Rosalinda Flores was a beautiful baby girl. She had wavy brown auburn hair with sparkling green eyes. The birth of a daughter would be a wonderful occasion for any parent.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyqAkpsO78
Most would be crying for joy but her parents can only sob in sorrow. They know that they cannot keep her. Their country, her country, is in turmoil. The country's government is going through political upheaval.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFzSOrImwU
“Be safe my daughter, we love you” her mother Queen Maria whispers as she kisses her head. Maria hands her to her father, King Consort Nicholas. He seems in contrast to his wife in many ways.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzqlmYFF4J
Maria's hair is a complete mess and red itchy eyes. Whereas Nicholas is more clean faced and stoic. Do not mistake his heart is breaking. Who wouldn't for having to give their daughter up. He goes out onto the balcony and addresses his people. “Friends, I bring you, you're Future Queen”.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhf9oqyGSE2
Applauds ring out across the crowds. It takes one arrow to shoot Nicholas in the shoulder. “You're Majesty” Roland yells and grabs the King. They make a dash for the passage ways. The rebellion is making its way into the palace. “Take her” Nichloas pleads as he makes Roland take his daughter.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkn0pfysgs
Roland gets on his horse and hides the princess in his cloak. “I will raise her as one of my own” Nicholas nods to him and commands the horse to leave.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsIxHWrJIN
The trees keep him from view for the most part. The amount Roland travels takes days. He endlessly rides even in the cold rain. Which is common for England in March.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUM60OoR9t
The trees and forest turn into grassy lands and valleys. He comes upon his family's home. It is a wonderful looking mansion but it looks more like a castle. It has khaki gray stone walls. The roof itself is more like black marble.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzgjUtOpQD
This mansion may not look like much to many. Not the grandest place in all of England by any means but to Roland it's everything.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXz6PsWuRFc
This mansion is the very Pembroke Estate, ancestral home of the Darcy's. Duke Roland is the first born son of William Darcy and Angelica Anderson. As with any property when his father died it passed to him.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1tdkZKYqx
In Roland's opinion it should have gone to his elder sister Elizabeth. Unfortunately in England's current day and age it is not legally possible nor socially acceptable.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrVoDru6m1
“I promise to treat you as one of my own” he says to Rosalinda and the servants come to greet him. “You're Grace” the Butler, Mr. David Miller stops in his tracks. “Where..who?” Mr.Miller and the entire household was concerned. The Master was only meant to be gone for a day or two at the latest.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv1ZNpyD93
Roland has been gone for four days. In the race to make it home he only slept once or twice.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQJ0o8xiwB
A scream echos the halls and terror shocks through his body. It must be his wife Miranda Darcy. She was due any day before Roland left that is.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsJvXVciEE
He tries to barge into the room but the Housekeeper, Mrs. Tatina Miller stops him. “You can't” Mrs. Miller puts her hands on his shoulders. Roland shakes her off but that doesn't stop her.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcUIfwH2wB
Mrs.Miller has worked for the family since he was a boy and she blocks his path. “You will do them no good drench from the rain” what she really means is “You're no good to them dead”.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2zVqrFnWQ
“Take Roselinda to the wet nurse” Roland puts Rosie in Mrs.Millers arms. He treads up the staircase to his old room. The room from when he was still a child. He plan this as his room for the night. Roland wanted to provide the best comfort to Miranda, especially after her labor. In society's eyes he is the man of the house. In Roland's eyes they are a unite and a team. Like a well oiled machine they work together.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IESrMnrHX
He changed into something warm and dry. A white shirt and some brown breeches with suspenders. What he really wants is to go for his wife but they won't let him. No matter what, even as a Duke.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNBFCzAmeO
Women work, they call it but the person she wants the most is not allowed in. Society never plays a fair game. Hours pass by and a cry of a baby rings out and falls silent. All of that work, all of that danger for the baby to pass on to the next life.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmh6jx3Ji56
Such is the way of the world in the 19th century. Unforgiving and unkind, no matter the social class.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWmy69waPH
After the loss of their child, Miranda could not and would not move. It's like an eternal darkness encased her heart. When her child died, so did she. She wished and begged God to bring her back. He didn't. In her own pain she forgot Roland's. He too suffered in silence.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTrlgG00UA
When a child dies they grieve for the mother but never the father. It breaks him just as it does the mother.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrJuV9MlVO
The baby was his child too.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZLwEF4oBk
The door to the masters room cracks open. Bringing some light in the dark and hopeless room. It shines like a lighthouse in the dark sea.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzBilxjYtW
Miranda turns slowly but surely. Everything nowadays feels like a chore. A soft gurgling sound is heard and she lifts her head. If the first thing to really gain her attention all day.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0UYS70RTe
“She needs a name” Roland tells her and hands the baby girl to Miranda. “Doesn't she have one?” Miranda questions. She gets a good look at her. She is less than a week old and has rosy cheeks and a small smile. “Her name shall be Arabella” Miranda decides and Arabella grabs her finger and laughs.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtLDO1a7LL
“We will raised you as our daughter”.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9UrRSH7lg
Both of them decided that before she was born. They and Arabella’s birth parents feared a rebellion.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbTWzHYNWG
So for the next twenty year they did until one day it would be safe for the Crown Princess to return home.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIjNGr3vP0
That's where this story begins.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycMoAqdn4w
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1xwDN31Gr
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.