Dark Lord's Obsession

Chapter 12: Letter of Hope

Louisa’s Point of View

I kept staring at the scroll sent by Albert. My eyes still couldn’t believe what he wrote on that paper. Above all, it was his warrior who delivered it directly to me rather than dropping royal postage. I read the letter one more time. 

“Dear Louisa,

With the blessing of the goddess, I hope this letter finds you well.

I understand if you do not wish to marry me. But that does not imply you have to end up in a harem. We have another way to handle this situation. I wish I would have thought of that earlier.

You are the only child of the late Duke of Narodnye. He was the firstborn, and hence by law, you have the birthright to claim the title of Duchess once you read your legal age, which is eighteen. Louisa, if you want to live freely, I suggest you claim your crown. Besides, your uncle is a vile man and never deserved to be a duke. When your father and my father asked for people to fight against the dragons, your uncle chose to stay inside the safety of the castle, refusing his duties of being a knight and a warrior. He is nothing but a coward. People haven’t forgotten that. Only if there were another option, the council of Narodnye would have never chosen him for the title.

People of Narodnye love your father, and they will accept you wholeheartedly. Even if you find your uncle making trouble for you, I can help you deal with that. I wish I could have reached Narodnye to help you with this matter, but I am caught up in my affairs. I am refusing the king's order, Louisa, on negotiation with the maidens. They are my people, and I can not push them to a slave harem. My father will never forgive me if I walk on that path.

We do not have much time left, Louisa. Think wisely before taking any steps. Your one decision can change the fate of Narodnye, the father of hundreds. No matter what you choose, you will find me by your side.”

Then it ends with the seal from the Castle of Lumina and Duke Albert’s signature. Those weren't just black letters written on a pale paper; instead, they were those exact words I needed to hear, to wake up. He was right. I could have claimed the title and end all these. Was I ready for that responsibility? The letter came yesterday. I wished to talk to my mysterious saviour about it. Would it be a wise decision?

“My lady! I have brought some snack.” Miriam’s voice broke the chain of my thoughts.

I was standing by the patio, looking towards the snow-covered evergreens aimlessly. The gloomy weather was similar to the mood of the Narodnye. Those dark clouds in the sky were bringing the darkness of the Midlands to our castle.

“I am not hungry,” I replied with a frowned face.

Many difficulties were upfront with me, and I was unsure of what I could do. Two days back, a royal messenger came by with the news of the maidens who would be selected for the negotiation, which had been kept confidential. No wondered uncle wanted me to pursue the king. He foresaw everything. And the worse was they weren’t even given any time. The warriors from the kingdom should arrive any minute to fetch those lucky angels. I wasn’t a part of the negotiation only because the king had other plans for me. Many daughters from the noble families had been requested to be present at the kingdom. The dark emperor would choose some from the list for his harem. Did they even consider us as human? How could I eat in such a condition?

Miriam put the food on the table and stood by my side. The corner of her forehead was still sore from that night. She fought three of those deadly warriors all alone, hurting herself badly. It was a miracle that she was still walking on her own. If my mysterious saviour didn’t come up on time, I didn’t know what we had done.

“Are you again reading the letter?” Miriam asked with a frowned face. She already knew what was written in that paper.

“I don’t know what to do, Miriam,” I sighed, rolling the scroll, looking aimlessly towards the cloudy sky.

“My lady, the knight from the royal palace is here. There are many others from the Narodnye who will be taken to the kingdom to be a part of that so-called negotiation.” Miriam muttered.

Her words brought a shiver down my spine. They were already here! My eyes were fixed at the gloomy sky while tears ran down my face.

“Only if my father was alive! He loved his people, Miriam. He died for them. Now the king is negotiating with those creatures. Albert is brave enough to refuse the king. What about our people, Miriam?” I yelled, unable to contain my anger.

“My lady, the late Duke was brave; so are you. Duke Albert is not wrong. And remember what the Lord said on the other night after saving us?” Miriam reminded me of him again.

“Don’t wish for the change, Louisa. Be the change.” I muttered, closing my eyes.

Those words rang in my ear even though it had been almost a week. Every time he came by, he not only saved me but also brought hope and new lights. A shiver went down my spine, thinking about the last attack. There was a total of five of them. Three went after Miriam, and two came inside the chamber for me. Those warriors were skilled enough to take down Miriam. If he didn’t show up in time, I never even wanted to imagine what could have happened. He was indeed nothing but an angel. I couldn’t help but think about those mesmerising eyes and that mischievous smile. Honestly, I didn’t care who he was or why he was helping. The fact was, he was there for me like a shield whenever I needed him, giving me assurance and warmth. His every word made me feel worthy, boosting my confidence.

Suddenly the door opened with a loud thud, and my aunt, the duchess, broke in. She never came into my chamber before, but that wasn’t what surprised me most. Her golden hair was dishevelled. Those dark circles around her eyes were telling me she didn’t sleep for nights. With a haggard face, she strode towards me.

As she stepped closer, she held my hand and pleaded, “Louisa… help Kiara, please, help your cousin.”

Her action bewildered me. I stared at her blankly, not knowing what she was wanting.

“Please, Louisa, stop them… they are here to take Kiara. Please,” her voice became unsteady, and her hands were shaking terribly. Despite my efforts of holding her up, slowly, she fell to the ground.

“My lady, are you alright?” I bent to her height, and she leaned against the wooden door. Tears flooded her face.

She took my palm in hers again as she mumbled, “please, Louisa, she is still young. She doesn’t deserve to spend the rest of her life among those monsters. I beg you, Louisa, please save her. Please pursue the king. She is your cousin. Please, help my daughter.”

I didn’t know how I should feel. They never treated me as their own; even my uncle tried to kill me several times. After all this, my aunt was begging in front of me for mercy. Did I even hold that much power over the king? Even if I did, why should I help them?

"My lady, you can change that. It isn't just about Kiara." Miriam whispered. I paused, realising the depth of her words. I could fight for the right as I held that power somehow.

Maybe they never treated me right. Perhaps I was always abandoned. Even so, I couldn’t avoid the situation. A desperate urge of fighting back this barbaric situation arose in my heart. Enough of them using women as slaves, as a fragile little tool for breeding and pleasure. My mysterious saviour was right. No knight in shining armour would ever show up to rescue the beauties.

‘If we wish for the change, we need to be the change.’ I murmured in my head as I stood up. Something shook inside me, showing me hope. My father never taught me to give up, and so I refused to. It was time to fight back for our dignity, for my lands.

A deep voice came from the core of my heart, “no one will take Kiara from the castle today, Aunt and I promise you that.”