As Isolde busily plotted her next move, her mother, Evelyn, sat alone on her bed, her mind consumed by the unexpected revelation and a flood of memories from her youth. She whispered her own name, "Evelyn," a name long forgotten by the people around her, except by the Duke himself. Once, she had been a powerful princess and the heir of the Nymph Kingdom of Elunara, but those days felt like a distant dream now.
Evelyn's memories drifted back to the fateful day when the Imperial Army attacked their peaceful kingdom under the orders of the current emperor. The once serene land of Elunara was plunged into chaos as the Nymphs fought desperately to defend their home. But against the might of the empire, they stood little chance.
The three Dukes, including Duke Sable, overpowered the Nymphs with ease, their forces overwhelming and relentless. Many Nymphs fell in battle, while others were captured and imprisoned. Evelyn herself was among the unfortunate ones, taken as a slave by the Sable family, forced to serve under Duke Sable's father.
As she recalled the horrors of that day, Evelyn's heart clenched with sorrow and bitterness. She had lost everything—the throne, her people, her freedom—all ripped away from her in a single moment of betrayal and cruelty. Evelyn recollected the dark days of sexual and physical torture that had broken her spirit each day, her heart grew heavy with the weight of those memories. Locked away in the dungeon, subjected to the cruel experiments of the late father of Duke Sable, she had endured unspeakable suffering. Each passing moment had been a torment, a reminder of all that she had lost and all that had been taken from her.
But amidst the despair and anguish, a glimmer of hope had emerged. For on that fateful day when Duke Sable had murdered his own father and discovered her imprisoned in the depths of the castle, Evelyn's life had taken an unexpected turn. Instead of meting out vengeance or turning a blind eye to her plight, Duke Sable had shown her mercy, offering her a chance at redemption and a new life.
With his help, Evelyn had risen from the ashes of her former self, leaving behind the scars of her past to embrace a future filled with promise and possibility. She had sealed away her powers and her true identity, taking on the role of Duke Sable's wife and later becoming the mother of Isolde. It was a life she had never imagined for herself, yet one that she had come to cherish despite the pain that still lingered in the recesses of her heart.
But as Evelyn clutched the pendant that hung around her neck, a relic of her past and a symbol of her sacrifice, she felt a surge of determination coursing through her veins. She could not allow Isolde to uncover the secrets of their past, to delve into the darkness that threatened to consume them both. For the sake of her daughter's safety, Evelyn knew she must protect their fragile peace at all costs.
With a whispered prayer for guidance and strength, Evelyn closed her eyes, allowing the familiar sensation of her true form to wash over her. In an instant, her plain brown hair transformed into a vibrant shade of green, her eyes shimmering with the power of her heritage. It was a fleeting glimpse of the nymph she had once been, a reminder of the strength that still lay dormant within her soul.
But as quickly as it had come, the transformation faded, leaving Evelyn once more in her human guise. With a heavy sigh, she tucked the pendant away beneath her clothing, a silent vow to guard their secret with her life. For though she may have lost everything, Evelyn would do whatever it took to ensure that her daughter's future remained bright and untarnished by the shadows of their past.
To be continued.....