Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 206 Freya sat aside, her gaze blazing with fury. Her half sister had once been an unremarkable figure in the desert. Her mother had been no more than a servant whom their father had favoured in a moment of drunkenness, resulting in Mira being conceived Though Henry was her father, in the eyes of the capital's noblewomen, she was nothing more than an illegitimate daughter, to be ignored, overlooked, and dismissed. Freya never imagined that her sister had been secretly honing so many skills. That woman was far more cunning and dangerous than she had ever guessed.

Mira's gaze swept toward her. Freya lowered her head immediately, not daring to meet it, though the fire of hatred still glimmered in her eyes. Mira paid her no mind, turning her attention instead to Selena. The younger woman sipped her tea, her delicate brows drawn in thought, though no one knew what weighed on her mind. To Mira, she was nothing more than a pretty face. Sliding gracefully from her horse, Mira returned to her place behind Frederick without a word. ---- The demonstration continued. One by one, the remaining teams of princes and noblemen completed their rounds.

Finally, it was the Duke of Blackmoor's household's turn. As the team appeared, a low, muffled laughter rose from the crowd. A troop of women! The idea struck many as absurd. Sebastian had brought four women to compete in the Autumn. Hunt. Of them, only Aurora was of some renown. The other two were unknown, unheard of even among the nobles. And the last was Selena, famed for her beauty rather than her skill "Do you think she'll fall off the horse?" someone whispered. "With a face that pretty, it'd be such a shame if she ruined it." "No matter. There are plenty of men here.

I'm sure someone will play the hero." "Who'd dare? Don't forget that Prince Frederick's watching. No one wants to risk his wrath." "True enough. A woman he cast aside is still untouchable to anyone else." To men, pride was everything. They could throw a woman away, but once she had been his, no one else was permitted to touch her. ---- When Sebastian stepped out, he could feel the mocking, hostile stares all around him He turned, met the eyes of his companions, and lowered his head slightly. "My apologies for dragging all of you into this." Aurora only smiled. "Their mouths are their own.

You can't control what they say, so why let it trouble you?" Sebastian gave a short nod and vaulted into his saddle. "We know Lady Aurora and Lady Yvette. But who's the woman behind them?" Ruth asked curiously, her eyes narrowing as she smiled. "General Campbell, could she perhaps be your-" "She's our aunt," Selena said before Ruth could finish, lifting her gaze with a faint smile. "She is the wife of my youngest uncle. They wedded on the battlefield itself. Her name is Qiana Harper." Qiana's vision blurred as tears threatened to spill.

She had truly been wed to Tobias, a solemn vow made amidst the chaos of battle, with death a constant companion and no certainty of surviving the morrow. Their union had been witnessed by Selena's father, Thomas, the Marquis of Whitgrave. After that narrow escape from death, Tobias had promised that upon their return to the capital, he would inform his father of their marriage. But unexpectedly, scarcely had one battle ended ---- when another erupted. Qiana regretted it bitterly. Wounded at the time, she had been sent back to recover, unable to fight at his side.

She never imagined that would be their final parting, that death would separate them forever. When she'd gone to Blackmoor Estate afterward, Gideon had refused to acknowledge her, turning her away time and again. The duke cared for nothing but his reputation. In his eyes, Qiana and Tobias had merely lived together without being properly married. And now, here in the open before all these nobles, Selena had acknowledged her as their aunt and Tobias' wife. Qiana felt her heart soar. Even if she were to die this very instant, it would have been worth it.