Today at the fair, I encountered a gentleman unlike any I have ever seen. He was at the shooting stall, tall and broad-shouldered, with a presence that commanded attention.

His hair was a striking shade of red, the color of embers glowing in the hearth, and it caught the sunlight in a way that made it appear almost aflame.

But it was his eyes that truly captivated me, an arresting green, like the deepest of emeralds, sharp and clear, as though they could see right through to the depths of one's soul.

When he offered to assist me with the rifle, I found myself momentarily lost in those eyes.

'Allow me to help you,' he said in a voice that was both gentle and confident, his accent betraying his foreign origins.

His hands were steady as he guided mine, and for a moment, it felt as though the world had stilled around us.

As we spoke, I could not help but notice the way his red hair caught the breeze, tousling slightly in the wind, giving him an air of carefree charm. There was a warmth in his smile, one that made me feel as though I had known him for far longer than the brief moments we had shared.

It is strange, how quickly one can become enamoured. His every word, every gesture, has lodged itself in my mind, and I find myself eager for the next time our paths might cross.

We conversed at length after that. His name is Nikolai, and he is not of this land. He has come in search of employment, yet there is a quality about him that sets him apart from any gentleman I have ever encountered. It is as though I have known him for an age, though we only just met.

Knowing of his origins I tried not to fall for him, but I couldn't.

I believe I am beginning to develop feelings for him. It is most peculiar, how swiftly this has transpired. But there is a vitality he brings to my life, a lightness I had not realized was missing. He makes me laugh in a way I have not done in years, and when he gazes at me, it is as though the world fades away.

Today, Nikolai confessed his feelings.

It was on a beautiful summer's day that Nikolai proposed to me. He took me to a secluded spot by the river, where the trees formed a canopy overhead, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze.

The water sparkled in the sunlight, and wildflowers bloomed along the riverbank, their colors vibrant and alive. It felt as though we had stepped into a world all our own, far removed from the troubles that plagued us.

Nikolai took my hand and led me to a patch of soft grass, where we sat together, the sound of the river a soothing melody in the background. He looked at me with those captivating green eyes, his expression serious and tender all at once.

'Miss Meredith, I know I am but a foreigner in this land, with little to offer, but my heart belongs to you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?'

In that moment, I felt as though my heart might burst with happiness. I had never been so sure of anything in my life.

I told him yes, that there was nothing in the world I wanted more than to be his. We embraced beneath the trees, and for a brief, shining moment, everything felt perfect.

And, in that moment, I could not hold back my own admission. I told him that I, too, am besotted, that my heart races whenever I think of him.

I couldn't wait to let Scarlett know about all this. I am waiting eagerly for her to come back from Mr. Harry's house.

But then, our world was turned upside down.

Word came that Lord Darius Kingsley's grandfather had arrived in the village.

The gossip was rife there had been a terrible assassination, and Darius's paternal family had been slain.

And then the most astonishing event occurred.

His lordship's grandfather came to our home with a marriage proposal for me.

For me, of all people! I ought to have been overjoyed; any young lady would be. Yet my thoughts were only of Nikolai.

Father was beside himself with rage when he discovered the truth about Nikolai.

He branded him a scoundrel, an outsider unworthy of my affections.

He insisted that I must marry Lord Darius, that it was my duty to our family.

We quarreled fiercely. I declared that I loved Nikolai and would have no other, but Father would not be swayed.

'If you do not wed Lord Darius, you shall be cast out from this house.'

Desperate and heartbroken, I ran to Nikolai to tell him what had happened.

We met at the edge of the village, in the shadow of the old barn where we often sought refuge. When I told him about the marriage proposal and my father's demands, Nikolai was livid. I could see the storm brewing in his eyes, and for the first time, I felt a pang of fear not of Nikolai, but of what the future might hold for us.

'I will not let them take you from me, I will go far away, as far as I must, to keep you safe, but I cannot lose you.'

In that moment, the intensity of his love overwhelmed me.

We sought solace in each other's arms, and what began as a desperate embrace soon turned into something more. The night was filled with passion, and in the quiet of that old barn, I gave myself to him completely.

It was my first time, and though the place was simple, it did not matter. All that mattered were the feelings we shared, the love that bound us together in that fleeting moment of perfect intimacy.

But as dawn approached, reality crept back in, and with it, the weight of the choices we had made.

Nikolai held me close, whispering promises of a future where we could be together, far from the reach of those who sought to tear us apart. But deep down, I knew that our path would not be an easy one.

The uncertainty of what lay ahead frightened me, yet I clung to the hope that our love would see us through whatever trials awaited us.

And then... the worst befell us.

Nikolai was accused of the most heinous crime.

They said he was the assassin, that he had slain Lord Darius's kin and the Duke-to-be. The authorities were searching for him, and he was forced to flee, to go into hiding.

It was utter pandemonium. With Nikolai gone, there was nothing left for me. I had no choice but to accept the marriage proposal.

What else could I have done?

My heart was shattered, but I had to protect my family, protect myself...

***

"We are here, Lady Scarlett," Eliza told me, looking out of the carriage.

I was so drawn into the writings in the diary that I didn't realize how the four hours had passed. I looked up to find Eliza keeping her knitting equipment in her bag. It seemed she had been knitting the whole time while I was busy reading.

I closed the diary gently, my mind still reeling from the revelations.

He was a foreigner, she wrote. He had come to find work, but instead, he found her. Their feelings had blossomed despite the differences in their worlds, and they confessed their love for each other.

The chaos that ensued after Nikolai was accused of assassinating Darius's family... I could hardly breathe as I read Meredith's account.

How terrifying it must have been for her, knowing that the man she loved was being hunted like an animal. And when she agreed to marry Darius, it wasn't out of love but out of desperation, Nikolai was fleeing, and she had no other choice.

I was too absorbed in my medical studies that summer to notice any of this. My father's friend, a doctor, had taken me under his wing, and I had thrown myself into the work.

Now, as I think back, it makes sense why I never knew. I was too busy practicing medicine to see the turmoil happening in my own family.

The carriage door opened, pulling me from my thoughts. I was greeted by the familiar, warm smile of my mother, Helena Ravenswood. My father, Alvin, stood beside her, his stern but loving gaze meeting mine. My brother Clarence was there too, and my youngest sister Phoebe, her face bright with excitement.

"Welcome home, Scarlett," my mother said, her voice filled with warmth. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you too," I told her embracing her into a tight hug. I had met them only once after my marriage when they came to meet me in the estate.

I looked around, the sight of my childhood home. The Ravenswood estate, though modest, has always held a quiet dignity. Its stone walls, ivy-covered and weathered by time, seem almost to pulse with the memories of my youth.

The house is set back from the main road, surrounded by lush gardens that my mother tends to with meticulous care. The scent of roses and lavender fills the air, and I find myself momentarily lost in the nostalgia of it all.

I walk up the gravel path, Eliza following me, feeling the crunch under my boots, and glance up at the windows of my old room.

How many times had I sat by that window, dreaming of the future, never imagining that I'd return under such circumstances?

My room, with its soft blue walls and worn wooden furniture, had been my sanctuary. The bed, with its quilted coverlet, had seen countless nights where I'd curled up with a book, safe and warm.

I still remember the morning of Meredith's marriage.

The house was a bustle of activity, the maids scurrying about with final preparations, my mother and Phoebe fretting over every detail of Meredith's bridal attire.

The sunlight had filtered through the lace curtains, casting delicate patterns on the floor, and everything had felt so normal, so predictable. It was supposed to be a day of celebration, and yet, as I look back now, it was the beginning of the end.

I had dressed in my finest gown, fully expecting to witness my sister's wedding, but fate had other plans.

The next thing I knew, I was the one standing in front of the altar, my hand in Lord Darius Kingsley's, while Meredith was nowhere to be found. I had not known it then, but it would be the last time I would see my room, my sanctuary, my old life.

"Scarlett," my father's voice breaks through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. I turn to find him standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

Alvin Ravenswood, the village doctor, a man of science and reason, yet burdened with the weight of secrets I am only now beginning to understand.

I clutch Meredith's diary to my chest, its worn leather cover warm from my touch.

"Father," I begin, my voice trembling, "I've read it all. Meredith's diary... why did you do this to her? If you had allowed her to marry Nikolai, none of this would have happened."

His eyes harden, and I can see the familiar lines of anger etching into his face.

"Scarlett, you speak of matters you do not understand. Nikolai is an assassin, a criminal. He was the one responsible for the deaths of Lord Darius's family, the Duke-to-be. Do you think the country's matters are so trivial that you can simply brush them aside?"

"But Father," I protest, my voice rising in desperation, "Meredith wasn't involved in any of that. She loved Nikolai, and you forced her into a marriage she didn't want. And now, she's... she's considered a criminal, but why? What did she do to deserve this?"

His face darkens, and for a moment, I see a flicker of something in his eyes.

But then it's gone, replaced by the stern, unyielding man I've known all my life.

"Meredith made her choices, and those choices led her down a dark path. She attempted to kill Lord Darius, and she nearly succeeded in killing you as well. Do you understand the gravity of what she has done?"

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I stagger back, shaking my head in disbelief.

"How do you know about all this?"

"We got a letter from Lord Kingsley's grandfather saying of your search for her and all the things that happened to you and Lord Kingsley because of Meredith," he explained and I couldn't fathom the fact that they had already told my father everything.

"Because," my father's voice is cold, almost detached, "she was driven by her love for that man, that assassin. She was willing to go to any lengths to be with him, even if it meant destroying her own family."

I stare at him, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a heavy shroud. But something doesn't add up. Something about the way he speaks of Meredith, with such bitterness, such disdain.

"Father," I ask, my voice quiet, "why do you hate Meredith so much? You've always been so harsh with her, so unforgiving. Why?"

There's a long pause, and I can see the internal struggle in his eyes. Finally, he sighs, running a hand through his graying hair.

"It's time you knew the truth, Scarlett. Meredith... she isn't your sister. Not by blood."

The revelation hits me like a thunderclap, and I feel the ground shift beneath my feet.

"What... what do you mean?"

"Meredith is not my child, nor is she your mother's. She is the daughter of my first wife, Florence, and another man. Florence had an affair, and when the truth came out, she ran away with him. They both died in a tragic accident. Their carriage was thrown from a cliff during a storm, and the two were killed. Florence's mother, gravely ill and fearing for the child's future, begged me to take Meredith in. I agreed, for the sake of the child, but I could never forget the betrayal. And Meredith knew about all these since the beginning."

I feel as though the air has been sucked out of the room.

"Meredith... not my sister? And all this time, she knew?" Tears well up in my eyes, and I shake my head, struggling to process this new reality.

"But... but why didn't you tell me, or Clarence, or Phoebe? Why keep it a secret?"

"Because," my mother's voice is soft, filled with sorrow, "we didn't want you to see her any differently. Meredith was just a child, innocent in all this, and I loved her as if she were my own. But your father...forget what her mother did. But I know it, he was the best father to her, wanting always the best for her. It was why he was so keen on wanting Meredith to marry Lord Kingsley."

The tears spill over, and I sink to the floor, clutching the diary to my chest.

All this time, Meredith had been carrying this weight, this secret, and I had been oblivious. And now, she was gone, cast out, branded a criminal, in a jail, all alone while I was left to pick up the pieces.

"Father," I sob, looking up at him through tear-blurred eyes, "you could have prevented all of this. If you had just let her be with Nikolai, if you had just shown her a little kindness, maybe none of this would have happened."

He says nothing, his face a mask of stone, but I can see the cracks beginning to form. For the first time, I see the pain in his eyes, the regret that he's tried so hard to bury. But it's too late now. The damage has been done, and there's no going back.

My mother kneels beside me, her arms wrapping around me in a comforting embrace.

"Scarlett, my dear, we did what we thought was best. But sometimes, even the best intentions can lead to tragedy. I'm so sorry."

As I cry, I can't help but think of that last morning in my room, before everything changed.

I had stood at the window, looking out at the world with hope and anticipation, unaware that my life was about to be turned upside down. I had left my room that day, never imagining that I would never return, that my home, my family, would never be the same.

Eliza brought me a cup of tea, her eyes filled with unspoken sympathy. I took the cup gratefully, trying to steady my trembling hands. The warmth of the tea did little to dispel the chill that had settled in my heart.

As I turned the pages of Meredith's diary, a certain page caught my eye. The writing was frantic, the ink smudged as if it had been penned in a desperate haste. The words were jagged, a stark contrast to the neat, composed entries that preceded it.

But I was wrong. I see it now, too late. I wasn't protecting myself.

This was all a charade, a trap.

He used me as bait, to lure Nikolai into his clutches.

Darius Kingsley is a demon, a monster. I only understood this truth on the day I was meant to marry him. I was preparing to bind myself to pure malevolence.

Nikolai was right all along when he fled. Darius was the mastermind behind the brutal assassination of his own family. He used Nikolai's foreign identity as a convenient scapegoat for his heinous crimes. Nikolai knew this, and that's why he ran.

I should have believed Nikolai. I should have trusted him.

Darius's words echoed in my mind like a death knell, at the altar.

'I will kill Nikolai,' he said, his voice cold and cruel.

'I will defile your sister and then sell her to a brothel.'

His words still so fresh as I realised I couldn't marry this demon. I had to run and find Nikolai. I had to save myself, my love and my family. He will kill everyone to reach his goal. He is hungry of power and he loves no one.

My fingers trembled by this point. My breath hitched as I read the words over and over again. I was lost in thought, the weight of Meredith's revelations heavy on my mind, when Clarence burst into the room, a crumpled piece of paper clutched in his hand. His face was streaked with tears, his expression one of sheer despair.

"Nikolai and Meredith have been sentenced to death."

I had already asked you to choose your side. Team Meredith or Team Darius. Y'all chose Darius. Now be happy with him. XD