Updated: 09/25/2022
~Thorn~ It had been two months since Lady Nyx went missing. I prayed daily that she was okay. I had planned to propose to her to get out of my marriage to the Duchess. But with her disappearance it makes it hard to make a formal proposal. Her father was against it but he couldn’t do anything if I did it anyway. I sighed slouching back in my chair. “Your Majesty, Duchess Fallon is in the tea room waiting for you.” Colby informed me. “Very well, thank you for informing me. Tell her I’ll be with her shortly.” I replied back waving him from the room. I ran my hand over my face. Her and my father have been on my case about the wedding plans. Why couldn’t either of them understand I don’t want to be married to her. I stood and headed towards the tea room. “My love,” I said nonchalantly as I entered the room she was in. “What brings you here unannounced today?” I saw her mouth move in a clenching motion. I had clearly upset her. And she was holding her tongue since there was a presence
~Noc~ The woman I had found on the road was interesting. She had traits that emanated those of a noble. Yet she didn’t look like a noble on the outside. I gave her a room in my manor until she could find work and a place to stay. One of my maids I had assigned to her for her time at my manor came to see in a panicked manner. She had helped Rose bathe and found scars on her back. From the way she described them the beating must have started at a young age. She informed me that they were deep and the scars were of different ages. I found myself thinking about her. She was very beautiful and very kind. It would be my assumption that she was running from something, or worse someone. I’d say she is rather lucky that I found her. The slave trade has reared it’s ugly head towards the North. They have taken an interest in my people. There had been a few kidnappings here or there. They never made it very far with my people though. My guards always saved them. It seems that the nobility of t
~Thorn~ I arrived in the north two days after I left my estate. The trip to the north was rather uneventful. I was quite surprised since the path to the north is usually riddled with monsters and thieves. The first place I stopped was Duke Noc’s estate to announce my arrival. As is custom among the nobility in the kingdom. I would be staying at his estate while I conducted my business here. My men who accompanied me would be staying in one of the motels in town. They could stay at the Duke’s manor but they always opted for the inn in town. I always warned them all to be on their best behavior while they were there. Agatha the shop owner is a feisty old woman. She’d hit you with a broom if you got out of line. Royalty, noble, or commoner didn’t matter to her. I’d have to stop by to see her later and check on my men. Ensure they are behaving themselves. Once I departed with my men I headed to the Duke’s manor. The stable hand took Incari from me and took her to the barn. I was greeted
~Nyx (Rose~ I woke up early to head to work today. Agatha had several customers coming to the inn later today. I beat her to the inn and had already started on the needed rooms for the soldiers who would be coming in this afternoon. Agatha had a whole list of things that needed to be done. I couldn’t help but worry since she told me that they were from the south. What if they were my father’s men who were sent here to look for me. Agatha had no idea who I actually was. She had no idea that I was nobility and I honestly wanted to keep it that way. I didn’t want to put her in any kind of danger. Her knowing that information could be dangerous for her. It was hard enough on me that I had to implement Yareha in my escape plan. I hoped she was faring well and that no one had suspected her of helping me. Since it was well known in the manor that she took care of me. As soon as Agatha came through the door of the inn I looked up from the log book. “Good morning Aggy!” I said with a wide sm
~The Sparrow Manor~ “M’lord the information guild has arrived.” The head butler informed me as he entered my study. I looked up from the paperwork I was doing. I have not been sleeping well since Nyx disappeared. The butler had tried to get me to sleep but I refused. He told me that I had aged quite a bit since she went missing and that me getting rest was imperative. It was no secret how I treated her in my household. “Very well send them in.” I replied in a tired voice. The butler nodded and showed them into the room. A petite woman entered the room. She held a menacing aura about her. This aura was a warning for me to be careful with my wording. The information guild was well aware of the way Nyx was treated. And they could leak it and cause a considerable amount of damage to the family. “I’m Miss Jarvise, at your service.” The petite lady introduced herself by bowing her head to show respect. “Yes, yes please come sit and have tea with me.” I responded by waving her over to
~Nyx (Rose)~ The rest of the day was pretty eventful. We have several check-ins all come at the same time. I spent the majority of that morning assigning rooms. It was late into the afternoon before the business died down. I took a deep breath and fell back into a chair in the front lounge. Agatha brought me a cup of tea over. She was amazing when it came to making tea. Her tea skills were above all else. I smiled gratefully at her and took it in my hands. After taking some sips of the warm drink I set it down near me. It was flavored with ginger and jasmine. I could feel my body starting to relax as I finished it. Agatha came back into the room shortly after I had finished the drink and took a seat next to me. Today took a lot out of her today. She wouldn’t admit it but at her age she was making it harder to run this establishment. I was a blessing in disguise not that she’d admit that. She was a stubborn old lady that I still adored. “It’s been a long day, love. Why don’t you go
~Thorn~ Shortly after getting to my room there was a knock at the door. I called out for them to come in. Soon the door opened to reveal a young maid. She looked nervous as she stepped forward with a tray in hand. “Good evening, M’lord. Here is your dinner, if you need anything else don’t hesitate to call me.” She said as she sat the tray down for me. I nodded curtly before she curtsied and scurried from the room. I sat at the small desk and began to eat my food. It was quite good and filled me up quickly. I decided to bathe before heading to bed. Since I had been on the road for a couple of days. I entered the bathroom and filled the deep bath with water. There were various oils that I poured in the rushing water. Soon the smell of jasmine filled the air in the room. I took it in as I stripped down to my bare body. Turning off the water, I slipped into the water. Relaxing weightlessly against the wall of the tub for a while. After relaxing for awhile I washed my hair and body befo
. ~Nyx (Rose) I had finished the tasks that Agatha had sent me to do while she served the soldiers their beer. When soldiers came upon our doorstep we were always swamped with various tasks until they left. I walked down the stairs to the lobby where she was serving beer. When I entered I saw her talking to a man but his back was to me so I paid him no mind. “Hey Aggy, where do you want me to clean next?” I questioned her. Agatha responded but I didn’t hear what she said. The man that she had been talking to had turned to face me. Surprise and shock filled my face as we locked eyes with each other. That shock was quickly replaced with fear. What was he even doing here? Has he come to take me back to that wretched place? My mind ran amuck with overwhelming thoughts. I started to back away slowly, I couldn’t be here. I turned and ran out of the room. Trying to calm my screaming mind. What should I do. I had nowhere else to go. The north was the only place the Marquess couldn’t reach
-Nyx- I woke up with a swollen face. I cried majority of the night. I would fall asleep but it never lasted long enough with all my tossing and turning. I felt exhaused, and my body hurt from my restlessness. As dawn broke I decide it was futile trying to sleep. I slipped out of my bed and headed for my shower. The words Noc had said kept echoing through my mind. I didn't understand any of it. He was engaged to my sister and he knew that I was not really sickly. He knew that my father invented that cover to hid what he had done. And yet he wanted her over me. He could have insisted that he wanted me. Instead of playing these games with my head. Between him and the crowned prince I felt like I was being tugged around like a rag doll. I wasn't something to play with. I shut off the water and stormed out to dress myself. I needed a walk in the garden. The walls of this manor made me feel as if I was suffocating. I quickly dressed in a simple dress. I prefered it this way anyway. All th
-Noc-A couple days had came and gone since my meeting with Thorn. Josephine had been suffocating recently and never left me long enough to talk to Nyx. It was very frustrating that she was always around. I was out for a stroll when I seen her rested against a tree. She look like an angel under it. I had to fight the urge to run up and hold her tight. She seemed deep in thought as I got closer her head whipped up to meet my eyes. I smiled warmly at her while she stared me down. "Lady Nyx have you been avoiding me?" I teased her making her cheeks warm. I wish she could see how cute she looked. "I would never Duke Noc." She stated matter of factly with a hidden smile. This made me chuckle. "I promise everything I'm doing will make sense one day. I'll see you at dinner Nyx." I winked before turning to leave. It took everything in me to not turn around. I entered the manpr and headed for the dining room. Majority of everyone was here now except Nyx. I only hoped her father didn't punis
-Noc- I couldn't take my eyes off of her, she was very beautiful. Thorn had sent me a letter a day after we arrived. It said we needed to talk soon. Since it was almost the end of the day so it would have to wait tomorrow. I settled into bed to go to sleep, I was going to be getting up pretty early tomorrow. I drifted off with her lovely face on my mind. ~Next Day~ I rised before the sun had even risen. Dressed in a dark gray cloak I slipped out of the manor and to the stables. The stable hand had my horse ready to go. I mounted her and kicked for her to run. She took off at a quick gait** toward the castle. The air was cool and the fog was heavy. I took in the fresh air. I felt like I was sufficating in that manor. The only one keeping me sane was Lady Nyx. As I entered the castle I halted and dismounted my horse handing her off to a palace stable boy. I entered the grand palace walking to the gardens that Thorn told me to meet him in. As I entered I seen him standing there in is
-Thorn- On the day of our arrival I did the worst possible thing. I knew I put her in harm's way when I did it. And I regretted it all too late. I only hoped my actions didn't make Nyx's treatment worse. ----FLASHBACK----- I followed the Marquess to his study after the formalities of Noc and Josephine were settled. I knew he hated me for making him do this but it was the best way. "Your Majesty, how can I help you?" The Marquess spoke as he took a seat in his chaise. I took a seat across from him with my arms crossed. "I think you know, how did Nyx get back here when she was staying with Duke Noc?" I said with more venom than I intended. The Marquess chuckled and tsked at me. "That's none of your concern, your majesty. I'm very disappointed that you didn't escort her back the moment you found out." He snapped back at me. I gritted my teeth at his response. The Marquess was brave to act this way toward me. "Actually it is." I boomed my anger getting the best of me. Damn me a
-Nyx- I quickly strode to the house to wash myself for dinner. I was going to be late if I didn't hurry. And I knew my father would not be happy about that. Once in my room I washed my hands and face. Drying my face quickly I headed down stairs for dinner. I entered the dining room to see I was one of the last ones to arrive. Father's unruly gaze fixated on me. It was clear he was pissed but holding it in. He couldn't ruin his perfect reputation as the perfect man. He made the public thinking he was this loving doting father but that was far from the truth. Father gave me a warning glare before I took my seat. Once we were all seated the meal was called in. It was tomato basil soup tonight. One of my favorites, Yareha, made the best soup ever. My mouth watered as it was served. My father prayed before taking the first bite queuing that everyone else may eat now. I wasted no time grabbing some fresh baked bread from the many bowls in front of me. I dipped it in the soup before ginger
-Nyx- The next couple of weeks were fairly uneventful. I was now allowed to leave my room on my own. But I made sure to stay out of the way of everyone. I didn't particularly want to see Duke Noc either. Him and my sister seemed to be hitting it off. He had bought her lavish gifts which he presented at dinner. ****Flashback**** I was sitting at dinner eating with my head down when Duke Noc cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. Everyone looked at him as he stood and moved closer to my sister who was sitting across from him. My father was very strict on where everyone sat at the table. Loved ones always sat across from each other. The only exception was Ariel because she was not a noble by blood. "Lady Sparrow, my sweet Josephine, you are as radiant as the sun. As ethereal as the moon. You are the emerald of the earth. The sapphire of the seas. And the diamond of my eye." He said in a sickly sweet voice. One that was filled with adoration and something else I couldn't qu
~Nyx~ Today is the day that Duke Noc will be here. I would be a liar if I said it wasn’t going to hurt to see him with Josephine. My time at his estate had caused me to grow fond of him. I guess I hadn’t realized my feelings for him until I heard of the proposed marriage between them. I got up as a maid who also didn’t care for me entered. She was a close friend of Ariel’s. Though she wasn’t verbal with her abuse but did small things to humiliate the one she picked on. Which tended to be me. If I remembered right her name was Brooke. I sat down in front of my vanity so Brooke could brush my hair. She ripped through my hair with the brush. Making my scalp ache and hurt but I bit my lip. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of me being in pain. After ten grueling minutes she had braided my hair into a nice updo. Little stands of my wild hair fell in curls along the sides of my face. She helped me dress in a simple dress. It had a cream top and a red satin skirt that fell down to
~Noc~ “Wake up!” Thorn yelled, throwing a small rock at me. He was putting out the fire. To keep wildfires from ripping through the land every traveler ensured that they took the time to put out fires completely. I sat up stiffly, stretching and yawning. “Why are you always so grumpy and mean?” I asked him, rolling my shoulders. I watched him roll his eyes at me. Thorn had always had strong opinions on the way I acted. But it was only when we were alone so he could hop off. I smirked, getting up taunting his eye roll with my own. Thorn shook his head chuckling in minor annoyance. “Why are you like this?” He asked. But instead of an answer I just mocked his words back at him. This caused him to give me a tight lipped squint. I chuckled childishly at my action. “Come on, you child.” Thorn said, loading the horses before mounting his. I broke out in a large smile and did the same. We were close to the Marquess manor. And my impending fate to fool the Marquess. We rode in silence un
~Nyx~ After who knows how many days in that small cramped room, guards came for me. I shrank myself back so they couldn’t hurt me. “Get up, we don’t want to have to manhandle you.” A guard spit out at me. I didn’t want them to touch me so I got up. Taking care to keep my eyes on the ground. I followed the guards out of the room and down several halls. I used my peripherals to see where we were. “Lady Josephine will be back tomorrow.” One of the guards said, drawing my attention to thier conversation. “Oh really? The true Lady of the house will be returning that soon?” The other guard responded with a smile “Yah, I missed seeing her beautiful face. I’m sure she’s only grown more beautiful since the last time. I heard Duke Noc is coming to officially court her.” The first guard said with sadness. This made my heart fall into my stomach. I didn’t think a man that I had put my trust into would marry into this horrendous family. A family I hated with all my being. Maybe the maid wh