The sll of moisture was so familiar and the young duchess grimaced at that being the first thing she slled as she woke up from her deep slumber.
Her head was pounding and she could hardly rember what happened until she tried to move and the world spun around her.
With a gasp, she realized she was devoid of most of her mana. It was a feeling she was barely familiar with. After all, the only ti she felt quite so bad was after healing Desmond against his will when he was hurt while proving his worth through a sword match.
It hurt her head to move but, as she turned, she was enveloped in a scent that was more familiar to her and less petrifying. It was the scent of the love of her life. She would recognize it anywhere.
"D-Desmond," she whispered.
A lump ford in her throat. She couldn’t see him but she knew who it was. The tal left her wrist and she realized she was finally getting out of there.
In such a dark place, ti didn’t seem to exist. It was the sa as the last ti she was imprisoned there. Occasionally she was brought food but the last ti went untouched. They didn’t give her enough to restore her mana and Eve hadn’t appeared to help her.
She realized black magic was truly not sothing to test. A mage was no match if they were caught by surprise like that. Considering she had been in that environnt for days before discovering what was going on, there was no doubt the black magic in the place had already eaten away at her mana and weakened her.
When she told Stephano she would be safe at her father’s house, she thought she had nothing to worry about. The fact that there was black magic there felt like such an impossibility.
"Black magic," she whispered shakily to Desmond, hoping he could hear what she said and act accordingly.
The rushing thoughts made Leonor weep into Desmond’s chest as he covered her with his cloak and wrapped her against him. Shortly after, Leonor fell asleep again. She was feeling unbelievably weak. Every ti Desmond stepped with her in his arms, her head ached.
The Duke didn’t know what she had been through but it was taking every ounce of his self-control not to slash down every person in Burien Manor.
At tis, Desmond felt like he was missing out on a great deal because he didn’t have a family before he was married. Yet he was discovering that it was more fuss than it was worth. So families didn’t have love. It wasn’t automatic.
Seeing Duke de Montclair carrying his practically lifeless wife up the stairs, the guards imdiately were on guard.
"Take that woman into custody," he ordered, referring to Anna. "She has hard what is mine for the last ti. Soone ought to watch her father until he wakes up as well. He is at fault until he can prove his innocence."
"Your Grace, how could you!?" Anna scread.
However, Desmond interrupted her, speaking over her from the mont she addressed him by his title. His throat beca ragged at only a few words but he forced out the words with such venom it shut everyone witnessing the mont up.
"This is an attack on Montclair!" Desmond shouted in response, but then he had to speak more quietly yet equally as frighteningly. "I will see to it that my wife sees justice and you never see the light of day again. Keep in mind my relationship with His Majesty. If you were a smart girl, you would have been more cautious like your father considering all of the powerful n on Leonor’s side."
The Duke had no ti to address Leonor’s worthless sister with respect or much more acknowledgnt than that. He was walking away as he spoke, his long strides carrying him away quickly.
He needed to get Leonor sowhere safe where a healer could help her. Her skin was whiter than when he woke up to her on the floor after healing him. It wasn’t as if her healing mana was drained but all of it. He had nothing to verify that train of thought but it was theory based on how unresponsive she was.
He found relief knowing she was able to say his na, but he could tell she had lost consciousness again.
Desmond cursed under his breath. This world was so cruel to his wife who never deserved an ounce of the bad deeds done towards her.
Even though he was stern on the outside, he was in a complete and total panic over the state of his wife. If soone put a hand on him, they would realize he was trembling. If he was in a more private place, he might shed a tear over the worry that was compounding in his heart due to his wife. He wanted to shout about how unfair all of it was.
Since he no longer wore his cloak as it ward up his wife’s body, Desmond’s head was bare for the world to see. His petrifying appearance struck the hearts of anyone watching. The maids who were shivering like beaten dogs only got worse as he slowly walked by.
"Get a stablehand to lend a horse," Desmond ordered. "Then I suggest you all find other work. This place will be uninhabitable by the ti I’m done with it."
Desmond carried his wife out the front door where he walked around to the side of the large building. That was there they would likely bring a horse.
He promptly sat down on one of the stone benches outside between shrubs that were devoid of green foliage since it was still cold outside.
He wrapped Leonor even tighter in the cloak lined with fur so that only her pale face was visible to him. Obsessively, he began to stroke her cheek as he stared down at her with such anguish in his expression.
"Please, Leonor," he whispered. "I was able to get through so much for you. Do the sa for ."
The Duke knew that his requests were selfish but he wouldn’t be able to go forward without Leonor. She was the only thing tethering him to that life. If it weren’t for her, he didn’t think he would have made it that far.
His pleas beca silent and he had to clench his jaw so he would stop talking. His next words might bring forth tears.
At that mont, he needed to keep his head so he could ride to safety.
Hoping she would stay warm, Desmond held her to his chest. She was so unbelievably cold even when she was awake.
Not expecting another soul to bother him until they presented a horse he could ride into the township, Desmond reached for his sword when he heard soone approaching.
With a ruby eye wide as he got ready to attack whoever else decided to test him that day, he was in disbelief when he saw King Stephano approaching him quickly with a horrified expression on his face.
"Is she alive?" Stephano asked, his voice wavering. "There is so much dark magic. I can’t even step foot through the front doors."
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