Lady Unlike Any

21. Revelation

"Sometimes, God doesn't send you into a battle to win it; he sends you to end it."―Shannon L. Alder

When lovers part they disappear into nothingness or the world sees the reckoning like never before. They can choose to numb themselves or they can turn everything in them to courage. William and Kate choose the latter. Both of their battlefields were vastly different, Kate was standing in front of her parents while William was in front of all his party member but for both of them, everything was at the stake.

Kate has always been loved by her parents immensely. Even though she was rebellious and defied the norms she had never gone against her parents. Apart from her situation of being unmarried her parents have never been disappointed in her.

She has never been hesitant before. But here she was standing in front of her parents who have never said no to her for anything. As far as she remembers she has always been crass and uncultured never been the noble lady she should have been but her parents never uttered a word in reprimand. Her parents let her do whatever she wanted, she was free as a bird.

She almost took a step back and walk back the way she came. Her courage wavered in front of the family who has given her nothing but love and acceptance. It was so difficult to stand against the people who have never done anything wrong.

They never asked her to marry Lord Adams either. It was her foolishness that Lord Adam caught her snooping and meeting William in secret. He merely blackmailed her parents and still, they didn't ask her of anything. If she wouldn't have accepted Lord Adam's proposal of marriage her parents would have taken care of things differently.

Kate could only remember all the wrong things she had done. The guilt trying to swallow her completely. If she stands against her parents now wouldn't she be the worst daughter ever? Is this how she was going to repay them for loving her unconditionally? Kate couldn't bring herself to do it. She rather suffers all her life than stand against her parents.

"Kathy," Her father's worried voice reached her ears. His hand rubbed her shoulder calming her.

"What is the matter, my darling daughter?" He asked, sitting beside his wife in front of his troubled daughter.

"I have something to ask both of you," She asked hesitantly.

"Darling," Her mother said to her father, "Are you certain this is our daughter?"

"Mother," She whined making both of her parents chuckle. The air wasn't stifling anymore and Kate felt at ease.

"What if someone has never done anything wrong but what seemed right to them didn't harm anyone till now," She tried to frame her question as she spoke for she never was the one to think beforehand.

"Is it harming someone now?" Her father asked.

"I am not certain but it feels wrong," She said.

"If it feels wrong then there is always a possibility that certain thing is wrong and they should explore more on it. It is always better to gather knowledge and even then if against everything your gut says it is wrong then sometimes it is good to trust your own gut rather than all the knowledge in the world," Her father explained.

"Father," Kate said assured by her father's words, "Who is the heir to our Duchy?"

The twitch in her parent's face was enough for her to know her worst nightmare was true.

"You know it, darling," Her mother said, "Why such a sudden question?"

"Did you promise Lord Adams our duchy?" She asked bravely.

"Darling," Her mother said worriedly.

"Yes," Her father answered, "We don't have much choice left. He has more than enough to destroy every bit of honour our ancestors have worked for over years."

"I am sorry," Kate said her head down.

"It is not your fault. We have been too lenient with you but we couldn't have been stricter even if we tried," He sighed.

"You can't give our duchy to Lord Adams," She pleased.

"It is for your own good now that you are to be married," Her mother said, "Your children will inherit the duchy in the future."

"Why can't I inherit the duchy?" She asked eagerly.

"What do you mean?" Her father asked sceptically.

"Lord Adams wants the Duchy of Liverpool. If I inherit the duchy won't that fulfil the purpose once we are married?" She asked.

"That is ridiculous," Her mother said, "You cannot inherit the duchy, darling. You are not a lord. The law doesn't allow a lady to own a property."

"I thought you would take a stand for your cousin to inherit the duchy rather than your fiance. Who put the notion in your head that you can?" Her father asked.

"You only had one daughter why didn't you ever think of using your power to introduce a bill that can allow your daughter your only heir to inherit what was rightfully hers?" She asked frustrated.

"Kathalina," Her mother said sternly, "Is this how you speak to your father?"

"Kathy, what is wrong with you?" Her father asked worriedly, "You never showed any interest in the duchy before."

"I was a child, and I was naive and foolish," She whispered, "How would I have known I wouldn't be so carefree all my life? Did you not think it was important to teach me the ways of the world even though as a girl I was simply married off to someone? Would you have cared more that I should grow up if I was a man?"

Kathalina felt defeated. The study had gone eerily silent. Tears prickled her eyes and she stood up and left without daring to glance at her parent's faces. Did she cross the line? Maybe she should go back and apologize?

"William Kentshire," Her father voice reached her halting her steps at the door, "He is the one who filled your head with this garbage, didn't he?"

"He has nothing to do with this, father," Kate rebuked, "And would that be so bad? For him to make me realize I should be worried about my future, my parents, my duchy, my people. To make me think I could be something more, something different."

As the word spill out of her, she realized he was the one who believed in her even when she didn't.

"For goodness sake, he is the reason everything is a bloody mess," Her mother commented.

"It is not, mother," Kate whispered, "I was the one who acted foolishly but I do not regret it. I do wish some things would be different but..."

"Do you fancy him?" Her father asked boldly.

Kate's head whipped up to her father. She couldn't believe what her father asked her. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. A flicker of hope was born, would he, maybe he would, no no, would there be the slightest hope if she fancies him, there could be a way for them to be together. For every star in heaven knows she wanted to be with him and every second without him was a slow death.

Her parents looked at each other and when they looked back at her with words more dangerous than poison that she wished she would have ceased to exist completely.

"William Kentshire was the one who paid the agent in the Ledger to publish your Library escapade," Her father said coldly.

"N-no," Kate whimpered.

"You think I would have simply agreed to Lord Adams because he found you with William Kenthsire in the parliament," Her father said, "I accepted his condition because I needed to stop him from investigating further. If he ever finds out William Kentshire was the one who started all this, he would drag your name with him through the mud and we would have lost everything."

"I rather have you marry Lord Adams than linked with that Kentshire."

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