Marguerite, the former Duchess of Torrinni, receives two letters that will change the course of her life forever; and that will impact young Céleste Richel's life too, in more ways than one.
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When Marguerite is forced to return to Torrinni cour...
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Marguerite couldn't lie around and wait for the girls' return. She slid on a shawl and descended to the Library to relax in front of the fireplace.
The navy cushioned chairs filled her with peace. The quiet pops from the flickering flames eased her tension. And the silence brought necessary comfort to her aching bones.
Alone but for the Librarian, she gazed into the fire, recalling Antoine's nostalgic airs from earlier. It had taken her a while to compose herself and reenter the castle; and by then it was too late. He had re-immersed into her heart, and she had no way to stop him.
But she'd be damned if she let him see it.
When her eyes started to hurt from the vibrant and entwining yellows and oranges in the hearth, she plucked a few books from the dusty shelves.
"Laws of Totresia" and "The Mysteries of Giromian Rule" piqued her interest due to the current state of affairs, so she settled at a table to further analyze their contents.
The first tome unveiled nothing she didn't already know; she had Edouard to thank for coercing her into reading similar books throughout her youth.
The second drew her to read about Romain and his reign.
She tapped her chin in rhythm to a Ballroom tune as she turned each page, scrutinizing the careful penmanship.
"Dowager Pauline oversaw affairs for most of the young King's life, but he demanded that she step aside on his fifteenth birthday, against his advisors' wishes."
She'd never met Romain, but Antoine had during trips with his father. He'd spoken of the Giromian monarch as spoiled, prone to fits, obnoxious if he didn't get what he wanted. As an adult—he was of an age with Antoine and Marguerite—he mighthave matured into a stable man; he might be handsome and attract attention in Torrinni. Which bothered Marguerite more than she wished to admit.
The next page revealed a drawing of Dowager Pauline.
The woman Clémentine corresponds in secret with.
Her hair appeared paler, but she had the same stony gaze as the Totresian Dowager. A similar stiff posture and thin, curling lips. One might think they were related, with how the artist had portrayed their features in such similar fashions.
She guffawed. "With all Clémentine hides, who knows?"
With another page flip, she encountered a map of Giroma. Though a smaller country compared to France or Spain, Giroma had a military force to be reckoned with. Terter, the fortress-style city where Duke Cornelius Schwartz hailed from, was a center for soldiers, according to the text.
