Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Barrett sighed in frustration. "Why put yourself through this? There was a royal edict for this marriage. Even when Aurora moves in, you'll be in separate wings. She won't compete with you for control of the

household. She doesn't care about those things."

"Do you really think I'm attached to managing this household?" Carissa countered.

Running this mansion was no easy task. Just the monthly medicine for Barrett's mother cost dozens of silver coins. Then, there was food, clothing, and social obligations-all these things required money. This household was practically a hollow shell. Over the past year, Carissa had used much of her dowry to keep things running.

And this was her reward.

"Enough, I won't argue with you. I just needed to inform you. Whether you agree or not changes nothing," said Barrett, his patience wearing thin.

As Carissa watched him leave in a huff, she felt even more bitter.

"My lady, my lord was too much!" said Lulu, Carissa's maid, wiping her tears away.

stern look. "We never consummated the marriage. He's

the dowry list?"

girl, why would we stay

and gasped. "But your mother arranged this marriage, and your

finally welled up in Carissa's eyes at the

her mother, never taking a concubine. They had six sons and one daughter. All her brothers followed her father to the battlefield.

training as a child. At the age of seven, she was sent to study under a master, where

much, held Carissa close and said, "You must live like the noble girls in the kingdom. Find a good husband, marry,

gouged her heart out. The pain she

year mastering the traditional values and duties expected of a

So, suitors flooded their doorstep. Her mother had chosen Barrett because he

months ago,

servants. Each victim suffered numerous knife wounds, and their bodies were brutally dismembered. Carissa's youngest nephew had been only two and a half years

captured a few of the assailants. After