Page 17 of The Time Of Queens (An Afterlife Story #2)

17

FATED CHOICE

DRAVEN

I stormed from the dining room in my foulest mood yet, issuing orders after I had declared the evening over. Lucius, Zagan, Adam, and my brother all followed me to my office so as we could make a plan. The rider with the information on the girl was waiting, and he explained quickly of what he had been told.

A woman dressed in a cloak had been spotted coming and going into one of the farmer’s barns at night. He had been about to scare her off, when a conversation was overheard by one of my men, preventing him from taking action. His fear, and rightly so, was that she would run the second she thought that she had been discovered. The rider assured me that my men had the place surrounded. They were waiting on my orders and would not approach unless she was seen leaving.

Instantly, two emotions hit me, one was a wave of relief, and the other… well, that one belonged to a certain girl who had only ever intended on leaving me.

America.

Boston.

Charlestown.

Fuck, but why had the thought of her leaving caused such a bitterness to grow within me? Why had it left such a sour note upon my tongue? Because I was foolishly letting myself get carried away with her, that was why. And to what end? She was to leave, and I was to finally be granted my Electus. We would all win in the end, so why, then, was I fighting against the finale as much as I was? Why had just the very sight of her tonight have me feeling as if my heart had stopped and only started once more when she had looked at me in return.

Why did I burn for her?

“What is the plan?” Vincent asked, and I shook my head to stop myself from referring to the plan in which I might stop Keira leaving for the Americas. Because I had foolishly lived contently these past few days in the knowledge that as long as she was Pip’s Lady’s maid, I could keep her close. I would have plenty of reason to demand Pip and Adam stay, or for myself to even join them in Germany. At the very least until it gave me time to make a decision on what to do about the girl. The girl who seemed to consume my every thought.

However, what I had not accounted for was for that decision to be taken from me, and with it, her leaving on a ship across an ocean.

“Brother?”

I released a sigh and forced myself to focus on what I knew was most important.

My Fated, not my temptation.

“Where is the farm?” I asked, ignoring the way my brother released a held breath, as if fearing I would be in mind to cast her aside for the maid. The rider told me that it wasn’t far from here and we could be there on horseback within the hour… information I was glad to hear.

“Get ready to leave, I will retrieve the girl myself. Ride ahead to inform the men that we are on our way and not to make a move unless absolutely necessary, do you understand?” I stated firmly, letting my mounting frustrations lace my words.

“Yes, my Lord,” he replied, bowing before rushing off to do my bidding. I nodded my head in silent command to Zagan, Lucius, and Adam to saddle up.

“What will you do?” my brother asked as he followed me upstairs so as I could replace my dining attire.

“What do you mean?” I asked, purposely feigning ignorance, something that didn’t work on my brother, for I should have known.

“About the maid, what else?” he hissed as I entered my chamber, making me grit my teeth and clench my jaw.

“I don’t wish to speak of it now,” I snapped.

“You may not wish to, but you must,” he argued, making me question,

“Why must I?”

“Because you are about to retrieve your Chosen One, that is why.”

I physically flinched at that, unable to help myself. But then after tensing my fists at my side for a few uneasy moments, I forced myself to relax enough to undress.

“It matters not,” I stated, despite knowing the words as nothing but lies… for it felt as though nothing else mattered.

“Horse shit, and you know it!” he lashed back at me, making my shoulders slump as I kept my back to him.

“Vincent, just leave it,” I warned in a dejected tone.

“No, I will not, as I do so for your sake, brother. For you are about to get what you always wanted, and you are on the cusp of ruining all chances at the happiness you deserve… and all for what? All for a mortal maid that isn’t your Electus.”

I winced once more, feeling it like a blow to the gut. But in that pain I also found my anger and I threw my jacket down as I snapped,

“What would you have me do!?”

He sighed and told me calmly,

“Let her go.”

At the very thought of this I flinched back, before I felt my jaw hardening to the point that I thought my teeth would shatter.

“No!” I shouted, making him sigh again in frustration.

“Dominic, my brother… what you are about to do is not fair on her.”

I felt every inch of my body grow cold as his words forced me to think on that. On how her being here to witness my affections bestowed on another might make her feel. For I knew if roles were reversed, then to see another man in her life would cause me great pain. Although a murderous jealously would also ensue shortly after. Yet despite this, I still argued in return.

“Like you care, for I have seen the way you treat her.”

“I treat her like the obstacle she is, and like any other that would stand in the way of my brother’s fated happiness.”

I shook my head but didn’t say anything more, for how could I contest it?

“You are a fool if you think you are the only one who has developed feelings here.”

I snapped my head back to his.

“Explain your meaning!” I demanded with that jealous snake threatening to swallow me whole.

“I have seen the way the girl looks at you, especially when she feels herself free to do so without your knowledge.”

I swallowed hard, feeling the increase to my heartbeat and the green snake quickly vanished as I now knew whom in which he spoke of. However, he was not finished in his delivery of what he no doubt believed to be good sense.

“She has fallen for a man that can never be hers, so for her sake if not for your own… let her go, brother. Let her go before you cause her even more heartache.”

I tensed, closing my eyes at just the thought of never seeing her again. But I knew what he said was true. I did indeed intend to bring my Electus back here. And what would that mean but a bitterness for her to swallow every time she looked upon us both.

She deserved better than that.

For I may have not been free to love her for an eternity, but that didn’t mean I didn’t already love her enough to do what was right by her… even if it meant letting her go.

I didn’t say this to Vincent, knowing I couldn’t speak in that moment for fear of what I may reveal. I did however, nod, telling him without words that he was right. Hence why I felt his comforting hand land on my shoulder and squeeze it.

“You are doing the right thing, brother… I will meet you outside but first, I will have the girl sent up here.”

Again, I nodded, unable to look at him or say a single word. For once, wishing that the time in getting to me would take even longer, for I was not eager to see her knowing what was to follow.

But moments later and she was knocking on my door, which meant I was forced to clear the emotions that felt ready enough to choke me.

“Come in!” Gods, but why would fate put this beautiful creature before me now? Why, when I could have at the very least experienced one lifetime with her, even if I was forever forbidden to fully claim her? I could have at least indulged in having her as my companion. I would have cared for her, ensured that she wanted for nothing.

I could have given her my world.

But then the reality of that selfish dream hit me. For I couldn’t have given her the one thing she might have craved for.

A husband.

Children.

A family.

I closed my eyes once more before facing her, trying to take in the sound of her sweet voice to sear it to my memory for safe keeping.

“You wished to see me, my Lord?” Her fearful tone sounded as if she knew something was coming and she was trying to brace herself against the fall. So, I let my head hang for only a second before tensing my whole body, absolute in my decision. Although when finally turning to face her, it felt like I had been delivered the first blow in battle without even the chance to swing my sword.

She was perfect.

My sweet little maid.

“Yes, I wish…” No, I would not use that word.

“I wanted to say goodbye,” I stated instead.

“Goodbye? My Lord, are you going somewhere?”

Another blow, and one I didn’t defend against despite my reply coming out like an attack.

“No, but you are,” I affirmed, forcing my voice to come out hard and unyielding. Her face showed equal amounts of confusion and hurt.

“I… I don’t understand,” she stammered, and I forced myself to straighten further, despite the urge to sink to the floor after lowering my head at her feet. Instead, I gave her reason to hate me, for surely that emotion was easier than watching as I fell in love with another.

“It has come to my attention that… inappropriate feelings have developed for me on your part.” I forced the words past my lips, hating the way they sounded. As if accusing her of some great sin, when the offense was all my doing.

“What?” she hissed, but I continued on as if unheard.

“Now as master of this estate, I must dismiss you from this house, for I will soon be welcoming my fiancé and fear that your behaviour towards me would put her at a discomfort.” At this she started shaking her head, tears forming in her stormy eyes making them look like winter ice. I had never seen them look more hauntingly beautiful than they did in that moment, and it pained me to witness the reason why.

“I… I… don’t know what to say,” she said, her voice shaky and ungrounded. So, I strengthened my resolve and told her,

“There is nothing to say on this, for I only fear that my kindness towards you was taken out of context. And for that I apologise…”

“Don’t! Please… please don’t say another word…” she shouted before her voice broke. Her emotion was like holding a mirror to my own heart. To the point where I was close to damning my Electus for even existing, despite knowing what it meant to finally have her in my life. I couldn’t even question who she was to me, for that kiss had hit me like a hammer swung by a Berserker. My bodyguard and head of my guard, Ragnar, now waited by a barn to ensure my Electus didn’t slip through my fingers a second time.

And where was I?

Breaking the hearts of the both of us combined.

“Naturally, you will be compensated for the rest of your intended employment, for Miss Fitzwilliam will not be needing your service to her any longer.”

She actually staggered back a step as if I had struck her.

“You’re really asking me to leave?” she asked, completely shocked. I gritted my teeth and folded my arms across my chest just so as to stop my hands from reaching out to her.

“I am. For I fear I must insist upon it,” I told her, keeping my tone steady and sure. She licked her bottom lip as if the shock had made her mouth dry.

“Right… right…” she said, as if trying to come to terms with it. And because I couldn’t stand it any longer, I turned and grabbed my riding jacket, putting it on and signalling the end to the most painful exchange I had ever experienced to date.

“Now I must go, for I have important business to attend. I would, however, ask for you to be ready to leave by the morning when I will have time to settle our affaires…” She flinched at that, as if I had wounded her further.

“I will leave at once,” she stated firmly, making me tense my fists at my sides for how empty and strained her voice sounded. However, her face told a very different story and gave a painful insight to how much she was hurting. How much I had hurt her.

“No, that won’t be necessary. For it is late and there is no sense of your leaving until morning. Besides, like I said, I must be gone now, so I will not have time to settle the matter of your wages and…”

“I want nothing,” she gritted out, interrupting me and, again, in that dead tone that grated against my nerves like Lucifer’s claws were playing with my mortal body like an instrument.

“I will not hear of it,” I told her, and suddenly her emotion came crashing out in the form of anger.

“I want nothing from you!” she shouted, her small hands held into fists by her side. The sight of one of them bandaged was a reminder of all she had been through in this house. And I… well, I had been the cause of it all at its core. I never should have encouraged her feelings for me to grow, not when I had never been free to do so.

“That may be so, but it has been decided,” I told her, my tone firm enough that it should have been all that was needed on the matter. Yet that was not the case, for this girl was different, and by the Gods how I wished I had been free to explore all there was to know of her.

“No one decides my fate. Goodbye, my Lord, I wish you all the happiness this world has to offer you,” she said, her words like ice, despite the warmth their meaning was supposed to impose. And all this said before she quickly turned on a heel and rushed from the room.

Her words were the final blow as I took a step back. Her chosen form of goodbye was like a wound against my skin, for her words had cut to the bone. Which was why before I could stop myself, I ran from the room calling her name.

“Keira!”

But then she ran to her room, her sobs of pain arrows to an already broken heart. My hand gripped the banister as I forced myself to stop from chasing her. From inflicting even more damage. For what could I say to her? What was left for us?

It was done.

“Brother, the horses are ready!” Vincent’s voice from below called for me, and I snarled as anger took place of my anguish. A far easier emotion to deal with, for it was one I recognised as being familiar.

Now if only I had someone to kill, then that might have helped eradicate this sorrow and affliction altogether.

But as I cast one last look at her door, I knew the truth…

Nothing would kill the pain of losing her.