Blurb and Author's notes:

Lady Aurora Shawcross had a reputation for being a perfect lady. Her lifelong ambition was to improve her family's social status enough to grant them an invitation to attend the royal court.

But she also had a secret.

A secret that could ruin all her meticulously prepared plans.

🥇1st Place ~ Stars and Short Stories Monthly Competition - Oct. Prompt 1

This short story is a prequel to my story Till Death Do Us Part. However, you don't have to know the main story to enjoy this little tale. It's more like adding an additional point of view from one of the side characters.

A beautiful cover was made by amazingly talented @Shreya_VA

 Please go and check out her profile if you are interested in cover art!

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Lady Aurora Shawcross had a reputation for being a perfect lady. She looked in the mirror as a maid brushed her shiny, chocolate-colour hair. Her skin was flawless and fair, her lips full and pink. She resembled her mother mostly, and the only difference was the blue eyes inherited from her father.

Aurora let her mouth form a slight pout. Her younger sister had her mother's beautiful, dark eyes, and she was strangely annoyed by this. Skylar was nothing like her. Yet, every time Aurora looked into those big, dark eyes, she was reminded of her mother, that was long gone.

"It's too loose on the right side," she said to the maid, who was pinning her hair in a sophisticated crown.

"I'll fix it right away, my lady."

Some people would say that a noble lady should be already married and bear children at the age of twenty-five, but Aurora was not bothered by those insolent whispers. Everything was going according to plan.

Aurora didn't have many memories of her mother, as she died while giving birth to her sister. Rori was just five at the time. But what she did remember best was when her mother told her stories about this marvellous place called the royal court, where all the ladies were beautiful and all the men handsome and kind. The Royal Palace was a magnificent building carved into a mountain and reigned high over the city. All those worth attending were treated like gods.

The sad reality was the Shawcross lands were on the easternmost end of Lamyria, and they hardly ever visited the capital. Even as a child, Aurora could see that her mother was glowing the brightest when she recalled her time at the court. That's where she was the happiest.

The day her mother died, Aurora made a promise to herself. She would find a way to get her family to the royal court. She would make sure that they'd be respected and treated like the finest members of society. Other nobles would beg them to grace their social events with their presence.

Now, twenty years later, her plan was almost fulfilled. Some might say that so many years is too long. People were gossiping when Aurora refused marriage offers from the most prominent nobles in the kingdom, one after another. Even her father got worried at some point, asking her if she was absolutely sure of that course of action.

But Aurora always had the same answer. Just two simple words.

Trust me.

She was nothing but patient. To make her plans work, she couldn't marry just any noble, even if they were far higher in social circles than her. She had to aim for the highest possible rank.

She didn't mean the King, of course. She was ambitious, but even she realised she didn't have enough bargaining power to reach for the crown.

At least not yet.

But if her plan worked, the next generation would qualify for that.

There was one person who was a perfect target. The King had a brother. Lord General Gawyn Gryphonheart was the monarch's right hand and one of the most respected nobles in the whole kingdom. And that was precisely what Aurora needed.

When she revealed her plans to her family, they thought she was mad. There was no way that a royal family member would ever even consider such a union. Shawcross's family always lived at the kingdom's borders, away from the capital, and so was never considered a worthy match.

But Aurora was clever, and she had an uncanny ability to sense opportunities before others could even realise something was changing.

It's been a couple of years of peace in Lamyria, and people have forgotten about Shawcross' primary responsibility.

They were guardians of the eastern border.

"It's all done, my lady," the maid said.

Aurora turned her head slightly from one side to another, inspecting her hairstyle. She would never accept anything less than perfect. But it seemed the servant was aware of that.

"Good job." Aurora gave the girl a brief nod. She stood up in one graceful movement and left her chambers.

When she walked into the hall, the guard waiting at her door straightened and bowed his head.

"My lady."

"Good morning, Willem. Has the royal delegate arrived yet?"

"Yes, my lady. Let me escort you to the reception room."

Aurora followed the man through the halls, her eyes lingering on his broad back. He was tall and handsome, with fair hair and a boyish kind of smile.

Many dangers were lurking close to Shawcross lands. Sometimes, even despite all the guards' efforts, some things slipped through the borders. After one very unpleasant incident involving a runaway Dark Crawler, Aurora's father and sister insisted on designating a personal guard to accompany her at all times.

She let her eyes slide to his muscular shoulders. She had nothing to complain about. Willem already proved both valuable and pleasant to look at.

When they reached the reception chamber, he opened the heavy door for her with a small, shy smile.

Aurora raised her chin and walked into the room like a queen in her palace. And she was, in a way. Her father was never good in politics, and her sister... Well, let's say she took after her father.

The room was not very spacious. The roughly cut oak table took up most of the chamber. It was an old and sturdy piece of furniture, perfect for its function but lacking any grace. It was utilitarian, like most things in their estate. But Aurora didn't let any of those thoughts show on her beautiful face.

She nodded to her father, Colart Shawcross, who was standing at the window with his arms crossed and then she smiled at the royal delegate, an older gentleman with a perfectly fitted, expensive attire.

"Back so soon, Lord Serpentine?"

"Lady Aurora." The man bowed his balding head, but there was no smile on his lips. His brows were knitted. "I'm here regarding your latest letter and the list of demands you added."

"Oh? Is something not clear about it?" She cocked her head slightly.

"No, they were very clear." The man huffed. "But also, way out of line."

Aurora smiled. "I'm afraid I don't know what do you mean, my lord."

The man sighed and rubbed his forehead, looking down at the scroll in his hand. "I mean no disrespect, my lady, but your family is... not of what we call the highest social circle."

"And so?" she inquired, her smile unfaltering.

"You can't propose a union with a royal family member with such an attitude. I'm still astonished that the King is even considering such a preposterous offer. But instead of being content with that, you keep adding more and more demands."

"That's called negotiation, my lord."

The man scoffed. "Only those who have something to offer can negotiate, my lady. I gathered that your family would benefit most from this union."

"And which of my conditions are so outrageous to unsettle you, my lord?" Aurora asked.

"Sending two full battalions of soldiers to the border? Supply all the soldiers with silver-coated weapons? You can't be serious, my lady. Do you have any idea how much this would cost the Crown?"

"Not as much as paying for the damage if the border were breached by the horde from Blighted Lands, surely."

The man's mouth fell wide open, and he gaped at Aurora for a few seconds. When he collected himself, he only huffed. "You can't be serious, my lady. There hasn't been any disturbances from the Blighted Lands for hundreds of years, nor a trace of those monsters from folk's tales."

"And why do you think that is, my lord?" Aurora said, her smile still present, but her voice turned to steel, strong and relentless. "It's because my family kept the border secure for generations. But the situation changed, and so did our demands. The threat from the Blighted Lands increases every day. We showed you our military reports. There have never been so many hostile intrusion attempts as in the past couple of months. If we don't get the necessary reinforcements soon, you can expect very dire consequences, my lord."

The man visibly gritted his teeth. His expression grew even darker, like a heavy storm cloud. "Still, you demand too much, my lady. The Crown cannot afford such an expensive alliance."

"Then we have nothing else to discuss. Thank you for your time, my lord." Aurora gracefully got up from her chair.

"Aurora," Colart Shawcross spoke up for the first time. His face was pale, and wrinkles on his forehead deepened. He looked worried, obviously thinking she was pushing too hard. She gave him just one quick look.

Trust me.

The royal delegate was looking up at her, clearly confused.

"I guess the union is not going to happen after all. A shame," she continued. "I'm afraid we won't be able to hold the whole border for much longer. To survive, we will have to resort to protecting only our lands, leaving the pass to the rest of the kingdom wide open."

"You wouldn't dare!" growled the man. "That's treason!"

"Is it? We did ask for aid, and you said the Crown could not afford it. And so I guess the King is planning to leave the matter of security in each of the noble families' hands. Everyone would just take care of their own piece of land. That wouldn't be so different from how this kingdom was ruled before, would it?"

"That is not how King Gryphonheart wants to rule Lamyria," the man protested, his face going from flushed red to pale.

"Then he will reconsider my conditions. They are not up for negotiation."

The silence fell. The royal delegate rubbed his chin in thought. And then, finally, he bowed his head. "Very well, my lady. I will convey your request to the King."

***

"I swear, I thought his head would explode any second!" Colart laughed. "I wish you could see it, Sky. Rori was brilliant!"

Aurora was moving the food on her plate. She didn't have much appetite of late. But she forced herself to eat anyway, well aware that her body needed all the nutrition.

"Do you think the King will accept your terms?" Skylar asked.

Aurora looked at her sister. She could be just as pretty as Rori if she only paid attention to her appearance. But she didn't, always wearing her dark hair cut to the chin, so they wouldn't get in the way while she was fighting.

Aurora sighed internally. Yes, unlike her, Skylar was not a perfect lady. At all. She also noticed new scrapes and bruises covering her bare forearms. It often worried her that her sister guarded the border and risked her life daily. They might be very different from each other, but she loved her all the same.

"I don't think he has many choices," she replied. "I feel that he knows something bad is happening in the Blighted Lands. I have no idea how, though. But if he were as ignorant as all the other noble families, he would never even entertain the thought of this union."

"That's a relief," Sky said, wolfing down her food as if she hadn't been eating for a week. "If those monsters keep coming at us at the current pace, I don't know for how long we will keep the border. We need reinforcement and more weapons as soon as possible."

Aurora gave Skylar her most reassuring smile. "We're almost there. Now, please excuse me, I have a headache, so I'd better go and rest."

She left the dining room, followed by the silent shadow of her guard, and walked toward her chambers.

Yes, Aurora Shawcross was a perfect noble lady.

But she also had a secret.

She stopped in front of the door and looked around to ensure no one else was there.

The secret's name was Willem.

Aurora took the guard's hand and pulled him into her room. Before the doors clicked close, she was already kissing him as if she was dying from thirst and he was water. He gently cupped her face and leaned his forehead on hers, breaking the kiss.

"Rori, we can't. You know we can't. You'll be married soon. This can't go on...." His voice was rasp and husky. His breath was heavy, and his green eyes were burning like in high fever. His desire was evident, but he was an honourable man and would never do anything that could harm the woman he loved.

Aurora felt her chest tightening, making it almost impossible to breathe. She covered his hand in hers and looked deep into his eyes, mustering all her strength to ensure her voice wouldn't tremble.

"All will be well, Willem. I'll make sure of it. Trust me."

And then, she kissed him again and pulled him into her bedroom.

***

Aurora never believed in true love, described in poems, songs, and novels. As a noble-born, she saw marriage as a means to achieve her ambitions.

But everything changed when she met Willem.

She was not even sure how it all started. When did the polite exchange of pleasantries turn into a natural and animated conversation? When did she stop treating him as a guard and begin to think of him as a reliable friend? Aurora could not tell who initiated the first innocent touch, but it went through her body like a jolt of lightning, setting her whole being on fire and filling her heart with needs she had never considered before.

Aurora thought about herself as clever and intelligent, always using flawless logical reasoning to win the negotiations and debates. And yet, she couldn't persuade her own heart to stop beating faster every time her eyes set on Willem. She couldn't stop her mind from subconsciously trying to find ways to make this work, even if she knew it was impossible. Not if she wanted to achieve her agenda. The ultimate goal of her life – getting her family into the royal court and the highest social circle.

As weeks passed and the union was getting closer to the conclusion, Aurora found herself miserable. Aurora didn't know what to do for the first time in her life, and he asked herself what she really wanted. Not for her family but for herself.

She selfishly admitted she just wanted to be happy.

However, to pursue this path would mean bringing shame to her family. Willem was not only of low birth, but he was also a guard with nothing to offer.

Nothing but his love and admiration.

To make matters even worse, Aurora had been working towards allying with the royal family for years, and she was a step away from succeeding. From fulfilling her lifelong dream.

She realised that this aspiration was no longer so compelling. All the glamour and beauty of the royal court seemed to faint the moment she looked into those beautiful green eyes and saw the depth of the feelings behind them. She couldn't imagine living without seeing him every day, without his reassuring presence at her side and without his kind words whispered to her ear, always giving her the courage to face any challenge.

Aurora had to choose between living the rest of her life in misery and crying over what she had lost or humiliating herself and her family.

And so, she adjusted her plan, determined to limit the damage she would cause. She knew she would be hated and break some hearts on the way, but it was inevitable.

"Rori? Are you all right?" Skylar asked, looking at her sister with a cocked head. A slight wrinkle between her brows was a sign of worry. "You haven't touched your food."

"Oh, I'm fine, just got lost in thoughts for a second," Aurora replied, forcing herself to smile. She mastered putting a pleasant mask on her face, but she found it challenging for the first time in her life.

She never faltered to bend the truth or lie outright if she knew that would gain her advantage over political adversaries. But she never had to lie to her family.

"How are things at the border?"

Aurora watched Skylar as she animatedly explained the current situation, and her heart clenched painfully. She loved her sister deeply, even though sometimes she resented her for how loosely she treated her responsibilities towards the family and chose to become a soldier instead of an educated court lady.

Aurora knew Sky would never forgive her for what she was about to do, but after countless sleepless nights, she decided it was the price she was willing to pay.

She would get her family to the royal court.

But she wouldn't be the one who married Lord General Gryphonheart.

She knew that neither Skylar nor the man himself would ever agree to that slight change of plans, so she had to make sure they wouldn't have any other choice.

"So, I've heard the King accepted all of your demands already," Skylar said, pushing her empty plate away. "Is it all finalised then? Shawcross marrying into the royal family?"

"They'd be here next week to sign everything. The King, Lord General and all the nobles important enough to accompany them."

"That's impressive, Rori. To be honest, when you told us about this plan for the first time, I laughed as I didn't believe it was possible. And yet, here we are. I'm glad you are my sister. I wouldn't like to ever be on your bad side," Skylar joked with an innocent smile.

"Don't be silly. I'm always on your side, dear sister," Aurora replied, instinctively putting her hand on her still, flat stomach. The following words tasted like ash on her tongue.

"Trust me."

The End