Viewer discretion is advised.
This Chapter does include disturbing topics such as suicide and uses strong language.
Viewer discretion is advised.
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A month had passed and the wedding was only a week away. Beatrice sat at her window and watched the stars. They were idle in the sky chatting to each other and laughing, happy as could be. Her mother entered the room wearing a pretty white nightgown wrapped up in a wool shawl and charring a candle. It was after curfew hours, but Julie knew when her baby was having difficulties sleeping.
Julie sat beside Beatrice and placed the candle on the side table, but up till now, Beatrice had not turned her head to look at her mother. Gently, Julie pulled her daughter in for a warm hug to soothe her. "It will be okay my love." She said softly. Beatrice finally looked at her as though she was hurt deeply by those words and sat up slowly."Mother, how could you say that at such a time? What will happen if I leave you here.- with them? Brother isn't at home during the day to defend you-and Mrs.Maddie can only do so much.."
Julie was slim and tall and hadn't aged a bit. She has long black hair like Beatrice and her eyes were a deep ocean blue. The only difference between the two was that you could tell Julie was tired. Julie has been the Count's Mistress for the past 18 years, meaning she has been bullied for the past 18 years mentally and physically. Helena and her Daugthers didn't make it easy on them. She too would slap Julie simply for looking her way. She'd make Julie act as her personal servant even though she wasn't. Helena always cuts their food rations, this resorted to Julie giving all her share to Beatrice so she wouldn't lose any of the body she had as a young adult. It made Beatrice's blood boil whenever her father walked past them like he never saw them being ill-treated. He never uttered a sound.
With a faint but certainly a smile, Julie stroked Beatrice's face with her slender thumb looking at her tenderly. "My Child, don't grieve. How do you think I was able to take care of myself and you children for these past years? I'm strong, am I not?" Leaning back a bit as if showing Beatrice her confidence Julie chuckled to herself. Beatrice hated her sister Victoria for turning her back on their mother, and that hate grows every day.
"Can you not come with me?!" Beatrice grabbed her mother's hand and looked at her with hopeful eyes. "You silly girl, of course…- I can not," Julie chuckled. Beatrice's smile slowly burnt into a frown. "I can only send you letters every day and every night. Sending you the million wishes and prayers I hold for you." She poked Beatrice's nose jokingly and smiled at her. Beatrice was not pleased that she couldn't keep her mother close but nodded to not worry her about the topic.
Image Below.
Julie rose and led Beatrice to her bed tucking her in. "Sleep now my love, and may the morning light bless you". Kissing her forehead Julie took the candle from the side table leaving Beatrice in the room.
Beatrice was quiet but she wasn't stupid. She knew her no-good father would only take the money and gamble once she got married. Nothing would be left for her poor mother... How would she live a peaceful life knowing her mother was still struggling but worse now since she was gone? Then she simply won't.
Getting out of bed steadily, Beatrice opened her bedside table and pulled out a brown box placing it on the table. She opened it and pulled out a couple of leaves, Belladonna leaves! Purple plants that are often mistaken as baby tomatoes, are so dangerous that even touching the leaves could cause skin rash. Beatrice placed all the leaves in a wooden bowl grinder adding a bit of the berries themself. She started chanting her native prayers and looked up to the stars for guidance, but the only thing she saw was the stars staring back at her and smelled the sweet aroma from the Belladonna.
Beatrice stopped grinding the berries and took a sip out of the bowl. She shut her eyes tight waiting for the berry to take effect, but it didn't. She opened her eyes looking at the mashed leaves wondering if she did something wrong. Beatrice drank the remaining drops and then sat there quietly for a moment. "Why isn't it working?!" She thought. She stood up and tossed the bowl out the window. Sitting on her bedside, Beatrice rested her head in her palm feeling frustrated. "Not even this... I can do for Mother.." She sobbed for a moment then laid back in her bed.
All of a sudden Beatrice's chest got tight. Her eyes shot open and her pupils went extremely blurry, she couldn't move her body. Beatrice grabbed the sheets as she tried to breathe even though her heart was going 100 miles an hour. She tried her best to stay still but she couldn't control herself, her body was shaking nonstop. If Beatrice even made a slight groan of pain, a guard would burst in. The agony only increased as her lips and tongue went from numb to irritated.
Taking a breath, Beatrice relaxed as a tear fell off her cheek. Time seemed to stop for Beatrice as she gasped for air. The last thing Beatrice saw was the starry night and it took her pain and her sorrow...
It turns out Helena had more than enough money for the family and simply wanted Beatrice out of the house, but since she died it was like heaven at her doorstep. Beatrice's oldest Haft sister Yasmine Grey Estell, married the Crown prince only a while after her death. This made her mother enraged, but also sad. Even though Brien and Mrs.Maddie tried to heal her, Julie became bedridden and eventually started to slowly wither.
The Scandal that elapsed stated that Beatrice was poisoned by a servant caused but the Archduke's Curse. Duke Lorcan never accepted any other Marriage proposals and lived quietly. Soon he was killed at the hands of his brother, the second prince. Crown Prince Alfrid charged him with 3rd-degree treason agruing he had stolen military power and was somehow involved with the Mana stone shortage. Being that his execution was an Imperial order, Duke Lorcan did little to avoid it. What was the point? His unique bride was gone.
The stars left the sky when they finally realized their earthly beauty, was gone.
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Rachel closed the book slowly looking out into space. "What a Bitch!!"
Rachel was up all night reading the novel "If I can be of Use", and after an ending like that, she wasn't satisfied. Rachel wasn't the romantic type, as a matter of fact, she didn't like romantic topics, but Beatrice's relationship with the Prince was different in her eyes.
Or so she imagined.
"This makes no sense!" Rachel thought, "Even if Beatrice lost her marriage money, shouldn't the prince have millions more at his disposal?". Rachel sat on her bed in deep thought with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. "To be honest.." she thought, "The 1st Prince wasn't a bad catch at all. With those magnificent shoulders I wonder what he could do." She chuckled to herself stroking her chin and licked her lips maliciously.
Shaking her head, Rachel placed the book on the nightstand. She pulled the bed covers over her shoulders and laid her head on the pillow fixing herself in a comfortable position. Rachel kept feeling wronged for Beatrice and her weak Mother. Her eyes fell slowly as she looked out into the dawn. It reminded her of Beatrice and for some strange reason, it put her to ease. But before she could relax...
BARK BARK BARK BARK... BARK BARK BARK BARK...BARK BARK BARK BARK..
Rachel jumped up in shock and peered her eyes around the room. Her eyes landed on her phone where it said.. "7:00 AM GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP! FRIDAY CLASS". Rachel was a hard sleeper not even a boom could wake her up. She turned off the alarm. "Damn it I didn't sleep!" Rachel cussed and complained the whole time she was getting ready for her class.