Chapter 93: Author's Note & Volume 2 Sneak Peek

Greetings, my lovely readers! Miyu here...

These past few days I have been contemplating whether I should create another volume, or just continue the current one. But as I kept on deliberating with myself the events that would unfold in the chapters following Amelia's kidnapping and the impact of the emperor's revelation, I've decided to separate it. And while I stock up on chapters for the next volume, I will be uploading side stories following this note. I apologize if this cuts off any emotional build-up from the recent chapters, but please do bear with me.

Adulting is hard nowadays and writing has always been my escape from all the buzz of the real world. To the person reading this, thank you so much for coming this far! Please do know that you're one of my biggest motivations to keep writing this series.

Thank you for the patience of waiting for new chapters. As much as possible, I try to squeeze in writing a few sentences in between my 8-5 job and running my small business, that's why chapters are a bit slow to be released. Also, whenever I finish a chapter, I reread once for initial edits, then let it sit there for a while before I come back to reread it again. It gives me time to see the chapter in a fresh perspective so I can refine some details before finally uploading it. Though, lately I'm trying to upload chapters in batches as it kinda works for me since I can reread and edit them all at once. I will try my hardest to upload chapters at the end of the week. Hopefully I can stick to this schedule.

Again, to you, my lovely reader, a big hug and thank you! I hope you stay healthy and well always. Please don't get tired of coming along Amelia and Alexander's story and supporting their journey and their growth (slow as it is, I know *shy smile*). I hope to get closer and hear from you soon ❤️

With that said here's a sneak peek from Volume Two 🙂

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The darkness was endless and the cold bit her numb. Amelia struggled against her constraints, but it was futile. She wanted to shout but her mouth was gagged, so all she managed were short grunts here and there.

'Who's there?' she mentally asked as she whipped her head to the creaking sound of the door latch.

"Just a little longer, duchess," a calloused thumb brushed her chin and all the hairs in her body stood. Amelia couldn't help but tremble from the unknown. "... your guest will be arriving soon."

*****

"What am I supposed to do now?" Amelia flinched when her mother's voice rose. She was coming to see them to show off the drawing Carmen taught her.

"We'll ignore it. He won't come here and make a scene. He's too careful of his position to risk coming here. He knows what's at stake."

"I didn't even want it in the first place!" she crumpled the piece of parchment and threw it on the beating hearth.

"I told you I don't want you saying that, Priscilla. She's our child."

"No! She's..." Priscilla glared at Nathaniel who was sitting on a nearby couch of the drawing room.

"She's yours, my wife." the duke stood up and walked towards the duchess. Nathaniel took her hands and rubbed the top of it with his thumbs before planting a kiss. When he looked up, Priscilla's eyes were softer. Nathaniel smiled at her and said, "So naturally, she's my daughter too."

*****

Jet black tresses on sun-kissed skin.

If someone were to describe the young duke's taste in women, it would exactly be like that--Amelia was the only exception.

"Ya have a visitor, Alexander."

"I told you to address me properly when we're working."

"It's just us here, Duke Clement." Alexander turned a side-eye at Toby who stayed behind after hearing about Jyver's death. "Ya too sensitive these days."

"And you're too nonchalant," he butted in. "You keep saying ya, ya, ya. You're sounding exactly like Stanwinx."

"Stay for years at sea and ya'd start saying ya, ya, ya too." Tobias' laughter bounced off the wall and Alexander eyes twitch.

"If you don't have any more important things to do here, you can leave."

"But what about ya visitor?"

"Visitor?"

"Long black wavy hair. Sun-kissed skin, full lips, nice, ya know," the Clement's adopted son made a gesture around his chest, "the one with a nice pair of racks that ya sent to Heodor to become a court lady and later became one of the king's mistresses?"

Alexander tilted his head with a furrowed brow. "Adrianna's here?"

*****

"Ancel," the knight assassin quickly turned around. "You're here early."

"Mister Vance," Ancel dipped his head as a greeting. "The duchess wanted to train first before leaving for the capital."

"Are the preparations in order?"

"Yes, Mister Vance. My grandfather personally picked the duchess' personal knights and most of them are part of our family." Vance only nodded. Satisfied, for now.

"Grandfather..." Sweat trickled down the side of Amelia's face. She had been sparring with some of her knights well before dawn broke and she couldn't be any more alive as she tried to catch a breath. "I thought you're leaving for Pradour today?"

"I am," the old advisor reached out to tuck a few strands of hair behind Amelia's ear. "I just wanted to see you before leaving."

"I'll be fine, grandfather."

"I know..."

"And you'll be fine, right?"

"Of course, I will be. All I have to do was show up there. My men have done most of the gruesome part already," Vance kidded but Amelia only smiled ruefully. "I want you to have this, my dearest granddaughter." The old advisor took Amelia's hand and placed a golden gyrfalcon emblem. "This gyrfalcon is a bird reserved for kings, and the symbol of House Salwyn. Amelia..." Vance took a deep breath and as he relaxed himself, he placed his hands on his granddaughter's shoulders. "Remember this, the blood of two empires run through you. Don't let anyone, I mean anyone, diminish your presence. You're both a Florence and a Rosenburg, as well as a Salwyn and a St.Rileswort. You're a duchess and a princess. You're never one or the other. You're all of it. Do you understand, Amelia?"

"Yes, grandfather..."

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As you wait for Amelia and Alexander's return, in the meantime you can say Hi and come along Isadora's journey in a new story I've written for this year's WSA 2024 titled 'Shall I Make You King'.

Again, thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you so much, my lovely reader!

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