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Rosalie
Iwake to the sound of urgent knocking. For a moment, I’m disoriented, and all I can think about is how much my ribs hurt, and the bruises that circle my throat.
The knocking comes again, more insistent this time.
“Come in,” I call, my voice still hoarse from where he choked it from me.
The door opens, and Mira, one of the younger servants, bursts in. Her face is flushed, her eyes wide. “My lady,” she gasps, “you must come quickly. There’s news.”
“What is it? What’s happened?”
Mira’s excitement seems to bubble over. “It’s Lord Cassius, my lady. He’s... he’s dead.”
I frown at her. Dead? My husband, the man who bought me at auction, who kept me prisoner... dead?
A laugh bursts free from my lips. “Dead?”
Mira nods. She is wringing her hands together in front of her stomach. “Dead,” she repeats after me.
“How?” I manage to ask, my mind reeling, trying to swallow down the bubble of laugher that just doesn’t seem to want to go away.
“An accident, they say. He was in the garden, drunk after visiting the taverns in the city. He fell into the fountain and drowned.”
“He drowned?” I walk to the window and pull open the shutters. I am staring at the fountain, half expecting his body to still be lying there. “In the fountain?”
Mira approaches me and puts a gentle hand on my shoulder. I flinch at her touch, because my entire body is still bruised and aching. “I can leave,” I whisper. “This means I can leave?”
Mira’s eyes are shining. “You could, but that’s not all, my lady. If you stay, you’ve inherited everything. The estate, the wealth, all of it.”
I stare at her, unable to process what she’s saying. “That’s... that’s not possible. Surely there are other relatives, or...”
Mira shakes her head emphatically. “No, my lady. Lord Cassius had no living relatives. And you were his wife. It’s all yours now.”
This can’t be real. It has to be some kind of trick, or test. “The other nobles won’t allow it,” I say. “They’ll find a way to take it all away. They won’t let a woman he purchased at auction inherit his wealth.”
To my surprise, Mira’s smile only grows wider. “That’s just it, my lady. We’ve already spoken to the staff, and everyone is behind you. We’ll support you in taking over the household. No one else needs to know the... circumstances of your marriage. Cassius didn’t tell anyone. He didn’t want them to know he couldn’t get himself a wife through his charm and charisma.”
“They think I married him for love?” There’s that laugh again, bursting free from my chest.
My mind is racing. Freedom is within my grasp, but can I trust it? After everything I’ve been through, it seems too good to be true.
“Why?” I ask, turning to Mira. “Why would you all support me?”
Mira’s expression softens. “Because you’ve been kind to us, my lady. Even in your own suffering, you’ve shown us compassion. That’s more than Lord Cassius ever did.”
I sink into a chair, overwhelmed. Memories flood my mind – of Kayan, of Alana, of the life I had before.
I could go back to it.
Except, I couldn’t. They were sold, too. Our home no longer exists. But now, suddenly, I have the power to change things. I could find them all, rescue them, bring them here to live with me or take us back to the forest. Make a new home. A safe home.
“What happens now?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Now, my lady, you take your rightful place as the head of this household.” Mira’s voice is firm, confident. “We’ll help you. You’ll need to make some public appearances, of course, to establish your position. But behind closed doors, you’ll be free to do as you wish.”
Free. The word echoes in my mind, tantalising and terrifying all at once.
I stand up, squaring my shoulders. “Very well,” I say, surprised by the strength in my voice. “Let’s begin.”
