The Order by E P Lenz

Author:E P Lenz [Lenz, E P]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Big Sage Press
Published: 2018-12-29T22:00:00+00:00

Brutal Reality

Chiara was forced to sit back down as her uncle indicated that the meal be resumed. She suffered through the rest of the courses, waiting for an opportunity to make her escape. She had to get away from here to make sense of everything that had happened in the last few minutes. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how her life would change were she to really be married off to Romanus Clavus.

Chiara understood that most women of the nobility ended up in marriages that brought status, connections, or more wealth to the family. But then, was that not the reason why she had been promised to Livyus Savoy? Her uncle couldn’t just renege on her parents’ words and hand her over to someone else of his choosing. She was not a piece of property to be passed on to Gregory’s pet as a prize for a job well done!

Suddenly, Chiara remembered the enigmatic statements made by Clavus the day before. ‘It is my privilege to ensure her safety and happiness’ and ‘My lady, things will be changing soon. A lot.’ A shiver ran down her spine. Had Clavus been referring to the fact that he would soon be her husband? Right on the heel of these thoughts came the thought that completely jarred Chiara. What had Gregory done with Lord and Lady Savoy and her dear Livy? She prayed that they were all safe and not dead at the hands of Gregory or Clavus.

With these thoughts swirling in her head, Chiara waited until she was finally able to escape the dining hall full of her uncle’s drunken cohorts, not to mention Romanus’ watchful eye. She turned the corner and headed straight to the gardens, the only place she could find peace and strength. Perchance she might meet Owl and ask him if somehow he had been trying to warn her of this development last night. Or she could take Cassius for a ride. Although she was not allowed to leave the villa after the sun went down, she was not in a particularly obedient mood right then!

She pondered her fate and wondered what The Order would say when they learned of her betrothal. Surely, they wouldn’t permit this union? Or perhaps they would, if they thought that this marriage would elevate her to a position with even higher influence within her station than a union with the House of Savoy would have done. That was a most terrifying thought! She had always considered The Order as her guardians, sometimes forgetting the fact that their ultimate loyalty was to the cause and not an individual.

She remembered how, other than the occasional visits by members of The Order in the guise of gardeners and other craftsmen, The Order had gained control over her education, posing as private tutors hired by Lord Gregory. He’d never once suspected that the tutors he had hired were teaching Chiara a lot more than spinning, sewing, and other skills required by a lady of noble birth.

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