Asters and Basvecs would have perished without a burial ground.”Cornelius had his head lowered, he knew, even from the beyond, his good brother was looking out for him and yet his foolish father…. He couldn’t think further.“And you didn’t disappoint.” Linus smiled although his eyes misted at his loss; None of the brothers raised their heads, their eyes were filled with resentme
Inside the Bellevue palace, Cornelius’s eyes misted as he saw that the arrangement mirrored that of the main house of the Zumerong. Overwhelmed by the emotions brought about by the weight of his sins, he lowered his head guiltily, his lips quivered, however no words escaped his mouth. However, no one other than Aglaya noticed it.Aglaya quietly placed her hand over Cornelius’s and when he looked at her, mouthed soundlessly ‘Own up what you need to own, don’t bottle it. I am here.’Cornelius stood up and bowed deeply “My dear elders, Cornelius has been unfilial. Please forgive me.”“My dear child, what are you going on about?” Edith and Maryanne chided at the same time while Linus stood up, walked over to Cornelius and helped him straighten “Son, we have no grievance against you.”“We are not blind nor are we stupid.” Linus shook his head as he patted Cornelius’s shoulder “We cannot punish you just because your father was a senile fool, can we?”“Forgot Alex, Miriam would jump out of he
Jack and Mira rode over to meeting point that they had discussed with Baldwin at the break of dawn hoping to sneak away without attracting any attention, however the presence of Cornelius and Aglaya in the carriage along with his elite soldiers, took away all their thoughts of sneaking away.Cornelius chuckled sheepishly as he realized the reasoning behind the resentful gaze of his wife’s wildflower akka his goddaughter-in-law. He didn’t put on airs of the sovereign and explained his rationale calmly “The last incident of plotting at banquet that was meant to announce Thomas’s wedding was a wake-up call for me.”“Although we brothers have never split up, our grievance of losing a brother was misinterpreted and amplified into such a level that even without our knowledge, the jackals were using this for propagating their agenda.” Cornelius continued as he looked into the distance, his eyes filled with regret.“Why did everyone think that you had a falling out?” Mira asked innocently. Thi