Marsh went into the study room and he went up to the decanter that has all sorts of poison for his choice. He took the rum and poured it down into a glass before he was sipping it in one go, leaving a burning taste of it inside his throat.
He stopped his glass midway when he was turning on all his senses to hear something. Someone was coming for him and it took all his might not to turn to look at the lady that has been attracting his attention from the start.
Marsh knew that it was not good for her and himself if he was to deny their attraction to one another. It was one thing that he hated about the match that was being made by the queen.
He sighed before he was sipping on the rum as his wife was making her way into the study room.
“You’re wrong,” she said as she was panting when she was coming to stand in the doorway as Marsh was trying to ignore the demon that wanted to claim her inside him.
’Mine,’ it sai
ARABELLAI don’t know what to say but to stare at the bodies that the royal guards assured me. I was not going to cry, but when Niklaus hugged me and told me to be strong, tears were starting to accumulate in my eyes.Heat swelled behind them before I was blinking my eyes as I turned to look at my cousin. He was looking solemn before he was patting my shoulder.“Stay strong, Ara. You know you can do it,” he said before I turned to see that he had ordered the guards to put the king and queen’s bodies away before the funeral tomorrow. I looked after the white sheets that covered them and as always, the tears were not coming out.I will not cry. I will be strong. I cannot let them beat me, I reminded myself before I took a deep breath and I went out of the hallway as I was going to my room. Preferably to sleep it off and just to think this was a nightmare.A real nightmare.The next morning came, and I h
Everyone believed that Niapachad Island was an island located on the west side of Crete Island in the Aegean Sea. However, no one survived to tell the truth of that belief. Some said that it was concealed in a powerful veil that was invisible to the naked eyes and any human from modern society cannot come to the island. Others believed that there was an entry point on Crete Island that can transport you to Niapachad Island, wherever it was located. Some claimed that there were other entry points around the world but that was up for discussion in the scientific community of the modern world.But one thing for sure, Niapachad Island was a secret in the modern world that the scientist wished to uncover but it remained a mystery to this moment.Niapachad Island was a country that conserved the history that surpassed time and century. The country was ruled by monarchs and the gentry was still in the system of social hierarchy. It was believed that time was frozen on the island where everyth
Niklaus Dragomir, the 8th Duke of Belikov, was staring out of the room that he was taking a sip of his tea that was laced with blood. He smacked his mouth before his butler was knocking on the door. The door opened and Niklaus was glancing over his shoulder before he was regarding the butler."What is it now?" He asked as he was having a hard time keeping track of time when he was supposed to be balancing the ledgers and all that happened with his tenants and trying to keep the food on their table and a roof under their heads.Belikov's responsibility was included with Royal Molftus, where the Lesser Gentry and the Higher Court resided but they must be sustained and that's where his tenants came to feed the wealthy. He was having the big responsibility to keep the tenants and gentry happy as well as serving the young queen of Niapachad Island as well."You have an engagement tonight that you asked me to remind you, Your Grace," the butler said as Niklaus sighed. He rubbed his face with
"Are you lost, my dear?" The stranger asked her as she was blinking her eyes. Becca tried to form sentences but she stammered instead. The stranger chuckled lowly. Then, Becca was clearing her throat before she glared at the man."No, my lord," she did not know if he was a gentry or not but it was never hurt to tell them, just to boost their ego. "I am merely looking around to take in the sight of the ballroom. It was mesmerizing that I cannot help but turn around, making myself look like a fool," Becca said sarcastically before the blue-eyed man was amused with her answer.It usually worked the other way."Well, you must thank the host of this ball then. It is grand, I must admit," the stranger said before Becca was rolling her eyes. The tomes on her etiquette lessons would be cursing and her tutors would roll on their sleep as Becca was doing the things that a lady of the genteel breed should not do.Talking sarcastically.Rolling her eyes.What's next? Scoffing?"If you must know, m
It has been a few weeks after that fateful ball that Becca was forced to go and met Lord Niklaus Dragomir, who she did not know at the time was Duke of Belikov. She thought that everything went south after that dance and conversation that they had but she guessed wrong.Why?It was because the duke was sitting on the divan, sipping tea that her mother was asking the maid to pour it for him."Thank you for allowing me to meet with your daughter, my lady. I cannot thank you enough," Niklaus stated as Becca was walking into the drawing room. Her skirts were swooshing against each other before Niklaus was turning to look at her. His blue orbs clashed with her green eyes."Ah, Becca darling. You're here. It was such a surprise that the duke was coming here this morn to court you, was it, Your Grace?" Lady Georgia asked him before Niklaus smiled."That would be correct, my lady, yes," he replied before Becca stiffed.No, no, no!"Come on, darling. Don't just stand there. Come sit here," Lady
Lord Matthew looked outside their manor to the place that The Higher Court lords assembled and most of the gentry were staying. The lord sighed as he was undoing his cravat as Lady Georgia was helping him out of the waistcoat. His wife was arching her eyebrow at him."What are you thinking about, dearest?" Lady Georgia was asking her husband. Lord Matthew turned to regard his Georgie before he was taking her hands into his."Do you think we're doing the right thing for Becca? Belikov is from The Higher Court. I don't want her to be in trouble," Lord Matthew stated before Lady Georgia was caressing his cheeks. He leaned into that touch."I'm scared for our daughter too, dearest," Lady Georgia stated as Lord Matthew was arching his eyebrow."I thought you would be overjoyed with this union?" Lord Matthew teased her before Lady Georgia was slapping his chest playfully. Lord Matthew chuckled."I am but I don't trust the Higher Court. You know their history," Lady Georgia stated as she was
"This is fucking great. We're inside of a fucking prayer house," Niklaus was whispering to his best man, Ian, as the marquis was chuckling at the duke. Niklaus glared at his friend before Ian was arching his eyebrow."I thought you want to keep the secret until the end?" He taunted Niklaus before he was gritting his teeth."It would be nice if it was not a fucking church. Why do you have to do such a stupid thing, Ian?" He hissed before the young queen of Niapachad Island was coming up to Niklaus.Queen Arabella Dragomir was the 10th monarch that ruled Niapachad Island. Her husband, Aiden, was the Prince Consort as she was greeting Niklaus. He smiled at his cousin before Queen Arabella was hugging him."Ara, I thought you would not come here. How surprising!" Niklaus said as the young queen was giggling as she was holding her husband's arm. Aiden was nodding at Niklaus and Ian. Being the lords that were working in the Higher Court, they would have a closed relationship with the young Q
"And then, I have to dodge it so that my father would not come after me. Instead, he went after my brother," Emily said as Becca was laughing at her anecdote. How come one gets away with anything? Becca mused before she remembered that she was the youngest and her sisters have been married.Of course, her mother would focus on her.But that ended tonight as she will be staying at this lavish estate when she will be losing her virginity to her new husband, the Duke of Belikov. Becca gulped before she turned to see that her husband was walking with someone that she knew. It was the young Queen Arabella Dragomir of Niapachad Island. Shit! Becca was trying to control Emily's laughter before she was looking at the young queen as well. Emily shut up before they both stood up and curtsied to the queen. "Your Majesty," they both said as the young queen was beaming at Becca."You must be happy that you are oblivious to the scowl and frown of the ladies around you, cousin," the young queen was
ARABELLAI don’t know what to say but to stare at the bodies that the royal guards assured me. I was not going to cry, but when Niklaus hugged me and told me to be strong, tears were starting to accumulate in my eyes.Heat swelled behind them before I was blinking my eyes as I turned to look at my cousin. He was looking solemn before he was patting my shoulder.“Stay strong, Ara. You know you can do it,” he said before I turned to see that he had ordered the guards to put the king and queen’s bodies away before the funeral tomorrow. I looked after the white sheets that covered them and as always, the tears were not coming out.I will not cry. I will be strong. I cannot let them beat me, I reminded myself before I took a deep breath and I went out of the hallway as I was going to my room. Preferably to sleep it off and just to think this was a nightmare.A real nightmare.The next morning came, and I h
Marsh went into the study room and he went up to the decanter that has all sorts of poison for his choice. He took the rum and poured it down into a glass before he was sipping it in one go, leaving a burning taste of it inside his throat.He stopped his glass midway when he was turning on all his senses to hear something. Someone was coming for him and it took all his might not to turn to look at the lady that has been attracting his attention from the start.Marsh knew that it was not good for her and himself if he was to deny their attraction to one another. It was one thing that he hated about the match that was being made by the queen.He sighed before he was sipping on the rum as his wife was making her way into the study room.“You’re wrong,” she said as she was panting when she was coming to stand in the doorway as Marsh was trying to ignore the demon that wanted to claim her inside him.’Mine,’ it sai
Ava was sipping on the wine as the ladies were talking with each other and she was one of them as well. The Duchess of Belikov, Becca was smiling as her best friend, Emily, the marchioness of Kain were talking with each other.“I cannot believe that Daniel’s cousin is finally married. And here we are trying to figure out the man myself but here we are talking to his wife right now. How do you not know that your husband’s cousin was in town, Caroline?” the ladies asked my best friend before she shrugged.“Hey, I am not in this family for so long and I am not his maid. Daniel did not know that he was getting married until we had the invitation,” Caroline said as she was sipping on the wine. I smiled.“At least, we will not be playing with the queen’s matchmaking anymore. It was hard when she wanted our husbands to find a bride and to think that she had a say in anything,” Jessie said as she was shaking her head. I pondered on that.“Yeah, Niklaus and I met
Ava has been flustered after the vows that they exchanged in the church earlier. She could not think straight as she was trying to make sure that everything was going exactly like she planned for Marsh to be surprised when she walked down the aisle in a sensual dress and the men were looking at her.She managed that moment as Marsh was not talking to her after the vows and when they had to leave for their reception, he was still not talking to her. Not in the carriage, certainly not when they have to greet their guests for their wedding celebration.Not until Marsh was planning something to her for going against his wish with the wedding gown.“Welcome, how are you? Where is Harold?” Marsh greeted Lord Davenport and his wife as they were coming through the front door of their fortress. Ava sighed inwardly as she knew tonight would be the first night for her to be spending at her new household, in which she was the mistress.Not her mother.
Ava walked to the study room that her mother insisted she come. She just got out of the bath and she was ready to take on a new thought before she heard some conversation inside the room. And it was about her, none the wiser.“…I will be in touch then, Lord Randolph,” the familiar voice came from inside the room as the servant opened the door for Ava to enter. It was her mother who spotted her first before she was greeting her.“Ava, dear, would you like some tea? His Lordship was about to leave as he thought he would not be meeting you,” her mother said with a glistening shine in her eyes that made Ava want to know what they were talking about in the first place. She was aware that it was about her, so might as well get some information about it.“You waited for me?” Ava asked Marsh as she was locking her eyes with his. He smiled before her mother was fussing over them and they were not the only ones that wanted to be
Marsh was looking at himself in the mirror, standing from head to toe. He sighed as he was tying the cravat onto his neck. This is not what I had in mind when I was coming back here, hosting a dinner party for the queen and her seneschal, Marsh thought before a knock disturbed him.“Come in,” he said before the old butler was coming into the bedchamber. He was smiling at him before the butler bowed to him.“The guests are here, my lord,” the old man said as Marsh was nodding at him. He was looking at himself for the last time before he took the cravat and put it inside his waistcoat.“Are the seneschal and his family here as well?” he asked the butler before the old man nodded.“Aye, my lord. And the daughter is a pretty one. I think the young queen has chosen well,” the butler said as Marsh frowned at him. If the butler did not know about this matter, Marsh would certainly make some other arrangement as wel
Ava was smiling at the carriage ride as she was holding hands with Marsh right now. She did not know when this developed but after that kiss that they shared, she knew that she was being courted by this lord.Is this what it felt like to be courted to marry? Ava smiled as she felt the hand that was squeezing hers. She turned to look at Marsh before he smiled upon her.“I see that you are quite content with yourself, darling,” he said as he used the endearment that was only reserved for someone dear to them. And right now, Marsh was using that on her. Her heart was beating fast before she blushed and smiled shyly as Marsh was pulling her closer.This is heaven, Ava mused before she was looking at the mansion that was standing still in front of her. She gave the directions to get to her house but she did not classify which one was hers.She just hoped that Marsh did not want to come and greet her parents. She was not ready for
Ava was riding the horse astride as she knew that people might be surprised to see a Lady riding a horse without her riding habits.How come I wear that when I have a date with a potential suitor? Ava thought grimly before she pulled the rein. She stopped in front of a stable as the stable boy was holding her horse.“How much for a day?” she asked before the boy looked at her.“A Tellu, ma’am,” he said as Ava nodded at him before paying him the money and walked to the center of the Square as she was waiting for her date to show up. But Ava did not have to wait since she was spotting Marsh from afar as he was smiling brightly at her and her heart skipped a beat.Control, Ava, control, she reminded herself as she was smiling when she was looking at the man in front of her.“You’re early, my lord,” Ava said as she curtsied to him. Marsh smiled before he took her hands and kisse
Arabella was sitting in front of the window as she settled in on the patio that was designated there. It was a nice view of the sunset from the seaside cottage that she was occupying with her husband at the moment.The plan was in motion as she was sipping on the blood-laced tea before she felt the hands that were encircling her stomach. She smiled before she turned to look over her shoulder as her husband was kissing her nose.“What are you thinking about?” Aiden asked her before she leaned back into his strong arm. It has always been her anchor and her support throughout these years after she took the mantle and the crown that came with the responsibility of her country. She shook her head.“Nothing,” she replied before Aiden bites her earlobe. She moaned as it had been a few hours since their tumble in bed.But of course, the queen will never give in so easily.“Your nothing always means something. So, you either sp