Three years ago, I had a fight with my father and stormed out of the palace in a fit of anger, determined to chase my dream of a quiet life in the countryside.
I shook off every one of his scouts along the way and settled at the foot of this mountain.
That was when I met Chester Delgado. He was on horseback, his cloak whipping in the wind, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. One look was all it took. I fell for him completely.
I hid my identity from him, and he told me only that he was a wandering swordsman. We exchanged vows beneath the open sky, with heaven and earth as our witnesses.
We had no silk robes or lavish feasts, but we had each other. He tilled the fields while I worked the loom, and we were happy.
Now the cottage was destroyed, and I was locked away in a side manor.
The only glimpse of the outside world I could steal was through a crack in the wall.
A few women passing by were whispering about the Delgado wedding.
"Did you hear? The Young Lord petitioned the King himself for the marriage. He traded his military honors for the jeweled phoenix crown reserved for princesses!"
"Well, his bride is the Grand Chancellor's legitimate daughter. She deserves that kind of ceremony."
"They're perfectly matched in status. What a handsome couple they'll make."
The phoenix crown they spoke of had been my favorite treasure in the palace. I'd never worn it only because I hadn't yet come of age to marry, so my father never bestowed it on me.
On my own wedding night with Chester, the only thing on my head had been a wreath of wildflowers he'd woven with his own hands.
He'd said to me then: "My Stella deserves the finest things in this world. Even a princess's crown wouldn't be too good for you."
And now he had traded his military honors to give that very crown to Shelagh Fox.
That evening, Chester came carrying a whole box of my favorite pastries.
He sat across from me, his expression perfectly composed. "Eat something. The baby must be hungry."
Only then did I pick up a piece and take small, careful bites.
But watching him act as though nothing had happened filled my mouth with bitterness no pastry could mask.
"When did it happen?"
Chester froze. He poured me a cup of tea to cover his discomfort, then said in a flat voice, "On your birthday."
The ground dropped out from under me. A month ago, on my birthday, Chester had vanished without a word. I searched for him the entire night, up the mountain and down, calling his name until my voice gave out.
He didn't come back until the next morning, dusty and disheveled, claiming he'd gotten lost looking for a birthday gift for me.
Then, like a boy presenting a treasure, he pulled a snow lotus from behind his back.
I hadn't slept all night, but seeing the effort he'd gone through, I couldn't bring myself to scold him. I took the flower and carefully potted it.
Now he was telling me that on my birthday, while I was searching every trail in the dark, he had been in Shelagh Fox's bed. My stomach turned.
Even so, thinking of everything we'd shared, I couldn't stop myself from offering him one last chance.
"Chester, can you just not marry her?"
He turned the teacup in his hands, over and over, his brow furrowed tight.
"Not marry her? Marry you instead?"
"Do you really have to force me to say it plainly?"
"She is the Grand Chancellor's legitimate daughter. And you? A peasant woman who knows nothing but watering crops and tilling soil. How could you possibly be fit to stand beside me as the wife of a Young Lord?"
The color drained from my face. I refused to let it go. "Do three years of what we had really mean nothing unless I have the right family name?"
A searing pain tore through my lower abdomen. I pressed both hands against my stomach, but I kept my eyes on him, waiting for his answer.
"In noble families, status and rank matter above all else. The line between a legitimate wife and a concubine is absolute."
He paused, guilt flickering across his face.
"Shelagh might be pregnant."
The room tilted. I stared at him, unable to process what I'd just heard.
"Stella, her child has to be recognized as the firstborn heir. That's the only way you'll be safe."
The pain in my belly twisted like a knife. Cold sweat beaded across my forehead. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the box of pastries.
"Chester, this is your child too. How could you bear to..."
Chester's eyes reddened. He apologized again and again.
"I'm sorry, Stella. She knows you exist. By the timing, your child is further along than hers. She won't allow you to give birth to the firstborn..."
