Six years before the wedding.
On a cloudy afternoon in early autumn, Leonor hid in a bush quickly losing its leaves.
From where she leaned against the brick wall on the back of Burien Manor, she looked up at what she could see of the grey sky. She hoped that it would rain and no one would follow her outside.
After losing her mother a couple of years before, things started feeling colder within the manor's walls. Her father was more cruel and a rift formed between her and her sister. Maids talked to her less and she found herself without anyone beside her except for the maid who cared for her mother at the end of her life.
Francia was her lighthouse in a storm even then.
That day, Leonor had witnessed maids going through her late mother's clothing, trying them on and mocking the unique style of clothing she wore. Her mother was from a different country overseas and was raised by a single father who became one of the most renowned mages in the Kingdom of Castille before his death. Her mother was born into the nobility but held true to her upbringing, preferring mage robes over adornments and dresses.
After shouting at the maid that they weren't to touch her mother's things, her father rushed into the room and slapped her. The Count said he permitted them to do as they pleased with his late wife's items.
The embarrassment of his disrespect, she ran out of the manor. It was time for her mathematics tutor to visit but she didn't want to face anyone with a handprint on her face.
Leonor wasn't quite sure how much time had passed but the cold air was calming her down and the mark on her face stung. Since she still had slightly tanned skin from summer, she hoped it would hide any marks better than if she were as pale as her sister.
After a while, she started to doze off. Sleeping was the only way to deal with her problems.
A few minutes later, she was startled to hear someone's footsteps against the old brick pathway bordering the garden. She sank lower, hoping she hadn't been foiled. The most terrifying person to look for her would be her father.
Instead, she saw a face she didn't recognize and a quiet gasp fell from her parted lips. Her amazement was impossible to hide, though if she wasn't more careful with her utterances, the teenager on the other side of the bush would undoubtedly hear her. She put a hand over her mouth to not give herself away.
A boy, not much older than her, walked by carrying a wooden crate to the back entrance of the manor. He wasn't just a new face, but perhaps the most beautiful face she had ever seen. It seemed as if God himself chose his features.
The teenager stopped because his cap had come loose while walking and his long light blonde hair cascaded out. He seemed panicked to put it away as he artfully rolled the strands together and hid them once again.
He looked over his shoulder to see if anyone had seen him and Leonor was given a view of eyes as red as rubies. That was the moment she realized she had a fondness for beautiful men.
Leonor had always thought something was wrong with her when no boys her age caught her attention. It seemed she simply hadn't found someone who suited the high standard she unknowingly held. It further begged the question of why someone so beautiful was helping her family with chores rather than sitting in a castle in the capital city of Coeurvalle where the King lived.
She wanted badly to reach out and ask who he was but he continued forward once his hat was back in place.
As he retreated, Leonor stood up slowly so she could see him until he disappeared around a brick wall, taking the crate to its final destination.
Her young heart was a sponge and she didn't know how to keep her guard up. The only worry she had was if she would ever see him again.
"Who was that?" she whispered.
His secrecy made her wonder if he was a noble. The light golden strands and unique eye color were often a sign of royalty or, at the very least, noble blood. Her curiosity was piqued further as she fell into a reverie of a perfect world where she could marry a beautiful man with an equal title who would strengthen her father's house further.
That was her one duty as the eldest daughter. She needed someone who would make the Burien name pristine.
Leonor's thoughts were harshly cut short when she heard her sister run outside.
"I found her!" Anna Maria shouted towards the back entrance of the manor.
Leonor jumped over the bush, disregarding the dress she was wearing, and silenced her sister with a hand over her mouth.
"Do you not have any loyalty?" Leonor asked. "I don't want to be found."
Unfortunately, it was too late. Her father rushed around the corner with a furious, reddening face. She knew exactly what his expression meant and was ready to face the consequences of her actions.
Leonor bowed in shame, but, despite her heart racing as she anticipated what her father might do, her thoughts were still on the beautiful boy she had seen. All she wanted to do was devise a way to see him again.
Her opportunity presented itself in only a couple of days.
Count Mikael allowed Leonor to rest for two days before he took her out into his lands. Once there weren't any more marks from how he had beaten her, she could resume her duties as the heiress to the van Burien fortune.
Even though she was petrified to sit with her father in a carriage while she was brought to the edge of his property, she wanted to take her duties seriously. She cared about her role as heiress. She wanted to have something to take over when she was older.
That day, a few young men had been chosen from the village as good options for stablehands because of the work they had done for the Count's Manor in the past.
Leonor's father stepped out of the carriage first and allowed the coachmen to help his daughter down the step to the ground.
Despite the rainy season, it was quite beautiful amongst the orange and yellow trees as they shed for autumn. There were plenty more evergreens that wouldn't lose their greenery and leave the place barren when the frozen season hit.
Unlike the north, Burien was mild in autumn and winter so Leaonor wore long sleeves even though the sage green material was quite light. She found it comfortable despite the looming rain. Her naturally wavy hair was braided back so the humidity wouldn't give her an unkempt appearance in front of people who were supposed to be workers for the manor.
The only time her father cared about her appearance was in front of other people. The less she appeared in front of others, the less she started receiving the usual noble treatment of preening and new clothing.
As Leonor stepped forward and stood next to her father and the old stablehand who requested a few more workers, she hadn't expected to need to brace herself. Upon stopping, she sharply inhaled air.
"My apologies, my lord, I almost tripped," Leonor said politely, sure to use his title in front of others.
Her father's brown eyes bore into her but he wiped the look of disgust before facing the line of workers.
At the end of the line of men was the teenager she spotted with the most beautiful face she had ever seen. His red eyes were unmistakable. Finally standing to her true height, she realized he was quite a bit taller than she originally expected.
The Count brought his daughter to the end of the row to see if they could find any flaws with the selections made for them, treating the commoners like cattle. She disagreed with her father's practice of sizing up workers, but she only had the power to follow.
Luckily for Leonor, her father started at the opposite end of the line from the handsome fellow. She offered polite smiles to all of the chosen stablehands and nods of appreciation, though her mind was a cluttered mess. She thought hard about something clever to say to the teenager by the time they made it to him.
Unfortunately, the world had other plans.
The boy's ruby eyes lit up when he saw Leonor and her heart dropped.
"So it seems the girl hiding in the bushes was the Count's daughter," he said, not hiding his amazement.
Leonor found his smile to be charming and mischievous. He was wearing the same awkward hat as before and she wanted to rip it off in retaliation to show the world that he was a noble hiding amongst commoners. Considering her father at her side, she did nothing so confident.
Count Mikael's "What?!" and Leonor's "Nothing, my lord!" were shouted practically simultaneously and Leonor cast the smirking teenager in front of her with a look of horror.
Leonor wanted to be angry, but her eyes drifted to the teenager who wasn't expecting an outburst from a seemingly innocent comment. He was bowing at his waist in respect for the noble he had just shocked but there was a small smirk on his face that Leonor found to be breathtaking.
She knew she was in trouble. The repercussions would be severe, yet she couldn't be mad at the teenager.