Lizzie of the North (Yrsoreth Chronicles 2)

30 ◦✿◦ Lizzie in Orange

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ

It is not that she had boxed people's occupations based on their appearances. But the man who had golden hair and eyes as vivid as red moons was definitely not a knight. She'd bet her neck that this man was an aristocrat.

He was too refined, both actions and appearance. Of course, there was her knight Leendil who had a rather uncanny feminine frame, but he was rare of the rare.

Though this man's beauty was like the gentle day, and Devanti was like the gloomy, mysterious night, in Lizzie's eyes, they were both cunning creatures. She had guessed the two men were almost the same age too.

My Papa is more handsome tho, she thought in her head.

"You must be hungry," he said, his hands extended to the appetizing food on the table.

"Papa said do not talk to strangers or take their food." The once generic warning the duke reminded had become a reality, and Lizzie was torn between hitting herself for her carelessness or hitting the man for making all the warning come true.

"Stranger?" The man asked, who was rather amused and pointed to himself. "Me?"He chuckled. "I see, I'm a stranger. I guess the rumors about the Norvillon's little miss weren't exaggerating. You are extraordinary one way or another."

How outrageous were the rumors about her that the maids even filter them? Lizzie gripped the hem of her skirt. In Red's story, was an abduction supposed to happen? But considering the changes in the original timeline, asking for such occurrences doesn't matter anymore.

She feared for the servants and the knights who accompanied her, waiting for the duke's rage. After everything, she was confident that Devanti treasures her in a way only he could explain.

"Are you going to kill Lizzie?" she asked.

The man lost humor by her question but did not say anything. He studied Lizzie, and she studied him as well. One of the things that stay with the Norvillon's and Ana's lesson, was that the eyes must be conquered first.

Look at them dead in the eyes Lizzie, Anna had told her before.

But the longer she stared, the more the man became familiar, although she could not say who, now rolling at the tip of her tongue.

The man cocked his head, only then, he answered "Do you want me to kill you?"

"Do you want to?" she flung the question back.

"Well, that would be an interesting development."

He stretched his hand, conquering the space, above the steam of the soup. Lizzie flinched and closed her eyes, only to feel the man's hand patting her head. She slapped it away. There were a few people who could mess her hair, this stranger isn't one of them.

A knock interrupted them and a very familiar face entered the room. The newly fugitive ex-Marquis Davitt, entered.

"It is time Y- Sire."

The once a little thread of hope that she'd survive and that the sunny man was not an enemy, all vanished. If Marquis Davitt was part of this, then her neck would actually roll. Either she will be used as a bargaining chip to the duke and be killed after, or she'll be killed first then her corpse be sent to the duke for revenge.

"Good evening, my lady," the marquis greeted. His usual voice when he greeted her back in the mansion, now had open hostility.

Unlike the black monsters of the forest who had their instinct as motivation and nothing else, humans are far more difficult monsters.