Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 163: Prisoner (2)

"You’ll leave? Have you forgotten that you aren’t welcome to the castle? Or, if you return to your uncle’s home, he will marry you off. You don’t have anywhere to go, so drop the defiant act and do as I say," Cecilia said, certain Victoria wasn’t serious.

"I might not be able to lean on my family now, but I have friends who will gladly take me in. I thank you for all that you have done for me. I thought of you as a second mother, but I cannot stay with you when you don’t listen. I don’t want to be with Dante," Victoria said for what would be the final time.

"It has been hard for me to accept that my one-sided love had to end, but being with you, I am unable to move on from it as I want. The sooner you accept that Dante has fallen in love with Ophelia, the better it will be for you. He never showed interest in women, and at times, it felt like he wished to die-"

"I suggest you don’t spew any more lies," Cecilia spoke over Victoria.

"I am angry with myself for not seeing how you behave sooner. It was good when you were on my side, but now, I see why you were placed here. You don’t know Dante as well as you believe you do. I don’t know him well either, but Ophelia seems to understand him," said Victoria.

"Of course, she will appear to be understanding so she can get her way. I don’t believe for a second that the Valthorns didn’t send her to the castle to harm my son and learn his secrets," Cecilia argued.

Victoria chuckled.

There was no point in trying to talk sense into Cecilia. Cecilia was too stubborn, and she was about to lose her son.

"I will start to gather my belongings and be out of your home before the night ends. I wish you well with all your plans, but I hope you will try to accept the decision Lord Hastings has made. Good day," Victoria curtsied.

"I made a promise to protect you, and that stands when you don’t know what you want for yourself, Victoria. A lady like you has little idea about the dangers of the world. One day, you’ll be grateful for what I do. You are not leaving," Cecilia declared.

Though Victoria bothered her, Cecilia couldn’t allow Victoria to leave. She needed Victoria since Victoria knew too much about the Hastings family. It made Victoria the perfect woman to marry Dante.

"I cannot start over with another lady. I don’t have the patience for anyone to learn of the curse and accept it, so you will have to do it. It has always been you who should be his wife. Try if you want, but the guards around my home will not let you leave," Cecilia said, keeping Victoria as her prisoner.

Victoria frowned. "You would go so far? You truly are becoming like Alistair. Dante has chosen the woman he wants to be with. Why would you want to ruin his happiness?"

"I would have accepted it if he chose anyone other than an outsider. I know for certain she will ruin this family. Since her arrival, all Dante has done is push me away."

"And he has done it for good reason. You only think of what you want. You push all your dreams onto him, and when you can’t get your way, you hurt him. You say you care for him so much, but you don’t want to go to the castle to be at his side. You are awful!" Victoria exclaimed and regretted it the moment it left her lips.

Cecilia raised her hand to strike Victoria across her cheek. "How dare you! After all I have done for you, this is how you speak to me? I see that you need a time-out. A time to think of what you have said before you come back to apologise."

"I suggest you get comfortable since you are not allowed to leave my home. I will make sure you fall back in line. I challenge you to leave," Cecilia said, her hand trembling as she wanted to strike Victoria again.

Cecilia walked away from Victoria before she struck her again. Never had she been so disrespected, but she would set Victoria straight.

Cecilia went in search of the head maid to send out the order that Victoria was not allowed to leave the mansion. In due time, Victoria would be grateful for it.

Away from the Hastings land, two carriages surrounded by guards made their way through the Valthorn land.

Giselle looked out the carriage window, using the scenery to clear her mind. Since leaving the castle, there was plenty that weighed on her mind.

Should she take Nigel’s side or stay on Joel’s?

"He should have shown proof of his plans before I left the castle," Giselle said, uncertain if she could trust Nigel.

Giselle couldn’t simply abandon Joel when he was still in power.

When was the crown prince going to depose the king?

"It must happen before I leave the caste, but how am I to sneak her away?" Giselle wondered.

Giselle thought of using Theo to lure Ophelia out of the castle, but she was confident that Ophelia had plans to keep Theo in the castle, so she wouldn’t be willing to leave.

’Why can’t I get rid of them both and be done with it?" Giselle thought.

Giselle didn’t mind Ophelia taking Theo to run away with him if it meant she never had to see the two of them again. She wanted to get rid of what tied her to her past, but everyone around her kept trying to hold onto Ophelia. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Keeping Ophelia alive meant Theo had to be kept alive.

"Of all the women in the castle, why did he need to take an interest in her?" Giselle wondered, annoyed by how much Nigel desired Ophelia.

Giselle was tired of the men in her life, so Nigel’s offer to give her a home sounded nice. If she were handed enough wealth to care for herself until she died, then she wouldn’t need Joel

"What is it now!" Giselle yelled as the carriage stopped.

Giselle hated travelling with the Hastings guards since they did everything in their power to upset her.

A Hastings knight came to the door and said, "Your son has asked that we stop. He needs to relieve himself."

"He can wait until we get to an inn," Giselle replied.

"With all due respect, we were ordered to care for the young master."

"Young master?" Giselle muttered, appalled by the title given to Theo.