Reborn: I’ll Save This Doomed Marriage

The Return of Fear

I nodded in agreement, I knew that there was a high chance of them coming to get me. For now, I would eat my soup and rest, rest as long as I could while I collected my thoughts on what to make of this.

It was not long until Henry had gone off to the village to find Edward. He returned at night, the stars lighting up the sky, the moon shown bright as I soaked in the moonlight and fell to my knees in prayer.

“Please, look down on me with your strength, I ask for your hand in guidance towards where my place is in the world. Please look down on me with patience as I pledge my beliefs to you, deliver me to my path, and let me walk it with you hand in hand.” I had felt Henry’s hand on my shoulder as he looked down at me with a sorry expression.

“They said that he was captured on his way to the meeting.” His hand firmly gripped my shoulder as my head sank into the snow. I bet down praying for Edward to be safe. That only he doesn’t worry about us too much. I lifted myself up, holding my stomach as I walked back into the house and sat in front of the fire, watching the flames lick the inside, a fiery dance that entranced me.

Henry’s hand sat on my shoulder, he motioned for me that I should take my rest. I didn’t understand what had happened. I know he said he was trying to make trade negotiations, what could have happened. I stood up, letting my composure go as I quietly sobbed on the bed. I looked down at my growing stomach, I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I couldn’t stay here with Henry. I couldn’t impose him like that.

“You look troubled.”

“I cannot stay here.”

“Why not?”

“I have already troubled you enough.”

“You aren’t well enough to leave.”

“I know, but I will manage on my own.”

“I won’t let you do that. Think of that child.” He said sternly, sitting next to me on the bed. “You can’t go now, you’ll die out there, you hear me?” I nodded at his words. There was to be no more talk of me leaving. I was to stay here, and have my child.

Edward POV:

I had been knocked unconscious by the men who had taken over my wagon. I had awoke late into the night, by then I had no idea of what to expect. The prison I was being held in was dark and damp, and cold. There was no life growing here, and all I could think about was Jade, pregnant and alone.

She had told me, no, begged me, not to go. And the last words I said to her, were out of anger. I should’ve never came here! I should have never let myself get into this situation.

I put all of our lives in danger for what? More money for the kingdom? More money for my father!

Today I have lost everything, today I had lost my wife, and the rest of my life with her. I didn’t know how I would get out of this mess, no one would be sending word to the kingdom. We were now effectively prisoners of war.

I stared at the wall in silence, she had a bad feeling...and yet, I didn’t listen to her. I had yelled at her for trying to protect me, for trying to keep things right between the both of us. Nothing I could say or do now could make up for my mistakes. My only wish is to see her again.

“Hey, that lady on the edge of town?”

“Yeah, what of it?”

“Heard they burned the house down, haha.”

“Was she inside?”

“No, she ran through the night, evaded most of the soldiers. Doesn’t matter, she probably died from the storm.” I jumped up onto my feet and grabbed the guard by his shirt, spitting into his face as I slammed his head into the bars.

“Don’t talk about my wife in that matter!” I yelled in his face as I threw him back, coughing up his own blood as I sat back down, with my head between my knees, thinking of how my wife was still alive.

Jade’s POV:

The next months were hard as the snow had taken most of the cattle, people weren’t buying pelts and Henry was under pressure to provide for me. “Darlin’ you okay?”

“What?”

“You look pale, do you feel any pain?”

“My back is starting to hurt.”

“You’re going to go into labor, I’ll fetch the doctor, I’ll ride as quick as I can.” He got up and left, spring was here so the trip took less time with better weather.

By the time he was back with the doctor, I had already started to feel the pain of labor. I gripped his hand tightly as I yelled out.

“Something is wrong!” I said as another wave of pain washed over me.

“What is it?”

“The baby...it could be too big for her body.”

“What do you mean it’s too big?”

“Tell her to relax as much as she can and get ready to push on my signal.”

“Just relax, relax darlin’. It’ll be okay.”

I laid my head back and prayed some more, to deliver a healthy baby, with no complications.

“Push!”

I pushed as hard as I could, squeezing his hand tightly as the baby had emerged, crying. “Congratulations, it is a boy.” I took him in my arms as the doctor cut the cord and handed him over to me.

I took him close to me, hugging him as the tears streamed down my face.

“Thank you,” I whispered to god, they had answered my prayers and had helped me out so far.

Henry took the baby in his arms, and over to the tub of warm water he was keeping. He cried out some more as Henry had washed him off and wrapped him in a tight blanket to keep him warm.

He handed him back over to me as I looked into his dark eyes. He had my eyes and face, but still somehow looked like his father. He would grow into his looks one day.

One day Edward will return and see that I have given him a son, an heir.

I felt lost as to what I should do. I had been in hiding, Edward had been captured, and I had no way of communicating to the king in time. Perhaps they have already forged our death certificates and wrote us off as a tragedy.

All I knew for now would be that Henry and I had to provide for the child as much as we both possibly could.

Octavian POV:

“What do you mean they chased her out of the home and into a storm?” I yelled in front of the other diplomats. It rather surprised me that I had followed them here on their “honeymoon” just so I could see into their little fake life, and yet Edward hadn’t arrived. I sent a messenger to their house but by the time they reached there, there was no house to be found.

It was burnt down, and no one had started to rebuild. It was only then that I was informed that Edward had been captured, and...Jade had been chased out of the home, wondering through the blizzard to seek shelter.

I punched the desk as they stared at me in confusion.

“Find Edward, I need this trade deal to go through, where Edward goes, I’m sure the people who know where Jade went follow.” I grimaced as I walked out of the doors and hopped onto my horse. I shall see what happened with my own eyes.

I was met with the foundation of the house gone. I walked around, trying to find some type of marks or footprints, there was essentially no evidence to where she could have gone. She couldn’t have gone far though during a blizzard.

I got back on my horse and rode through the woods. Searching in the direction by the snapped branches that laid waste through the forest floor. It had taken me a better part of the day when I had finally rode over the hill and saw a small shack with some horses in the stables.

I tied my horse to the post and approached the house when I had heard a gun click.

“State your name and business, you’re trespassing on my land.”

“I’m looking for a missing woman, she might’ve come through during the winter. She has dark brown eyes, long chocolate hair? Goes by “Jade” or “Jada Marie” perhaps? Around 18-19 years old. He studied me for a moment before he looked back over to the tree line.

“Saw a woman come out through that clearing in the winter. Offered her shelter for the night, she left early morning. Never saw her since. Let me ask my wife is she would know what happened to the girl.” He said walking back towards the house. I followed him before he stopped me at the door, looking back through the small opening. “My wife just gave birth, please grant her some privacy from a stranger. She is nursing.” I nodded my head before I heard his voice call for his wife.

Henry’s POV:

I didn’t know who this man was, but I knew he was bad news. He didn’t look anything like the child, so I knew that he couldn’t possibly be Christopher’s father. I had kneeled at the bedside, kissing her hand as she looked at the door worriedly.

“Who is at the door?”

“A man, talks like you, tall, has dark hair, dark eyes. Asked for you by your full name. Should I let him in?” My eyes met hers with horror as she shook her head furiously.

“What did the man say?”

“Just asked if you had come runnin’ out them woods in winter. I said that you had taken shelter and went on your way in the morning.”

“Good, he cannot know that I am here. He will never leave. Tell him that I know nothing of the whereabouts of the girl he is seeking and that all I did was wish her luck on her journey.” I nodded in agreement as I walked towards the door and opened it wit him staring off into the distance.

“Sorry, she said that the girl didn’t tell her where she was off too, and that she only wished her luck on her journey. The text town over is about 20 miles north, could see if she made it into town and ask if anyone saw her.”

“Of course, thank you for the time. She is someone precious to me, I would hate for something bad to have happened to her.”

“I wish you luck,”

“Thank you,” he nodded his head to me before quickly taking off into the direction of the next town. I stepped back inside, she was sitting there frozen as she noticed I had come back alone.

Her eyes dripped with tears as she held the baby tighter to her.

“Who was that man?”

She looked at me in shame, ashamed of who to say that strange man was.

“Who was he?” I questioned her again before she kissed Christopher’s head and looked lovingly into his eyes.

“Remember my past? ...he is my first husband. Before I had met Edward. My father had sold me off to be his bride, even knowing his reputation with his others. I was his 9th wife, the others had been killed or banished. I was protected under sovereign law, since I was of child bearing age, he was not allowed to banish me, and his advisors couldn’t influence his decision like they had before. He is Emperor Octavian, Emperor of the Western Empire, the Light and Sun of the Nation. His heir, Octavian II, is my son. He had abused me when I was pregnant, and was chasing around the maids for the whole of our relationship, bringing me great embarrassment and shame. My father had whipped me for not gaining the emperor’s favor. One day there was an attempt of kidnap on my son, I had gone in his stead, and left him in the care of Octavian, where I then met Edward, and he had told me of my husband’s antics. Octavian had refused to pay the ransom, and remarried his current wife who took over as mother for my son, and told the empire I had died of complications of childbirth. From there, Edward’s father, King of the Western Empire, had Edward marry me for his wrong doings of taking me away from my life. Octavian has tried to take me back from Edward before, so you must, you must not let him come back. You must keep him away, he will not send for help, he only brings destruction. He will take my son from me. And he will take me from you.” She said looking down at the boy again. “I had my first son taken from me, I will never let it happen again.” Her eyes were gathered in sadness as I didn’t know what to say of her past. It was complicated, yet I was unwilling to let her go.

I secretly prayed that Edward would never return, so that way I could officially make her my wife, and give her the life she deserves, one that isn’t full of complications and death.

I didn’t know what I would do if Edward had ever come back and found her.

I was scared at the same time, I couldn’t fathom the thought of losing both of them. I planned on raising the boy as my own.