Chapter 2 Alistair looked at me , his mouth opened but no words came out . 1.0 I knew exactly what he was thinking . He was afraid Seraphina would be blamed for what happened . Afraid I'd return to Luminara bitter and cause trouble for her . That's the only reason he lowered himself to come here . ] But he didn't have to . Not anymore . I wasn't clinging to the past . I didn't care anymore . [ ] " I'm grateful to the Duke and Duchess for their years of kindness , " I said calmly . ] " I assure Your Grace , I would never do anything to harm the future Princess . " ] I kept my tone polite , distant Alistair turned away sharply and walked off without saying another word . ] ] The forest , buried under heavy snow , stretched endlessly ahead . [ ] Even in winter , camp slaves only had thin linen uniforms . By the time I trudged through the snow , I couldn't feel my feet . [ ] ne.0 Then I heard someone calling my name . " Evelyn ! " I thought I was imagining things . No one in camp called me that anymore . [] I was just " that disgraced maid from the Heartford family . " [ ] I kept walking until suddenly a warm embrace wrapped around me from behind , pulling me into a familiar chest . " If Prince Alistair came to get you , why are you out here alone ? " ] I turned - and there he was . ] Lord Edmund Heartford . ] My uncle . The only one who ever truly doted on me . ] Lord Richard never had a son . The title had passed to Edmund . [ ] When I was younger , I used to call him " brother " because we were close in age . His ears would turn red , but he always corrected me with a smile . [ ] " You should call me Uncle , Evelyn . " ] I must've been dying . Nanny used to say , when you're close to death , you see the one you miss the most . ] I didn't even get the chance to whisper " Uncle " before I blacked out in his arms . When I woke up , I was lying inside the Heartford family's private carriage . [ ] The very same one I'd stained years ago when I first came of age . For a brief moment , I let myself melt into that familiar warmth . ] Lord Edmund handed me a warm stone flask and said gently , " You've been through hell . " [ ] The Queen's investigation cleared your name . You're innocent . " ] I couldn't stop the tears . ]] I almost cried out , " Uncle ! " like I used to They Chose Blood Over Love Now They Cry at My GRAVE Chapter 2 But then I noticed …. we weren't headed home . [ ] Lord Edmund was toying with a string of carved sandalwood beads . [ ] Not the ones I gave him . ] These had a single word etched into them- " Frost . " [ ] Seraphina's gift . He didn't look at me when he spoke . His voice was steady . " The family's busy preparing for Seraphina's engagement to Alistair . ] For now , it's better if you stay somewhere else . " ] So … they weren't married yet ? ] ] Three years , and they still hadn't wed . [ ] They'd waited until my punishment was complete . [ ] Of course . So I could see it for myself . [ ] Lsmiled faintly . Lord Edmund wanted me to understand : Even if I was innocent , even if I was wrongly condemned … ] I no longer belonged to the Heartford family . ] And I had no place in anything or anyone connected to them . ] 10.1 %