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June 19th, 1556

I am scared. There have been reports from the village that consumption is going around. It is rather nerve wracking to think that I could get the disease, or maybe someone within the family. I can only hope that Aunt Clemence will be smart enough to keep Miles away from it all. I can not imagine what it would be like if he were to catch it. I'm would not be able to handle it, most likely. That boy is my everything, and if he ever dies, I don't know what I'd do.

Aside from my fear of diseases, Miles has been asking a lot of questions about what's been going on around here. He is always asking about the newcomers that come around and he is been fascinated with the Harlequin. He, like the rest of my family, are thoroughly entertained by my family's stories. Apparently they've gotten wilder and more whimsical, but I wouldn't know since I do not eat dinner with my family.

I am glad that my family does not force me to eat dinner with them. I get away with a lot of stuff that I shouldn't. They still want me to get married despite my protests, and I have decided that I will go along with it to help repay their kindness. Even if it means that I will be reduced to someone that produces babies, I'll do it.

It is my duty, and maybe if I end up finding a husband, I will be able to find happiness. I certainly will not find it in my one time relationships with men, not that I have actually slept with a lot. It is only been two, and there is a part of me that regrets having laid with the Harlequin. He has turned out to be a much harsher man than I imagined, and his behaviors are very crass.

Part of me likes it however, and I am not sure what that says about me as a person. I can only hope that the Harlequin does not try to continue his advances like he has been. I am afraid that we will be caught, and we can not allow that to happen. I can only hope that we can move past that moment of weakness.

-A.S

"Accalia, my love," Julian says softly as he walks into her room. She looks up from her journal and takes a deep breath, knowing full well what the look on her father's face means.

"Yes?" she asks, trying to hide the reluctance from her voice. "What's his name this time?" Her father smiles appreciatively and takes a deep breath.

"Atticus Ainsley," he says. Accalia is unable to hide her distaste this time and she frowns as she stands. "He is a nice man this time. You know I would not allow you to be with someone who is abusive."

"There is only so much you are able to protect me from," Accalia says quietly. "I understand that you want to make up for what happened, but you will never be able to. We just need to move past it. What's done is done." Julian smiles sadly at his daughter and nods slowly before leaving the room. Judith comes in a few moments later to help get Accalia ready to meet yet another potential suitor.

She knows that this one is most likely going to be the one she ends up having to marry because the men wanting to court her is slowly dwindling. She has to get married whether she likes it or not, and she can only hope that he'll be tolerable. If they can become friends, then their life together won't be as bad.

"How do I look, Jude?" Accalia asks as she stares at herself in the ruby red dress. She's grateful that her breasts aren't being pushed up too much, and hopefully the man, Atticus Ainsley, won't just stare at them.

"Beautiful as always, my dear," she says softly. "Maybe this one will be nice," she adds in an effort to make her lady feel better. Accalia merely shrugs and goes to put some olive oil on her exposed skin and the red beeswax on her lips. As she stares at herself in the mirror, she suddenly gets an idea and rubs a little of the dyed wax onto her cheeks, creating a slight red hue on her skin. It makes her look even more radiant than before and she smiles at her reflection.

"Let us go meet this new suitor, Jude," she says quietly. The two eventually leave the room and when they go into one of the many dining rooms, Accalia's mouth parts slightly when she sees the man standing near one of the stained glass windows. He's examining the patterns and colors very intently, and from what Accalia can see, he's very handsome.

At the sound of her shoes clicking on the stone floors, the man turns his head and he grins. He watches as the girl with brown skin walk over to him. She's significantly more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. The men who described her to him didn't do this woman any justice, and he's glad that he has the potential to marry her.

"Good afternoon," Accalia says as she bows her head. "I am Accalia Starling, and it is a pleasure to meet you," she adds, bringing her head up to lock eyes with the man. Her face grows warm as she sees his bright blue eyes. He's extremely handsome, and she feels her nerves grow as he gently grabs her hand and presses his lips to it.

"Believe me, my lady, the pleasure is all mine," he says, pulling her forward and wrapping an arm around her lower back. Accalia lets out a quiet gasp of surprise at the sudden movement. Her hands go to his chest, ready to push away if he does anything too bold. "I am Atticus Ainsley, and I must say, you are quite breathtaking."

"I—" Accalia is at a loss for words. This man is not how she had imagined him. He's young, fairly charming, and seems to know just how to make sure she's one step behind.

"Would you like to go on a walk around the gardens, love?" Atticus asks, smiling down at her. "Or would you prefer to sit in front of the fire and talk?" Accalia is taken aback by him giving her a choice. She had expected that he'd try and dictate everything they did together, and that she'd have to try and fight him a little, but that's not the case. She almost feels empowered enough too say what she wants, but she knows that she has to hold her tongue for now.

"How about we take a short walk around the gardens, and then relax in front of the fire place?" Accalia suggests. Atticus nods and bites his bottom lip as he moves away from her. He holds his hand out for her to take. The two soon leave the room, unaware of the shadow that watches them in anger.

"It is cold, my lady, perhaps we should stay inside?" Atticus suggests as the cold air hits them.

"If we stay close, then we'll be warm," Accalia replies with a small smile. She's been enjoying his presence so far and she doesn't mind as his hands go to her hips and he pulls her into his side. An arm wraps around her and her face grows warm again as he lightly presses his lips to her temple.

"I like the way you think," he murmurs. "Now, shall we?" For the next hour, Accalia and Atticus walk around the gardens, enjoying each other's company and their body warmth. It's an unusually cold morning, but neither of them care. Accalia secretly hopes that the way Atticus is behaving is not a front, that this is how he genuinely is. When they go inside, they're still unaware of the shadow that's been watching them from the far.

Eventually, the shadow which turns out to be Harry, steps out from one of the corridors. His eyes are fixed not on Accalia, but on Atticus, who is smiling down at the girl that's wrapped in his arms. Harry clears his throat, and the two jump at the sudden appearance. His eyes briefly flicker to Accalia, who seems uneasy at the sight of him, and he clenches his jaw. He doesn't want her to feel that way around him. He's wanted to apologise to her, but she hasn't given him the opportunity to do that.

"Oh, hello Edward," Accalia says, finally breaking the silence.

"Edward?" Atticus asks skeptically as he stares at Harry. He smirks at him and enjoys how he plays with the ends of his sleeves in discomfort. "Hm—it's nice to meet you, Edward," he says, moving away from Accalia and holding his hand out.

"Likewise," Harry says dryly as he shakes his hand.

"Let's go," Accalia murmurs quietly as she pulls on Attitcus' sleeve. She's unaware of the tension between the two men—the only reason she wants to get away is because she doesn't want to be in Harry's presence for too long.

"Good idea, my lady," Atticus says with a sly look at Harry. "I need to warm you up. Your hands are still very cold." Harry's left eye twitches in annoyance as he watches the two walk away from him and he grumbles under his breath before going up a random staircase. He is going to make sure he talks to Accalia tonight, his desperation is growing too much, and if he's honest, he'd throw out part of his plan just to spend another few hours with her, alone and uninterrupted.

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"Thank you," Accalia smiles as Atticus refills her goblet of wine. They've been talking for hours while sitting in front of the fireplace. Food was brought to them mid-day, and now, they're just finishing their dinner. They had started to drink wine as part of their desert. One of the cooks in the kitchens brought up fresh strawberries and sugar, and Accalia happily ate some.

"You're very welcome, love," Atticus says as he sits in the chair opposite her. He enjoys how relaxed she's become in the hours since they met, and he's hoping that this will all work out.

"I must admit, you are not at all what I expected," Accalia says, her words slurring together slightly due to the amount of wine she's consumed. "I thought you would be older, rude, and would insist on bedding me like all the others have done."

"Well, I will say that I'd certainly enjoy laying with you, but I fear that it's too early in whatever you might call this relationship," Atticus says, taking a small sip of wine. "My mother taught me to treat ladies with respect and one might just get what they want."

"Smart woman," Accalia murmurs. "I'll let you in on a secret, Atticus," she adds, hiccuping. "The secret to making me happy are strawberries and sugar."

"Really," Atticus says quietly, amused by how she's slowly getting more intoxicated. "Careful, love," he says hastily as she nearly spills her wine. He gets off his chair and carefully takes it from her hand.

"No, I want my wine," she whines as she tries to reach up to grab it. She stands and attempts to take it back, but he raises it above his head. "Atticus," she pouts as she takes a step back.

"Perhaps I should escort you back to your room," he replies, grinning. Accalia grumbles that she doesn't want to go yet, but she doesn't protest as Atticus wraps an arm around her waist in preparation of leading her out of the room. There's a few moments of silence before she hastily reaches over to grab a few extra strawberries. She begins to eat them while Atticus patiently waits for her to finish. She places the leaves on a plate before indicating that it's okay to go now.

"Will you be here in the morning?" Accalia asks, once the two arrive at her bedroom door. Most of the men that would try and court her would leave after the first day. Very rarely would anyone ever stay over night.

"I'm afraid that I have some business to attend to back at my home, but I can come back after that," Atticus says with a hint of regret. "Would you like that, love?"

"Of course," Accalia says with a shy smile. "You are a very charming man, Atticus Ainsley."

"Is that so?" he asks quietly as he moves his head down. Accalia wonders briefly whether he's going to kiss her, and she decides that she'll allow it. She closes her eyes and tilts her head up. Atticus wonders briefly if he should just kiss her, but he ultimately decides to press his lips to her cheek. "Maybe another time, okay?" he asks as one hand goes to cup her jaw. He sees the disappointment in her eyes, and is glad that he's managed to charm her so far.

"Thank you for spending the day with me, Atticus," she says, trying to stifle a yawn. Her body feels light from the alcohol she's consumed; her mind is a little fuzzy, but she's still well aware of the situation.  "I hope that you're able to come back soon."

"Likewise, Accalia," he says quietly. "Have a good night." He kisses her cheek again before stepping away. He smiles at her before turning and walking away. Accalia watches him retreat for a few moments before sighing and going to open the door. The second she steps inside, she knows that she's not alone.

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" Accalia huffs as she glares at Harry, who's sitting on her bed.

"I am not obsessed, darling," he replies a little too quickly.

"Look, I just had a wonderful day, and I do not need you ruining it by putting me in a foul mood," she says through slightly gritted teeth.

"Just let me apologise," Harry says as he stands. "I am sorry for snapping you. I didn't mean what I said, and—"

"Spare me your lies, Harlequin," Accalia snaps. "You're only sorry because you want to have sex with me again. You don't care about me or my feelings. If you're so desperate to fuck a woman, there is a brothel in the village."

"I am sorry though," Harry says, frustrated that she doesn't believe him. "I know I'm not a good man, but you have to believe me. I am sorry for what I said, and maybe I did mean them at first but...I just—I'm sorry for my comments about you and your virginity."

"Tell me this, Harlequin, why are you apologizing to me? Is it because you want to have sex with me again?" Accalia asks. She knows from the way that Harry looks away from her for a few moments that it's part of the reason. "I am not all that upset with you anymore. Your words hurt, but they have also brought up memories that I do not want to think about," she says, turning away from him. She slowly pulls at the lace of her dress, and it comes undone.

The fabric falls to the floor, leaving Accalia in her white smock. Harry is well aware that she's changing, not to tease him in any way way, but to get out of the dress she had been in. There is no sexual connotation behind what she's doing, but he can't help but get turned on regardless. He bites his lip as he watches her lift up the smock which reveals her naked body. It's just as perfect as before and he lets out a quiet groan. He wants to touch her again, but he knows that he can't.

"Accalia—"

"It is getting rather late, Harlequin. Perhaps we can talk tomorrow," Accalia says dismissively. "Goodnight," she adds, just as he begins to open his mouth to protest. She gives him a look that immediately makes him go to the door.

"I am truly sorry, Accalia. I hope we can at least come back to some sort of normalcy."

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a/n: I'll be honest, I'm really annoyed that this story was changed to fanfiction because I've used Harry as the main face claim. Sure, this is technically fanfiction, but it's a short story first. This isn't ranked anymore, and it won't be, due to me now putting it as mature. I got dinged for having mature contents and whatnot.

Anyways, I'm really happy that this story has reached 1k+ views. I know that it seems like not a lot is happening, but I promise that this chapter sets up a lot of things. Thank you for your support, and the chapter is dedicated to macklemcvey because she inadvertently helped me figure out some future plot points and face claims.

Ps. Richard Madden (from Game of Thrones) plays Atticus.