First life of Bernice Balliol Agnes
"Miss, why do you keep staring out of the window? Are you waiting for soone?" Nanny asked, causing a faint smile to appear on my face.
"No, Nanny! There’s no one I know, no one who cos to et . I’m just looking, hoping soone might co and befriend ," I replied, my smile tinged with a touch of sorrow.
"Oh, my dear, why do you always seem so sad? We are here for you. You have us, your little brother, and your father," Nanny reassured .
"Yes, I do, but Excalibur is always busy with his studies, and Father is occupied with his work. We only manage to et during breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and even those monts can be scarce due to their work," I replied, my voice tinged with lancholy.
"Don’t be sad, Lady!" Nanny said, pulling into a warm hug.
"Miss, the lord has requested your presence," a maid announced, entering the room.
"Father? Why? Is it urgent?" I inquired.
"I’m not sure, miss, but the North Duchess has arrived to et with the lord, and I overheard them discussing you. Your father has asked for you," she explained, leaving bewildered.
"The North Duchess? What brings her here, and what could I possibly have to do with her?" I muttered as Nanny selected a new outfit from the closet for to wear.
"But, Nanny, why the elaborate dress? I’m not in my pajamas. I’m already dressed well to et with guests. You needn’t go to so much trouble. They are rely visitors," I protested, trying to stop Nanny’s fuss.
"I understand, Lady, but she is a noblewoman, and you shouldn’t appear unkempt in front of her," Nanny insisted as she helped into the new attire. Other maids attended to my makeup and hair, leaving thoroughly baffled.
"Alright, now you are fully prepared," Nanny declared, and the maids led to the hall where my father and the North Duchess awaited.
As I walked closer, my feet grew sweaty, making uneasy. But I managed to reach the entrance of the hall, where my father noticed and signaled for to approach.
"Here, my daughter, Bernice Balliol," Father introduced to the Duchess, and I greeted her with a smile, although I couldn’t et her gaze directly.
"Greetings, North Duchess! I trust you are in good health," I spoke softly.
"Yes, my lady, I am quite well. But seeing your smile makes feel even better," she remarked, causing my cheeks to flush. This was the first ti a woman had evoked such feelings in . Nanny could say things like that, but beyond Nanny and the maids, all those around were n with whom I rarely conversed.
"It’s a pleasure, Duchess," I replied, smiling as I sipped from my tea.
"So, Marquis Kael, why don’t you ask your daughter why she has been brought here? I think the sooner she knows, the better. After all, it’s her decision," the Duchess made another puzzling statent.
"Oh, yes, even though I know my daughter will always respect my wishes, if you insist, I shall inquire," Father responded and turned to .
"What is it, Father? Is there so issue with the family?" I questioned.
"No, my daughter! There’s no issue within the family. The Duchess has co to request your hand in marriage for her son. She wishes to take you into their ho as their daughter-in-law, the new Duchess of Ablia," he disclosed, causing a whirlwind of emotions to surge within . Confusion, sadness, fear, anger, anxiety – I couldn’t discern what I was feeling anymore.
"But, I don’t think I’m fit for the position," I stamred, my anxiety peaking.
"It’s okay, my lady. No one is born perfectly suited for such a role. Everyone begins as a novice and learns along the way," the duchess reassured .
I glanced at my father, who bead with happiness, making it nearly impossible for to decline the proposal. With a shaky voice, I finally agreed. As I left the room, my hands were cold and clammy, my feet trembling. I managed to maintain my composure until I reached my room, with Nanny following closely behind.
"What’s the matter, my lady? Why are you perspiring like this?" Nanny inquired, gently wiping the sweat from my brow.
"Nanny, they want to beco the new North Duchess," I confessed. I observed the profound shift in Nanny’s expression; her face contorted with fear, which in turn filled with dread.
"No, my lady! This is a grave mistake. You must not marry into that family. They are far from ordinary. The duchess’s son is a monster. Have you not heard the reports about him? He slaughters his foes like a butcher. You cannot be with him. I shall hasten to speak with your father. This marriage must be stopped," she implored, panic evident in her voice, before rushing to my father’s office. I recalled the stories I’d heard about Alexavier Agnes, notorious as the "Monster of the Battlefield."
I couldn’t help but follow Nanny as she entered my father’s office, hiding just out of sight to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Lord, I have sothing important to discuss," Nanny began, despite her trepidation.
"Proceed," my father granted.
"Lord, you must halt this marriage. That man is entirely unsuitable for our lady," she said, her voice growing sowhat forceful.
"What? Say that again!" My father’s anger flared.
"Lord, I apologize for raising my voice, but I am deeply concerned for our lady. She should not wed that monster. Our lady is delicate and tender, while he is a monster. He has been rumored to kill even enemy won on the battlefield. What’s to stop him from harming his own wife if she makes the slightest mistake?" Nanny passionately argued.
"I have taken this into consideration. But I believe this won’t happen. The duchess has given her word," my father countered.
"No, Lord, I implore you, please reconsider. It is our lady’s future at stake. If anything were to go wrong, we might never see her again," Nanny pleaded.
"Enough! I have made my decision. I know what is best for her," my father declared firmly, leaving Nanny with no further recourse.
Nanny erged from the room and found waiting anxiously outside.
"I’m sorry, my lady. I couldn’t stop it," she confessed, tears welling up in her eyes, and I couldn’t help but feel even worse.
"It’s alright, Nanny. I will find a way to endure this," I assured her, offering a feeble smile as she embraced .
As the wedding preparations were in full swing, I remained secluded in my room. I was kept in the dark about the proceedings, the progress, and the visitors who ca and went. They had no intention of granting my wishes. It wasn’t until the approaching wedding day that the maids ca to assist in donning my wedding attire. Nanny, on the other hand, kept her distance, unable to bear the thought of aiding on this perilous journey, a sentint I comprehended all too well.
"Lady, it’s ti," a maid announced, guiding outside, where Father stood in his formal attire, his usual stern countenance casting an intimidating shadow. The maid placed my hand in Father’s, and together, we proceeded to the wedding hall. There, a hushed crowd had gathered, their murmurs indistinct to my ears. It wasn’t until my gaze settled on the groom, my imminent husband, that I felt a wave of disappointnt. He didn’t even spare a glance in my direction, leaving disheartened.
I drew nearer to him, and Father transferred my hand into his. The sensation was strange, unlike any I had ever experienced. I raised my head to et his gaze, and I found myself lost in his midnight-blue eyes, as if I were drowning in their depths.
"Do you take Bernice Balliol, the daughter of Marquis Kael Balliol, to be your wife?" the officiant inquired.
"Yes, I do," he responded, his voice devoid of warmth, as though he were a mortician.
"Do you take Duke Alexavier Agnes as your husband?" the officiant turned to .
"I do," I replied.
"By the power vested in , I now pronounce you legally wedded husband and wife," the officiant proclaid. With this pronouncent, he lifted my veil and placed his hand on my neck, causing a peculiar sensation to course through . Confused, I closed my eyes. Then, I felt his lips on mine, and I abruptly opened my eyes wide in embarrassnt.
My first kiss had occurred in this unconventional manner.
Applause rang in my ears, but my new husband, Alexavier Agnes, remained expressionless, seemingly untouched by the mont. "I am your wife now, and we have just been married. You kissed in front of everyone. Can’t you show so emotion?" I silently pondered, but his countenance remained unchanged, validating Nanny’s claims of him being the monstrous duke of the battlefield.
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