Annabelle wore a distant expression on her face, as if deep in thought, as we headed towards the back garden again. The two of us took our time, since I let Annabelle set the pace and she wasn’t in any hurry for me to meet her parents. That, or she was delaying things so that we could talk before we arrived.
We walked through the halls of Thorne Manor. Once again, I was struck by the wealth on display. There was artwork that was hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. Paintings, statues, and more. There were even glass cases containing artifacts from before the Solarian Empire existed, back when demons and monsters rampaged freely across the world. While these artifacts weren’t magical in nature, their age and their rarity made them astronomically expensive.
There were servants out and about, performing the many chores required to keep a place like Thorne Manor functioning. When we passed by them, they stopped their work and bowed to us.
“What did you and Lady Elizabeth talk about, Gabe?” Annabelle asked a few minutes after we left Elizabeth’s rooms, speaking in English.
“Why?” I asked. “Curious?”
“As soon as I left to see my parents, you immediately headed to your former fiancée’s room in order to meet with her in private,” Annabelle said. “Of course I’d be curious.”
I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Do you think something happened between us?” I asked.
Annabelle gave me an incredulous look.
“What?” she said. “Of course not. You’d never hurt me like that.” She faced forward again and shrugged. “I just want to know what you two talked about is all.”
Uh huh. Sure. I loved Annabelle, but when she became like this, she was as subtle as a brick to the face. She was fishing for something. Before I heard Lady Elizabeth’s story, I would have assumed it was simple jealousy. Now, I wasn’t so sure. It didn’t change how I felt about her, but for the first time in a while, I found myself wary of Annabelle.
What would happen if she found out what Elizabeth told me? I wasn’t sure.
“Lady Elizabeth told me about the deal you two made,” I said, opting to tell her some of the truth at least. “I don’t know if you did her a kindness or a cruelty by making my former fiancée your lady-in-waiting. Regardless, things are going to be awkward for a little while.”
“I know, but I have a good reason for it.”
“And what reason is that? Out of everyone, I would have expected you to make Lady Teresa your lady-in-waiting. I thought the two of you were best friends.”
Lady Teresa Keen was one of the friends Annabelle met while attending the Solarian Imperial Academy. The woman was a bookworm; to be more accurate, she was a scribe wizard who specialized in magic circles, both studying and utilizing them. She and I butted heads several times, back when I still attended the academy, thanks to my foolish feud with Annabelle.
“Tessa is still my best friend,” Annabelle said. “And I did offer her the position. She turned me down, saying that it would interfere with her studies. She intends to join the Tower of Magic.”
“This doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” I said.
Lady Teresa was always an academic sort. I wonder if I should find a way to introduce her to Lady Calla. I’m sure those two would get along like peas in a pod.
“As for why I chose Lady Elizabeth as my tutor and my lady-in-waiting,” Annabelle continued. “It’s simple. One, she’s well known in House society for her manners. While I could have chosen an actual etiquette tutor to teach me, I thought it would be better to learn from someone closer to me in age.” She paused. “Two, I think she would make a perfect bride for Miles.”
I stopped and stared at Annabelle.
“What?” I exclaimed, unable to believe what I just heard. “You want to play matchmaker between Lord Miles and Lady Elizabeth?”
“Think about it,” Annabelle said, stopping as well. “Miles is going to be Lord Thorne one day. He needs the right partner to stand by his side when that happens. Lady Elizabeth fits all the necessary criteria. She’s graceful and poised. No one can fault her for the way she comports herself. She also has a good grasp of House society and who the major players are. Most importantly, she has a decent magic aptitude and her elemental affinities compliment Miles’. Her only flaw is her pedigree, which isn’t that big of a deal if you ask me.” She grinned. “Plus, I think they would make for a cute couple.”
I had to agree. Lord Miles was dashing and handsome, while Elizabeth was beautiful and elegant. The two would look good together, and Elizabeth would make for a fine Lady Thorne. Still, I found it weird that Annabelle wanted to hook her brother up with my former fiancée. My intuition told me that she had an ulterior motive to set them up like this, and it wasn’t difficult to guess what that motive was, given what I knew.
“There is a huge gap between House Thorne and House Corwin,” I pointed out. “Status, wealth, magical power, pedigree, etc. The imbalance between them is too great. I doubt your parents are going to accept Lady Elizabeth as Lord Miles’ bride, especially since he’s the heir.”
Annabelle grinned.
“Not if Miles falls in love with Lady Elizabeth and pushes for the marriage,” she said. “I mean, look at us. We made it work.”
“We haven’t made it work yet,” I pointed out. “I still have to win over your parents. Also, we’re a bit…unique.”
“The biggest obstacle, from where I’m standing,” Annabelle continued, ignoring my words. “Is giving Miles and Lady Elizabeth the opportunity to meet. Since I took care of that by making her my lady-in-waiting, it’s only a matter of time before they develop feelings for each other and fall in love.”
I stared at Annabelle for a few seconds, before chuckling.
“Someone’s feeling optimistic,” I said. “Fine. Let’s see if your plan works.”
For Elizabeth’s sake, I hoped it did work. Marrying into House Thorne meant escaping her rather atrocious family.
“Wanna bet on it?” Annabelle asked.
I pursed my lips.
“What are the terms?”
She leaned forward and whispered in my ear.
“Really now?” I asked. “You’re feeling kinky. However, is the blindfold really necessary?”
“Of course,” Annabelle scoffed. “It wouldn’t be half as fun otherwise.”
“Fine. Bet accepted.”
It wasn’t that big of a deal. Regardless of who won the bet, we would both win overall in the end.
The two of us resumed walking.
“Where is Lord Miles, by the way?” I asked. “And Lord Dominic for that matter. I would have expected them to participate in today’s test.”
Annabelle took a moment before answering.
“Miles is still at the Grand Temple, being looked after,” she said. “And my parents sent Dom away for the day, to keep him out of trouble.”
Ah, so that’s why I hadn’t seen either of Annabelle’s brothers.
“So,” Annabelle said, a few minutes later when we neared a door leading to the back garden. “Did Lady Elizabeth tell you anything else?”
She was still fishing, I see.
“Was she supposed to?” I asked, avoiding the question.
“No.” Annabelle stared straight ahead, avoiding my gaze. “She wasn’t.”
Her voice came out cold and hard when she said that last sentence.
I stopped once more and put my finger underneath Annabelle’s chin, before making her look at me. Her brilliant blue eyes captivated me. I could spend all day staring into their depths.
“First my family,” I said. “Then my disciples, and now my former fiancée. It seems to me like you’re insinuating yourself into all aspects of my life. Any particular reason for that?”
It was my turn to fish for answers.
Annabelle’s eyes widened a fraction, a hint of fear in their depths, before she gave me a cheeky grin.
“Of course,” she said in a joking tone. “I’m closing in all around you, Gabe. That way, you won’t be able to escape me. Wherever you go, there’ll be traces of my presence. Everything you see or hear or do will remind you of me.”
Despite her joking tone, I caught sight of something darker in Annabelle’s eyes, something predatory. It lasted for a fraction of a second, but I saw it. If I hadn’t been looking into her eyes, I would have missed it. Once it passed, all that remained was the bright and cheerful Annabelle I usually saw.
For some reason, instead of scaring me, the look in her eyes made me want to play with fire.
“Well now,” I said in a quiet voice. “There’s no need for that.” I brought my lips closer to hers. “Why would I want to escape? You’re always on my mind anyway. Besides, how do you know that you’re not the one falling into my trap? I could be luring you in, so that when the time comes, you won’t be able to escape me.”
Our lips were so close now that they were almost touching. Annabelle’s eyes stared into mine. She swallowed. Her cheeks flushed, and her breathing quickened.
“We should hurry,” I said, pulling away from her. “We wouldn’t want to keep your parents waiting any longer.”
I walked away without looking back. Annabelle didn’t react right away. She remained standing where she was for the next several seconds..
“You dick!” she yelled from behind me.
I heard her running towards me. I ran forward, letting out a laugh as I did so.
----------------------------------------
The back garden came into sight by the time Annabelle caught up to me, so she didn’t hit me even though I knew she wanted to. Instead, she took my arm and dragged me forward, a pout on her face.
It was late afternoon now. The tea party, dealing with the House Griffin retainers, and talking with Elizabeth had eaten the hours away. It was a bit cooler, though still comfortable. Golden sunlight bathed Thorne Manor’s gardens, though none of it reached the back garden due to the main building’s “H” shape. However, strategically placed mage lamps kept the shadows away.
The furniture remained the same, though the remnants of the tea party had been cleared away, leaving the table barren. Thankfully, the servants who cleaned everything left my gift alone. If they had thrown it away, then that would have put a damper on my plans to gain Lord and Lady Thorne’s approval. In my defense, finding out what happened with Lorelei and the House Griffin retainers took priority in my mind.
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Two people waited for us. One was an older man, about Father’s age, with short blonde hair and a trimmed blonde beard. Like his son, he had fair skin, blue eyes, and the face of an angel. In fact, I think he was even more handsome than Lord Miles. That still made him less beautiful than me, but not by a wide margin. He had a well-built muscular build. Perhaps he also subscribed to the notion that a healthy body housed a healthy mind. Despite sitting down, I could tell that he was tall; maybe even taller than me.
Lord Trevor Thorne, Patriarch of House Thorne and Annabelle’s adoptive father.
Sitting next to him was a woman who looked younger by about twenty years. Instead of middle-aged, she looked to be in her early to mid thirties. Like her husband, she was tall. She had sun-kissed skin and golden eyes. Her long hair, which was the color of burnished gold, was styled in a complicated pattern that made it seem like she was wearing a crown. She had aristocratic features, which neither of her sons had inherited, setting her apart from the rest of her family.
Lady Josephina Thorne, Annabelle’s adoptive mother and formerly of House Solaria by the looks of it.
That caught me off guard. Unlike Lord Thorne, who I knew a bit about, I knew almost nothing about Lady Thorne. Information about her was scarce, even though she was an active member of House society.
However, there were a few things I could infer. Since she married out of House Solaria, then she likely came from one of the branch families. Not only that, but based on her appearance, it was possible that she was a cultivator. That could’ve been good genetics on her part, so I didn’t know for sure. If she was a cultivator, then that would be all the proof I needed that House Solaria was a cultivator Clan.
Well now. Things just became more interesting, for better or for worse.
When Annabelle and I approached the table, Lord and Lady Thorne stood up. Both of them wore stern expressions on their faces, looking exactly what they were: parents meeting their daughter’s boyfriend, a boyfriend whom they didn’t approve of. At least they still treated me with politeness, though I didn’t know how long that would last.
Once again, Annabelle started things off by introducing me. Unlike before, she took a more informal approach.
“Gabe,” she said. “This is Mom and Dad.” She looked at her parents. “Mom and Dad, this is Gabe.”
“Lord Thorne,” I said. “Lady Thorne. It is a pleasure to finally meet you both.”
I bowed to both them, giving them the same respect I would give my own parents. To my surprise, they bowed back rather than just nodding their heads at me. This gave me hope for the future, and Annabelle wore a bright smile.
“Lord Gabriel,” Lord Thorne said. “Please, sit down. We have much to discuss.”
Lady Thorne remained silent, and just studied me with those golden eyes of hers.
I sat down, grabbing the case containing the gift I painted, with Annabelle sitting on the opposite side. Lord and Lady Thorne followed suit. An awkward silence fell over the table as they waited for me to begin. As the one seeking to court their daughter, it was up to me to make the first move.
“You already know why I’m here,” I began. “But for the sake of avoiding any misunderstandings, I’ll say it anyway. I wish for your blessing to court Lady Annabelle.”
The temperature around us dropped as Lord and Lady Throne’s expressions hardened. I expected as much, given what I said. Annabelle grabbed my free hand and squeezed it.
“An interesting choice of words, Lord Gabriel,” Lord Thorne said in a cold voice. “Don’t you mean permission, rather than blessing?”
His aura pressed down on me, making it more difficult to breathe. I maintained a calm expression despite this, even though the pressure worsened my headache.
“No,” I said. “I don’t.”
Lord Thorne scoffed.
“From what I’ve heard, and observed for myself, I knew you were arrogant, but not to this extent. Why Annabelle chose you, out of all the other more eligible men out there, is a mystery for the ages.”
“But she did choose me, and for that, I am eternally grateful.”
I glanced at Annabelle and flashed her a smile, before facing her parents again.
Lord Thorne narrowed his eyes at me.
“I don’t like you, Lord Gabriel,” he stated. “You are arrogant, rude, and irritating. Not only that, but your House is well below ours. Whether it’s in terms of wealth, power, or influence, House Sturm falls short. The only thing you bring to the table is your pedigree and lineage, which I’m willing to admit is exemplary. However, that is all. You don’t deserve Annabelle.”
“Dad!” Annabelle said, glaring at her father.
Lady Thorne caught Annabelle’s eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. This was between me and Lord Thorne.
I gave him a slight smile.
“The only one who determines whether or not I deserve Lady Annabelle is Lady Annabelle herself,” I said. “No one else. You must think the same, at least a little, or we wouldn’t even be discussing this matter at all.”
Lord Thorne steepled his fingers.
“The only reason why we allowed this to happen, Lord Gabriel,” he said. “Is that Annabelle threatened to disown House Thorne if we didn’t give you a chance.”
My eyes widened and I turned to face Annabelle. She pursed her lips and looked away, avoiding my gaze.
“Really now?” I asked. “She never mentioned that to me.”
Either earlier, or in the letters we exchanged.
“Indeed,” Lord Thorne said. “So tell me, Lord Gabriel. What sort of hold do you have on my daughter? She is willing to throw away her family for you, even though she hated your guts last year. Think carefully before you answer.”
A chill ran down my spine. While his words seemed innocent enough, I heard the edge in his tone. He considered me a threat to Annabelle. If I didn’t give him a satisfactory answer, I had a feeling that he would kill me to protect her.
“The hold I have on her is the same she has on me,” I said. “If necessary, I would throw everything away to be with her. This includes disowning my House. However, I doubt that would ever be necessary because unlike you, my family supports our courtship.”
Lord Thorne gritted his teeth and the pressure from his aura increased.
“You expect me to believe that?” he asked. “After what you did last year? You tried to kill my daughter in that farce of a duel. You’re lucky to still be alive.”
Well, this was going about as well as I expected. While I had wanted to avoid resorting to this, it seemed as if I had no choice.
“If my words won’t convince you,” I said, still maintaining my calm facade. “Then perhaps this will.” I held the case out towards him. “I know I’m a bit late in giving this to you, but this is a gift I brought for House Thorne. Once you see it, you’ll know that my feelings for Lady Annabelle are genuine.”
Lord Thorne glared at me and ignored the case. Instead, Lady Thorne took it. She opened it and pulled out the rolled up canvas that was inside. Her eyes widened after she unfurled it and saw my painting.
“Trevor,” she said, her voice light and melodious. “Look at this.”
Lord Thorne stopped glaring at me long enough to glance at the painting. When he did, he stopped and stared. Annabelle sucked in a breath and covered her mouth with her free hand.
“The apple orchard,” she whispered.
She must have used her spirit sense to see the painting, even though it faced away from her.
The painting was of Annabelle in an apple orchard. She stood between two rows of apple trees, wearing a yellow sun dress and a straw hat on her head. In her hands, she carried a basket filled with juicy red apples. Golden sunlight poured in from the sun above, while the wind rustled through the trees. Annabelle faced the viewer, an expression of pure happiness on her face.
I painted that scene from memory. Back on Earth, about a year before I died and ended up on Lumina, Annabelle and I went on a date at an apple orchard near the town where we lived. We spent all day there, picking apples and enjoying each other’s company. For lunch, we dined at a restaurant that the orchard had on site. It served all kinds of apple related foods, including apple pie and apple cider.
It was one of the happiest memories I had from my life as Brandon Norwood, and I painted it because I wanted to show just how much Annabelle meant to me. She was the light of my life, and her mere presence brought me joy. While I wasn’t the best painter around, I thought I did a good job conveying that.
“Did you paint this?” Lord Thorne asked, his voice filled with wonder.
“Yes,” I said.
“Where did this take place?” Lady Thorne asked. “The Icefall Region? I never knew a place like this could exist in such a desolate area.”
The Icefall Region wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was quite beautiful, but I understood where she was coming from.
“Earth,” I said. “Or the Otherworld, as most Luminans know it. Annabelle and I went there once, before we ended up in this world.”
Lord and Lady Thorne’s eyes snapped to me.
“What are you saying, Lord Gabriel?” Lord Thorne asked.
Lady Thorne studied me intently.
“In this life I am Gabriel Sturm,” I said. “But in my previous life, I was Brandon Norwood. I died just as the portal between Lumina and the Otherworld opened up, and my soul ended up here. Lady Annabelle came through roughly sixteen years later.”
Lord and Lady Thorne stared at me as if I had grown a second head. This lasted for several, long seconds.
“Is this true, Annabelle?” Lady Thorne asked, glancing at her.
“Yes,” Annabelle said. “The divination from the Church of the Sun told me so.” She gave me a sideways glance. “Of course, by the time I decided to confirm it for myself, Gabe was already on his way to the Icefall Region. I had to chase him down.”
“So that’s why she wanted to go to Rosewood City,” Lady Thorne muttered, before speaking up again. “Why didn’t you tell us? You could have made things easier for the both of you if you had.”
Annabelle shook her head.
“It wasn’t my secret to share.”
While Lord and Lady Thorne looked unhappy about this, they accepted it.
“If this is true,” Lord Thorne said, looking back at me. “Why did you treat Annabelle with such hostility last year? Those aren’t the actions of a man in love.”
“How is Lord Miles?” I asked, seemingly out of nowhere. “Does he still have nightmares, or did those go away after his mark was erased?”
Lord Thorne narrowed his eyes at me.
“Are you claiming that you were under the effects of a Dark magic spell?” he asked.
“What?” Annabelle exclaimed. “Is this true, Gabe?”
I nodded. While I didn’t want to reveal what happened to outsiders, to avoid any unnecessary rumors, I doubted House Thorne would say anything. After all, I knew one of their secrets as well. If they narced on me, I would do the same to them. Mutually assured destruction.
“Yes,” I said, answering them both. “It was either a spell identical to the one that afflicted Lord Miles, or similar enough that it doesn’t matter. The Inquisition confirmed it for me.” I paused. “During my first night back at Sturm Manor, a horde of mental demons attacked me. Thankfully, my family cooperated with the Inquisition and made adequate preparations beforehand, so nothing serious occurred.”
Annabelle cupped my cheek and looked me in the eyes, her gaze filled with worry and concern.
“I’m fine,” I said with a smile. “Nothing happened. Really.”
“I don’t believe you,” she said. “You always downplay these things, and I end up finding out from someone else just how serious it was.”
“True, but this time I really am fine.”
Except for the damage to my mind, but that happened before the mental demons attacked me, so I wasn’t lying.
Annabelle gave me a look that told me she didn’t believe me, but she didn’t say anything. For now.
Lord Thorne sighed and his composure fractured. Not by a lot, but enough to reveal the man underneath the title.
“If what you say is true,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Even though I have every reason to doubt it, then I don’t have much reason to keep you two apart.” He opened his eyes and shot a glare at Annabelle. “This one made us promise that if she found her lost love, we wouldn’t interfere. We would stand aside, regardless of the circumstances.” He turned his glare towards me. “At the time, I hadn’t realized just how difficult it would be to keep that promise.”
Annabelle smiled at him.
“Thank you, Dad,” she said. “I know I’ve caused you two a lot of trouble for the past year, and I’m grateful that you’ve put up with it for as long as you have. It’s just…” She paused. “…I can’t imagine my life without Gabe. Not anymore.”
Her parents studied her for several seconds.
“Are you sure about this, Annabelle? You have other options,” Lady Thorne said, putting special emphasis on the word “options”.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Annabelle said. “Gabe and I will be happy together. I choose him.”
At this, Lady Thorne sighed.
“Very well,” she said. “I have no further objections. I just hope that you don’t end up regretting this decision.” She looked at her husband. “What about you, Trevor?”
Lord Thorne wore a grumpy expression on his face.
“Bah!” he said. “I have no objections, either. As long as Annabelle is happy, that’s all I care about, no matter how unhappy I am with her choice.” He gave me a hard look. “Take care of her. If I hear that you’ve mistreated our daughter, they will never find your body.”
“I will,” I promised, giving him a nod.
“Now then,” Lady Thorne said. “You two have endured a lot today. As a reward for putting up with everything, why don’t you take a walk in the western gardens? They’re perfect for a romantic tryst.”
Lord Thorne gave his wife a scandalized look.
“Josephine!” he exclaimed. “Just because we accepted their courtship doesn’t mean we have to encourage any amorous behavior.”
Lady Thorne snickered.
“It’s better than having them sneak behind our backs,” she said. “Do you remember what we were like at their age? When we were young and in love? This way, we can ensure that nothing untoward happens.”
Lord Thorne’s expression turned even grumpier.
“Fine,” he said, before looking at me. “We’ll send a message to House Sturm soon, Lord Gabriel, to set up a meeting so we can discuss the engagement.” His gaze sharpened. “There will be an engagement, correct? You won’t dishonor our daughter, will you?”
“Yes, there will be an engagement, Lord Thorne.”
“Oh, thank you!” Annabelle stood up and rushed over to her parents. First she kissed Lord Thorne’s cheek, and then Lady Thorne’s cheek. “You two are the best parents a girl could ever hope for you.”
Lord Thorne pretended to grumble about it, but he couldn’t quite hide the smile on his face. Lady Thorne didn’t even bother. Seeing them like this warmed my heart. Despite being Annabelle’s adoptive parents, they treated her more like family than her birth parents ever had. Their love for her was obvious for all to see.
I stood up to escort Annabelle to the western gardens. Since her parents gave us permission, we might as well take advantage of it.
The two of us scurried off before they could change their minds.