Ascendant

Chapter Three

A/N: A LOT goes down in this chapter! Super excited to share it with you. Is someone showing feelings for Mary? Could it be Lord Treveyan...or Sir Railings? And where is Mary's heart leaning....

I lay awake in bed trying not to think about anything. I missed the way my life was before my father's illness. I was carefree, always spending time running around the castle with Anna and acquiring the latest gossip about Scarlett's lovers and other relationships gone awry.

My guard knocked gently on the door. I lit the candle beside my bed,

"Yes?"

"Lord Treveyan for you, my lady," he said, opening the door and then shutting it behind William. I sat up in bed, admiring his rugged look in the dim candlelight. Something told me that words were not necessary. He walked to my bedside and pushed my shoulders down gently against my thick pillows.

"William," I whispered. He covered my lips softly with his fingers.

I watched his eyes as he breathed down my neck, his breath was hot on my ear and it made me shiver closer to him. I pulled on the thick leather of his armor to press his body to mine. My desire for him was almost aggressive. He brushed his lips against mine and was about to kiss me when his face distorted into Ben's in the darkness. I shouted in shock, pushing him off of me with all my might.

I sat straight up in the pitch blackness of my chambers, I was alone. It was a dream. My guard was peering in the door,

"Lady Mariette, are you alright?"

"It was only a dream," I replied, dazed. Only a dream...

Coronation day came swiftly. Anna dressed me in my gray dress so I would not stand out next to Scarlett on this special day. Many nobles from our country had come to witness Scarlett's coronation and the halls were filled with people. I absolutely loved it. I greeted various nobles I knew from my childhood, welcoming them back to the castle. I hoped that Scarlett would want to have more people in court.

I sat, playing with the tips of my hair, watching all of the people interact. I turned my head down the hallway toward the dining room just as William emerged, wiping a stain of wine from his lips,

"Ah, good morning my lady Delaron," he said, sitting next to me. His closeness distracted me from my anxiety surrounding Scarlett's new reign. I could faintly smell vanilla on him. He rested his elbows on his knees and followed my eyes to a group of nobles,

"A lot of nobles seem happy to see your sister take the throne."

"They know she seeks more power and land for Roma," I said as the crowd of noblemen began laughing among themselves. They seemed so carefree. I felt envious.

"I heard a rumor that the King of Arenya is courting her," William said, tilting his head toward me.

"That rumor is true," I said, trying to ignore the intensity of his cloudy gaze.

"The King is a power-hungry man. She should be careful around him. Especially since Roma has a history of war with his country," He said, more quietly. I looked at him, finally meeting his eyes. I took a moment to catch my breath before speaking,

"He should be careful around her." I did not underestimate my sister's lust for power, "She longs for more land and Arenya, or Bethan, would be great conquests for her." Arenya had more land, but Bethan's soldiers were better trained than those of Roma or Arenya.

"You will soon be King of Bethan, will you not?" I asked William. He sat straight up again, leaning against the damp brick wall,

"Soon," he said, "But I have no great desire for more land or power. I am here to create a stronger alliance between our countries. We share the same enemies. My father thinks of Scarlett as a conquest, an asset." He was staring up into the ceiling; obviously more was going through his mind than he was letting on.