Prologue

Dear Francois,

I was never intended to be yours, nor you to be mine. This marriage, it's nothing more than a scheme devised by my mother.

Being bound in a marriage devoid of love feels like no living at all. It's clear your focus has always been on fame and power, never on me.

You fail to grasp the essence of love, because all you understand is gold coins and the endless chase to accumulate wealth.

Our marriage is like a poisonous flower, it may grow seemingly healthy, but in the end, it's lethal.

It's a slow-acting poison, like an arrow lodged in your throat, causing you to bleed slowly until you draw your last breath.

So please, let me go. Let me seek my own happiness. If I must meet my end either way, at least let it be with a sense of peace etched on my face.

Sincerely your wife,

Felicia Gratzie De Montreal

Francois found himself shedding tears as he read the letter.

He never understood this was how Felicia saw him. He had tried to be a good husband, but their world was harsh, and their society, ignorant.

He couldn't blame Felicia for feeling this way. Deep down, he too was consumed by fear.

Fear that he lacked the power to free Felicia from the chains her mother imposed on her. Despite being her husband, her life was still controlled by her mother.

He knew he was to blame. If only he wasn't so scared, if only he wasn't so powerless. He could have freed Felicia before they even married. But no matter how much gold he possessed, or fame he amassed, he knew he'd never stand a chance in a fair fight against the Duchy of Montreal.