While falling from the building, there was only one thought in her head. 'If rebirth is real, I hope I'm not born ever again. Life is too horrid to live again' Her head hit the ground, splitting into a million pieces. The perfect way to die for someone who wanted to be unrecognized and forgotten. Like a painful dream, she opens her eyes and she's back again, 10 years in the past. She was back to the day she was being married off to the duke who was destined to abandon her and love another, to a prince who was obsessed with other people's possession, and a witch who pretended to be a saint. 'One of you gods up there must be messing with me, right?! I said I didn't want to live again! What is the meaning of this?!' Brought to the past, Natalia has two choices, flight or fight. What would've become a wasteful life in the slums was reversed when he had a hand stretched out to him. The prince was charming and kind and he would've given his life for him. However, betrayal was a bucket of cold water and a priced dagger in the back. He would never accept an outstretched hand but he couldn't deny a sharpened sword to the neck. She's not a knight in shining armor but she's the salvation he needed and whether he liked it or not, he would give his life for her.
"Father, is it possible that I don't marry the duke?"
PAH!
The slap was expected, honestly. How could the daughter of a Marquess fight against the decree of the king or her father? In the end, she was just a pawn for the men in her life, every one of them.
While the king was doing it to solidify the position of crown prince for his favorite son, her father was doing it to save his neck. Giving a daughter wasn't too much to ask if it meant receiving the crown prince's favor.
And Natalia, well, wasn't impressed. She touched her face, the stinging pain on her cheek intensifying upon contact. She tapped it lightly with glowing fingers and the mark and pain were gone. If there was anything she was grateful for, it was the convenience of magic.
"Do you, Natalia Adamantine, take Fredrich Kristen to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and to serve for the rest of your life?"
For a split second, she was tempted to refuse. Death glares from all around the room focused on her, especially from beside and in front of her. She couldn't refuse, she wouldn't walk out alive. But her death was of no consequence. It was that she feared reliving the day and dying over and over.
"I do" she smiled brightly.
"Then this day, under God, you two are proclaimed husband and wife"
'Husband and wife, my foot. We are not even riding the same carriage home'
The Dukedom of Kristen, home to the Kristens for several generations. It was ruled by egregious men who thought themselves mightier than god himself. They could defy the command of the king and do whatever they wanted in the kingdom because they held the most powerful military. To get their support, the king had to offer the most suitable sacrifice, the shining star of the capital, Lady Natalia Adamantine.
The Kingdom of Ducroft was one built on magic. Magic was used for virtually everything and thus became a religion. The god worshiped by most of the kingdom was the very first mage, someone who surpassed mortality. Because of his influence, the people of Ducroft were able to use magic easier than others, especially since the kingdom was so close to the Forest of Damnation.
The territory closest to the forest, in charge of handling whatever crawled out from that hell, was the Dukedom of Kristen. It was immensely far from the capital and would take too long to travel by carriage so a teleportation magic circle was used. There was just a slight change in scenery and the next second, they were in the dukedom.
To the old Natalia, it was a frightening place of nightmares. The same was the case for the reborn Natalia. It had a frighteningly dreadful atmosphere, dark clouds hanging all year round. The huge towers of the castle just made it worse, spinning many rumors about the 'Castle on the Edge'.
If there was anything she hated more than the castle itself, it was that it was the nest of monsters. Dragons perched on the towers, fae flitted in and out, tormenting anyone who dared look their way. Every day she spent in the castle was absolute hell. But, there was one good thing there.
"I call on the mother of fairies, the bearer of light, Madaline"
Her hands glowed with a faint green light. She watched with anticipation and faint excitement as a small fairy dressed entirely in white appeared on her hand. She was as tall as a pen, more accurately described as a pixie. She had long green hair, hollow eyes, a small pointy chin, and two long ears.
She yawned, standing from her sleeping position. She rubbed her eyes, staring up to look at Natalia after her eyes were cleared.
{You must be the one who woke me from slumber. What is it you desire?}
"A companion"
{How can you speak the language of the fae? What are you?}
"I am......."
"My lady, it is time for us to enter the house. I'm opening the carriage now"
Natalie whispered a spell and the fairy in her hands disappeared. She adjusted her gown and the carriage door was opened. A long red carpet was extended in front of her and at the bottom of the stairs stood her husband.
His dark red eyes urged her to hurry with a hint of disgust. He looked handsome, too handsome to be real. He had long blonde hair with red eyes and pale skin, as opposed to her darkened skin and dark red hair. She was often insulted by him and many others for her features, demeaned to lesser than a human. She knew just what kind of beast lay behind his red eyes.
She disembarked the carriage, walking up beside him. She wasn't the shining star of the capital for nothing. Her manners and etiquette were perfect with intelligence and wisdom surpassing the other ladies of the capital. Her husband only hated her because she was forced on him and he loved another.
She walked up to where he stood, staying two steps behind him as a wife did. He walked up the stairs, ignoring the fact that she was still in the cumbersome wedding gown. She sighed, walking after him, keeping up with his pace. Having to relive such a day, god really hated her.
"Welcome to the Dukedom of Kristen, my lady. I am the grand butler, Corren. I am in charge of the household so if you need anything my lady, please don't hesitate to meet me. A butler has already been assigned to you and I promise they will provide exemplary service. They will explain the rules of the dukedom to you and help with your everyday needs"
"Thank you, Butler Corren" she smiled at the bowing man. Her husband had already disappeared into the dukedom, most likely going to work. He needed time to abandon his feelings and commit to his marriage. Pfft! Like that's true!
Meanwhile, trouble was arising as they spoke. Butler Corren looked like a sensible, kind old man. He was a capable grand butler, working for the dukedom ever since he was a young man. In the past, Natalia thought he'd at least be cordial to her but he dropped her in a heartbeat. It was sad.
"This is your butler, Wilbur. He will lead you to your room"
Wilbur, her butler, and personal bully. He was someone who grew up with the duke and despised the fact that he was not happy in his marriage. He intentionally left out many rules about the house, letting Natalia get in trouble knowing no one would blame her for it. In the first place, no one liked her so it didn't matter if she was innocent or not.
"I'll be in your care, Butler Wilbur" she smiled, extending her hand. He took it and kissed it. He was also handsome, taking advantage of that to sleep with many maids, bullying them into silence. He never got retribution as far as Natalia knew. He was scum like the rest of them.
'Even if I don't ruin anyone, I won't let you go scot-free. But first, Madaline'
Once she was alone in the huge and oppressive room, she called Madaline out again. If she wanted to survive long enough in the dukedom, she needed the fairy mother and a concrete plan.
Evelyn Brooks' life has been completely transformed ever since her parents died in a terrible accident. She went from grieving to being forced into an arranged marriage to a man who never gave her a second look. After his disastrous relationship, Edward Richards vowed never to trust in love again-that is, until he learned to love his arranged wife. Before it turned out to be desired, the marriage was first arranged and unwanted. But will "love" be sufficient to preserve their union?
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
"The entire wealthy circle in Seattle knew how much Stella Carlson loved Aaron Malone. People watched the childhood sweethearts grow from inexperience to maturity, finally getting married in a grand wedding ceremony. On the day of the wedding, despite the alliance between the Carlson and Malone families, the groom ran away. Stella knew that Aaron had rushed to L.A. to take care of his ex-girlfriend, who had attempted suicide. Unwilling to become the laughingstock of all Seattle, she gritted her teeth and dialed the number of her adversary, her tone almost commanding, "Ethan, come and marry me now. This is your only chance for revenge." On the other end, Ethan Powers raised an eyebrow as he gripped his phone, staring at the floor littered with cigarette butts. "Did the groom run away?" he asked. "My darling."
It took only a second for a person's world to come crashing down. This was what happened in Hannah's case. For four years, she gave her husband her all, but one day, he said emotionlessly, "Let's get divorced." Hannah's heart broke into a million pieces as she signed the divorce papers, marking the end of her role as a devoted wife. Within Hannah, a strong woman awakened, vowing never to be beholden to any man again. Embracing her new life, she embarked on a journey to find herself and command her own destiny. By the time she returned, she had experienced so much growth and was now completely different from the docile wife everyone once knew. "Is this your latest trick to get my attention?" Hannah's ever-so-arrogant husband asked. Before she could retort, a handsome and domineering CEO pulled her into his embrace. He smiled down at her and said boldly to her ex, "Just a little heads-up, mister. This is my beloved wife. Keep off!"