We left the inn the next morning , I watched as the innkeeper Mr. Garret waved us good bye , the things I found out still hadn't left my thoughts . The more I think about it the more I want to find out about her , the country side which was flying past moments ago changed into a view of big mountains , some with snow on top like hats , " we will reach the mansion in at most 2 hours " a voice called out from the front of the carriage , I nodded in reply . in 2 hours I would meet my new family which I would have to spend my entire or half of my life with .
The mountains were magnificent and majestic . We were surrounded with a dense forest . The trees were rich white suggesting the amount of snow . As I was in thought of my new yet to come life the carriage suddenly stopped " madam don't come out side " a voice came from the front ,it was Ryder but something in his voice was off . Like that of a person coming from war . His voice was tight. The carriage suddenly Shook violently, I fell down in the carriage floor " madam are you ok " he asked as he peered through the door of the carriage
" Yes , but what's happening" I asked my voice tensed
" Nothing much just some pests which need to be taken care of " he said cracking his knuckles . When he said that , there was a murderous glint in his eyes . He shut the door as he told me not to get out . I looked outside the window in the little cramped space of the carriage. There were several masked men at least 3 to 6 surrounding the carriage . I saw Ryder whom I had thought as a normal driver was pouncing on the masked intruders with a sword which I hadn't noticed was there .
i watched as he was being surrounded . being out numbered was not so great for him even though he was a skilled fighter .
Ryder—or the man I knew only as the carriage driver—moved with a lethal efficiency, but the circle of assassins was tightening. A blade hissed through the air, catching his arm, and I saw his teeth grit in pain.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a dull, thumping ache that reminded me of the poison still sleeping in my veins.
Don't move, I told myself, my knuckles white as I gripped my skirts. If you help him, the Duke will know. Your father will know. They'll turn you into a pawn again.
But then, an attacker stepped into Ryder's blind spot, his sword raised for a killing blow.
My body moved before my mind could protest. I lunged across the floor of the swaying carriage, my hand finding the small, silver dagger I had kept sewn into the lining of my dress . It was a light weapon, designed for the weak hands of a girl who had spent years training in the dead of night to keep her soul alive.
I threw the door open. The cold air whipped my hair across my face.
Ryder's eyes widened as I stepped out onto the narrow ledge. I didn't have the strength for a long fight, so I used the only thing I had: precision. As the assassin lunged, I dropped low, ignoring the sharp spike of pain in my chest, and drove the blade upward into the gap under his chin.
He fell without a sound.
The remaining attackers froze, staring at the "fragile" bride in the silk dress. Ryder took the opening, his sword flashing as he finished the rest.
Silence fell over the forest road, broken only by the heavy panting of the horses. Ryder turned to me, his face covered in blood and sheer, utter confusion. "My Lady... you..."
I tried to speak, but the words died in my throat. The sudden exertion had woken the monster in my blood. My chest tightened until it felt like an iron band was crushing my lungs. I reached for the carriage door to steady myself, but my fingers felt numb, sliding off the polished wood.
The world began to tilt. My vision blurred into a haze of grey and black.
"My Lady!" Ryder's voice sounded like it was coming from underwater. My lung was burning . not again . Not in front of him . I thought
I felt my knees hit the floorboards first. The last thing I saw was the look of pure shock on his face before the darkness pulled me under, my breath hitching in one final, painful gasp.
The smell of sandalwood and expensive linen was the first thing I noticed. It wasn't the damp, rot-filled scent of my father's estate. I opened my eyes, but the movement felt like pulling lead weights. My chest still felt tight, a lingering reminder of the poison's icy grip.
"You're awake."
I flinched, turning my head too fast. Ryder was leaning against the stone hearth, his "driver" disguise gone, replaced by the polished leather of a high-ranking commander. His gaze was piercing, weighing me like a puzzle he couldn't solve.
"How?" he asked, his voice low. "The girl I was told to fetch was a sickly, trembling thing. But I saw you move. That wasn't luck, My Lady. That was years of training."
I forced my expression to remain blank, though my heart was hammering. "You must have been dazed by the blood, Sir," I said, my voice thin and rasping. "I was terrified. I simply... swung a letter opener I had hidden. It was a miracle it hit anything at all."
Ryder straightened, his eyes narrowing. He clearly didn't believe a word of it, but before he could press me, the heavy oak doors creaked open
Two small figures stood in the doorway.
The first was a boy who looked about seven, with messy black hair and sharp amber eyes that held a coldness far beyond his years. This had to be Leo. Beside him, clutching the edge of Leo's tunic, was a smaller boy with striking red hair and wide, golden eyes. Loise looked like a startled fawn, his lips pressed tight in a silence that felt heavy.
Leo stepped forward, shielding his younger brother. He didn't look at me with curiosity, but with blatant hostility.
"Don't get comfortable," Leo said, his voice ringing out with a bitterness that mirrored my own childhood. "We know why you're here. You're just another 'mother' sent to manage us, or to suck the Duke's coffers dry."
Loise hid further behind Leo, his golden eyes filled with fear as he watched me clutching his small stuffed wolf plushie tight .
Leo crossed his arms, staring at my pale face and trembling hands. "We don't need you. We don't want you. And we will never accept you as part of this house. Go back to your family before you regret coming here."
I looked at the two of them—the defiant protector and the silent, broken shadow. My chest ached, but for the first time, it wasn't just the poison. It was the realization that this house was just as fractured as the one I had left. But not with physical blows but , neglect .
Leo's words hung in the air, sharp and meant to wound. Beside him, little Loise trembled, his golden eyes darting between his brother and the "intruder" in the bed.
I leaned back against the pillows, my breath still coming in shallow hitches. A small, cold smile touched my lips—not one of mockery, but of recognition. He was a little soldier protecting a fortress that had already been invaded.
"The coffers?" I repeated, my voice raspy. "I have spent my life in a house where every meal was a debt and every breath was a cage. I didn't come here for your father's gold, Leo. I came here because I was sold."
The boy flinched, his amber eyes flickering with surprise. He hadn't expected the truth to be so blunt.
I turned my gaze to the younger one, Loise. I softened my expression, though the effort sent a dull throb through my chest. I held out a hand, palm up—a gesture of peace, showing I held no weapon.
"My name is Alina," I said quietly. "But you don't have to call me 'Mother.' You don't even have to call me a friend yet. To your father, I am a Duchess. To your enemies, I am a shadow. But to you..." I looked Leo dead in the eye. "...I am simply someone else who knows what it's like to live in a house full of secrets."
Loise peeked out from behind Leo's leg, his golden eyes wide. He didn't speak, but he didn't pull away when I stayed still.
"I am not here to manage you," I continued, my voice dropping to a whisper as the exhaustion threatened to pull me back down. "I am here to survive. If you stay out of my way, I will stay out of yours. But if you ever need a place to hide... my door doesn't have a lock on the inside."
Ryder, still standing by the hearth, watched me with a look of profound intensity. He had seen me kill an assassin, and now he was watching me dismantle a seven-year-old's defenses with nothing but words.
Leo huffed, grabbing Loise's hand and turning toward the door. "We still don't trust you," he shot back over his shoulder.
But as the door closed, I noticed Loise look back one last time.
The heavy oak doors clicked shut as Leo dragged Loise away. The room fell into a heavy, ringing silence, broken only by the crackle of the fireplace.
I leaned my head back against the pillows, my eyes fluttering shut. My chest felt like it was being constricted by hot iron bands. The poison—the "Gift of the Stepmother"—always demanded a price for every spark of strength I used.
"The Duke isn't here," Ryder said, his voice coming from the shadows near the window. "He left on a mission three days ago. He won't return to the capital for another week."
I opened one eye, looking at him. He had dropped the humble driver act completely. He stood tall, his hand resting habitually on the hilt of his sword.
"Then you are the one in charge of me for now?" I whispered, my voice cracking.
"I am in charge of your safety," Ryder corrected. He walked toward the bed, his gaze intense. "Which makes my job very difficult. I saw you move on that road, My Lady. You didn't just 'swing a blade.' You targeted a lethal point in a high-pressure environment while suffering from a chronic lung affliction."
He leaned in closer, dropping his voice so the maids in the hall wouldn't hear.
"Why hide it? If the Duke knew his bride could defend herself, he might treat you as an ally rather than a fragile political obligation."
I let out a ragged, painful breath. "In my father's house, a girl who can fight is not an ally. She is a weapon to be pointed at his enemies. She is a tool to be broken and rebuilt. but luckily that man who calls himself my father doesn't know . and i don't plan on telling anyone either so i beg you to keep it between us " I looked Ryder in the eye, my gaze cold and desperate. "If you tell him, Ryder... you aren't 'helping' me. You are just handing my leash to a different master."
Ryder went quiet. He looked at my pale, trembling hands, then at the door where the children had just been. For a week or more , he would be the only one keeping this secret.
"One week," Ryder said finally. "You have one week to recover before the Duke returns. I won't speak of it... for now. But you look like you're dying, My Lady. You need a physician, not a sword."
"No physicians," I gasped, the pain in my chest spiking. "Just... rest. And silence." he looked at me skeptically . I wonder if he knows if I am hiding my illness . But doesn't tell a word as he nodded , leavening the room and letting it rest to its familiar silence which I had grown used to in my long years in my so called fathers place .
The Butler, Chandler, was a man of stiff collars and even stiffer silences with white hair , he looked in the age of his 6os . He led me through the Duke's estate, pointing out the vast library and the cold, echoing hallways and the magnificent garden with its wide rows of flowers . "The Duke prefers order, My Lady," he noted, his eyes trailing over my pale face.
When he finally left me in my chambers, I collapsed onto the bed. But sleep brought no peace.
In the dream, the air smelled of damp moss and jasmine. I was small again, watching through the tall grass as my mother stood at the edge of the black lake. Behind her, Caroline, my stepmother, stood with her arms crossed, her eyes like chips of ice. My stepsister, Violet, stood beside her, a cruel, bored smile on her lips.
My mother didn't scream. She simply leaned back, falling into the dark water. The ripples reached the shore, but Caroline and Violet didn't move. They just watched her drown.
I bolted upright, my nightgown soaked in cold sweat. My chest was a cage of fire. not this again
I needed air.
I wrapped a thick shawl around my shoulders and wandered out into the gardens. The morning mist was thick, clinging to the ground. As I approached the estate's pond, the trees were unlike the ones covered with snow was filled with green leaves with birds singing around as if in glee . I knew from what butler Chandler had told me , that the estate alone was covered with a protective shield which protected the magnificent mansion from snow and monsters .
As i was walking around the place which made me forget the sorrows I had hidden from the world when i knew no one was there to protect me from it . I saw them, Loise was crouching by the muddy edge, reaching for a bright blue dragon-fly. Leo stood a few feet back, his arms crossed, trying to look like a stern guardian but clearly distracted by a bird in the trees.
"Loise, move back!" I called out, my voice raspy. "The stones are slick!"
Leo turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw me. "He's fine, he doesn't need—"
A sharp splash cut him off.
Loise's small foot had slid on the moss. He disappeared into the dark, freezing water without a sound. The familiar seen flooded my mind , as if watching my mothers death wasn't enough now watching a small innocent child fall into his demise was not going to happen , not on my watch to .
Panic, cold and sharp, erased the pain in my lungs. I didn't think about the poison or my weakness. I ran.
I plunged into the water. It was deep enough for an adult to drown in unless they were trained in swimming , and deep enough to swallow a child who couldn't swim. I grabbed Loise's small, thrashing body, hauling him upward. The cold water felt like needles against my skin, and the exertion sent a stabbing pain through my heart.
"I've got you," I wheezed, pulling him onto the grass. He coughed, water spraying from his lungs, his golden eyes wide with terror.
"Ryder! Chandler!" I screamed, my voice cracking.
Leo was frozen, his face as white as a sheet looking at the spectacle of his brothers almost end with horror . Ryder appeared first, sprinting from the training grounds, followed closely by a frantic Chandler.
"Take him!" I gasped, pushing Loise toward Ryder's warm, strong arms. "The doctor... get the doctor now!"
I watched as Ryder wrapped Loise in his cloak and ran toward the manor. Chandler stayed behind, looking at me with a mixture of horror and respect.
"My Lady, you are shivering. Let me help you—"
"Is he... is he breathing?" I asked, but my vision was already starting to fray at the edges. The adrenaline was gone, leaving only the toxic heaviness in my blood. My chest tightened until I couldn't draw a single breath. The nightmare of the lake and the reality of the pond blurred together.
"My Lady!"
Chandler's voice was the last thing I heard. My knees gave out, and I fell onto the damp grass, the darkness finally claiming me as my heart struggled to find its rhythm again.
The world came back in pieces: the scent of medicinal herbs, the thrumming ache in my chest, and the silence of a house that felt too large. I didn't wait for a maid to assist me. Despite the shakiness in my knees, I threw on a robe and moved down the hall toward the room were I had learnt was the room of the children . My heart wouldn't settle until I saw him with my own eyes.
I pushed the door to Loise's room open just a crack.
The room was bathed in the soft, golden glow of a few candles. Loise was tucked into a massive bed, his red hair a bright splash against the white pillows. Beside him sat Leo, his back straight, looking like a weary soldier who refused to leave his post.
I leaned against the doorframe, my breath hitching. He was breathing. He was safe.
I didn't want to intrude on their space. I knew the wall between us was still there—Leo's glare hadn't quite softened, and I was still the "intruder" from the South. I took a deep breath, ready to slip back into the shadows of the hallway and leave them to their peace.
But as I turned to go, a small, cold hand darted out from the covers and snatched the fabric of my sleeve.
I froze. Loise had sat up. His golden eyes were wide, luminous with a mixture of fear and gratitude. He didn't speak—he couldn't—but his grip on my robe was firm. He tugged gently, then patted the empty space on the large mattress beside him.
"He wants you to stay," Leo muttered, his voice low and thick with a pride that was slowly crumbling. He wouldn't look at me, but he wasn't stopping me.
I hesitated, then climbed onto the bed, settling beside the small boy. The moment I sat down, Loise curled into my side like a shivering kitten seeking warmth. The poison in my blood seemed to quiet for a moment as the warmth of his small body seeped into mine.
Loise wasn't finished, though. He reached out his other hand and grabbed Leo's wrist, tugging his older brother toward him as well. He gestured with a small, insistent wave of his hand—a clear command for both of us to stay.
Leo sighed, a heavy sound for a seven-year-old, and finally climbed onto the other side of Loise.
For the first time since I had crossed the border into the North, I didn't feel like a prisoner or a weapon. I felt like a shield. As Loise's breathing slowed into the rhythm of sleep, I looked over at Leo.
"its ok ," I whispered.
Leo's amber eyes flickered toward me in the dark. "I'm only doing it because he's scared," he whispered back, but he didn't move away.
We stayed like that—three broken pieces of different puzzles, finding a strange, silent fit in the dark.
The room was silent, save for the rhythmic breathing of the two boys. I felt the familiar weight of the poison in my chest, but as Loise gripped my hand, the pain felt distant. I began to hum a low, melodic tune—a melody that smelled of the jasmine and moss from my childhood.
I sang softly, my voice a mere whisper against the frosty night:
"The night has come to this quiet land, Where snow lies deep on the frozen ground. The breeze blows cold with a frosty hand, But here, in the dark, you are safe and sound.
So close your eyes, my sweet, and dream, Of the long-held hopes you've kept inside. The stars will glow with a silver gleam, And in your heart, let peace abide.
I promise you, when the sun shall rise, And the morning light breaks through the blue, The truth shall shine in your waking eyes, And all your dreams will finally come true."
As the last note drifted away, Loise's grip relaxed as he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Even Leo's shoulders had slumped, his guarded expression replaced by the soft features of a child who finally felt safe.
Outside the heavy door, the crack of light from the hallway was partially blocked. Chandler, the butler, stood with his hands folded behind his back. Beside him stood Anne, the young maid who had been assigned to the new supposed bride of the duke , upon my arrival.
They stood in stunned silence.
"I have never seen the Young Masters like that," Anne whispered, her eyes wide with wonder. "Not since... well, never. Lord Leo hasn't let anyone close to him in years, and Master Loise usually screams if a stranger touches his bed."
Chandler watched through the gap, his eyes lingering on the new addition to this cold fortress , pale face as she leaned her head against the headboard, exhausted. He had seen this women who seemed fine and perfect in the outside but broken in the inside , pull the boy from the water, and now he was hearing the soul of a woman who was supposed to be a "broken" political pawn.
"She is unlike anyone the Duke has brought here before," Chandler murmured, his voice thick with a rare hint of emotion. "The Duke's heart is a fortress of ice, Anne. He believes this world is made of nothing but duty and cold steel."
Anne looked at him hopefully. "Do you think... if she can melt the ice around the children, she might be able to change His Grace, too?"
Chandler didn't answer immediately. He looked at the three of them, huddled together for warmth in a cold, stone castle. "The North is a harsh land," he said quietly. "But even the deepest snow has to melt when the sun finally stays." .....