Ian was looking at the royal couple as Arabella was smiling before Aiden was clearing his throat. "So, how was the search for your bride has been going?" Aiden asked Ian as he was snapping to the reality before the servants of his household were coming into the dining hall. One of them was the blondie. Ian was blinking his eyes before he turned to look at the prince consort again. Aiden was looking at Ian before Arabella was smirking at him. The marquis narrowed his eyes at the royal couple."It has been going well. I even got an invitation to a ball,'' he stated as the young queen was nodding at him."And will you be attending the ball, Ian?" Arabella asked before she was sipping on her wine. It was blood-laced because of the Porphyria that they had when they were younger. Now, they were changed people; Ian, Arabella, and Aiden. Except Aiden has a different story about his change. Arabella and Ian were both infected by birth but Aiden was infected when he married the young queen. Now,
Ian was sipping on the railway before he was looking at the front door where the guests have arrived. He was one of the Higher Court that made it on time, which meant that he was early than the others. Arabella was happy to see him before she went to greet the other guests. He was sipping on the wine and he was happy to be out of that young queen's radar for the rest of the night."I see that you have been here for quite some time," greeted the Viscount of Vyckos, Daniel Cutler as he was smirking at Ian before the marquis was scoffing at another best friend of his. There were five of them, including him among the group. The viscount smiled before he was looking at the guests that came to the ball tonight.It was a masquerade ball after all.Ian has not put on his mask yet as he was trying to not roll his eyes at the viscount. I know that after this, it would be your turn, dumbass, Ian mused before he was smirking as he was looking at the guest. Then he saw her. The woman was adorning t
Ian was looking at the mask that Emmy left behind before Arabella was sighing behind him. He turned to glare at the young queen before she was smirking at him. "Ah, the masquerade ball. The secret, the mask, and the elegant gown," the young queen said before her eyes were twinkling with mischief. "Not to mention, the forbidden kiss," she said as Aiden was chuckling behind her.Ian was looking at the royal couple before he got the sense of what was going on around him. How can I be so stupid? he mused before he was gripping the mask even tighter. "What are you planning, Your Majesty?" Ian asked Arabella who was arching her eyebrows at him. She gasped before she was putting her hand on her chest."Marquis of Kain, I don't know what are you talking about," she said as Ian was rolling his eyes at the young queen. Surely, all of this was her plan. The ball, the masquerade, and the invitation. Ian thought that Emily was a maid that worked for him.But he was wrong. So wrong that he wanted to
Arabella was sipping on her blood-laced tea before a knock interrupted her. She glanced over her shoulder and it was her butler that was coming to give her a letter. Arabella was putting the cup down before she was opening the seal of the letter. She was reading the letter before she smirked. It seems that my plan worked, after all, she mused as she was folding the letter before her husband was coming into the study room that Arabella loved to spend her time in there."I see that you have a pleasant mood today, my love. Is there something that you wanted to share with me?" Aiden asked his wife before Arabella was smirking at him."Well, why don't you look at this?" She said before Aiden was taking the letter from her hand. Aiden read the content before he was shaking his head. He turned to look at his wicked wife as Arabella was sipping on her blood-laced tea. Everything has to be blood-laced for these aristocrats."One of your plans is working. I wonder what will happen next," Aiden s
"I cannot believe that you will be married after two months of me getting married," Lady Rebecca Dragomir, the 8th Duchess of Belikov, was smiling as she was looking at the new Marchioness of Kain, Lady Emily Hassildor. Emily was smiling weakly at her best friend as Becca was smiling happily at Emily's union with Ian. If only she knew what I was bargaining with the marquis, Emily mused before she was looking at her husband who was talking with Becca's husband, Niklaus Dragomir, the 8th Duke of Belikov."So, do you want to tell me how he proposed?" Becca asked Emily before she sighed. He didn't, she mused before Emily was smiling at her best friend. Becca was waiting for her answer."Well, we sort of met at a ball," she started as Becca was nodding at her."Yes, and then?" She asked before Emily was feeling that her face was hot, remembering the details that happened in the garden before the young queen caught them in an inappropriate act. Emily was looking at Becca before she was shaki
Emily was tossing and turning as she felt something soft on her. She opened her eyes before she was looking at an unfamiliar window as well as an unfamiliar surrounding around her. She sat up before she was looking at the grand bed that she was sitting on."Ah, you're awake. Finally," the deep voice that she knew belonged to Lord Dorian Hassildor, her husband now, was booming across the room as Emily turned in that direction. Ian was sipping on his tea as he was looking at her. "Sleep well, my dear?" He asked before Emily was looking at herself. She was in her thin, white muslin chemise before she was pulling the blanket on the bed to cover herself. Ian chuckled. "It's not like I haven't seen anything," he said that made Emily glare at him."What are you doing in my bedchamber?" She asked before she did not know if it was her bedchamber after all. Ian chuckled lowly before he stood up from the divan that he was sitting on to go to the edge of the bed. Emily gripped the blanket tighter.
Emily was standing with Ian next to her under the moonlight as the sound of their carriage was coming up to stop in front of them. Ian was looking wickedly handsome with his Ditto suit; black waistcoat, breeches, and outer coat. She could not help but ogle at her handsome husband before she was looking away as Ian was turning at her. "After you, milady," he said as he was offering his hand to help Emily to get on the carriage while she was gathering her skirts. After she was seated, Ian got inside the carriage as well before he tapped his griffin cane to the roof and the carriage was moving forward."I hope you will not get drunk again, wife, for there will be some other lords from the Higher Court. I don't want you to ruin your reputation again like the night of our reception," Ian said as Emily was looking at him. She felt a pang inside her chest as she was nodding her head."Of course, as you wish, my lord," she said as she was turning her head to look outside the window. She can se
Emily did not know what happened because all she can think of was her husband's wonderful lips. She was shocked that she cannot think of anything else that was happening right now. All the things that she knew had gone out the window. Ian was not helping either. He was groaning as he was bringing Emily's lithe body to him as he was molding his hardness to her. Emily moaned."You have no idea what you did to me, Emmy. From that first night I laid my eyes on you at that reception, I know that you will be mine forever," Ian whispered to her left ear as he was kissing her earlobe before moving down to her jaws and neck. Emily moaned before she was gripping his hair.It was silky and she loved every second of it.Her skirts rustled as Ian was pulling them up to her waist. Her legs covered with stockings and garters were hit by the cold air of the night. The carriage was still moving as Ian was kissing her neck and went lower. Lower and lower until he was between her legs. Emily was looking
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