"My final letters, were they read? Or were they written in vain?"
Although born in France, Juliette Villeneuve often spent her childhood summers in London. With the passing of each summer, her adoration for a certain Bridgerton boy grew. During thei...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THAT NIGHT, A YOUNG MAIDEN LAY BENEATH THE MOON, victim to a night of restless sleep. Selene's beauty, the goddess of the moon, seeped through the bedroom window, kissing the woman's skin with moonlight. Juliette Eléonore Villeneuve, with the soft linen sheets strewn carelessly across her body, tossed and turned in her sleep. The sky held a constellation of brightly shining stars, outshone by the moon. The turmoils of her heart and mind went unnoticed by the world, for the universe was grand and Juliette was a mere speck. She was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
As the night went on, Juliette was cursed by Hypnos himself. From the moment the sun surpassed the horizon, allowing inky darkness to shroud the sky, to the moment the blazing sun arose once again, bearing a beautiful sunrise, Juliette was subjected to a night of restless sleep. From her cursed movements throughout the night, her white nightdress was twisted around her body and hiked above the knees. Throughout the night, she could not get comfortable, nor did she feel like she slept at all. Perhaps, she was punished by the gods for her recent sins — meddling and theft were a sin, weren't they? Or, perhaps, the constant fidgeting movements were a mere result of the turmoil plaguing her soul?
The intricate and troubling words of her father's letter, the letter for Anthony's gaze, became etched into the forefront of every thought and ached every beat of her heart.
Her parents took her love away.
Due to her parent's demands, Juliette despised the man she loved most.
If not for them, Juliette may have led a different life at that very moment.
Every so often, Juliette would awake from her restless sleep. When she did, she would release a shaky breath and stare at the plain ceiling above her. Then she thought. She thought of all that was troubling her which may be considered a curse itself. The things plaguing her mind caused pain to further blossom in the confines of her chest. Whilst her heart ached, her brain was victim to a throbbing headache. She attempted to ignore the letter and its implications to lull herself back to the land of dreams. However, the attempt was in vain. From where the letter rested on the mantle of her fireplace, it bore into her soul. Even across the room, where no moonlight hit it, she knew it was there and it felt as if it was staring at her. Unease stirred in her stomach and clouded her judgements.
So, when the moon began to dip in the sky, preparing for the sun to surpass the horizon, Juliette pushed herself out of bed. As she stood, the once twisted night dress straightened out and fell to her ankles once again.
The floorboards creaked under her weight as she approached the fireplace. The wood was cold against her bare feet and caused a chill to creep up her spine.
With hesitance, Juliette plucked the letter from the mantle.
She read the letter, attempting to find any reasoning behind her father's words. Why did her father demand Anthony to cease his letters? Why did he insist on halting their love? Why did her mother wish such things?
