Binding Fate: Betrothed to the Otherworldly Duke

Chapter 19: Lingering Doubts of the Past

Theo's gaze lingered on me, his sandy brows arching in silent critique as the echo of Mara's departure still hung in the air. The room was thick with unspoken tension, and I found myself rooted to the spot, my eyes still fixed on the door she had just walked through long after it had closed behind her.

"Lost in thought, or merely lost?" Theo quipped, his tone light but tinged with curiosity. His light green eyes glinted with a knowing look, a testament to the years he had spent reading the subtle nuances of my moods.

I blinked, shaking off the invisible chains that had held me captive. "It's her, Theo. She's the girl I've been searching for," I said, the realization still sending waves of disbelief through me.

Theo's initial confusion spread across his features like a crack forming on the surface of a frozen pond. "Are you certain?" His voice dropped to a whisper, laced with the shock that clung to him like a shadow.

Without a word, I reached into the inner pocket of my jacket and withdrew the ornate locket I had carried for years. I snapped it open with a flick of my thumb, revealing two small photographs nestled within the velvet interior. The images were faded with age, but the resemblance was unmistakable: one was of me as a young boy, my silvery-white hair making that obvious, and the other was of a young girl with the same dark hair and striking features as the woman who had just left the room.

"She is this little girl," I affirmed, the intensity of my silver-gray eyes betraying the calm facade I tried to maintain.

"Why didn't she recognize you?" Theo asked, voicing the question that had been gnawing at the edges of my mind since the moment I had seen her.

"I don't know," I admitted, a note of sadness creeping into my voice.

I closed the locket and held it close to my chest, feeling the cool metal press against my skin. It had been fifteen years since I last saw her, and now, after all this time, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her. What had she been through? Where had she been? My mind spun with questions, each one more desperate than the last. But before I could let myself drown in those thoughts, Theo's voice cut through, calm and steady.

"What if it isn't her, Your Grace?" he asked, his tone betraying none of the dread that gripped my heart.

I didn't want to consider that possibility. Not yet. I needed to hold onto the hope that it was really her. After all these years, I'd finally found her. I turned to Theo, ready to brush off his doubt, but when I looked at him, I saw something I hadn't expected: concern. Theo, usually so composed, actually looked troubled.

"Speak, Theo," I ordered, my voice a little sharper than intended.

Theo sighed as if hesitant to voice what was on his mind. "The reports I've received about the Xoltecans in Aeloria... they describe a certain appearance. What if she's one of them, Your Grace? Isn't it possible that she looks like the one you're searching for?"

His words made my blood boil. My glare was so intense that it silenced him immediately. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to respond calmly even though I was anything but. "It's her, Theo. I know it."

But even as I said the words, I could see the doubt lingering in his eyes. He wasn't entirely convinced, and maybe, deep down, neither was I.

*

As I approached the towering doors, intricately carved with blooming roses and entwined ivy, my breath caught in my throat. When the doors swung open, I was immediately struck by the sheer luxury that greeted me, which was starkly different from what I had seen so far in the mansion.

The room was nothing short of magnificent. A four-poster bed, massive enough to dwarf my entire apartment back home, dominated the space. Its posts soared toward the frescoed ceiling, while velvet curtains, as deep and rich as the midnight sky, were draped over large windows that took up an entire wall. Overhead, a chandelier glittered, its crystals catching the light and scattering rainbows across the chamber.