Page 52 of Pawns of Fate

One Year Later

ROSE

W earing an elegant pink dress covered with floral lace, Rose walked quickly through the gardens of Castle Sharp. She didn’t want to be late for Ava’s first tea party since giving birth.

Ava had been sick during most of her pregnancy and barely managed to attend her own baby shower.

Rose had felt terrible watching her sister-in-law choke down little bites of dinner.

York, more attuned to his wife’s discomfort than ever, had swept Ava back to their room halfway through the shower.

Ava’s energy hadn’t returned for the duration of her pregnancy, so the Sharps hadn’t held any events at their castle for months.

Everyone in the castle was bubbling with anticipation for today’s celebration, Rose included.

“My lady!” Betty waved to Rose. “Lord Nicholas wants you to stop by his office.”

“He couldn’t just tell me at the party?” Rose questioned. She didn’t want to be late.

Betty shook her head. “It’s important!”

What on earth could it be , she thought. Perhaps he had a gift for Ava that he wanted her to present at the celebration.

Escorted by Betty, Rose hastily made her way to Nicholas’s office. She was surprised to see him holding their son, Banksian. The baby smiled and cooed upon seeing her.

She couldn’t resist the warmth of her child. Rose ran and embraced the little one. Nicholas smiled at his wife and child.

“He looks more like you every day.” Nicholas laughed.

Rose glanced down at Banksian. He did end up with Rose’s pink hair, but he had Nicholas’s blue eyes and classic features rather than her delicate ones. He would be a handsome nobleman one day.

“I think he looks like you,” Rose replied.

“I think he looks like both of you,” Syzman’s voice cut in from behind Nicholas. Rose hadn’t even realized that the shadow mage was present.

“Syzman, did you bring the papers?” Nicholas reluctantly turned his attention away from his family.

“They’re all here. Hector, I mean, the viscount, handed them to me himself. I think he burst a few blood vessels in the process.” Syzman smirked.

Nicholas returned Syzman’s grin, then showed the papers to Rose.

“We’ll save the profits from the mines. It will make a good wedding present one day for this little one.” He ruffled Banksian’s hair. “And we can split it whenever he has siblings.”

“We should give some to his cousin, too. It could make a lovely dowry for Eleanora.”

Nicholas kissed Rose’s forehead. Things had gone south with the Robsons after Nicholas made his offer last year.

The viscount spent two months fighting it, speaking poorly of the Sharps to as many people as possible, and ultimately turning Ghislaine, Luanna, and Hermes against Rose.

When all of this had backfired and the Robsons, not the Sharps, ended up as social pariahs, Hector finally relented.

Rose had her apology in the form of several extremely profitable star crystal mines.

The Robsons stayed well-off enough that the citizens under their rule wouldn’t suffer, and the viscount kept his title.

Nicholas wanted to press harder and take more from the man who’d used his wife as an expendable pawn for decades.

Rose, however, was more than content with how things had turned out.

She didn’t have the energy to waste on revenge or vendettas.

She was far too busy enjoying the happy life she’d found at Castle Sharp.

Besides bearing the next Sharp heir, Rose had completely taken over management of the castle in lieu of Nicholas’s mother, the deceased marchioness.

The work was challenging but fulfilling.

Under her management, Castle Sharp was growing into an influential space in the social and political scenes of Albionish high society.

“Syzman, put these papers in the safe.”

“As you wish, Lord Nicholas,” Syzman said with a slight bow. He grabbed the papers and melted into the shadows.

Rose stared after the spot where Syzman disappeared, then let out a sigh. Seeing Syzman always reminded her of Lyla, which was bittersweet.

Lyla had only stayed with the Sharps long enough to ensure they’d placed proper wards around the castle.

Rose had tried to talk to her about Lysander a few times, to tell Lyla that she didn’t blame her or harbor any feelings of ill will toward her.

Rose certainly understood not having control over who you were related to, and, ultimately, she hadn’t cared that Lyla had hidden her suspicions about Lysander’s identity.

Lyla protected her when it mattered, and anyone who hired a shadow mage knew they came with their fair share of secrets.

Besides, the more Rose had thought about it, the more convinced she was that knowing Lysander’s identity wouldn’t have stopped him from kidnapping her and Nicholas.

“Do you think he’s talked to Lyla?” she whispered.

Her husband let out a little hum. “Syzman’s certainly been asking for more leave time ever since she left.”

“Is he visiting her?” Rose had come to hope that Syzman and Lyla would end up together and frequently voiced the opinion to Nicholas, encouraging him to ask Syzman if he needed Lyla for any of his missions.

“I think he’s searching for her, not visiting her.

” Nicholas let Banksian grab his forefinger.

“Lyla is the only person who wants to see Lysander behind bars more than I do. Whatever history she has with him is far more unpleasant than our experience, which is saying something.” Nicholas shuddered.

“I think Lyla is hunting her own brother, and Syzman doesn’t know whether to help her or stop her.

Now, let’s put that out of our minds and enjoy this tea party. ”

Nicholas and Rose happily made their way to the celebration. It was a small gathering, with only a dozen or so families present. The nobles were dressed in elegant yet comfortable clothes and happily chatted as their children played together in the garden.

Rose spotted Ava, who was overjoyed to be hosting again.

Rose hadn’t been the only one who’d blossomed at Castle Sharp.

With Rose’s help, Ava mastered noble etiquette and became a sought-after socialite because of her naturally outgoing personality.

Whenever Ava accepted an invitation to an event, the attendance of other important guests doubled.

“Rose! Isn’t this a fantastic little tea party? It has been the perfect thing to ease me back into hosting,” Ava said as she hugged her.

“It’s lovely,” Rose replied, feeling her heart warm with more happiness than she’d ever thought possible.

One of the best parts of marrying Nicholas was that she’d gained a family in Ava, York, and Marquess Sharp.

Ava and York had quickly turned into the siblings she’d never had.

Marquess Sharp was a kind father figure to her, even if he was a bit stoic.

Much of that had changed when he met his first grandchild.

Even a marquess fussed over their grandbaby; he was currently holding little Eleanora, and Rose doubted he would let her go for the remainder of the party.

After mingling with a few guests, Rose sat down to feed Banksian.

Nicholas noticed and came over to help her.

As they sat together, feeding their child in the midst of a tea party, Rose couldn’t help but think about another party from years ago — Luanna’s birthday party.

It was the first time she’d met Nicholas and the day they became engaged.

Back then, she hadn’t hoped for much. The Robsons had always forced Rose to earn her place and prove her value, so she’d expected the same from the Sharps.

Even on the day they met, Rose had been helping her aunt manage the party, not enjoying it herself.

When Nicholas told her about how she was to be sent away as collateral to the Ojoh, she had assumed that she would always be doomed to live a life at the whims of others.

She looked around at this party—at her family—and smiled. Things had changed so much. She couldn’t imagine life without Nicholas. They both had come to respect each other as equal partners in their relationship. He needed her as much as she needed him. Rose would never be a pawn again.

“What are you smiling about?” Nicholas whispered in her ear.

Rose thought for a minute and decided to answer him truthfully.

“Us. ”

The answer brought a warm smile to Nicholas’s face. He glanced around to see if any of the others were watching them. None were, so he bent down and gave Rose a sweet, slow kiss.

Rose was surprised at first. She broke the kiss and focused on Banksian for a minute. Then, she looked around to see if any of the others were watching them. None were. Rose leaned over and gave her husband an equally chaste kiss.

“I love you, Rose.”

“I love you, too, Nicholas.”

Once again, her heart flooded with warmth. Rose, the girl who grew up never feeling welcome with her own family, had finally found her home.

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