The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

”Damian, let him go, please? It has been days since I was locked in this cell,” Garrett pleaded, his voice raspy in the dim light. ”I told you I would testify before the King regarding everything I have done. You gave me your word that you would help me. I seek nothing else—only my freedom.”

”And why should you be granted freedom?” August’s cold voice resonated through the doorway as he stepped into the gloomy room.

”Prince August?” Garrett paled, his eyes widening in shock.

”I always knew you would follow in your father’s footsteps,” August stated, advancing with slow, deliberate steps. ”A born criminal.”

Damian turned his head slightly, his expression inscrutable. ”Mind your tongue, August. Garrett was manipulated by his aunt. He poses no threat to us any longer. Though that does not mean I intend to set him free.”

Panic seized Garrett as he looked between the two men, while August’s expression hardened with irritation.

”Do not grow soft now, Damian. An enemy must be eradicated,” August declared, his eyes burning with vengeance. ”If your hand falters, then step aside and let me do it. I assure you, I will not hesitate to send him to hell to join his father.”

”Maurice, escort Prince August outside,” Damian commanded coldly.

”I am not going anywhere!” August snapped, throwing his hands up in sheer frustration.

Without a word, Maurice grasped his arm in a firm grip, leading the protesting prince out before shutting the heavy wooden doors firmly behind him.

Rolling his eyes, August turned and stormed away from the cottage, only to nearly collide with Eilika as she approached from the path, a woven basket resting in her hands.

”Forgive me,” August apologized instantly, catching his balance. His eyes flicked downward, settling upon the vibrant fruit filling her basket.

”You look furious, Prince August. Do not tell me you have quarreled with my husband yet again,” Eilika remarked softly. Selecting a small berry from the bunch, she offered it to him. ”Taste this. These berries are local to this region during the autumn months.”

August accepted the small fruit and popped it into his mouth. The tart flavor seemed to break the edge of his anger, easing the tension in his shoulders.

”Your husband is an utter fool,” he muttered after a moment.

”Must you always speak of my husband in such a manner?” Eilika chided gently, a quiet strength in her tone. ”In truth, I believe the foolish one here is you, Prince. You cling so tightly to your rage, allowing it to drive you toward hurting others, even when that is not what you truly desire.”

August let out a long breath, a chuckle escaping his lips as her words hit their mark.

”Why do you always insist on seeing good in me?” August asked, his voice low. ”I am not a good man, Eilika. You know that better than anyone.”

”Hmm. You can certainly act with malice at times,” Eilika conceded thoughtfully. ”But as I said, it is your anger driving those actions. You saved my husband’s life, and I remain deeply grateful to you for that. If you had not urged me to leave that night, I never would have discovered that Damian had fallen in love with me—that he truly wanted me. For that, I owe you.”

”Which is precisely why I always say Damian is a fortunate man to have you,” August murmured. His tone shifted, growing serious once more. ”Listen to me—Victoria seeks to destroy Damian, and she used her nephew as her instrument. You must convince Damian not to show Garrett any mercy.”

”Your Highness, Damian understands full well what he is doing,” Eilika replied softly, meeting his gaze. ”I understand the deep bitterness you hold toward your stepmother, but you cannot allow yourself to be consumed by it. You must find peace within yourself. Your mother received the justice she was owed, did she not?”

August fell utterly silent, the words settling heavily upon him before he offered a slow, solemn nod. ”Yes... on the day Victoria was locked away forever in the high tower. But I cannot bear the thought of Damian’s past casting a shadow over your life. I only mean that the truth regarding Liliana must not harm you or Roman. As you once said, that child carries no blame in any of this.”

”Neither did Damian,” Eilika pointed out gently. ”You knew Liliana before Damian ever did. You could have intervened before she ever entered his life, yet you said nothing.”

”Do you truly believe Damian would have heeded my warning?” August countered, a trace of old bitterness creeping back into his voice. ”Besides, I was serving my exile then, completely cut off from the world. My own father did not come to see me for years.”

Eilika found herself unable to offer an immediate reply. Looking into his eyes, she could see the profound, unspoken pain August had harbored within his chest for so long.

”Do you still carry love for Liliana?” Eilika asked softly.

August met her gaze, a faint, wistful smile touching his lips. ”Perhaps,” he murmured. ”It was precisely because I loved her that I stepped aside and allowed her to go to Damian.”

”Then the time has come for you to let her memory rest,” Eilika urged gently. ”You cannot move forward if you insist on carrying such painful burdens. You deserve to seek out your own happiness as well. While I appreciate that you traveled all this way merely to warn Damian of the Queen’s treachery, you must not consume yourself with our battles any longer. You have your own life to lead. You ought to live fully, perhaps, even find love once more. Ah, though I must not forget the grand task the King has entrusted to you. I have no doubt that once you bring it to completion, you will finally receive all the honor and peace you have deserved for so many years.”

The lingering shadow of August’s mood vanished entirely. ”Do you truly believe someone could love me? Or that I am even capable of loving another?”

”Why wouldn’t you be?” Eilika asked, offering him a warm smile. ”Few possess the capacity to love as deeply as you once did. It takes a remarkably selfless heart to surrender the affection one holds for a woman for the sake of her happiness.”

August’s eyes shimmered with sudden tears, but he quickly turned his head away, clearing his throat. ”You flatter me far too much. I intend to take my leave by tomorrow morning. If you have any tokens or messages for Roman, I shall gladly deliver them on your behalf.”

”Truly?” Eilika’s face brightened. ”I would love for you to take him a batch of fresh cookies. I shall bake them tonight. And please, tell him that I miss him dearly and send him all my love.”

Before August could look at her, she walked past him inside. For some reason, he found a lot of answers in that short conversation with Eilika. He couldn’t help but smile and went back to his room to take rest until the dinner time.

~~~~

As requested by his elder brother, Sylvian escorted Iliana to the Crown Princess’s bedchamber that evening.

Standing at the threshold, they both offered a polite greeting.

”Iliana, I have been awaiting your arrival. Please, come inside. You as well, Sylvian,” Angelina invited warmly. She cradled her infant daughter closely in her arms, the Crown Prince being elsewhere at the moment.

”Since you shall soon be a member of our family, it is only fitting that you meet your niece,” Angelina said, gently presenting the child to Iliana. ”Ciaran and I have named her Aurelia.”

”It is a lovely name, Your Royal Highness,” Iliana murmured softly, keeping her voice low. ”The little princess appears to be fast asleep.”

”Indeed. She is a remarkably peaceful child and rarely cries,” Angelina replied with a soft smile, gesturing for Iliana to take a seat beside her.

”You two have arrived,” Ciaran announced from the doorway, entering the chamber with a neat bundle of infant garments cradled in his hands. Sylvian rose immediately to assist his brother, but Ciaran offered a subtle wave of his hand, indicating that he should remain seated.

”My love, fetch the small box from the cabinet for me,” Angelina requested, turning to her husband. She then shifted her gaze back to Iliana with a warm smile. ”I have a gift for you.”

”It appears you already view Iliana as a sister, Angelina,” Sylvian remarked, a pleased expression touching his face.

”Naturally,” Angelina agreed without hesitation.

Ciaran retrieved the requested box from the wooden cabinet and handed it to his wife before gently lifting baby Aurelia into his own arms.

”Iliana, please accept this. I had it prepared months ago, back when the search for Prince Sylvian’s bride had first begun. Now that it is you, it belongs in your hands,” Angelina said softly, placing the small, velvet-bound box into Iliana’s palms.