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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1715, Lovett Household, The Town of Lynchens
"Nora? Are you awake, sweetheart?" she heard Madame Lovett say, her voice echoing hollowly in her head. "Come here Barty, Nora is awake!"
She blinked her eyes open, and the first thing she saw was the low wooden ceilings of her bedroom, where she had painted motifs of the sun. The fireplace crackled in the corner, and the soft scent of sandalwood permeated the entire room.
"You've awakened, my dear Nora," Madame Lovett said as she stroked her cheeks gently, her tone full of relief. "Are you hungry, sweetheart? I have some stew in the kitchen if you'd like some."
Eleanora shook her head as she pushed away her blanket and sat up. "Mother, where is Nicholas?"
Madame Lovett froze, her dark eyes losing their shine in almost an instant. "You must eat first, Nora. I will tell you later-"
"I want to know now, Mother," Eleanora interjected, her face full of worry. "He.. he was stabbed, wasn't he? Is he alright now?"
"I do not know, Nora," she whispered weakly. "They say that the sword struck him just below the heart, and if it had been aimed just a little higher, he would have died instantly. Still, he lost so much blood, Nora. By the time he emerged from the lake, the waters had turned red."
"What do you mean by that?"
Madame Lovett reached for Eleanora's hand, squeezing it tightly. "He leapt into the water after you, Nora. Even after being wounded, he still went after you."
"He.. he did?" Eleanora stammered, her voice trembling as a sob made its way up her throat.
"He did. You should've seen your clothes, Nora. They were soaked red with his blood. He carried you all the way back here, and after he handed you to us, he collapsed. We haven't heard from the castle since."
"No word at all?" she asked, barely able to utter it out loud.
"None."
Eleanora could feel the tears burning behind her eyes, her throat tightening so hard she could hardly breathe. How long she sat there, staring blankly at the floor and unable to speak, she could not tell.
"He never really abandoned me, did he?" she suddenly murmured.
Madame Lovett pursed her lips together as she stared down at the ground, a look of sadness washing across her face. "There is something that you must know, Nora. He had instructed me to never tell you this, but I believe it is best that I tell you myself now."
She continued quietly, "After winning the war, the king had given him one wish. He could've asked for anything, lands, titles, wealth, but instead, he asked for your release. If he hadn't arrived in time to save you, you would have died in that prison cell, Nora. But even though you had lived through the ordeal, you were not the same person you once were. You pushed everyone away, screaming and kicking at the sight of people. It was as if you were possessed.
