LUNA OF THE NORTH

CHAPTER SEVEN

-THIRD POV-

(COPPERWICK)

Duke Ashton arrived in the capital city, where the emperor's palace stood like an imposing structure in the midst of a vast plain, with a flicker of optimism in his usually steely blue eyes. Sa mabilis na mga hakbang ay tinungo ng panginoon ng Winter Castle ang sariling silid nito sa palasyo upang magpalit ng kasuotan.

"Does the crown prince visit the emperor today?" habang nasa harap ng full-length mirror ay tanong nito sa personal na tagapagsilbi na kasama nito sa loob ng silid at tinutulungan itong magbihis.

"Unfortunately, your grace, he does not," the former countess who raised him responded. Although the slight creases in her eyes reflect her age, she is still just as lovely as she was when she was younger. "I heard that the crown prince is preparing for the upcoming hunting game."

Tumango-tango ang duke na batid ang matinding obsesyon ng prinsepe sa pangangaso kaya naman halos bunuin nito ang buong araw sa paghahanda para sa nalalapit na kompetisyon.

Habang isinusuot ang bagong coat ay muling nagtanong si Duke Ashton, "How about Duke Lauden and his men?"

"He sent a message to the emperor that they might arrive in Copperwick tomorrow, your grace."

Napabuntong-hininga ang duke ng Winter Castle. He expected Slavic to finish his mission successfully, but he did not expect him to execute it so quickly, which delighted the emperor. Iyon ang naging dahilan upang magpatawag ang nag-iisang panginoon ng Uno Bigoria ng biglaang pagpupulong sa pamilya Winter.

Kasama ni Duke Ashton ang asawa at ang panganay na anak na humarap sa emperador nang nakaraang araw. Both he and his wife wished for Vernon to marry the first prince, the heir to the throne, and they believed the emperor would consider it ngunit dahil sunod-sunod na tagumpay ang dinala ng Duke ng Estonia sa emperyo, ganoon na lang pagkadismaya ng mag-asawa nang ang pag-usapan nila ay ang pagpili ng emperador kay Vernon bilang magiging kabiyak ni Slavic Lauden.

The duchess and his eldest daughter were both horrified by the idea yet they couldn't voice their opinions. Bilang ama, nais ring tumutol ni Duke Ashton ngunit kilala nito ang emeperador. Kapag nakapagdesisyon ito ay hindi na mababago pa.

Nais na sanang tanggapin ng duke ang kahilingan ng emperador ngunit hindi nito akalain na makakikita pa s'ya ng paraan upang mabago ang tadhana ng anak na si Vernon.

He's rarely home that's why he almost forgot Bathory. The last time he saw her was when she was still small and complaining how the duchess treated her poorly. Imbes na makinig rito ay pinagsalitaan ito ng duke ng hindi maganda. Mula noon ay hindi na nito halos natyempuhan ang anak sa labas sa tuwing uuwi sa kastilyo ng mga Winter.

'Who would have guessed she's all grown up?' The duke muttered to himself. And he couldn't think Bathory was going to resemble her biological mother, the woman with whom the duke had an affair while fighting a great war in the empire's south many years ago. A severe error he made in the past almost destroyed his family name, but the emperor chose him as his second-in-command and legal counselor, salvaging his soiled reputation.

'Niana, sa tingin mo ba ay mas angkop ang anak kong si Bathory na maging kabiyak ng duke ng Estonia imbes na ang anak kong Vernon?" tanong ni Duke Ashton sa tagapagsilbi.

Bahagyang natigilan ang dating kontesa hindi dahil tila may balak ang duke na suwayin ang kagustuhan ng emperador kung hindi dahil sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay binanggit nito ang anak sa labas. "Kung sapalagay n'yo ay iyon ang nararapat, panginoon."

Nagpakawala ng mahabang buntong hininga ang duke bago nito nilisan ang harap ng salamin upang tunguhin ang pribadong opisina ng emperador. Nakaramdam man ng bahagyang pag-usig ng konsensya ay pinili nitong ipagkibit-balikat iyon dahil para sa duke, para sa kapakanan ng lahat ang gagawin nito.

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WINTER CASTLE

"I can't believe that stupid girl was favored by Father!" Vernon grumbled between biting her nails and pacing back and forth in the middle of her mother's grand room at the solar. Her face was contorted in disbelief "To think he did not oppose the emperor's plan of marrying me to that barbaric duke! Am I no longer his favorite daughter?"

Buhat sa kinauupuan nito, sa tabi ng binatang naaadornohan ng makakapal na kurtina ay nahinto sa paghigop ng tsaa ang dukesa ng marinig ang tinuran ng anak. "It's still not official, dear. Sa palagay mo ba ay papayag ang ama mo na ibigay ka ng ganoon kadali sa isang bayolenteng duke?" Isang buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan ni Dukesa Roxanna bago nagpatuloy sa pagsasalita upang pagaanin ang loob ng panganay. "I've known your father since we were young. He values his family more than he values this empire."

Huminto si Vernon sa paghakbang saka bumaling sa ina na hindi kumbinsido. "But what if the emperor insist, mom? Ayokong maging asawa ang duke ng Estonia. Pangalan pa lang ng lalakeng iyon, kinikilabutan na ako!" anang dalagang bumalatay sa mukha ang matinding pagkadisgusto sa duke sabay yakap nito sa sarili.

"Trust your father, Vernon," tanging tugon ng dukesa saka kalmadong itinuloy ang paghigop ng tsaa.

"And what about Bathory?" pag-iibang paksa ni Vernon nang maalala ang kapatid sa ama. Tiim-bagang at kunot-noong pinagkrus nito ang mga bisig sa tapat ng dibdib. "She moved into one of the chambers here in the solar, near my room. Ang kapal ng mukha ng basahang iyon. We should remind her of her place in this castle, mom!"

The duchess hummed and her eyes narrowed as she remembered how her husband's bastard behaved toward her that morning in the dining hall. Bathory's fortitude to protect herself for the first time was an enigma to her. "I'll deal with that wench later. Please go back to your room so that I may finally sleep. We had a lengthy voyage from Copperwick to Winter Castle, and your whining was exhausting, Vernon," pagtataboy nito sa anak na napanguso lamang sabay martsa palabas ng silid ng dukesa.

Muling bumuntong hininga si Dukesa Roxanna saka marahang inilapag ang tasang tangan sa pilak na platitong sa mesa na nasa tabi nito. Something had changed in her stepdaughter, but before the shameless child sprouted another horn, she needed to cut it and return her to the attic where she belonged.