Dreven City: Late Autumn 1259
Half a cycle had passed. Caught between love and hate, fear and joy, hope and despair, Mara had seen no other way out. Every time she considered confessing to Duncan, every time she showed Stefan even the slightest defiance, something happened. Duncan hadn't been hurt again, but his stallion had been stolen and run hard, returned to the stables in a lather; Beryl had been caught up in an incident in the streets; Elise had had her arm cut open by a thug with a familiar face. Mara didn't see any choice. And four days before Duncan's seventeenth birthday - four days before they would have been free together - an announcement rang through the streets of Dreven City. Stefan Del Sol was to marry Mara Devine before Yearpass.
A day later, the ties were cut entirely. The apartments Eric Mallory had provided for his son's mistress were closed up, vacated entirely; the contract bond was sent back to Mallory Manor, its contents spattered with what could have been raindrops or tears, crossed through in recognition of her violation of the contract itself. Stefan paraded his betrothed about the town, and to those who paid attention to them, it seemed that she was in love with him. Oh, yes, Mara played her part well; she had to. Duncan's life was in her hands. Only Elise knew the terrible price of that performance, and the single thing the golden-haired girl had kept from her happiest times - a ring, gifted to her in love, hanging from a gold chain, hidden between her breasts.
The first time Duncan had noticed something was wrong was the day he'd been ambushed and assaulted on his way to Mara's apartments. It wasn't the attack he'd found so strange, as it was her attitude toward him since then. Though she'd told him she loved him, it seemed she was purposely avoiding him, and he wasn't sure why. At first, he'd thought it was merely to keep up appearances. He knew they both had to maintain the ruse for a few more weeks, at least until he turned seventeen. They were so close, he could almost taste freedom. Freedom from his father, freedom from the Triad, freedom from Stefan and Leandra. Freedom to live their lives together the way they wanted to live them. Why she'd been avoiding him was puzzling at best, but he'd given her the benefit of the doubt. He knew in his heart that she loved him. She had promised they'd be together, and he believed her.
And then, there had been the rumors of an impending wedding to Stefan Del Sol, of all people. Duncan had tried to see her, to find out what was going on, but Elise wouldn't budge. She refused to let him see Mara, making excuses for her mistress, until Duncan had finally given up, utterly confused and worried sick. One day later, and everything came crashing down. It had been Eric Mallory - Duncan's father - who'd given the boy the bad news. He should thank his lucky stars, the man told him, that he wouldn't have to worry about supporting both a mistress and a wife.
Stefan could have her and good riddance to her, the elder Mallory told his young son. Stefan would marry a whore, and Duncan would have a proper wife. Duncan's marriage was the one that had been sanctioned by the Triad. Stefan was a fool for marrying someone so far beneath his station. Nothing good would come of it. Duncan had said nothing to his father. He would say nothing to him until he spoke with Mara, but he had no intention of marrying Leandra, no matter what the Triad or his father wanted.
And so, Duncan had left Mallory Manor with the intention of tracking Mara down and finding out once and for all what was going on. As it happened, it was Leandra who let the cat out of the bag. The girl seemed to enjoy giving Duncan the news that Mara had moved into a house provided by the Del Sol family, and that at this very moment, Mara was entertaining - a word she used loosely - her elder brother at that very place. Whatever it was she had hoped for by telling Duncan this bit of news, the reaction she received was unexpected, to say the least. Angry and hurt beyond reason, Duncan had shaken the girl until she had tearfully given up her brother's location, begging Duncan not to go there, not to make Stefan angry, for her sake and his own, but he hadn't listened. He had left Leandra behind, tearful and shaken, and gone straightaway to find Mara and demand an explanation.
If he had hoped to speak with Mara alone, his hopes were sadly misplaced. Stefan had been constantly with her since she had left the Mallorys' protection, crowing over his victory. Yet he had conceded to her one condition - that he could not have her until his wedding night. He'd agreed with surprising leniency, granting her these last weeks to steel herself for that inevitable night. But he was always there, watching her, showing her off, making sure that the noble and elite houses knew that he had a bride who loved him. She had hoped that Duncan would simply leave the city; she should have known better.
When Duncan arrived at the house, he was shown into an opulent parlor, and brought face to face with his bitterest enemy. Stefan stood by the window, illuminated in contrast by the autumn sunlight, one hand resting with gentle possession on Mara's neck as she sat in the same shaft of sunlight. The older boy smirked at Duncan. "What an unexpected intrusion," he remarked mildly. "The Mallorys are lacking in manners these days, it seems. Come to offer your felicitations upon our betrothal, Mallory?"
Duncan's face was flushed with anger, one hand resting on the sword at his hip - a sword that now never left his side. Even when he was sleeping, it was always nearby, always close at hand. He would never make the mistake again of leaving himself unarmed or undefended. His jaw tightened, muscles clenching in anger. He'd like nothing more than for Stefan to make one wrong move, so he could kill him where he stood. "I didn't come here to see you." Duncan's gaze flickered briefly to Mara, blue eyes blazing with anger and a deeper layer of hurt. "I came to talk to Mara. Alone."
"Did you now?" Stefan's smirk intensified. He knew he had the upper hand; he held all the cards. The Queen of the pack was right there, tense under his hand, and oh, how he'd been looking forward to this moment. It was show time. "Well, my love?" he asked the girl sat beside him. "It is your decision, of course."
Mara looked up into his dark eyes, and felt a wave of nausea ripple through her belly. He was already enjoying this, relishing the sight of Duncan beaten without knowing it, savoring the knowledge that she was his ace. It took all her strength, but the face she turned to Duncan was as cool and unconcerned as she could be. "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Stefan, Master Mallory."
The term of endearment only fueled Duncan's rage further, his face flushing deeply, teeth clenched tightly together, but it was the reaction from Mara that threw him. How could her feelings for him have changed so completely and so quickly' Something wasn't making sense. "What's he holding over you, Mara" What's he said to make you betray me?"
Only Stefan's hand caressing the line of her neck kept her from rising to her feet, from moving to embrace Duncan. I love you, only you. Please don't make me do this. The ache of her heart grew worse as she looked into Duncan's eyes, hating the smug triumph that radiated from Stefan, feeling her skin crawl where he touched her. "I'm not betraying anyone," she forced herself to say, deliberately calm, as cold and unfeeling as she could be. There was only one thing she could think of to tell him, one thing he might believe, though it would tear him apart. And it was no lie; just not enough detail.
"You and my betrothed have been bitter enemies for years, Master Mallory, long before you ever met me. The bad blood between you runs deep. Stefan has been planning this for a very long time." She felt herself begin to shudder with revulsion under Stefan's hand, covering the reaction with a smile to the Del Sol man as her hand rose to link her fingers with his. Stefan's smile deepened, visibly pleased with the cruelty she handed out to the only person who loved her better than life.
Half a cycle had passed. Caught between love and hate, fear and joy, hope and despair, Mara had seen no other way out. Every time she considered confessing to Duncan, every time she showed Stefan even the slightest defiance, something happened. Duncan hadn't been hurt again, but his stallion had been stolen and run hard, returned to the stables in a lather; Beryl had been caught up in an incident in the streets; Elise had had her arm cut open by a thug with a familiar face. Mara didn't see any choice. And four days before Duncan's seventeenth birthday - four days before they would have been free together - an announcement rang through the streets of Dreven City. Stefan Del Sol was to marry Mara Devine before Yearpass.
A day later, the ties were cut entirely. The apartments Eric Mallory had provided for his son's mistress were closed up, vacated entirely; the contract bond was sent back to Mallory Manor, its contents spattered with what could have been raindrops or tears, crossed through in recognition of her violation of the contract itself. Stefan paraded his betrothed about the town, and to those who paid attention to them, it seemed that she was in love with him. Oh, yes, Mara played her part well; she had to. Duncan's life was in her hands. Only Elise knew the terrible price of that performance, and the single thing the golden-haired girl had kept from her happiest times - a ring, gifted to her in love, hanging from a gold chain, hidden between her breasts.
The first time Duncan had noticed something was wrong was the day he'd been ambushed and assaulted on his way to Mara's apartments. It wasn't the attack he'd found so strange, as it was her attitude toward him since then. Though she'd told him she loved him, it seemed she was purposely avoiding him, and he wasn't sure why. At first, he'd thought it was merely to keep up appearances. He knew they both had to maintain the ruse for a few more weeks, at least until he turned seventeen. They were so close, he could almost taste freedom. Freedom from his father, freedom from the Triad, freedom from Stefan and Leandra. Freedom to live their lives together the way they wanted to live them. Why she'd been avoiding him was puzzling at best, but he'd given her the benefit of the doubt. He knew in his heart that she loved him. She had promised they'd be together, and he believed her.
And then, there had been the rumors of an impending wedding to Stefan Del Sol, of all people. Duncan had tried to see her, to find out what was going on, but Elise wouldn't budge. She refused to let him see Mara, making excuses for her mistress, until Duncan had finally given up, utterly confused and worried sick. One day later, and everything came crashing down. It had been Eric Mallory - Duncan's father - who'd given the boy the bad news. He should thank his lucky stars, the man told him, that he wouldn't have to worry about supporting both a mistress and a wife.
Stefan could have her and good riddance to her, the elder Mallory told his young son. Stefan would marry a whore, and Duncan would have a proper wife. Duncan's marriage was the one that had been sanctioned by the Triad. Stefan was a fool for marrying someone so far beneath his station. Nothing good would come of it. Duncan had said nothing to his father. He would say nothing to him until he spoke with Mara, but he had no intention of marrying Leandra, no matter what the Triad or his father wanted.
And so, Duncan had left Mallory Manor with the intention of tracking Mara down and finding out once and for all what was going on. As it happened, it was Leandra who let the cat out of the bag. The girl seemed to enjoy giving Duncan the news that Mara had moved into a house provided by the Del Sol family, and that at this very moment, Mara was entertaining - a word she used loosely - her elder brother at that very place. Whatever it was she had hoped for by telling Duncan this bit of news, the reaction she received was unexpected, to say the least. Angry and hurt beyond reason, Duncan had shaken the girl until she had tearfully given up her brother's location, begging Duncan not to go there, not to make Stefan angry, for her sake and his own, but he hadn't listened. He had left Leandra behind, tearful and shaken, and gone straightaway to find Mara and demand an explanation.
If he had hoped to speak with Mara alone, his hopes were sadly misplaced. Stefan had been constantly with her since she had left the Mallorys' protection, crowing over his victory. Yet he had conceded to her one condition - that he could not have her until his wedding night. He'd agreed with surprising leniency, granting her these last weeks to steel herself for that inevitable night. But he was always there, watching her, showing her off, making sure that the noble and elite houses knew that he had a bride who loved him. She had hoped that Duncan would simply leave the city; she should have known better.
When Duncan arrived at the house, he was shown into an opulent parlor, and brought face to face with his bitterest enemy. Stefan stood by the window, illuminated in contrast by the autumn sunlight, one hand resting with gentle possession on Mara's neck as she sat in the same shaft of sunlight. The older boy smirked at Duncan. "What an unexpected intrusion," he remarked mildly. "The Mallorys are lacking in manners these days, it seems. Come to offer your felicitations upon our betrothal, Mallory?"
Duncan's face was flushed with anger, one hand resting on the sword at his hip - a sword that now never left his side. Even when he was sleeping, it was always nearby, always close at hand. He would never make the mistake again of leaving himself unarmed or undefended. His jaw tightened, muscles clenching in anger. He'd like nothing more than for Stefan to make one wrong move, so he could kill him where he stood. "I didn't come here to see you." Duncan's gaze flickered briefly to Mara, blue eyes blazing with anger and a deeper layer of hurt. "I came to talk to Mara. Alone."
"Did you now?" Stefan's smirk intensified. He knew he had the upper hand; he held all the cards. The Queen of the pack was right there, tense under his hand, and oh, how he'd been looking forward to this moment. It was show time. "Well, my love?" he asked the girl sat beside him. "It is your decision, of course."
Mara looked up into his dark eyes, and felt a wave of nausea ripple through her belly. He was already enjoying this, relishing the sight of Duncan beaten without knowing it, savoring the knowledge that she was his ace. It took all her strength, but the face she turned to Duncan was as cool and unconcerned as she could be. "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Stefan, Master Mallory."
The term of endearment only fueled Duncan's rage further, his face flushing deeply, teeth clenched tightly together, but it was the reaction from Mara that threw him. How could her feelings for him have changed so completely and so quickly' Something wasn't making sense. "What's he holding over you, Mara" What's he said to make you betray me?"
Only Stefan's hand caressing the line of her neck kept her from rising to her feet, from moving to embrace Duncan. I love you, only you. Please don't make me do this. The ache of her heart grew worse as she looked into Duncan's eyes, hating the smug triumph that radiated from Stefan, feeling her skin crawl where he touched her. "I'm not betraying anyone," she forced herself to say, deliberately calm, as cold and unfeeling as she could be. There was only one thing she could think of to tell him, one thing he might believe, though it would tear him apart. And it was no lie; just not enough detail.
"You and my betrothed have been bitter enemies for years, Master Mallory, long before you ever met me. The bad blood between you runs deep. Stefan has been planning this for a very long time." She felt herself begin to shudder with revulsion under Stefan's hand, covering the reaction with a smile to the Del Sol man as her hand rose to link her fingers with his. Stefan's smile deepened, visibly pleased with the cruelty she handed out to the only person who loved her better than life.