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...
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I felt relief wash over me in a wave when the door to my chambers clicked shut behind Victor. I knew the door itself wouldn't be much of a deterrent, but Victor's presence was stronger than any lock. I started undoing the ties of my dress, eager to be in something more comfortable, to take the moment to unwind and just breathe.
Victor seemed to be in a similar mood. He shrugged out of his jacket, then flopped onto the left side of the bed. He lay sprawled, staring up at the ceiling. "Now, that was a dinner I'd rather have never had." He murmured, arm flung across his face.
"What I want to know is why she felt the need to come here." I muttered, turning my back to him, and wriggling my way out of my corset. The night was descending upon us, and the summer heat was quick to give way to the evening's chill. I longed to crawl into bed, but my hair needed attention first. Sitting down at the mirror, I started the process of taking down Amelia's intricate work and brushing out my hair.
Victor rolled up from the bed and strolled over to my chair, standing behind it, his hands resting on the low arms of the chair, causing him to lean over me and meet my eyes in the mirror. "How much did Amelia tell you before dinner?" I stopped what I was doing, letting my hands still in my lap, unsure how much he would feel comfortable with me knowing. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Whatever you want explained, I'm more than happy to. Valentina is a part of my past that I take no pride in."
I suppressed down the bile that rose alongside my jealousy. There were many questions I could ask, but none of them would be productive, nor tell me anything I wanted to know. "How long has it been since she left?" My voice wavered, my resolve threatening to break. Today had been rife with enough emotional strain already. I refused to create any unnecessary upset.
"A little over a year, perhaps approaching two. More specifically, I couldn't say. But it was before I started dealing with the recent issues I've been facing. The main reason I remember is I couldn't imagine things going more sour than that. First, I chase my lover out of my home, then a village near my vineyards goes up in flames. And then again, and then seven times after that. Yours, of course, being the eighth, and the last." He rose up, brushing his fingers through his hair, shaking his already loose and wild locks into further disarray. I felt a smile try and tick up the corners of my mouth. He never felt more approachable than when he let his polished facade fall back, and the man within sidle forth.
I continued brushing my hair, lost in thought for a moment. He seemed content to let the silence reign over the room. Finally, once I was more settled and comfortable, I slipped out of my seat in front of the mirror and sat beside him on the bed. He sat still as stone, not a single breath moving his body. It was alarming, how still he could be. I rested a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention, and his eyes flicked up to meet mine.
"Why did you make her leave, Victor? Didn't you-" I took a deep breath, steeling myself to accept whatever answer he would give me. If I were to be able to move forth in this courtship, then I was going to have to accept his reasons for being in-and leaving-a previous engagement. "If you loved her, then why would you send her away?"
