that this would be a mistake, but Lowri had been insistent that Valto was the best choice and she found herself missing Hans in this moment. All she needed was for him to be here and take her into his arms and tell her that it was going to be alright, even though it clearly wasn’t going to be.
Cat didn’t know how long she had been sitting there wallowing in her own sadness, but she eventually managed to stumble to her feet and make her way to her room. In a half daze she pulled back the covers on her bed and turned off the lights, before crawling into bed and falling quite quickly into a deep sleep.
Chapter Ten.
Valto was secretly pleased that for the start of her pre-coronation tour Cat had chosen to visit the ancestral homes of her family lines. This meant that he had time to spend alone with his wife-to-be without the press hanging off their every move, and since their discussion of the couple of nights ago, Cat’s reception had been rather cold towards him. Though Valto found himself hopeful of getting her to warm back up.
Faenor Niwlog was a giant manor house of grey stone that was surrounded by thick woodlands and orchards. A labyrinth of high walled gardens which branched out from the main body of the manor, and all in all the place was a terrifying display of gothic architecture. Perfect then for the private residence of the Duchess of Pembrokeshire; not that Valto thought Myf had actually been here for a good many years. In fact it was now open to the public on weekends and public holidays, and a friend of Valto’s from the air force had actually got married here the year before.
“This place has always given me the creeps.” Cat’s voice broke through his musings, and he turned to look at where she was standing in the middle of the gravel drive staring up at the foreboding building before them. “No wonder Myf refused to stay here and chose Australia for her banishment.”
Those words caused Valto’s jaw to clench and his eyes to widen in shock. Banishment seemed like a very strong word. As far as he, and the rest of the Finnish royal family had been concerned Myf had gone to Sydney because she had wanted to enter the arts program being offered at one of the Universities there. Nobody had really been all that surprised since Johann had already started building his reputation with as many beautiful girls and women as he had been able to get his hands on, and it must have hurt Myf even though theirs was an arranged engagement. She must not have felt like she would ever be good enough for Valto’s handsome but rebellious cousin. But to find out that the Welsh had effectively banished her for whatever reason was a shock, and he knew that his grandfather would be horrified if he found out. “What do you mean?”
Cat turned to look behind her shoulder at him, one fine eyebrow raised at his harsh tone. “Our father, as you know, was a very strict man and extremely set in his ways. He noticed that my sister and Johann were getting close, and he was worried about Johann deciding that his attention was going to turn to Myf. Now don’t get me wrong, in those days I know that he wouldn’t have touched my sister sexually with a 20 foot pole; he had made his preferences in bed partners quite clear and Myf did not conform.” Her face suddenly dropped in an expression of sadness. “She still doesn’t, and I have no idea what he thinks he’s doing showering her with all this attention. Al he is going to do is break her heart.”
Valto had been thinking that same thing for many years now, especially when Johann had started getting more and more serious with some of the women that he had been seeing. However he did seem serious about Cat’s raven haired twin sister, and Valto did want to give him the benefit of the doubt in this; when they were married Johann would have no other options. “Oh I don’t know Cat, from what Kai’s told me he’s been on his best behaviour in New York while waiting for
Cat didn’t know how long she had been sitting there wallowing in her own sadness, but she eventually managed to stumble to her feet and make her way to her room. In a half daze she pulled back the covers on her bed and turned off the lights, before crawling into bed and falling quite quickly into a deep sleep.
Chapter Ten.
Valto was secretly pleased that for the start of her pre-coronation tour Cat had chosen to visit the ancestral homes of her family lines. This meant that he had time to spend alone with his wife-to-be without the press hanging off their every move, and since their discussion of the couple of nights ago, Cat’s reception had been rather cold towards him. Though Valto found himself hopeful of getting her to warm back up.
Faenor Niwlog was a giant manor house of grey stone that was surrounded by thick woodlands and orchards. A labyrinth of high walled gardens which branched out from the main body of the manor, and all in all the place was a terrifying display of gothic architecture. Perfect then for the private residence of the Duchess of Pembrokeshire; not that Valto thought Myf had actually been here for a good many years. In fact it was now open to the public on weekends and public holidays, and a friend of Valto’s from the air force had actually got married here the year before.
“This place has always given me the creeps.” Cat’s voice broke through his musings, and he turned to look at where she was standing in the middle of the gravel drive staring up at the foreboding building before them. “No wonder Myf refused to stay here and chose Australia for her banishment.”
Those words caused Valto’s jaw to clench and his eyes to widen in shock. Banishment seemed like a very strong word. As far as he, and the rest of the Finnish royal family had been concerned Myf had gone to Sydney because she had wanted to enter the arts program being offered at one of the Universities there. Nobody had really been all that surprised since Johann had already started building his reputation with as many beautiful girls and women as he had been able to get his hands on, and it must have hurt Myf even though theirs was an arranged engagement. She must not have felt like she would ever be good enough for Valto’s handsome but rebellious cousin. But to find out that the Welsh had effectively banished her for whatever reason was a shock, and he knew that his grandfather would be horrified if he found out. “What do you mean?”
Cat turned to look behind her shoulder at him, one fine eyebrow raised at his harsh tone. “Our father, as you know, was a very strict man and extremely set in his ways. He noticed that my sister and Johann were getting close, and he was worried about Johann deciding that his attention was going to turn to Myf. Now don’t get me wrong, in those days I know that he wouldn’t have touched my sister sexually with a 20 foot pole; he had made his preferences in bed partners quite clear and Myf did not conform.” Her face suddenly dropped in an expression of sadness. “She still doesn’t, and I have no idea what he thinks he’s doing showering her with all this attention. Al he is going to do is break her heart.”
Valto had been thinking that same thing for many years now, especially when Johann had started getting more and more serious with some of the women that he had been seeing. However he did seem serious about Cat’s raven haired twin sister, and Valto did want to give him the benefit of the doubt in this; when they were married Johann would have no other options. “Oh I don’t know Cat, from what Kai’s told me he’s been on his best behaviour in New York while waiting for
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