Willow's Choice

A New Dawn for Willow

The next day, Willow woke up to a knock at her door. The morning light filtered through the heavy curtains, casting the room in a soft, golden glow. For a moment, I forgot where I was, forgot everything that had happened. Then the memories came rushing back—both sets of them, intertwining like threads in a tapestry.

"My lady, you're late."

The voice was unfamiliar to me, though Willow's memories told me it belonged to one of her maids. Still, hearing it for the first time with my own ears—or were they Willow's ears?—made me hesitate.

"Who is it?" I called out, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. It was higher than I was used to, more refined, with an accent I'd never had before.

"My lady, it's one of your maids, Talia."

Right. Talia. Willow's memories showed me a woman in her thirties, kind-faced, with gentle eyes and work-worn hands. She'd been with the Vane family for years, had practically helped raise Willow after her mother died.

"Maid? Oh, yes, that's right... come in."

The door opened and Talia entered, carrying what looked like a breakfast tray. She set it down on a side table and turned to me with a worried expression. Her eyes scanned my face, looking for something—signs of illness, perhaps, or distress.

"My lady, aren't you going to the tea room? Your fiancé was going to be there."

The word "fiancé" hit me like a splash of cold water. So I was engaged. The ring might not be on my hand at this moment, but the commitment existed. Jasper Fox. Even thinking his name made something in Willow's memories recoil with a mixture of resignation and quiet unhappiness.

But I wasn't Willow. Not entirely. And I wasn't about to live her life of silent suffering.

"Before you go, I want to know about myself."

Talia blinked, clearly confused. "What?"

"I want you to tell me everything you know about me, please."

It was a strange request, I knew that. But I needed to hear it from someone else's perspective, needed to understand exactly what situation I'd found myself in. Willow's memories were there, yes, but they were colored by her own perceptions, her own biases and blind spots.

"My lady..." Talia's voice was cautious now, worried. "Forgive me, but I don't want any trouble if I say something you don't like... you've always been very kind to everyone, but you're still my boss..."

The fear in her voice made my heart ache. What kind of life had Willow lived if her own maid was afraid to speak honestly to her? Or perhaps it wasn't about Willow at all—perhaps it was just the natural order of things in this world, where servants learned early to watch their words around nobility.

"Speak honestly, otherwise I'll really be upset. You speak as if you don't know me and know nothing about me..."

Talia wrung her hands, clearly torn between obedience and self-preservation. Finally, she took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Well, you, I mean... Lady Willow Montgomery, are the only daughter of the Duke Rowan Vane , who is currently abroad as Her Majesty's delegate in the East. You are Her Majesty Queen Eliana's only niece..." She paused, watching my face for any reaction.

I nodded encouragingly. "Go on."

"For two years now, you've had a fiancé, the son of Duke Xavier Fox." Two years. Willow had been engaged to this man for two years, had endured his infidelities and disrespect for two years. "You, I mean, my lady, like to read novels and all the books you can get your hands on. You have a gentle nature... and you haven't even responded to the ill-treatment you've received from young ladies who have been with you..."

"Who?" I asked sharply. The question came out more forcefully than I'd intended, and Talia actually took a step back.

"For example, Lady Iris Bloom . She's the daughter of an earl, but she's constantly saying things to you, and even..."

"What?"

Talia's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "You saw her kissing your fiancé yesterday when we went to the library..."

Yesterday. When Willow had still been fully Willow, before I'd arrived and merged with her consciousness. She'd seen her fiancé kissing another woman and had done... nothing. Said nothing. Just quietly left the library and returned to her room to cry alone.

Not anymore.

"Tell me about the Fox family," I said, my mind already beginning to formulate a plan.

"Well, they're dukes, but not that important. They have the least power in the kingdom because the duke has made some bad business deals lately."

Interesting. Very interesting. So the engagement was more valuable to them than it was to the Vane family. They needed this connection to the queen's niece, needed the prestige and political protection it would bring. Which meant I had leverage.

"So the engagement is more important to them than it is to me..."

"That's right, my lady..."

I could see the pieces falling into place. The Fox family was struggling financially and politically. They needed this engagement. But what did I need? Certainly not a cheating husband who would bleed the Vane fortune dry and leave me miserable.

"When is the next social event?"

"In three days, my lady... the party your aunt is organizing to raise funds for the poor..."