Home / The Ashes of House Harcourt / Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

All Chapters of The Ashes of House Harcourt: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Tristan Blackwood's grip was so strong that I tasted blood.Everything inside me trembled with pain, but I only closed my eyes and didn't struggle at all.He held on until blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. Then he suddenly let go.His eyes were bloodshot, and even his voice carried a trace of pain."Elowen, I'm only taking Sabine as a second wife so my brother's line won't die out!"Don't worry. Even if you're both lawful wives, I'll never let her rise above you!"In this house, you'll come first and she'll come second. I promise you, once she's carrying an heir, I won't set foot in her room again. All right?"He looked at me, full of hope.All I felt was regret.He'd been so close to snapping my neck.Then I would have gotten my wish and joined my father and brothers, who had died so horribly.Perhaps the indifference in my eyes stung him, because Tristan's expression suddenly turned cold."Elowen, how many times do I have to say it before you understand?"Your

Chapter 2

Sabine clutched the marriage blessing, mortified, crying as pitifully as she could.Tristan had obtained that blessing back when he was asking for my hand. He'd climbed all the way to the shrine, kneeling and bowing at every step, to pray for it.Back then, his eyes full of devotion, he'd placed it in my hand and promised to spend the rest of his life with me.These past few years, he'd let Sabine take everything from me.The jewelry in my room, the food I loved... Whatever caught her eye, Tristan would force me to hand over.The marriage blessing was the only exception. No matter how much Sabine cried and fussed, he'd never once pressured me to give it up.I never imagined I'd one day give it to her myself.I looked up and met Tristan's dark gaze."Elowen, I know you're hurting. If you're upset, hit me, yell at me, whatever you want. Why play these games?"Ignoring Sabine's sobs, he snatched the blessing back and held it out to me."I earned this for you, so it belongs to yo

Chapter 3

A sudden surge of hope rose inside me, and tears wet my lashes.House Harcourt had been wiped out. The child in my womb was the only bloodline it had left.But before I could even feel happy, Tristan had someone bring in a draught to end the pregnancy."Elowen, you can't keep this child!"Don't blame me. I promised Sabine a child to secure her future, and the heir of House Blackwood can only be hers!"Once she gives birth to the heir, I'll come back to your bed right away. You're still young. As long as you take care of yourself, we'll definitely have our own children someday!"He took the bowl and bent down, as if he were doing me a great favor, to feed it to me himself.I shuddered and knocked the bowl out of his hand."Tristan, this is your child too! How can you do this to me?"You said my father and brothers deserved to die. You refused to save them, and I had no choice but to let them be sliced to death!"Why do you have to finish us off? Why won't you even spare the ba

Chapter 4

I collapsed on the floor and drifted into a heavy sleep.In my daze, it was as if I'd gone back to the early days of our marriage.Back then, Tristan had eyes for no one but me.He tucked flowers into my hair and painted my brows.When his mother made things hard for me, he'd stand in front of me and tell me I didn't need to fear anyone.I'd never once doubted his love.But love can change in the blink of an eye.When I woke, my face was wet with tears, but my heart had gone completely, deathly still.I was still clutching the marriage blessing.I got up and opened my vanity box.Inside lay the brush he'd used the first time he painted my brows, and the wooden hairpin he'd carved for me with his own hands.One life, one love. Looking back now, what a joke.I gathered up everything I'd once treasured so dearly and stumbled out to the courtyard with it all in my arms.Without hesitation, I threw it all into the brazier and watched it turn to ash.The next moment, someone ki

Chapter 5

"Elowen! Elowen!"I'm begging you, come back!"Behind me came Tristan's heart-wrenching cries.But I felt no attachment, only the thrill of finally being set free.Tristan fought past the people trying to stop him and threw himself toward me with all his strength, but he still couldn't catch me."Save her! Hurry up and save her!"You idiots, what are you standing around for?"If Elowen doesn't come back, every one of you will die with her!"Tristan screamed like a madman.But the guards around him looked helpless."My lord, we want to save her too, but the fire's too big. There's nothing we can do!"There's no water anywhere near the paupers' field. By the time we fetch some, she'll be long gone!"Tristan sank to his knees in front of the fire and desperately thrust his hands into the flames."Elowen, I was wrong. Please come out, okay?"As if he couldn't feel any pain, he clawed frantically at the burning pile.But he caught nothing.He collapsed on the ground, sobbing

Chapter 6

Tristan sat in a daze in his room for an entire day.It wasn't until the guards returned that he staggered out to meet them.But when he saw the looks on their faces, the faint light in his eyes slowly died.The guards knelt in a row. "My lord," one of them mumbled. "We searched everywhere, but we couldn't find any trace of Lady Elowen."All we found was ash where the fire burned out."We're afraid Lady Elowen was... burned to nothing."Tristan flew into a rage and kicked the nearest guard over."Lies! You're all lying!"Elowen won't die. She'd never leave me!"She must be angry with me. That's why she's hiding and won't see me!"As long as I apologize properly and win her over patiently for a while, she'll treat me the way she used to!"He shoved away the guards trying to steady him and swayed toward the gate.He'd barely reached it when Greta, Sabine's maid, rushed over."My lord, Lady Sabine had a terrible fright. She's rolling on the floor, clutching her stomach in pai

Chapter 7

Sabine went white with terror.She'd lived in this house for years. She knew exactly what house law meant."My lord, you can't do this to me! I'm carrying the heir of House Blackwood!"Besides, I'm your brother's widow. How can you punish me under house law?"Tristan's smile only grew more scornful."My brother's widow? You didn't mention that when you were crawling into my bed!"Elowen and I were perfectly happy together. If you hadn't gone on about needing a child to secure your future, crying and begging me to give you one, I'd never have hurt her in the slightest!"And you have the nerve to bring up the baby? I must have lost my mind to force that draught down Elowen's throat for your sake!"She was always so afraid of pain. Losing the baby... how much must it have hurt her?"Tristan felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart, and his eyes burned red.Whenever he thought of how I'd looked that day, covered in blood, the pain in his chest was unbearable.Viciously, he

Chapter 8

I pawned all my jewelry and rented a small cottage for myself.At last, I'd settled down.No one would have guessed that the pampered lady of Blackwood Manor would end up a simple country woman.To look after me, Julian stayed in the south too.I thought I could spend the rest of my life in peace like that.I never imagined Tristan would come looking for me.One afternoon, I was napping in the courtyard.When I opened my eyes, I found myself looking into a pair of eyes I knew all too well.The moment our eyes met, Tristan was so overcome he burst into tears.His lips trembled. He was nearly weeping with joy."Elowen, I knew you wouldn't die so easily. I've finally found you!"I gave him a blank look and turned to go inside.But he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms."Elowen, I've searched so hard for you. Please, I'm begging you, come back to Blackwood Manor with me, okay?"I shook off his hand and shoved him away."Tristan, the moment I leaped into that fire,

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