The Swordswoman's Revenge Story after Rebirth

The Swordswoman’s Revenge Story after Rebirth

Chapter 9 Borrowing Strength

Finished

When Geoffrey arrived at the High Court of Parliament that morning, he found Oliver Valois, the deputy commander of the Southern Watch, waiting for him.

However, Geoffrey had left the document at his estate. le had taken it home the previous evening to review for any oversights but had forgotten to bring it with him to the office.

Pressed for time, Oliver accompanied Geoffrey back to the manor to retrieve it.

As they stepped through the gates, the sound of a skirmish echoed from the rear courtyard. The grand hall, however, was eerily empty.

Geoffrey’s expression darkened. He exchanged a sharp look with Oliver, and together they hurried toward the commotion.

In the Pearl Tower, they arrived just in time to see Milten deliver a vicious blow to Isolde. Her body flew through the air and landed hard, crumpled like a discarded rag.

Without a second thought, Oliver sprang forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.

Isolde spar blood but steadied herself, locking eyes with him.

Before her time travel, there had been only one person she could never best–Oliver, the Marshal of Brackenfell.

Oliver was the adopted son of the Marquis of Eldermere and the elder brother of William. His father by blood, Douglas Valois, the famed Marshal, had fallen in battle. Afterward, the Marquis of Eldermere took Oliver in but let him retain his family name.

At thirteen, Oliver went to war alongside his adoptive father. Even then, he showed no fear, cutting down over thirty enemies in his first campaign. The Regent himself had praised him as a worthy heir to his father’s legacy. By sixteen, Oliver had earned the title of Marshal of Brackenfell.

The Royal Court, always keen to honor its war heroes; saw Oliver’s promise. The Marquis of Eldermere ensured his talents were nurtured, and by twenty–one. Oliver had been named Grand Marshal. Leading the imperial forces against the Thalvinar, he returned victorious, earning the title of Marquis of Brackenfell.

But the glory was fleeting.

In the second year of his marquisate, Oliver fell in the Battle of Ashenford. He was struck down while saving Isolde. The cruelest irony was that she had put herself in danger to save William.

William had never masked his disdain for Oliver. Even years later, when she visited Oliver’s grave to p her respects, William sneered and, with a show of contempt, kicked over the incense burner.

pay

To everyone else, Oliver was a man of unyielding courage, a paragon of strength. Only William refused to

Before her time travel, she had carried the weight of Oliver’s death, the guilt gnawing at her for years.

blend of elegance and authority–she was overcome with

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heard those familiar footsteps, she’d let her guard

her sobs loud and desperate. “My Lord, save me! Isolde has

expression flickered, and he sheathed

Milton with a complicated air. He helped steady Matilda, glanced at the guards struggling to rise, then shifted his gaze to the lifeless form of Mary sprawled on the corridor floor.

on Isolde. His expression was unreadable. “You

her disheveled hair and pale face lending her an air of quiet defiance. “Yes,” she said, her

Thark etched in the dirt, she approached the Duke. Milton’s earlier strike had ravaged her insides, the pain like a

mocking, and filled with sorrow. “If you loathe me so much, send me back to Windermount. Why poison my food? My mother gave her life to bring me into

A flicker of anguish passed through his eyes, and he stood motionless,

her body went limp as she

her waist, and the faint scent of agarwood reached

She fainted.

Blackwell. “Marshal Blackwell, your skill is. legendary, yet you stoop to using it against a noblewoman. Does that not tarnish your

smirked. That depends on what she’s done. And let me remind you, this is a family matter,

I disciplined Isolde today

eyes didn’t waver from Isolde’s

to murder

formal restraint. “Marshal Blackwell, I appreciate your concern, but matters within the Duke’s household

favor, no matter how outrageous his demands.

fury. “But remember this: your

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9 Borrowing Strength

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our family ties, I advise you to deliver her to the High Court yourself.”

cloak swirling behind him. Eleanor hurried

my brother and niece only came to visit me.

voice cold and clipped. “Then you may report

her protests, Matilda curtsied. “Yes, my

carried to her chambers. In her fevered dreams, the horrors of her past life returned. She relived her death at William’s hands, watching helplessly as her child was cast into a blazing fire. The flames devoured the

and agonizing, echoing

Langley…” A voice broke through the suffocating darkness, clear