The Lost Princess ( The Compulsion Bride Series) Book 1 (Unedited)

Chapter 54

He did not pressed her further on the matter. Halley ran back to the castle, leaving her uncle’s chuckles behind. She peaked at her children, listening as their steady breathing echoed throughout the bedchamber. They were finally sleeping peacefully, she smiled closing the door and hurried to her bedchamber. Locking the door behind her, she hastily undressed for bed. Her heart beat frantically at the amount of emotions it was feeling. She threw the petticoat over her head, eyes lingering on the letters, beckoning her to open on the vanity table. The nightgown slid down her body and she hissed in pain when it kissed her knees lightly.

Halley sat on the bed and raised the nightgown above her knees, she sighed finding scrapes there. How did she not felt that before? She was so caught up in retrieving the letters, she didn’t even notice, she was hurt. Her gazed met the muddy boots and equally ruin cloak that lay in a heap on the ground. She hoped that, It was worth the trouble tonight. She surged to her feet, took the candle from her nightstand and went to accompany the vanity table. Inhaling a shaky breath, she took the letter, she had previously opened and began reading.

Halley’s eyebrows rose with bewilderment, her heart leaped like a wild thing as she devour each word. Jennifer was alive! Halley placed her hands over her heart, tears started to cloud her vision. She could not believed her dearest friend whom she had thought the French killed was alive and well. Jennifer was also a mother? A tiny smile formed at the corner of her mouth, she could only imagine the beautiful little girl with blond curls and blue eyes. She continued to read the letter causing her forehead to wrinkled. Why did Jennifer mentioned about her returning to London? What puzzled her even more was what she said about reading her previous letters.

Halley began to opened the letters with the stamped seals, each of them smudged with ink, making it incoherent to read. The rain had tarnished them with it’s brutality, so were the others from Samantha. However she was able to weed out some of the words and fit them together, to formulate potential sentences. She was amazed to learn that Jennifer was rescued by a family in the woods. Oh Jenny, She whispered with indescribable joy. Halley swept at her eyes, wiping away the tears. Many nights she had cried tears of sorrow, it was such a strange feeling to be shedding tears of happiness.

She sighed at the papers, and ran her hands through her hair, wishing she had received these letters before they were ruin. She took the only readable letter in her hands once again, her lips pursed.

This was betrayal and privacy invasion. Who could have done such a thing? What was in these letters that someone clearly didn’t want her to see? It was quite frustrating and she found herself, holding the letters up to the flickering candlelight, desperately trying to see if the writings would be recognizable. Perhaps if she let it dry properly? Her fingers drummed against the table.

Not being able to sleep, Halley kept reading the letter over and over again. There was nothing in England for her anymore, it would only remind her of what she lost. It was too painful and god knows surviving the past few years had been nothing short of difficult.

“Audrina?”

Halley groaned, when she felt someone’s hand smoothing her hair, it created a soothing effect and for a moment, she thought she was back in England with Joshua. Dam those letters for making her memories vividly resurface.  

“Audrina?” The voice repeated.

Halley pivot her head and  lifted it off her folded arms and through hooded lashes, she saw Queen Rosa smiling down at her, while taking a bite of the apple in her hand. The crunching sound caused Halley to winced with annoyance. “ Morning!” She chirped, then swallowed the content in her mouth.