Chapter 2

Murmurs erupted in the hall immediately.

"Prince Damian?"

"Lady Sinclair wants to marry Prince Damian?"

"Why would she choose him when she could have the crown prince?"

"Doesn't she know what happened to him?"

Vivian heard every word.

Clearly concerned, Edmund tried to steer her gently, saying, "That would only make things harder for you. Let me choose someone more suitable from among the other royal family members."

But Vivian didn't waver. "I'm deeply grateful for your kindness. But I made a vow that I will only marry Prince Damian. I humbly ask for your blessing, Your Majesty."

She spoke firmly, refusing to back down.

Damian Winchester the Pacifier, was Edmund's brother, the ninth-born prince. Years ago, when Edmund was still just one prince among many, all of them fighting for the throne, Damian had stood firmly at his side. He'd pulled his brother out of danger more times than anyone could count, helped push him all the way to the seat of power, and then fought battle after battle across the kingdom to defend and expand it.

But a year ago, Damian collapsed during a campaign in the northwest and hadn't woken since. He was lying in his residence now, with no sign of improvement. The physicians had come and gone, and more than one had said that this might simply be how things were from now on.

Vivian knew all of this.

In her previous life, Damian had woken up in the third year of her marriage to Julian.

That year had been one of the worst. As Vivian still hadn't conceived, Rosalind had arranged for Julian to take a consort. The woman quickly became his favorite, and the entire Highcrest Palace treated her with great respect.

After Damian woke up, Julian took both Vivian and the consort to visit him at his residence, Fairmont Estate. On the way back, the consort made her move. She had the carriage brought around without waiting for Vivian, leaving her behind.

Vivian didn't know the way home. She looked around, hoping someone from the royal family might offer her a ride back to Highcrest Palace. But they all knew how little Julian thought of her, so not one of them was willing to risk his displeasure.

She was close to giving up when a weak but pleasant voice came from behind her, "The carriage is ready. Come on."

Vivian turned around slowly, not quite believing it.

Damian sat in a wheelchair, wrapped in a loose black coat. His handsome face was pale and gaunt.

He smiled faintly when he saw her expression. "Or you could stay and have dinner, if you'd like."

"No, I..."

She meant to say she was fine. But the moment she opened her mouth, tears spilled down her face before she could stop them.

She couldn't make sense of it, no matter how hard she tried. Why did everyone feel so free to treat her this way? What had she actually done wrong? She had no one left to protect her, and the family she'd lost had given their lives for the kingdom.

All the hurt she'd been carrying for so long came flooding out right there in front of Damian.

He seemed to let out a quiet breath, then reached into his pocket and held out a handkerchief. However long Vivian cried, he stayed beside her. She never saw Damian again after that, but she never forgot it either.

Edmund frowned, but remained silent.

It was Rosalind who spoke first, her voice gentle and warm, "Since Lady Sinclair has her heart so set on marrying Damian, perhaps we should honor that wish."

Edmund looked at Rosalind, then back down at Vivian. After a long moment, he gave in.

"Very well." He was still frowning. "You have no family left, and Prince Damian is unconscious. The palace will handle all the arrangements for the two of you."

Vivian bent her head lower. "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

She wasn't going to marry Julian or live through any of what she'd been through again. There were two reasons why she knew Damian was the right choice.

First, he was still unconscious and would be for the next two years. That gave her time and space to quietly build something for herself.

Second, he had eventually woken up in her previous life, but the people who had been caring for him had been careless. Because of that, his legs never recovered, and he'd spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Since Damian had shown her a rare kindness once, she was willing to look after him now, in his worst days. She wanted to at least give him the chance to walk again.

Once he woke up, she'd talk to him about ending the marriage. She had a feeling he would never want to marry her in the first place.

Before Damian had fallen unconscious, and before her father and brother had been killed, Vivian remembered them mentioning offhand that Damian had someone he cared for. No one seemed to know who it was, but his feelings were clear.

Across the room, Julian sat straight in his seat, watching Vivian bow her head and ask Edmund to let her marry Damian. He wasn't sure why, but something about it irritated him.

"Lady Sinclair wants to marry Uncle Damian? She really is hopeless," Selena muttered under her breath.

Julian's frown deepened.

Selena looked almost hopeful when she glanced over at him. "Julian, I bet you anything that she'll be regretting this within a few days."

Julian pursed his lips and flatly said, "That's not my problem."

-

After the palace banquet, Vivian went home to Windmere Estate. Back in the house and bedroom she had not seen in a long time, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.

No longer having to marry Julian and finally back home, she felt at peace. As she slept soundly for several nights in a row, her spirits gradually recovered.

A few days later, Eleanor Smith, one of Rosalind's most trusted attendants, arrived at Windmere Estate.

"Having been charged with arranging your wedding, Her Majesty has put a great deal of care into the preparations. Today, she's choosing the wedding date, and would like you to come to the palace to help select it," she said gently.

"I don't know much about these things. Her Majesty should just pick a good date. Whatever she chooses is fine with me," Vivian replied, having no desire to go back inside those walls.

Eleanor smiled gently. "Even among ordinary families, the groom's side still asks the bride's opinion when selecting a date. You really should come, Lady Sinclair. Her Majesty also mentioned it's been a while since she's seen you. She'd love a chance to talk with you privately."

What could there possibly be for Vivian to discuss with Rosalind? Whether in her past life or this one, the queen had never liked her. However, Eleanor was so sincere about it that Vivian couldn't find a way to say no.

She arrived at the palace in the late afternoon and followed the attendant toward Serenity Palace, Rosalind's main residence. The setting sun was beautiful, deep gold spreading across the stone path at her feet. Vivian kept her eyes down, watching the light shift as she walked.

Suddenly, she heard Eleanor respectfully say, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Vivian looked up before she could stop herself, seeing Julian's cold yet handsome face in front of her. He stood tall and looked at her silently. With his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes carried a cold, assessing gaze. The weight of that stare pressed on her chest.

She dropped her gaze quickly, dipping into a curtsey. "Greetings, Your Highness."

Julian's frown deepened. He had always known that she liked him. She used to time her visits to Rosalind's palace around his daily check-ins with his mother. She'd show up with fresh pastries she'd baked herself, perfectly timed, making it look like a chance meeting.

It was never a chance meeting. It was always about getting close enough to hand him something she'd made. He never touched any of it. He'd throw it out or pass it off to whoever was nearby.

But today, her hands were empty. So, she'd come just to see him, then.

At the banquet that day, she had sworn she didn't like him. Now, she was probably regretting it, and putting on this cool, distant act to cover it.

Julian made a short, unimpressed sound. "Lady Sinclair, do you really think this is working?"