Misalliances


Prologue



July 1205,

The child had awakened, the Count took the toddler in his arms and he contemplated her. He could not take his eyes off the little girl, her green eyes, her dark hair, he loved them so much.


This mahogany hair, these eyes, those delicate features were so familiar. The little girl has inherited her beauty from her mother, the Lady of Castelmirail.


Tescelin de Brisay of Castelmirail had loved Eléonore with so much passion, she was the apple of his eye.



“I shall not exchange you for better or worse until the end”

Such were the words he’d said when he’d married to the young Eléonore Thomassin a rich commoner. While he uterred these vows, his heart had acquiesced with all his love. And now she was gone to Heaven.



The lord of Castelmirail had always thought that one day he would have grandchildren. With his wife by his side he would play with them, they would read them stories about princesses and knights.

He was wrong, it was a dream and dreams didn’t always come true, he knew it but he wanted to believe in those dreams. Reality wasn’t as beautiful as his dreams. Reality was the worst nightmare, his beloved Eléonore wasn’t here anymore, he had just lost her, all it took were a few moments for everything to collapse



The previous day he’d say good bye to his beloved wife. On this very sad day, the weather was awful, the sky was pouring with rain and hail. These rain drops and these hailstones were like tears of sadness and anger.



The Countess was now in a sarcophagus. He would never see her smile again. He would never hold her in his arms anymore, he would never wake up with her at his side anymore. Her soft voice was silent for the eternity.



His sadness was so deep, he had a huge hole in his heart.
How could he overcome this grief that consumed him?



But he had to bit the bullet, Eléonore wouldn’t want him to give-up. He had to live for Emma, their miracle baby.



He had to raise her in memory of her mother and to make her a lady of the nobility, the worthy heiress of Castelmirail, this small seigniory from South of France.


More soon.....