Bound by Honor (Book 1 in the Legacy of Love Series)

Chapter 1: Echoes of War

Valcourt Castle stood like an ancient sentinel against the biting spring storm, its towering stone walls glistening under relentless rain. Lightning streaked across the darkened sky, illuminating the castle's looming battlements and casting a brief glow over the restless land below. In the highest tower, Lady Isolde de Valcourt pressed her forehead against the cold glass of the arched window, watching the heavens rage as fiercely as her own heart.

She traced her fingers along the rivulets of water that trailed down the glass, reflecting the turmoil within her. Below, faint murmurs drifted up from the great hall where her family and their closest advisors were gathered, discussing England's ominous moves across French lands. It was not the first of such talks, but tonight's meeting carried a heavier weight. An alliance was at stake—one meant to safeguard their lands but requiring a personal sacrifice Isolde could hardly bear.

Isolde's eyes drifted across the dark, tumultuous clouds that obscured the moon. The storm felt fitting, perfectly mirroring the chaos that had become her life ever since the Treaty of Troyes was signed. Five years ago, the treaty had promised peace, but at a steep cost: France's king, Charles VI, had been forced to disinherit his own son, the Dauphin Charles, declaring Henry V of England and his heirs the rightful successors to the French throne. Now, with King Henry's recent death, the fragile peace was more vulnerable than ever, and the English were more determined to cement their claims.

A soft knock broke her reverie, and before she could respond, Sir Lucien stepped quietly into the room. As one of her father's most trusted knights, Lucien had often served as her protector. But recently, his presence had stirred in her something deeper—a connection that went unspoken yet pulsed in every exchange of glances, every shared silence.

"My lady," Lucien greeted her, his deep voice a balm against the storm's rage. "Your father requests your presence."

Isolde turned, meeting his gaze, and for a moment, the sound of the rain seemed to vanish. Lucien's dark eyes held a warmth and intensity she had come to anticipate, a silent promise of understanding in a world that demanded her every choice be made for others. He was the one person she could share her doubts with—though words were rarely needed.

"Is it really necessary?" she asked, her tone a mixture of resignation and defiance. "They're planning my future without ever asking me what I want."

A flicker of empathy softened Lucien's gaze. "Even when we have little choice, our actions can still carry meaning, my lady."

Isolde managed a faint smile at his words, but her heart ached. "Is that what you believe, Lucien? That I can find meaning in a marriage to a man I've never met?"

Lucien's expression grew solemn, and he seemed to consider his next words carefully. "Duty can be a heavy burden, Isolde. But if it brings peace and protection to those you love... it is a burden worth bearing."

His words were gentle, yet Isolde detected the deeper emotion in his tone, as though he were speaking to himself as much as to her. She nodded, her heart tightening as she took one last glance at the storm-darkened landscape. Without another word, she followed Lucien down the winding staircase, his presence beside her a comfort she could not explain.

The great hall was thick with tension as her father, Duke Théodore de Valcourt, sat at the head of a long table surrounded by advisors and allies. The flickering torchlight accentuated the lines of worry on his face, lines etched deeper by years of conflict and sacrifice.

"Isolde," he beckoned, his voice softened by paternal affection as he gestured to the seat beside him. She took her place quietly, though her gaze swept the table, searching for answers in the grave expressions around her.