Chapter 6: Searching for Clues
Lucia sat on the edge of the narrow bed, staring at the flickering candle on the wooden nightstand. Her fingers still tingled where the Duke had touched her wrist.
She could still hear his voice.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
(echoing in her mind) You are afraid of me.
Her stomach twisted. Why?
She had never met him before. And yet, something deep inside her recognized him.
Or at least, the way he had looked at her—calm, piercing, as if he knew more than he was letting on.
She reached into the hidden pocket of her dress, pulling out the folded parchment her mother had given her two years ago.
The ink had smudged over time, but she traced the faded words with her fingertips.
Her mother had wanted her to have this. But why?
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(whispers) What are you trying to tell me?
A knock on the door made her snap her head up.
She quickly tucked the parchment away and stood, heart racing.
Who would come looking for her at this hour?
Elsewhere in Ravenshire – A Private Study
Duke Alexander sat in his dimly lit study, flipping through stacks of old records.
His gloved fingers traced over the parchment, his jaw tightening as he read.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
(thinking) A noblewoman… lost, alone, afraid.
She wasn’t just any lost traveler. He was certain of that now.
He leaned back, exhaling slowly.
For months, he had been tracking whispers of treason among the nobility. His orders from the crown prince had been clear—find those responsible and bring them to justice.
And now, a woman with no name, wearing fine but worn clothing, had appeared out of nowhere.
A woman who looked startled at the mention of his name.
His mind kept returning to the way she had run from him.
She wasn’t just frightened. She was hiding.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
Enter.
A man stepped in, dressed in a dark cloak. One of his informants.
Informant
(bowing slightly) My lord, we have gathered information about the girl.
Alexander’s gaze sharpened.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
And?
Informant
There is nothing. No record of her arriving in the city, no known relatives, no history. It is as if she does not exist.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
(quietly) No one simply appears out of thin air.
He tapped his fingers against the desk, deep in thought.
Then, his lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
(murmurs) Looks like I’ll have to ask her myself.
The next morning, Lucia left the inn, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
Luckily, last night, it was just the inn keeper who visited her.
But she had no idea where to start.
She wandered through the bustling market, listening to the gossip of noblewomen, hoping to catch something familiar.
Merchant: (to a customer) Did you hear? The Duke of Ravenswood will be at Lady Whitmore’s ball tonight.
Lucia stopped in her tracks.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
...
A place filled with nobles. People who might know who she was.
If she could find someone who recognized her, she might finally get the answers she’d been searching for.
She didn’t realize—somewhere in the shadows, a pair of sharp blue eyes were already watching her.
Duke Alexander Ravenswood / ML
...
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