Page 7 of Pawns of Fate

ROSE

R ose thought the maids had made her look quite beautiful. Even her aunt Ghislaine smiled and approved when she saw the result.

A lovely, pale yellow dress, soft curled hair, and delicate make-up all worked together to make Rose look like, well, a rose. She chuckled inwardly. This past week had been such an unusual one for her.

Typically, Rose was lucky to pick up Luanna’s leftovers.

But ever since he’d announced her engagement to Nicholas, her uncle had gone to great lengths to make it look like Rose had been treated like a princess her whole life.

This past week, she’d received more attention from the Robson family and servants than she had in all the years she’d lived with them.

Dresses, jewels, massages, and more were all hers at the snap of her fingers.

It was manipulative behavior, but Rose wanted to enjoy the benefits instead of troubling herself.

She’d soon be out of her uncle’s reach. Thank the gods.

Looking in the mirror, Rose decided the reflection was alluring and to allow herself to believe, at least for the moment, that this marriage would bring her more happiness than her life with the Robsons.

She certainly looked the part of a noble lady.

It wasn’t a future that made her giddy with joy, but it was undoubtedly better than her current situation.

Rose thought she’d be reasonably happy managing a castle and raising a few children for the foreseeable future.

She didn’t dare hope that Nicholas would fall in love with her, but she was confident they’d build a relationship of trust and respect for each other if she could convince him to see her as a partner and not the pawn her uncle always saw.

This marriage was a better hand than Rose had ever expected life to deal her.

She was determined to make the most of it.

Rose sat before the vanity and held a hand over her makeup brushes, falling deeper into her thoughts.

Would she and Nicholas be physically compatible enough to do more than produce a few heirs, or even romantically compatible enough that neither partner would take on other lovers?

Rose was a romantic at heart, and she always enjoyed curling up with a good love story, especially the ones about knights saving their loves from a dragon’s claws.

But she’d never dared to hope that her own marriage would be anything more than practical and convenient for the families involved, if she ever married at all.

With a fluffy brush, Rose put a bit more powder on her face and remembered the way her skin tingled after Nicholas kissed her hand. Nicholas was very attractive , she thought as a little color rose to her cheeks.

Ava had described Nicholas as persnickety and overbearing, but Rose hadn’t gotten that impression of him at all.

He seemed like an honorable lord to her, which led her to recall the most recent romance novel she’d read.

It was about a knight who fell in love with the daughter of a cruel duke.

Rose remembered the scene where they spent the night at an inn together, especially the vivid descriptions of the knight’s body, hardened through years of training and battle.

She pictured herself and Nicholas in the same situation, and her hand, which had been applying powder to her face, slowed as her thoughts drifted further from reality.

Horns sounded, startling her from her imagination. When she glanced toward the window, the horn sounded again, signaling the Sharp family’s arrival. A few servants, followed by her aunt, burst into her room.

“It’s time, it’s time!” Ghislaine proclaimed, then whisked Rose out of her room and through the castle halls.

Hector met them at the doors, dressed in his finest jacket.

The bright red color looked flattering against Hector’s pink hair and pale skin.

Her aunt had worn what must be a new surcoat.

It had a large, silvery floral print embroidered on the sleeves.

She’d swept her graying hair into a towering beehive.

Despite her efforts to stay calm, Rose found her heart fluttering a bit as her aunt and uncle swung open the door to the castle and guided her toward the front gates.

Sitting on a large, white charger, Nicholas Sharp looked like an honorable knight from the romance novels Rose enjoyed.

He wore leggings and riding boots, and his light green tunic was adorned with delicate, golden thread designs.

The simple elegance of the outfit added to Nicholas’s aristocratic demeanor.

Rose looked closer at him than when he had briefly talked with her and Ava in the garden.

Nicholas was slightly above average height, and his build was lean, although he had broad shoulders.

His face was classically attractive, and his expression conveyed intelligence, just as her uncle had said.

He had a strong chin, pensive lips, and a straight nose.

His skin was almost as pale as hers, and his eyes sparkled like sapphires.

But what Rose noticed most was his wavy, silver hair that nearly reached his sharp jawline.

Marquess Matthew Sharp dismounted his horse. Nervousness pinched Rose’s neck as she realized this was her future father-in-law. She curtsied as he and Nicholas approached.

“Marquess Sharp!” her uncle greeted the man after completing the formal bows.

“Viscount Robson!” the man responded cheerfully.

“We’re so happy both of you have arrived safely,” Aunt Ghislaine said as she curtseyed.

“Yes, Nicholas and I are glad to be done with the journey, short though it was,” he replied. “Shall we introduce our two love birds?”

Her aunt and uncle nodded, chuckling in agreement. Rose’s cheeks flushed pinker than her hair, and her heart jumped into her throat.

“This is my son, Nicholas,” the marquess said as he guided Nicholas forward.

Once he was directly in front of Rose, Nicholas bent down on one knee.

Rose offered her hand, and Nicholas took it gently into his and kissed it. The same thrill as before tingled through her skin. He looked up at her through silver lashes, and she thought her heart might burst.

Rose almost forgot to curtsey, but she managed a simple reverence as she dipped down. Nicholas stood up and bowed.

“I’m pleased to meet you formally, Lady Rose.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, as well, Lord Nicholas,” Rose replied, desperately trying to calm her racing heart.

He gave her a quick, sly wink, then bent down to whisper in her ear. “I promise not to scold you anymore. Ava gave me a thorough lecture after the party.”

Rose smiled and felt her nerves start to untangle.

“Look, they’re already getting along!” Her uncle beamed.

Marquess Sharp nodded his agreement with considerably less enthusiasm than her uncle. The slight frown on his face gave Rose pause.

“I was simply apologizing for my rude behavior at Luanna’s coming-of-age celebration,” Nicholas replied with a hint of smug amusement. It warmed Rose’s heart to see somebody else annoyed with Hector’s antics.

“Nothing to apologize for, my boy! I’m certain. Now, Ghislaine has prepared a delightful afternoon tea for us. Shall we head inside?”

The five of them made their way to the castle’s tea room, where two maids served them a crisp, light tea with fresh fruit and flaky pastries.

Rose found herself in the rare position of being grateful for something her uncle had done, because her etiquette refresher classes came in handy while she tried to eat the delicate pastries in a manner befitting a lady.

“Have you sent any more scouting parties into the swamps?” Marquess Sharp asked, selecting a piece of fruit.

“One went out three days ago,” Hector said, setting down his tea, the porcelain cup clinking against its plate. “I sent five men and only three returned. They ran into a school of swamp octupi and each of the monsters was larger than a bull.”

Her aunt gasped, clutching a rope of invisible pearls.

Rose stifled a laugh, then noticed that Nicholas was watching her with a twinkle in his eye.

She picked up her teacup and took a long sip to maintain her composure.

His glances shouldn’t please her so much.

But did she really want to fight the warm glow that radiated in her chest?

“I won’t send such a small group of men into that swamp again.”

“That seems prudent,” Marquess Sharp replied. “Octupi can be awful to fight against, especially a consortium of them. The ink they spray is terrible and lingers for ages. It’s been years since I fought one.”

“And that’s not even the worst of it!” Hector stabbed a fork into an apple slice. “Lizardmen!”

“Your scouts are truly reporting lizardmen?” The marquess looked incredulous. Rose stole a glance at Nicholas. He shared the same doubtful expression as his father.

“Yes, lizardmen. Probably drawn there by the mana from the crystals!” Hector waved the skewered apple slice around for emphasis.

“I suppose.”

“It’s why we’ll need your men as soon as possible. How many of them are mages?”

“About a dozen,” the marquess replied cautiously.

“We’ll need all of the mages!”

Rose raised her eyebrow at that. Employing mage-soldiers was far more expensive than average foot soldiers or cavalry.

The Sharps had all three at their disposal, but her uncle was being a little demanding to ask for all of their mages.

Powerful families didn’t usually risk all of their mages in one battle.

It was even more foolish to send all of them to a monster-infested swamp.

Marquess Sharp waved away her uncle’s concerns as if it were easier than swatting a fly. “Perhaps. But nothing happens till after the papers are signed and the wedding is done.”

Rose would marry Nicholas a thousand times if she always got to watch the blood vein on her uncle’s forehead pop the way it did while he tried to keep his composure at being rejected by Marquess Sharp.