2024 Story Collection

Giving The Villain a Second Chance III

"I have invited you here to officially announce my marriage to Ms. Lena Forthwrite." Eric announces.

The room goes silent. Only after Douglas walks up giving his congratulations, do the others follow, hesitantly.

It was awkward, most people avoided Eric as much as possible as they gave us thier fake congratulations.

The rumor of that curse must have spread already.

He didn't show it, but she knew their behavior affected him. So, as they avoided him, she stepped closer to him.

At one point he stepped away from her, most likely to give her space, but she didn't want space, she wanted him. She wanted to prove to him that she didn't care about the rumors, so she looped her left arm through his arm, resting her right hand over her left.

He'd looked down at her in confusion, to which she gave him a warm smile.

Somehow they made it through the evening. Douglas offered to see off their guests to which they gladly accepted.

Eric had left her side to go talk to a maid.

Alone in the empty hall, she felt suddenly overwhelmed, her mind filled with so many thoughts she couldn't even begin to sort through her thoughts, so she walked out the doors into the palace gardens.

The descriptions in the books of these very gardens were nothing compared to walking through the real thing. They were beautiful, yes, but they were also so filled with life it was like a whole ecosystem of its own. There were birds chirping, squirrels running from tree to tree, ladybugs, bees and butterflies went from flower to flower. It was so peaceful and so inspiring. She wanted nothing more than to fill a journal with sketches of all these things.

As she walked past the rows of flowers, trees and groomed bushes, she notices a small gazebo. It was white and gold, with a small table and chairs. She pulled up her skirts and stepped out onto the grass, making her way over to it.

"I leave you for a moment and you run off the first chance you get," Eric says. She turns and looks at Eric with a wide smile.

"I'm so glad you're here," she spins around, enjoying the bright blue sky and the lovely gardens around her. "Isn't it a beautiful day?"

She seems to catch him off guard. "Yes, it is-"

"Will you join me over here for a while-if you don't mind?" she asks, biting her lip in anticipation.

"I-me?" he asks, confused.

"Well, who else?" she walks over to the man, lifting her skirts just high enough so they aren't dragging on the grass. "Your my fiance. Who else would I want to spend my time with?"

She grabs his hand and leads him to the small gazebo.

"Oh, chess," she says, noticing only now that the table is actually a marble chessboard, the pieces already setup for a game. "Would you like to play a game with me?"

"You know how to play?" he asks with a raised brow. He pulls out her chair for her.

"Its been a long time, but yes. At one time I was quite good," she says as she takes a seat. He joins her across the table.

The last time she'd played a game was in highschool. She won the statewide competition. Her grandmother had taught her how to play and they often sit down for a game together in the afternoons. It was one of the few times they spent time together after what happened.

"There is much I don't know about you," he says. "Should I be worried about what I'd learn?" he asks, moving a pawn to the right side of the board.

"Absolutely," she says. "I have a whole other lifetime of secrets." She moves a pawn to the center of the board.

"I never expected you to be so," he pauses, as if searching for the word. He moves another piece, batting her pawn, not seeing the compromised position he put himself in and she takes advantage of his distracted state.

"Checkmate." she says, moving her queen to diagonally threaten his king.

He looks down at the board and sure enough, her queen had his king pinned. He can do nothing.

"You are quite dangerous," he says, looking up at her with a smirk.

"Thank you," she smiles with a blush. "Though I prefer lethal."

"I don't know if you're joking or not," he says, leaning back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I've been wronged more times than I care to remember. At this point, I wouldn't put it past myself that I'd be capable of such things. Does that bother you? That you are to marry someone capable of such things?"

"Maybe it should," he ponders. "But for some reason, it puts me at lease. Your words strike a chord within me. I wish to know more about you."

"Maybe one day I'll tell you," she says, turning away from his intense gaze.

"What is it that you want?" he asks. She looks back at him then. What should she say? She doesn't want to lie, but she can't tell him the truth either.

"I want to help make you into someone respected by your people, and feared by your enemies."

She doesn't look at him as she speaks. She fears what she may see on his face. Silence fills the space between them, the only sounds, the light breeze rustling the leaves and birds chirping.

"Why?" he finally asks. She turns to him and is surprised by the slight red tint on his cheeks.

"You have been made the villain by those who deem you unworthy, even though you have done nothing wrong. I never believed those lies for a second. It's easy to see that you are the most brilliant, strong, hardworking nobleman in this kingdom. You deserve the respect of your people, you deserve so much more than what you have, and I want to help you achieve that. I want to be a part of that. I want to stand beside you the whole way. I hope that one day, I might even earn your love."

"Why?" he asks again. "Why me?"

"Because I love you. If it isn't you, I don't want anyone."

To be continued...

February 21, 2024