'As if you were on fire from within.

The moon lives in the lining of your skin.'

-Pablo Neruda
***

One Year Later,
Clifford Estate;

Richard’s reluctance against attending the ball had proved to be valid withing the first few seconds of his entry. The main reason behind this, the man he had hope to never lay his eyes upon ever again, was making his way towards him with a few other noblemen.

Richard cursed under his breath, straining to contain his anger. If Minerva hadn’t insisted, he would have willingly passed upon the invitation; but now, he was stuck in this ordeal.

“Look who we have with us! Lord Seaborne, it has been a long time. How are you?”

Richard threw an acidic smile towards him, knowing well enough about the intention behind his seemingly innocent enquiry. However, he had vowed to himself to not let this man rile him up tonight, and he intended to keep that vow.

“Very well, Lord Cavendish.”

Richard struggled to keep his voice civil. He had witnesses; ones who had never really been sympathetic towards him, courtesy of his past actions.

“Ah! That reminds me, how is Lady Seaborne?”

Silas Cavendish narrowed his eyes malevolently as he threw the question at him.

“My wife is well.”

Richard was getting more agitated by every passing minute; but knew that there was still worst to come.

“We had expected an invitation at the wedding Richard. I was really disappointed when it did not come.”

Richard doubted whether Lord Norris, the man whose wife had once graced his arms, had been truly disappointed about the fact. But he kept his thoughts to himself, offering the other man a customary smile.

“It had been a rather intimate affair, Lord Norris.”

“Oh, but what family did you say she comes from?”

Silas Cavendish smirked at Richard as Lord Norris continued, starting before Richard had a chance to respond,

“Yes, pray tell, Lord Seaborne. Also, I heard that she already had a son by another man. It really is benevolent of you to accept him as your own.”

Richard felt his control waning and cast a vicious glare at him. He knew that Silas would never disclose Minerva’s identity in a social gathering. He would never risk tarnishing his own reputation. But hearing him talk about his wife, was proving to be the worst torture he had endured in a long time.

“He is my son. As you might be aware, Lord Cavendish, I was travelling for years. I met her on one of those travels and she gave birth to my son, not long after. You may be able to understand further.”

Silas Cavendish looked thoroughly agitated.
He must not have anticipated his answer. Anything he could say to prove it false, would ultimately lead to his own embarrassment.

“So, she is not of a noble blood then.”

“No, Lord Norris. But I am perfectly contended with that.”

“You have to be. There is no honourable nobleman in this land, who would ever offer his daughter to the likes of you.”

The façade of politeness that he had been keeping, soon slipped, and Richard sighed exasperatedly at Lord Norris’ words.
This man was grating upon his nerves.
To hell with this wretched ball!

“I consider myself fortunate for that, Lord Norris. The ladies of this land could not hold a candle to my wife. Now, pardon me, but this blissful conversation has suddenly filled me with the desire to be with her.
I would like to take my leave. It had been a wonderful evening.”

Richard wasted no time in exiting the hall, feeling a huge weight lift off his shoulders.
__________________________________

Seaborne Estate;

“Did it not go well?”

Minerva’s worried voice greeted him as soon as he entered the hall of his manor. She rushed towards him, taking his cote as he shrugged out of it.

“It was just as I had expected.”

He murmured dispassionately, making his way towards the library. Minerva followed him inside, waiting for him to settle down.

“What happened? You look displeased.”

Richard could not help but smile at her concern. She stood before him with a frown, looking much like a woman who awaited the results of a trial. 

He opened his mouth to try and dispel her apprehensions, when his son’s animated voice announced his arrival.

“Father!”

Richard’s smile broadened into a wide grin as he caught the sight of Will’s merry face.
It still amazed him to hear Will address him as his father. It had taken him months to do that, but it had been worth the wait.

“What is it, my son?”

“Father, I defeated Alfie at the swordfight today. Ma said that I was really strong! Didn’t you, Ma?”

Will looked expectantly at his mother, grinning as she nodded her head with a smile,

“Yes, I did.”

Richard chuckled as he pulled Will on his lap. Alfie was the son of one of the maids, much closer to Will in age.
It would hardly have been a fight- two boys, with their wooden swords. However, that did not dull the pride soaring in his heart.

“That was indeed quite courageous of you, Will. I think it is time you get a real sword of your own.”

Will’s face brightened with delight as he looked up at him with eager eyes.

“Really, father? I will get my own sword? The one like you?”

Minerva chuckled as she watched their exchange with fond eyes.

“Yes, though it might be a bit shorter than mine.”

Will cried with joy, throwing his arms around him. Richard laughed along, pausing just enough to take in the sweet scent of the boy in his embrace.

“I must tell this to Alfie!”

Will did not wait for his parent’s reply, running out of the library in another second.

Richard stared at the doorway for another moment, his face alight with love.

“You spoil him a lot, my lord.”

Minerva’s hesitant tone caused him to look up, finding an odd look in her eyes.

“That is what a father is supposed to do. Is it not?”

His crooked grin caused Minerva’s heart to skip a beat. She had never imagined herself being capable of feeling this way for any man.
But then, Lord Richard Seaborne had a way of shaking her beliefs.
In him, she had found a man who was willing to love and respect her, despite her tainted past. He had no obligation of helping her; still, he had made sure to provide for her and her son.

His love for Will was unconditional. She had seen it in his eyes.
Seeing her son smile and laugh uninhibitedly, had been a blessing from the Lord.

“What happened? Are you upset that I did not tell you about the ball?”

Richard’s expression grew concerned when he saw the distracted expression on her face.

Minerva quickly recovered from her thoughts, shaking her head.

“No, my lord. I-"

“Alright! It was just as I had expected- a boring affair. I would have been happier with staying here and watching Will’s swordfight.”

Minerva caught the sigh at the end of his sentence and her frown returned.

“But you cannot expect to refuse every invite, my lord. I know you are only doing it for our benefit; but I cannot bear to see you secluding yourself from all social affairs just to protect us. You are a Lord. You need to be involved in these functions. I fear our presence is hindering you from partaking in activities that you would have otherwise enjoyed.”

Richard stood up to face her, scowling as she avoided his eyes. Her hesitation and guilt were palpable.

“Minerva, I could not care less about that. Do not worry yourself over something so trivial. I am fairly content with spending my days in the company of my wife and son, savouring the moments.”

Minerva finally looked up in his eyes, causing him to falter.

Each day, he found himself finding his wife more beautiful than the last. She infused his life, and his home, with warmth. He wondered what his life would have been, had he not found her.

“Also, will I ever have the pleasure of hearing you say my name? You make me feel like an old man.”

Although Richard ended his sentence with a laugh, he held his breath as he waited for her reply.

Over the last year, he had realised that waiting for her to call him by his name, would be futile. She was too cautious. Hence, he had taken the first chance that had presented itself.
If she refused, he would never breach the subject again.
But, Lord! How he wished she would comply!

Minerva parted her lips, her wavering resolve evident on her face. She knew that once she crossed this threshold, she would never be able to turn back.
She gazed into her husband’s eye, finding in them, unmistakable love and adoration. Her own mouth curved into a soft smile. When she did speak, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“You are hardly an old man, Richard.”

Richard felt in that moment, a profound exhilaration. His name, coming from her enticing mouth, was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

His gaze softened as he brought a hand to her face, stroking her cheek. She immediately leaned into his touch.

“I am glad to know that, Lady Seaborne.”
__________________________________

The Palace;

“Is something the matter, Maya?”

Geoffrey saw the caution that crept up in Maya’s eyes as soon as the words were out of him.

He had not wanted to make her wary of his presence. But he could no longer bear to see the distress that seemed to cloud her face constantly since the last many months.

Maya wringed her hands in the confines of her skirt, trying her best to avoid Geoffrey’s eyes.

“Not at all, Uncle Geoffrey. What made you think that?”

Geoffrey smiled drily. He was well aware of the matter that plagued her. But seeing the guarded look on her face, convinced him not to voice his doubts aloud.

“Prince Edward seems increasingly agitated in his practice. Could you be aware of the reason behind this?”

Maya turned her head to look at the sprawling garden below the boulevard, his question sending a pang of regret through her. She could not bear to face him, knowing that she was the reason behind her husband’s affliction.

How could she tell him that even after all the efforts that Edward had made, she was unable to forgo her guilt and pain?
Her own woes were casting a shadow over her husband’s disposition, which only supplemented her guilt further.

Geoffrey stared at the clouds of emotions passing over her face. His chest ached as he thought of all the losses that she had to suffer in her young age. He admired her strength of persevering through all that, a courage that she had definitely gotten from her mother. But he feared that in her effort to do that, she had lost her spirit.

He could hardly see her smile these days. Her entire time was devoted to her duties.

He had also seen the wariness in Prince Edward’s eyes; had seen the young man he had trained over the years, drown into a perpetual state of agitation and gloom.

Geoffrey feared that if it went on, the two of them would lose the one thing that held them together- their love for each other.

He leaned towards Maya, looking at the hesitation on her face as she turned to face him again. Smiling softly, he held her gaze as he spoke in a persuasive tone,

“Life is never a smooth sailing, my dear. We encounter ordeals in our way; sometimes they may be destructive enough to break our spirits. In such situations, we could either overcome those ordeals, or be overcome by them. The only strength that you are able to rely upon in such time, is the strength of love, Maya.
As long as you have the one you love, standing by your side, you could overcome any trial. The only thing that matters is cherishing that love."
__________________________________

Maya felt her husband’s presence as he stood behind her.

Her skin tingled with a familiar warmth. She felt his tentative touch on her shoulders and closed her eyes. The feeling was overwhelming. And when he placed his lips on the side of her neck, she felt like she could float.

How long had it been since he last touched her with such love- since she last allowed him to touch her like this?

A year.
Ever since that night-

Maya stifled abruptly as the memory of that dreadful night resurfaced. No sooner had she done this, she felt Edward withdraw his touch. Her body protested with need, her heart thudding with desire; but her mind had already receded to a dark place- a place that allowed her no respite.
Hence, she did nothing, said nothing, as he retracted his steps, moving to stand facing the fireplace.

Edward clenched his jaw in frustration. He should have known this time would be no different.

But when he had seen her standing at the foot of their bed, looking so ethereal- so heartbreakingly beautiful with her hair down her back, he had felt an intense need to feel her against himself. For a moment, when he felt her leaning back into his touch, he had almost cried with relief; but that moment had passed on too quickly.

She had soon retreated back in herself. The second he had felt her stiffen in his arms, he knew he had lost her again.

He wondered if he would ever get his wife back. If he could ever see her laugh again, or surrender herself to uninhibited passion. A part of him feared that it would never happen. That no matter how hard he tried, she had already buried herself too deep in her grief and guilt. Although he too ached for their son, and had tried to assure her that it was not her fault, he had been unable to break past her defences.

And now, even his touch repulsed her. Edward had never felt such a profound helplessness in his life.

He swallowed his tears as he faced the flames. When he spoke, his voice was gruff with emotion,

“I am leaving for an expedition across the Kingdom tomorrow. There has been news of a rebellion and Father wants to secure our alliances. It would not be long. I would probably be back after two weeks.”

Maya frowned as she turned to him. He had not bothered facing her as he told her this news.
But how could she blame him? She had been far worse.

She saw the stiffness of his shoulders and back, and her conversation with Geoffrey replayed itself in her head.
How was she supposed to make this right?

How could she tell him that his presence, his words- his touch- they all reminded her of all they had lost?
It reminded her of what could have been.

How could she make him understand that although she loved him with all her heart, his presence brought her nothing but pain?

It hurt her to see the love and understanding in his eyes, knowing that she did not deserve it.

And now, he was leaving her. He had probably gotten tired of her. Why wouldn’t he?
She could not expect him to continue being so understanding.

And hence, even though every fibre of her being begged her to ask him to stay, she withstood.
Blinking back the tears in her eyes, she spoke in a hardly recognisable voice,

“Alright.”

Edward sighed heavily as he heard the resignation in her voice. She had given up on their love. He had hoped she would ask him to stay.
Hell! He would have given up everything to hear her say that. But she hadn’t.

When his father had proposed the idea, he had meant to go on an expedition by himself. But Edward had thought it to be a nice opportunity to free Maya from his stifling presence. And now, he knew he had been right.
 
“You should go to sleep. I would be out, preparing for tomorrow.”

He did not wait for Maya’s reply as he rushed outside their chambers, fighting the helplessness that threatened to consume his heart.
__________________________________

Unnamed Waterfall,
Near Hayworth Estate;

Brandon threaded his fingers through Emma’s tresses as they lay together on the ground.

Emma smiled lazily, rubbing her face fondly against his bare chest.

“You are going to tangle my hair.”

Brandon grinned as he stopped his actions, opting instead, to run his fingers languidly over the skin of her back.

“I thought I was helping in untangling it. You should be thanking me instead.”

Emma chuckled upon hearing his words, raising her chin to gaze into his eyes.

“You have to be the most conceited man in the entire Kingdom.”

“I have you naked in my arms. That ought to count for something. I think I am perfectly warranted to be conceited.”

Emma gasped at his crude words, hitting him lightly on his chest. She sat up on the cloak he had spread beneath them, bringing up the skirts of her dress to cover herself.

“Have you not learnt any propriety? This is not the way to talk to a woman!”

Brandon raised himself on his palms, not bothering to cover his torso as it gleamed in the sunlight.

“It is certainly the way to talk to my woman.”

Emma could not hide the blush that crept up her neck.

“I would have contradicted your statement, but this place is too serene to start an argument.”

She avoided his eyes, focussing instead, on the beauty around her. She had never even known about this place, before Brandon had shown it to her. It had to be the most beautiful place she had ever seen.

The air was suffused with the fragrance of an array of flowers. Glittering rays of the sun fell upon dew-covered grass blades, causing the ground to shimmer. The sound of the waterfall and trickling stream, was merged with the chirping of birds. And as they both sat in the quaint nook, Emma had never felt so at peace- and in love.

“I wish I never had to leave. This is beautiful.”

“I certainly have no problem with that. I would like nothing more than to make love to you in that waterfall all day long.”

Emma’s face flushed with embarrassment as her mind replayed the memory he had been referring to.
They had indeed made love in this waterfall- more than once. It had become their secret spot. Over the course of last year, they had managed to meet in secret on more than one occasion.
It had been a difficult task to hide their meetings from her father; especially when anyone could see them together.

Brandon had soon found the solution for their problem and brought her here. Ever since that day, they had been meeting here at least twice every month. This was the place where he had made love to her for the first time.

“It is good that your dress has dried. It would have been difficult to explain your state to your friend otherwise.”

Brandon’s words caused Emma to sigh, thinking about the friend he was referring to.
Matilde had made their liaisons much simpler. Each time she had to meet Brandon, Emma had used the excuse of meeting Matilde. Her father had been more than willing to acknowledge her company.
Matilde herself, had been quite enthusiastic about her rendezvous. She was a sweet girl, and had vowed to never tell a soul about Emma’s secret. It certainly helped that she was not aware about his identity, or the details of what they did on these meetings.
As far as she knew, these were nothing but innocent meetings. Emma wondered what she would feel if she knew the truth.

“Are you sure you could trust her? If your father found out, what would you say to him?”

Emma frowned and looked at his guarded eyes.

She tried not to let his hesitation affect her. She had long accepted that he would never be ready to proclaim their love in front of others. It still hurt her to think that should the time come, she would have to leave him.
He had reminded her of that, time and again. His reluctance had been apparent all those times when they had been on the verge of losing themselves to each other. He had always held back, making sure they did not go beyond a few passionate kisses.

Then he had brought her here and the magic of this place had overcome their reasons.

Afterwards, as they lay spent after making love to each other, he had felt so remorseful, that he had been almost ready to leave her. In his guilt of taking her maidenhood, he had refused to meet her again, apologising profusely. It was only after a month of persuasion that Emma was able to soothe his guilt. He had to understand that whatever had happened, had been her choice too.
After that, they had stopped trying to hold themselves back.

“Do not worry. He will not find out. And if he does, I would tell him that you seduced me and made me fall for your charm.”

Emma pushed away her apprehensions and smirked mischievously, trying to abate his doubts.

Brandon raised an eyebrow at her words, a crooked smile adorning his face,

“Is that so? But as far as I remember, it was you who seduced me.”

“Me?”

Brandon buried his head in the crook of Emma’s neck, his breath tingling her skin.

“Why, yes, indeed! You bewitched me with your beauty, Emma Mortimer. You cast a spell on me. I am totally innocent in this.”

Emma chuckled and stroked the back of his head lovingly.

“Then I must have quiet a talent- to have surpassed your innumerable other admirers.”

Brandon’s chest rumbled with his laugh. He pulled back, looking at her with hooded eyes.

“You should go back. We do not want your friend worrying.”

Emma bit her lip, trying to avoid the passion in his eyes.

“You are not trying to get rid of me after compromising my virtue, are you, Brandon Hayworth?”

Though her words were spoken in good humour, Emma soon realised her error, when she saw a cloud pass over Brandon’s face.
She saw the flash of guilt in his eyes and wished she could take back her words.

She instantly held his face closer to her own.

“Bran! I did not mean it like that. You know that, right?”

Brandon held her eyes for a moment, his face tight. Then, in another second, his features relaxed.

“Of course. I know.”

Emma sighed with relief when he placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

“I should really get dressed before my father sends for a search party.”

Emma kept her tone light as she looked at him. Brandon smiled and stood, pulling up her with him.

He helped her get dressed, tying the strings and combing her hair through his fingers.

When they had finished, Emma felt her cheeks heat up when she realised that he was still undressed.

“Should you also not get dressed?”

Her voice came out in a choked whisper and she cursed herself for feeling so shy.
Brandon’s hearty laugh greeted her question and she raised an inquiring gaze towards him.

“You never fail to surprise me, my siren. As for the reply of your question, I do intend to get dressed. But before that, I plan to reminisce about the sweet memories that we have shared here.”

Emma inhaled sharply at his words, feeling his eyes boring into hers. She did not wait to listen to him any further, choosing to rush out to the clearing before he could see the embarrassment lighting her face.

Brandon stared after her retreating figure, his smile dropping as soon as she was out of his sight.

This was no good.
He should stop now. If he continued, she would only get hurt even more. It was never supposed to come to this point. He should stop before he dragged her further with him.

Emma deserved someone better- someone who wasn’t him. He had meant to stop this today; had even vowed to do it before meeting her. But the moment he saw her in front of him, his resolve had turned to dust.
But the next time, he would not fall weak.
Yes, he wouldn’t…
__________________________________

Author’s Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

I hope you all are safe and sound.

So, what did you think of this chapter?
A year has passed.

Maya is struggling with her emotions.
Do you think she should have let go of the pain a long time ago?
Would it have been easier?
Is it fair on Edward?

Also, what do you think would happen with Brandon and Maya?

Bran has been too deeply affected by his anger and doubts. After all that he had to deal with, he is having a tough time holding onto the person he loves.
Do you think Emma would be able to bring him out of this?

And guys, I made it to the fourth week and followed my deadline!!

This calls for a celebration!

Till the next time! 👋