1705. Luck had never been on Eleanora Finley's side. After her father died in a tragic fire, she was left at the mercy of her domineering and abusive mother, being deprived of all love and affection.
Truly, who would have thought that the simple red...
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1711, Aethiel Palace, Kestramore City
That day, the Grand Duke had left early in the morning and returned late at night. No one knew where he had gone, and the maidservants who came in with his breakfast found nothing but an empty bed. He left no note, but his absence was felt throughout the palace, as he rarely left before.
The Grand Duke had simply vanished, taking no servants with him. But ultimately, they knew that he was fine, wherever he was. After all, Nicholas was a battle-hardened general, who could easily paint the sky red with the blood of his enemies. No mortal would dare to challenge him to a fight.
His disappearance did cause some concern, however.
"Why had the Grand Duke left so suddenly? Is there trouble at the border?" a maid had asked.
"Perhaps the Amarisians have invaded! Otherwise, why would he leave without warning? He must've been in such a rush, to the point where he forgot to leave a note!" another servant added.
For everyone's sake, perhaps it is good that they were simply overthinking. There were no Amarisian soldiers infiltrating the northern border, and the Grand Duke, in fact, had not even left the capital city.
In the entire kingdom of Ravaeryn, there were hundreds of jewellers who are masters of their craft, but none of them could hold a candle to Master Pierce of La Lumieré Atelier in Kestramore City. Thomasin Pierce was a masterful man, and had a reputation for being able to create anything he wanted to. His work was unmatched and unrivalled, and most people thought him to be the greatest craftsman in all of Ravaeryn.
All day long, young ladies would flock to the atelier, feasting their eyes on the beautiful jewels on display, hoping that they might someday become the lucky owners of Master Pierce's creations. But alas, each time, the young ladies would come back from the atelier empty-handed, and the girls would look at each other and exchange sombre smiles.
This afternoon was no different.
"I want to try on this one," the young lady in a pink taffeta gown said, pointing her finger at a delicate ruby necklace in the display case. The necklace was encrusted with tiny rubies, diamonds, and pink pearls. It looked like something out of a fairytale, and the young lady sighed dreamily when she thought about how wonderful it would look on her neck.
The shopkeeper nodded. "Certainly, madam."
He lifted the necklace off the display stand and placed it in front of the young woman. She reached out and gently picked it up by its chain, admiring the sparkly stone from every angle. As she placed the necklace by her throat, she admired her reflection in the bronze mirror, smiling proudly when she saw the lovely gems glittering brightly against her skin.
"Ah, it is perfect! Tell me, how much for this necklace?" she asked haughtily.
A shrewd smile grew on the shopkeeper's face. "Will you please hand me the necklace, madam?"
