The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 67: Rumors

"A friendship between a married man and woman?" the wolf asked not hiding his surprise.

"Wonderous, isn’t it?" Jessamyn smiled.

If the wolf didn’t know these rumors, he must be young—around their age. Older nobles knew of this as it was a topic of discussion in the high society for years. Even if they had forgotten her mother, this information would have jogged their memory.

"My father maintained a good relationship with Joar’s father and they loved to go hunting together. My mother and Joar’s father made a pact to get us married when we came of age. Too bad both of them passed away when they were young..."

Although those were not happy memories, Jessamyn could smile thinking of it.

"You must have been pretty close with Hector while growing up...Your mother-in-law knew you well too," The wolf said.

Jessamyn rocked herself not wanting to think about Joar’s mother. "I probably was... I don’t remember much though. I was very young... He did...remember everything..."

The wolf stared at her for some time and then looked to the front. Waving his tail, he looked forward.

"You didn’t maintain contact?" the wolf asked after a while.

Jessamyn looked at the wolf, still looking forward to avoid eye contact with her. "No. My life changed after my father married Emily... I was not allowed to have contact with others."

The wolf stayed silent for some time but Jessamyn could understand he was keen about the rumors that swirled around the time she married Joar.

"You want to know, don’t you?" Jessamyn asked leaning closer to the wolf with a playful smirk. "If the rumors were true?"

"What rumors?" The wolf scoffed, but then he coughed slightly. "The rumors that you were writing to Joar while you were writing to Jerrick?" he asked.

"Ah... that sure was one of them, wasn’t it?" Jessamyn laughed.

The wolf looked at her. She might be wrong but she saw concern in his eyes. Although he looked like a wolf, his mannerisms were human, not like she spent a lot of time with wolves, but he was more human than a wolf—more like a domesticated big wolf.

"He did ask me to write to him before he went to war..." Jessamyn’s lips curved.

Closing her eyes, she remembered that meeting, and her lips curved.

That was the first time she met him, officially. Until then, she heard about him from Imogen and her friends. They all thought Joar was interested in Imogen and was pretending to ignore her. After all, according to Imogen and her friends, every eligible man was interested in Imogen.

It was six months after Jerrick had left for the military. Hiding from the harsh summer sun, she was embroidering a shirt she managed to buy for Jerrick.

She heard the rustle of the dried mango leaves on the ground and looked up. In front of her was a young man she could only describe as summer personified—Blonde hair and eyes glowing in the color of gold. But what she remembered was the peculiar smile as if he had known her all his life.

She was perturbed by him appearing out of nowhere. She didn’t even smile back.

He was dressed to the nines. His family had a military history and he could join the cavalry as a knight earlier than others. He had come to meet her in the same uniform he was knighted by the King.

He introduced himself as Joar but it didn’t jog her memory. The flashing smile on his face disappeared for a moment before resuming. He then introduced himself properly.

’Do you want to talk to Imogen?’ she asked thinking he came for her.

’No!’ Another crack appeared on his smile. "Not at all!’ He furrowed his eyebrows as if he was perplexed by her mentioning Imogen’s name.

’My cavalry unit is assigned to defend our border. I’m leaving for the North today. I don’t know when I’ll return. Can I write to you, Lady Jessamyn?’ he asked.

His hand was on his chest and he bowed his head as he half-kneeled in front of her. Jessamyn was not used to such a gentlemanly approach from a man before and was perplexed how to react.

Her instinct was to shoo him away like the pest he was, but something stopped her from acting rude to him. With Jerrick’s shirt and her embroidery needle in her hands, she stared at the unfamiliar man kneeling in front of her, wondering when he’d leave.

He looked up at her, still on his knees. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling his neatly coiffed hair. He looked disappointed, but then he smiled.

’I’ll save the letters I write to you. If Levana is gracious to me, one day, I’ll show them all to you. Otherwise, they will never see the light of the day.’

Saying this, he stood up. Bowing to her again, he stared at her for a few seconds before leaving. Jessamyn was relieved he left, and didn’t think about him until he met him that day.

"He understood I was not his and backed off. I didn’t meet him again for years..." Jessamyn said.

Back then, she didn’t understand the weight of Joar’s words. But later he told her how much courage he had to gather to meet her that day and how heartbroken he was to know that someone else had occupied her heart.

A week before their wedding, leaning on his chest, she read the letters he had written for her from the barracks. He didn’t send any of them to her. She could only cry with every word he wrote. His words were filled with the love he kept hidden. She regretted not falling for him first.

That was the day she fell for him.

Jessamyn looked at the wolf and he was staring at the distant swaying of the trees.

"If Jerrick didn’t break my heart, I wouldn’t have known what true love is," she said. "I am grateful."

"Did Jerrick tell you why?" the wolf asked.

His voice sounded tired.

"He was always in love with Imogen," Jessamyn chuckled. "I was stupid to think he wanted to marry me when no such promise existed between us."

"But everyone knew," the wolf said.

Jessamyn didn’t get what he meant. "Did he tell everyone he was going to marry me? Did he specifically say my name?"

The wolf didn’t answer her and Jessamyn could only smile wryly. "Does it even matter anymore?"

"It does, does it not?" The wolf asked. "He probably thought you were writing to Joar and got hurt and lied about being in love with Imogen."

"Did he tell you he believed those rumors?" Jessamyn asked.

"You married Hector a month after Jerrick’s wedding. How did it proceed that fast if there was nothing between you?"

Jessamyn got mad and stood up to leave. She didn’t want to dignify his question with an answer.

The usual chorus of chirping insects and rustling undergrowth fell silent as if the forest held its breath in anticipation. Suddenly, a faint sound catches attention—a rhythmic rattle reverberating through the night’s stillness.

"Stop!"

The wolf blocked her from leaving.