ora
to pieces, Matron.
ieve Carlisle, my adoptive mother, sat enthroned in a velvet armchair, a delicate porcelain teacup held in her perfec
monial sword. He was Genevieve's trueborn son, the heir to the Carlisle
etting out of hand. She nee
d she wore when she was about to be particularly cruel. "Now, Maddox, don't be so harsh. Aurora has just retu
ile couldn't conceal. She was already calculating. I knew that look. I
butler announ
en awarded for my service-gleaming steel plates over hardened leather. It wasn't parade armor; it was functional, bearing several faint scratches and a small dent near tis sword. "What is this farce? Do you think you're in a
ch cracked. This was a more direct defiance than she had anticipated. T
gave a slight, formal nod of my head. "Mother. I have returned." My to
rced her smile back into place, though it was strained now. "So you have, child. Welcome
eminder of the prize she intended to steal, a re
d no
lear, "I must first pay my respects to Aunt Adeline.
man Genevieve had systematically isolated and poisoned, keeping her con
defiance. This was a direct challenge to her authority. In Carlisle Manor, every vi
iving visitors," Genevieve said, he
forward. "Aurora, don't push yo
hem both, my armor making a soft clinking sound with th
ried. I didn't give them time to react, to summon guar
ng porcelain. Genevieve had finally lost control. The sound of her t
crisp morning air. I could feel their hateful glares on my bac
, had used her last ounce of strength to try and shield me from G
ded part of the estate where Adeline was kept. A young maid, Jane, stood
the Matron's
a military-grade medical kit. "These are advanced healing salves
d from inside the room. It was a voice that haunted
rora? Let h
the rest of the manor. And there, resting on a chaise lounge by the window, was Adeline. Her face was pale and drawn, her beautiful silv
voice frail. "You're thinner. T
, hot and sharp, but I forced the
knee beside her chaise lounge, my armor cold agains
ng all the love, all the regret, all the fierce,
silent vow, was m
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