Reborn Wife: I'll Chase Happiness Instead of My Husband

SOPHIA

Nathan stood up, fists clenched at his side. He was angry, angry for me. I tugged on the edge of his shirt and he looked down.

"Forget it," I said softly. "I’m not their daughter, so it’s not like I have to be filial anymore."

Nathan sent another sharp look to my parents who were self-aware enough to flinch and look away.

Nathan sat down and put a protective arm around my shoulder. "Give us the short version of the problem between the Pagemoores and the Rosebrights."

"The lamp, of course," said Dad. "My ancestor and the Rosebright ancestor both wanted the lamp. It had been procured by Scanderoon."

"Our Scanderoon?" I asked Nathan.

"There’s only one," said Dad. "He’s the same asshole, trust me." He rubbed a hand through his short hair. "He brought the lamp to a select group of Nobles. Not the Willowmarches. They’re not technically Nobles anyway."

"Neither are you," said Nathan.

"We were. But our titles were stripped centuries ago. Not that it matters now. In any case, it boiled down to the Rosebrights and the Pagemoores. We were each given an opportunity to make a wish. The lamp not only refused to grant the Pagemoore wish, the creature inside it said it would never grant a wish to a Pagemoore."

"Why?"

Dad shrugged. "Whatever my ancestor did to offend the djinn wasn’t told to me. The lamp chose the Rosebrights, and a bargain was made. He would grant a single wish to every generation of Rosebright heirs. Well, I should say, those that were found worthy."

We knew this part from our conversation with the Willowmarches.

"When the Willowmarches came to us and asked for our help to get the lamp from the Rosebrights, we were reluctant. But our beef with the Rosebrights is one of those things that is ingrained in us Pagemoores. The idea of stealing the thing that we felt had been responsible for our downfall was very tempting. And the Willowmarches promised to give us a path to regain our Noble status." Dad flicked a glance at me. "After the lamp, and the Rosebrights, disappeared, the Willowmarches made Sophia part of the bargain. We would raise her to marry Jace so that they had another chance to get the lamp."

Dad paused, poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot on the coffee table, and drank it in one go. "Since there was no way for us to use the lamp, and we could gain benefits for supporting the Willowmarch’s bid for it ... there was no reason not to say no."

"What made the Willowmarches believe the djinn would even grant their wish?" I asked.

"I don’t know. They were well aware of what happened when the lamp chose the Rosebrights. Why they believed it would grant their wish, I don’t know. I didn’t ask because I didn’t care. In the end, it didn’t matter because the Western Realm shaman cured Jace’s illness."

"You weren’t concerned that the Emperor would discover you were raising his niece?" asked Nathan.

"He didn’t know she survived. As far as anyone else was concerned, Sophia disappeared with the other family members."

"So what was in Chapter House that you would allowed the Willowmarches to burn it down?"

Mom and Dad shared a look. "It doesn’t concern you."

Dad stood up, and Mom did, too. "We’ve told you everything. I hope you will consider our past relationship when you decide what to do next. Your brothers aren’t married yet, and they’re still making names for themselves in Court. Don’t ruin their futures."

"You dare ask for favors?" Nathan snorted. "Get out of my house."

With shoulders slumped, my not-parents headed toward the door that led out into the foyer.

But then we heard a male voice say, "I bring you the Imperial decree of Emperor Fallenstar."

The formally dressed eunuch, the right-hand man of the Emperor, came into the living room holding a yellow cloth scroll.

We all knelt on the ground. The eunuch unrolled the scroll and announced:

The Pagemoores, the Willowmarches, the Duke of Golding, and my beloved niece Sophia Rosebright are hereby called to the palace. You are to come to the Court forthwith. So the Emperor decrees."

The eunuch rolled the scroll together and then handed it to Nathan. "Your Grace, you are expected immediately as are the Pagemoores. The Willowmarches are already there."

"Yes, Eunuch Ye," answered Nathan.

We had no choice, a fact made clear when we all exited the house and saw the line of the Emperor’s personal guards waiting. The Emperor’s gold carriage stood at the ready by the front gate.

Nathan helped me into the carriage first, followed by my parents. Damn it. My not-parents. The Pagemoores.

The short trip to the palace was tense. No one spoke, though it was easy to see how nervous the Pagemoores were about the situation. I assumed the Willowmarches were less than thrilled to be called to Court.

I remember Mrs. Willowmarch’s declaration that they had lost the Emperor’s grace. Did that mean Emperor Fallenstar already had an inkling about what was happening with these two scheming families? Where did I fit in? Would my uncle be happy to meet me? Or would he ignore our blood tie and punish for the Pagemoore and Willowmarch transgressions?

Nathan sensed my worry. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head, putting his arm around my shoulders and squeezing. "Don’t worry, Sophia. The Emperor is a good man. A wise ruler. You’ll be fine." He looked over at the Pagemoores. "They should be concerned, though, given all their shenanigans with the Willowmarches."

I took his comfort and ignored the other people in the carriage. I had been through a lot in the last few days and I admit I felt weak and overwhelmed. But I was also fueled by my anger.

And Nathan’s love was a steadying force, one that I was grateful for.

The carriage stopped while the guards opened the gates, and then we were allowed through. Out the window, in the distance, I saw the golden reflection of the palace. It was huge and sprawling, and quite beautiful.

And inside it was our unknown fate.