A Deceptive Beauty

Chapter Seventeen *

*Twenty Seven Years Ago*

Marian was excited about meeting her betrothed for the first time, but at the same time, she felt nervous. She had never seen the duke before and hoped that he was a man near her age.

Her controlling mother came along with her to make sure everything went smoothly. She, on the other hand, wasn't as excited. She would've been more pleased if Marian had married the king, but since he was already engaged, the duke was the best choice. After all, the king and the duke were cousins.

Marian didn't care. As long as her husband was kind and loved her, she would be happy. She silently prayed for luck.

The carriage came to a stop, as did her heart. This was it. She was there.

Marian picked up her skirts and stepped out of the carriage, her mother right behind her. The servants opened the door for them and let them in. She wondered why the duke didn't answer the door himself.

Suddenly, a man ran around the corner, out of breath.

"Sorry I wasn't here to greet you right away. Please accept my apologies," he said, breathless.

Marian was breathless as well. The man in front of her might as well have been from a dream.

He stood tall and proudly. His eyes were a hazel-green, his hair was dark brown and unruly. She could imagine running her fingers through it.

Then she blushed, realizing how inappropriate her thoughts were.

"I'm Marian," she introduced herself, feeling a little self-conscious standing next to him.

"I'm Felix, Duke of Wysteria," he introduced back, smiling.

Marian held back a gasp. This gorgeous man was to be her husband? She would be extremely lucky if he was kind. Based on his friendly smile, he probably was.

"Let me show you around," Felix said, quickly gesturing for one of the servants to take her bags. Marian forced herself to keep calm while entering her new life.

~~~

Planning for her wedding was the most stressful thing Marian had to do. It was still four months until the wedding, but it was still busy work.
There was the reception, the music, the food, the dress, and all of the invites. There were so many other things to so but she was now just fussing over the reception.

When she had decided to plan the wedding personally, although she received help from other people, she didn't imagine the hard work that came along. At some points, she wanted to pull at her hair.

Everyone else seemed to notice her disorientation and go easy on her.
Felix entered the room and glanced at all of the papers everywhere.

"Marian," he sighed, walking over to her and taking her into his arms. "I think you need a break."

"I know," she leaned into him, enjoying the kiss he planted on her forehead. Then she tilted her face up to give him a kiss on the lips.

"Then let me help you," he said, getting up and holding her hand. Felix started to tug her along, away from all of the wedding preparation.

"Where are we going?" Marian asked, confused. She thought he was going to help her. Or maybe it was just to help her take a break.

"I want you to meet someone," he replied, heading to the study.

When they entered, Marian saw a handsome young man who looked quite similar to Felix. Similar frames and hair. The only difference was his eyes, which were grey. They could almost pass as brothers. But he looked so familiar...