“I hope I am not disturbing you,” Damien said.
“Not at all…” He looked at Thalia and his eyebrow raised when he noticed the distraught look on her face. “But my feeling is that my wife cannot say the same.”
“I am afraid that this is not a conciliatory visit,” Damien sighed. “I have just stopped by to inform Thalia that my brother and Lady Rosaline’s recent whereabouts have been brought to my attention.”
“Is that so?”
“Damien, what are you going to do?” Thalia stood up and hurried down the table. “Tell me. What are you going to do?”
Damien looked between Thalia and Caspian. “You might as well hear it from me,” he said to Caspian. “But it has come to my attention that Lady Rosaline and Laurent have recently wed at Gretna Green.”
Caspian appeared. “That would explain their silence.”
“Indeed,” Damien agreed. “And it is because of this that I have no choice but to head north and insist that they return home with me. Laurent will not dare to say no, and Lady Rosaline willbe more willing when she comes to understand that she either returns with me or with her father.”
“Damien.” Thalia grabbed Damien by the arm. “You cannot do that.”
Damien eyed her hand. “I can and I will.”
“Please…” Thalia was shaking. “You… if you do that, Rosaline’s father will –”
“Do whatever he wishes.” Damien wrenched his arm free. “She is his daughter, and he reserves the right to punish her as he sees fit. I am not the monster here, Thalia. Please, know that.”
“Please!” Thalia tried a final time. “Let me… I will go to them. If I can speak to Rosaline and explain to her –”
“What exactly?” Damien cut her off. “The damage has been done, Thalia. All that is left to do is try and fix it. Which is what I intend.”
Thalia felt her world crumbling around her as she looked at the future and what was likely to happen. Laurent could take care of himself, and he was more than capable of standing up to Damien. But Rosaline? If she was brought home and forced to face her father’s wrath, Thalia could not even begin to imagine the punishment she would be given.
“You can’t!” she cried and then looked at Caspian. “Caspian, tell him!”
Caspian looked unfazed by the interaction. “I am sorry, Thalia, but your brother is right.”
“No!”
“And it is not our place to get involved.”
“Please…” she whispered.
“I am sorry, Thalia,” Damien said. “Please, know that I am.”
He did not remain at the Amberhall Estate after that. With his piece said, having learned the truth about Lady Rosaline and his brother, Damien was quick to leave.
And all Thalia could do was watch him go, feeling utterly helpless like she had never known.
“We have to stop him…” She was trembling as she spoke, hardly even aware that Caspian was still in the room watching her. “If he… if Rosaline is brought home…”
“There is nothing to be done.”
“You don’t understand!” she cried out, feeling the pain in her chest. “Rosaline and Laurent are meant to be together! Theylove one another as the moon loves the night sky! They are soulmates!” Despite her best efforts, Thalia felt the tears starting to come. They dripped down her cheek and stained the floor. And she did not care. “I did not ruin your wedding because I wanted to. I did it because I had to. I did it for them!” She sniffed back the tears. “In this world, it is so rare for two people…” More sniffing. “And I thought if I could help them, if I could… if I could give them their happy ending…” Her chin wobbled furiously. “All I wanted was to help.”
Throughout her weeping, Caspian watched her silently.
She expected as much by now. She expected him to grow bored and leave her. She expected him to tell her to control her emotions because it was unseemly. She expected so many things, except for what he ended up doing.
“You truly care about them that much?” he asked her.
“Of course I do!” she cried. “I know you might not understand it.” She scoffed. “I know you could not possibly. But for them I would do anything…” She winced. “I did anything….”
