Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 149: A mother’s love (3)

Giselle didn’t want to go along with Nigel’s plans since it would only place her in danger with Joel.

Giselle often tried to stay on Nigel’s good side since he helped her quite a lot, but what he wanted this time was too risky.

"Why are you still standing before me? Is it that you doubt my ability to save you when you return? Do you think that I am just a little boy still depending on his father?" Nigel asked, his anger getting the best of him.

It was all Nigel heard as of late.

"I did not say that, Nigel. I simply worry about you finding yourself in trouble with your father. I know you don’t believe it, but he was finally settling down after you didn’t win the event. Speaking of Ophelia again, when you know that the king wants her will only make him angry with you," Giselle tried to reason with Nigel.

"The king can set his eyes upon another woman, or he can go to hell. I’m sure the crown prince would love the latter. I have said time and time again that Ophelia was mine from the moment you brought her into the castle, and I don’t intend to give her away."

"Not to that old swine and not to Lord Hastings. Each day you leave her there, she warms that man’s bed-"

"Nigel!" Giselle exclaimed, disgusted by what Nigel spoke of.

Giselle didn’t want to hear too many details of what Nigel thought of Ophelia’s marriage.

Nigel approached Giselle and grabbed her arms. "I will give you a little insight to help you make your decision. The king has sat on the throne for too many years and refuses to give up the throne. How long do you think the crown prince can wait?" He whispered.

Giselle’s eyes widened. "He mustn’t."

"Why can’t he? He is the future sun of this kingdom. I think we disappoint the kingdom by not replacing Edward. When the king falls, my father won’t have anyone to back him. It is I who will have the support of the king, and he doesn’t care for my father. You must be on my side," Nigel urged Giselle.

Giselle didn’t understand. "Do you hate your father? Is this because you disappointed him? The answer shouldn’t be to have him lose all that he worked so hard for. You mustn’t let yourself be caught up in the games of the crown prince. He will be spared if his plans fail, but you will not have that luxury."

"I have long moved on from the event. This is about sons being stuck in the shadows of their fathers. It is time that we step into the light, and I am only giving you today to decide. I know it is not easy to give away a daughter," Nigel said, reaching to move Giselle’s hair out of her face.

Nigel continued, "For all your efforts, I will spoil you as I said. Dresses and jewels beyond your wildest dreams. You will be known and respected as my mother. I will not send you out of the castle as long as you pledge loyalty to me and give me Ophelia."

"What do you want to do with her? Bring her back to torture her?" Giselle asked, but deep down she knew the answer.

"Why ask questions as if you care now? You’ve never helped her when she cried out to you, so don’t meddle now, or I will start to hate you. I like that you know when to turn your back, and you always place her before me. Continue to be this way. I must go," Nigel said, taking a step back. "I have plans to get to it."

Nigel walked away without waiting for Giselle to change her answer. He trusted Giselle to come to her senses and be on his side.

Even if Giselle spoke of Nigel’s plans to Joel, he could always deny it and claim Giselle was making up stories. Giselle knew it too.

Giselle watched as Nigel walked off as if he didn’t place her in an awful position. She could lose everything if she didn’t make the right decision. She had to stay on the side with power.

Joel had power thanks to his friendship with the king, but if Edward died, then Nigel would have Sebastian’s support.

"Why can’t they just have the same plans?" Giselle muttered, tired of Joel and Nigel having different plans for her.

Giselle only wanted to live a life of luxury, but the men in her life kept getting in her way.

’Should I tell Joel?’ Giselle wondered.

If Joel found out that she knew of Nigel’s plans, he would be upset, and this time, she wouldn’t be able to calm him. Still, Giselle thought of the chances of Nigel succeeding with his plans if he had the support of Sebastian.

It was a nasty fight which Giselle didn’t want any part of, and now, she wished to stay in the Hastings castle for longer than planned to avoid whatever plot Nigel had.

Giselle continued on her way to Bella and thought of how she would be able to slip Ophelia away from Dante and make it all the way back to Nigel without dying. No matter how she looked at it, she would die.

’Lady Cecilia,’ Giselle thought.

Giselle was certain Cecilia didn’t welcome Ophelia. It was still puzzling that Cecilia didn’t join the Hastings in the palace. Something happened between Cecilia and Dante.

"I must know," Giselle said, tempted to send a letter to Cecilia.

If Cecilia wanted Ophelia out of the castle, then that just might be Giselle’s way to make Ophelia return home if she needed to stay on Nigel’s good side.

Giselle loved Joel, but she loved not having to struggle more. Joel could toss her out of the castle at any moment, but if Nigel would give her a home with many riches and think of her as his mother, then that would be a better life.

’I’ll play them both,’ Giselle thought, deciding to go ahead with both plans.

Giselle decided to go along with what Joel and Nigel both wanted. When the time for her to return to the Valthorn castle came, then she would see who had the most power in that moment and go with them.

"She does have some use for me," Giselle whispered, thinking of Ophelia.

After the trip to the Hastings castle, Giselle wouldn’t have children to burden her.

Theo wouldn’t survive the long journey, and Ophelia would be in the hands of a man who wanted her.

"I must survive," Giselle said, determined to keep herself as Lady Valthorn.