Marienne's life was completely undone when her village went up in flames. Badly burned and her eyesight lost, she awakes in a strange place, with no knowledge of how she arrived there. Her savior was the enigmatic and alluring Victor, the Lord of Az...
Author's Note: Hey y'all, I'm back again! Not that I ever really left, I've just been trying to juggle my schedule in a way that allows me to have time to write and get done everything I need to on any given day, plus be able to take time for myself. So far, I haven't been as successful as I'd like, but I'm hoping by the next time I write an A/N, I'll have my schedule locked down. Anyway, you'll still be able to expect two chapters a week from me, on Mondays and Fridays, that's the one thing I've been able to do consistently. I'd love to hear from you what y'all do to keep yourself on a schedule...if you keep one. Or come here and share your struggles with me, if that's what you'd like to do. Anyway, happy reading!
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I was quick to disembark from the courtyard once I had myself and my skirts out of the carriage. The morning heat was fading into an afternoon simmer, and I longed for nothing more than the excuse to wet a scrap of cloth and tidy up a little after the ride. I could feel the dust clinging to me like a second skin.
Amelia had to trot behind me in order to keep up with my long, ground eating strides. I'd left Victor alone back in the courtyard, but he was too busy overseeing the grooming of the horses to be concerned about my current whereabouts.
I threw back the room of my door and looked at my bed. The fatigue that dragged down my limbs nearly demanded I crawl into it, and fade into a deep sleep. Instead, I fanned out my skirts and plopped comfortably onto the edge, letting out a deep sigh of exhaustion.
Amelia was kind enough to pour a pitcher of water into the wash basin. "It was a long day, Marienne. How are you feeling? Do you need some time, or can I tell Victor he will see you at dinner tonight?" When I looked up at her quizzically, she shook her head. "He will ask, Marienne. Just like me, he never tires of your presence." Her smile was warm and comforting. It eased the bindings around my heart, just a little.
"I...yes, I think I can manage dinner. Just, maybe no wine this evening. Not that I don't enjoy it, I have enough on my mind now as it is, I'd rather not face tomorrow muddle-headed." I smiled inwardly, remembering the last dinner invitation that had been extended to me. So much had changed in that small stretch of time. And in the past two weeks, an entire lifetime had passed, then been mourned. Though I couldn't be sure if the mourning would ever be truly done.
