Darkness. Voices. Slipping in and out of consciousness. Faint chanting.


    Gradually, I opened my eyes, allowing them a moment to adjust to my dimly lit bedchamber and observe my surroundings.


    “Oh, darling!”


    Before I knew it, Mother’s arms were around me. I embraced her back, grateful for her touch, her warmth, her concern. By which I mean that I held onto her with one hand, as the other was firmly clasped in Damian’s. He lifted his weary eyes to meet mine, and kissed my hand feverishly.


    “We were so worried, my sweet Val.”


    “Now, dear, let her breathe,” Father said to Mother. She loosened her grasp but still held onto me, her grey eyes shining with tears that barely restrained themselves. Father reached out a hand and stroked my hair with a gentle smile. “I believed you would pull through, my angel, as strong as you are. Nevertheless, it was rather a shock.”


    Damian coughed. “He was worried sick,” he fake whispered.


    A faint smile crept to my lips as I sat up slowly, surrounded by my family. My head empty from the recent oblivion, it was the most peaceful I’d been in a while, without the reports of the grand duchy, the buzz of high society, and the prophecies of the novel all clamouring for attention. I squeezed Damian’s hand, its firmness reassuring.


    Rain splattered on my closed windows. It was light outside, but cloudy and grey. I estimated it to be around early morning. My family seemed weary, like they had not slept, but not overly exhausted to indicate several days of fear.


    “How long has it been?”


    “An afternoon and a night. How do you feel, Your Ladyship?”


    Nathaniel sat by the foot of my bed, a prayer book in hand. I had been certain that my loyal priest would rush to my side at the first news of my impairment, and I had been correct. Upon this fact, I had hinged my life, if anything had gone astray.


    It was not the first time I had fallen unconscious from deadly nightshade, as my poison training had pushed my limits many times before, but the dosage I had instructed for this was slightly higher than the maximum I had withstood, to ensure an authentic alarm. After all, the greater the damage, the deeper the water Catherine was in. Without inconveniencing myself too much, of course. That peasant was not worth any lasting damage to the future queen.


    I assessed my faculties. My head was plagued by a hint of dizziness, but otherwise clear and nothing a few good day’s rest wouldn’t fix. A few spots danced in my vision, but they were already fading as my sight grew used to the environment. My limbs were a bit sore, but that usually went away in a couple of days. I reported my symptoms to Nathaniel and asked for a glass of water, which Father readily provided, and drank it all, the cold rousing my mind back to full alert.


    “Thank you, Your Eminence,” I addressed Nathaniel. “Your blessings were undoubtedly vital to my survival, and you have my heartfelt appreciation.”


    “It was merely my duty,” Nathaniel said quietly.


    “The temple’s swift action is to be commended,” said Mother. “Indeed, pray for us, Your Eminence, that God will bring justice for such a senseless crime just as quickly.”


    I looked around. Father, Mother, Damian. At the moment, they were all I needed. The glee of Catherine’s downfall was not yet there, only the bliss of being surrounded by my loving family, and the satisfaction of knowing that I would finally be able to protect this happiness forever.


    Nathaniel stood up. “Yes, Your Grace. Justice,” he said slowly. “Will definitely be served.”


    A chill ran down my spine, but I pushed it away. It struck me then that everyone in the room could likely guess the truth, though God forbid anyone speak it. I decided to take it as an accomplishment, that I could have an understanding family and a powerful subordinate in the temple who did not dare defy me.


    “Then, I’ll take my leave. Please let me know if anything arises.”


    Nathaniel did not meet my eyes on his way out. As the door closed behind him, my family’s eyes turned to me.


    “What were you thinking, my angel?” Father cupped my cheek. “You are the heir to House Avington. You mustn’t put yourself in such dangerous situations.”Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    “I know, Father. I apologize for distressing you all. I should’ve been more careful.”


    “It was bound to happen,” said Mother, now with a different kind of gleam in her eyes. “That girl did not belong to our world. It was only a matter of time.”


    The identity of ‘that girl’ could easily be presumed.


    “Has she been apprehended?”


    “Yes,” Damian ran a hand through his hair, leaning back in his seat. “Last night, on the charge of attempted murder. She’s been taken to the Tower. The baron is still trying to arrange bail, with little luck.”


    No one questioned how he knew. I nodded. The Tower of Orilon was a prison for nobles, where Valentina in the novel was kept prior to her execution. Fitting that Catherine should be there now.


    “Has the news spread yet?”


    “Oh, yes,” Mother patted my hand with a twinkling smile. “Lady Annalise and Lady Delilah made sure of it. You’ve already started receiving letters and gifts wishing for your recovery. Why, gossip has not flown this fast since your father proposed to me.”


    “Yes, yes,” said Damian, rolling his eyes. “The barbaric plebeian girl with no manners, nor wits, nor eloquence, nor style. Violated by her ‘uncle’ in her upbringing. Started a smallpox outbreak in her foolishness and was scarred and rendered infertile by it. The baron’s fake daughter, the disgrace of House Bryant, blah blah blah. Finally, she has gone too far and attempted to murder Lady Valentina Avington! She will be tried and hung, society will be rid of a vermin, and everybody will live happily ever after.”


    “And do you have a problem with that, Damian?” Father asked sternly.


    He shook his head, but muttered. “She was almost my fiancee.”


    “Nonsense,” Mother said. “That girl was in love with His Highness. That, along with everything else our darling Valentina possessed, was why she was driven mad by jealousy. Everybody knows. You have all the options in the world, my sweet boy. You mustn’t settle for such a lowly creature.”


    “Especially when circumstances are such, we must support Valentina with all we have,” Father added.


    I took Damian’s hand in both of mine and gazed at him earnestly. “Brother?”


    “Of course, my sweet sister,” he looked up and smiled at me tiredly, but his eyes burned with the same fervour as they had always done for me, and I knew I still had him. “I cherish you with all my heart, and I will always stand behind you. I’m sorry I allowed harm to come to you.”


    A spark of something not quite electricity snaked up my arm, and a symbol of purple light flashed on the back of my hand before fading again. It was the protective charm he renewed on me whenever it was used to protect me, activating if the threat was severe enough, and what had helped my body slowly repel the poison as soon as it entered my system. Yet another reason I had been assured of my safe survival. Really, with the strongest magic and the strongest holiness in the kingdom on my side, I was invincible.


    “Thank you, Damian. I love you.”


    He leaned over and kissed my forehead. I smiled. I liked this peaceful happiness. I wouldn’t have minded staying in that moment for a while.


    Alas, the door creaked open. Tia slipped inside.


    “My sincerest apologies for disrupting you so soon, my lady! But on His Eminence’s way out, he passed His Highness-”


    “Oscar is here?” I turned to my parents, then Damian. Their reactions told me I had not bothered hiding my smile.


    “He arrived right after the physicians,” Mother said, her lips pursed. “I suppose for all his bustle with that girl, he knew to be concerned where it matters.”


    “We made him wait in the drawing room,” Damian smirked. “He insisted on coming in to see you, but Father makes the rules under our roof.”


    “Yes, and he had no right to charge into my manor and be worried about my daughter after neglecting her and associating so much with the wench that almost killed her,” Father said calmly.


    “You’re quite right, Father. However, that won’t be a problem anymore, remember? I believe in forgiveness, and I think this would be a wonderful opportunity for His Highness to begin redeeming himself.”


    “Very well then, my angel,” Father sighed. He addressed Tia, “Bring him, but ensure that he understands Valentina’s condition is frail and that he must not do anything to upset her.”


    After a while more of pleasant familial conversation, the door swung open. I caught Mikhail’s eye through the doorway. His whole face lit up in relief when he saw me, and I smiled at him. It took me a moment to notice that my fiance had come next to my bed, and another, to overcome the surprise, that he had wrapped his arms around me.


    Father coughed aggressively, and Oscar quickly let go, stepping back to a respectable distance. His face had an unusual tinge of redness, almost as if he was blushing. I smiled and tilted my head, and the blush seemed to deepen.


    “I heard you were worried about me, Your Highness.”


    “Yes, Lady Valentina. I’m glad to see you have awoken.”


    He kissed my cheek, earning another fit of coughs from Father. For once, I looked into the golden eyes of the prince without wondering what he felt for me, for I was certain of his love for me, either in the present or future.


    In the novel, around this time was when the second demon subjugation happened and Catherine discovered the diamond mine. A subjugation had indeed been scheduled later in the month, but was likely to be delayed until my recovery, and that diamond mine had been the very first thing I took from Catherine. It was also when she finally told Oscar about the novel Valentina’s silly poisoning attempt, and where Damian was injured, causing her to awaken her powers as the saint. The timing was very fitting.


    The rain fell harder, droplets dancing on the glass panes leading to my balcony. Was the world mourning the doom of its true female lead? Unfortunate.


    The villainess had won. Or at least, that was what I thought.