The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

”Prince Sylvian, I did not see you at the dining table last night,” Georgia said softly, her eyes lingering on him. ”Is all well at the palace? And how fares the Crown Prince? Word of recent events has reached even here...” She lowered her gaze, a deep gloom casting a shadow across her features.

”Aunt Georgia, my mother deserved the sentence handed down to her,” Sylvian stated, his tone firm yet solemn.

She lifted her eyes to meet his as he continued, ”She commanded the deaths of countless innocent souls—including August’s mother. I know you shared a deep bond with her, but aligning with her actions brings no honor.”

”I do not defend her deeds,” Georgia clarified quickly, her voice trembling with emotion. ”Yet it breaks my heart to witness Victoria brought to such a miserable end. We grew up side by side... my soul aches simply imagining her enduring such complete isolation.”

Sylvian fell silent, the depth of Georgia’s gentle nature striking him.

’If Aunt were to discover how Mother is still scheming to ruin Damian’s life from behind bars,’ he thought grimly, ’it would break her heart entirely.’

”Sylvian, are you prepared to depart?” Damian called up as he reached the foot of the grand staircase, Eilika following closely behind him.

”Are you two traveling somewhere?” Georgia inquired, casting a bewildered glance between them.

Damian and Eilika paused to offer her proper greetings before the Duke spoke. ”Yes, Mother. Sylvian and I must ride to the palace on an urgent matter.”

”Has something gone wrong?” Georgia asked, a note of panic rising in her voice.

”Fret not, Mother. It merely concerns routine official affairs,” Damian reassured her, concealing the truth. He darted a subtle glance toward Eilika, silently pleading with her to keep the reality from his mother until his return.

’I had hoped this burden might remain secret,’ Eilika thought, meeting his gaze with quiet concern, ’yet I fear Mother must inevitably face the truth as well.’

”Very well. Safe travels to you both, but you must eat breakfast first. The meal is already prepared,” Georgia insisted, offering a warm, maternal smile.

She turned and led the way toward the dining hall. As she disappeared down the corridor, Damian leaned in toward Eilika. ”I shall retrieve Roman from the courtyard.”

Eilika gave a quiet nod and followed her mother-in-law inside.

Out on the sunlit lawn, Roman was darting between the hedges, brandishing his new wooden toy weapon with boundless energy.

”Roman! It is time for breakfast!” Damian called out, his voice carrying across the grounds.

The young boy halted mid-stride, spinning around to face his father before bounding over with eager steps.

”Ever since you received that toy, you have done little else but play with it,” Damian remarked fondly, ushering the boy inside. ”Have you no lessons scheduled for today?”

”Father, today is my day of rest! It is the end of the month—have you forgotten?” Roman asked, beaming up at him with sheer delight.

”Ah, so it is. It completely slipped my mind,” Damian admitted with a soft chuckle. ”I must ride to the capital today on business. While I am away, I expect you to look after your mother and grandmother.”

”I will!” Roman promised, nodding earnestly. ”And Father... bring back a gift for Mama. It will make her very happy!”

”You’re right.” Damian agreed and placed a hand on his head.

~~~~~

Once the morning meal had concluded, Eilika and Georgia accompanied Damian and Sylvian to the courtyard to see them off to the waiting motorcar. Nearby, Roman reluctantly headed off to begin his studies with his newly appointed private tutor.

”What is truly happening, Eilika? I cannot shake the feeling that Damian is keeping something from me. Even at breakfast, I could not help but notice the quiet tension brewing between Prince Sylvian and August,” Georgia observed, her brow furrowing with concern. ”Come, let us take a stroll through the gardens.”

”Mother, they have merely departed to handle pressing royal affairs. Damian will surely explain everything upon his return,” Eilika reassured her gently, placing a comforting hand on her arm as they stepped onto the garden path. ”As for the friction between Prince Sylvian and August, I am not entirely certain of the details myself, though I suspect it stems from the heavy aftermath of the Queen’s down fall.”

”After speaking with Prince Sylvian, I truly feel Victoria has become entirely beyond redemption. She committed horrific atrocities under the guise of her authority,” Georgia remarked, her tone heavy with sorrow. ”I only pray that both her sons can find healing from all of this. As for His Majesty, I trust he will gather his resolve to remain strong for the kingdom.”

Eilika offered a soft, contemplative hum in response.

”You and Damian will also be departing for the North tomorrow,” Georgia reminded her, turning to offer a warm look. ”You must enjoy your time together. Do not spend a single moment worrying over Roman. He will be well cared for here.”

”Mother, thank you for your endless kindness toward me,” Eilika said, her expression filling with quiet gratitude. ”I must say, you have felt far less like a mother-in-law and truly like a mother to me.”

Georgia smiled softly, reaching out to pat her hand. ”And you have been a daughter to me in every sense, rather than a daughter-in-law. Damian’s character has softened so much; everything about him has shifted for the better. He has returned to the man he once was, or perhaps even better. You are a truly remarkable wife, remaining steadfast in your devotion through it all.”

A flicker of curiosity crossed Eilika’s mind as she wondered whether Liliana had ever experienced this same gentle warmth. *She must have,* Eilika mused quietly. *Yet she still chose to betray their trust. Why? How can someone deceive so effortlessly? I wonder how Mother will bear the truth once Damian reveals what Liliana did.*

”What occupies your thoughts, my dear?” Georgia asked gently, breaking the silence.

”It is nothing, Mother,” Eilika replied, offering a reassuring smile.

”You need not hide your heart from me,” Georgia said softly. ”Are you perhaps yearning to visit your family? I know the painful history between you, but your father sends provisions for you week after week—delicacies one day, fine fabrics the next. I suspect he is deeply remorseful for his past actions. Parents err, I think, far more often than their children. You ought to see him before you journey North. I carry the bitter regret of losing my own father... I was not at his bedside when he called for me.” Tears glistened in Georgia’s eyes as her voice wavered.

Eilika fell silent, uncertain of how to navigate such fragile grief. After a quiet pause, she asked gently, ”Why could you not go to him, Mother?”

”I was bearing Damian at the time,” Georgia explained, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

”My due date was near, and I was overcome with severe labor pains that day. I had the opportunity to make the journey, yet I could not bring myself to go. Truthfully, quiet grievances had lingered between us, but the moment he passed, every disagreement dissolved into nothingness. I was left only with the heavy realization that I had failed him by remaining away while he still drew breath.”

Eilika stood motionless, Georgia’s raw confession hitting her like a sudden blow. A quiet, painful ache bloomed deep within her chest.

”I know your father was cruel to you regarding your beauty,” Georgia continued, her voice gentle yet weighted with experience. ”But I also know that beneath that harsh exterior, he carries the heavy burden of regretting every harsh word he ever directed at you.”

In truth, Eilika had never viewed her father through such a forgiving lens. She had deliberately shielded herself from even considering it.

Yet as Georgia’s words settled, a sobering truth surfaced within her. Though she had once declared to his face that she was done with her family, she knew with agonizing certainty that should anything happen to him, the loss would shatter her completely.

Throughout all these months, quiet pangs of nostalgia for her childhood home had brushed against her heart. But bound tightly by her marital duties and swept up in the demands of her new life, she had never dared to turn back.

”Eilika, my dear, life is far too short to carry the weight of bitter grudges,” Georgia said, her gaze resting warmly on the younger woman. ”And I know in my heart that you are not one to hold onto malice. I was once your age, and I made that very mistake. But when the hour finally came, it was too late, my father was no longer there to hear my voice.”

She paused, offering a soft, melancholy smile before continuing. ”Do you know the very first thing your father said to me when I asked for your hand in marriage for Damian? He looked me in the eye and said: ’Eilika is kind to everyone, despite how people see her. She will never disappoint you.’”