PETALS OF THE PAST: A FATHER'S SHADOW SEASON 2
chapter 101
The silence that followed the revelation was louder than the storm rattling the windowpanes
Theodore stood paralyzed, his eyes fixed on the crumpled parchment at Khendra’s feet.
She stood by the fireplace, the orange glow casting long, sharp shadows across her face
She looked not like a victim, but like a queen preparing for a siege.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Three months, Khendra,"
Theodore’s voice was a jagged whisper.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
For ninety days, you looked me in the eye while this...
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
This scandal grew beneath your heart.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Who was he?
Khendra turned, her gaze icy.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Does a name change the reality, Theodore?
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Or does it just give you a target for your sword?
Theodore stepped forward, his boots clicking sharply on the marble.
He grabbed the back of a velvet chair to steady himself.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
I would have given you everything.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
I would have cleared the path for us. But this?
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
To be branded a fallen woman for a man who isn't even here to defend your honor?
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
I do not require a man to defend what I have chosen to keep.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
My honor isn't found in a marriage certificate
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
It’s found in the fact that I am still standing despite the world wishing I would crawl
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
You speak of choice?
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
You chose ruin! The Council, the Emperor—
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
They will hunt the father, Khendra.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
And when they find him, they will use this child as a leash around your neck
(Walking toward him, her voice dropping to a dangerous silk)
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Then let them hunt. They will find a ghost.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Because even I do not know whose blood flows in this child’s veins
Theodore recoiled as if struck.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"You... you don't know?"
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
The memory is a blur of mist and moonlight, Theodore. But I feel it.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
A power that doesn't belong to the Virlour line.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
This child isn't a mistake. She is a revolution.
Theodore looked at her, truly looking at her, and saw the flicker of fear she was trying so hard to hide behind her pride.
He reached out, his hand hovering near her shoulder but never touching.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
If you truly don't know who he is, then you are in more danger than you realize.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Men don't leave a Virlour woman unmarked by accident
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Someone is waiting for this child to be born.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Someone is watching you from the shadows of the capital
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Then I shall give them a show they will never forget.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
If I am to be the villain of this season, I will play the part perfectly.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
I cannot protect a woman who keeps secrets from herself, Khendra
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
But I won't let them take you. Not yet.
He turned to leave, but paused at the threshold, his silhouette framed by the dim hallway light.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Find the father before the Emperor’s hounds find you
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Because if the man who did this returns, I won't be asking for his name.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
I’ll be asking for his head
The door clicked shut, leaving Khendra alone in the dark.
She placed a hand over her stomach, feeling a faint, strange warmth.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"Do you hear that?"
Whispered to the empty room.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"The hunt has begun."
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chapter 102
The dust hadn’t even settled from Theodore’s dramatic exit before the door creaked open again.
Khendra stood there, leaning against the frame with a look of sudden, terrifying inspiration.
Theodore stopped mid-stride in the hallway, his cape still billowing.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"I thought I made my exit quite clear, Khendra. It was brooding. It was final."
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"It was a bit much, honestly,"
Khendra said, waving a hand dismissively.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
But I’ve had a thought. Since you’re so worried about 'hounds' and 'shadows,' I’ve decided the safest place for a scandalous
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Pregnant woman is right in the middle of your bachelor pad
Theodore choked on his own breath.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
My mansion? Khendra, I am a high-ranking commander.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
My house is full of soldiers, weapons, and very little gossip-shielding infrastructure!
Khendra pushed past him, heading straight for his carriage waiting in the courtyard. She began counting on her fingers.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Think about it. No one would ever suspect I’m hiding a pregnancy at your estate
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Because everyone knows you have the emotional range of a decorative gargoyle.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
They’ll just think I’m there to... I don't know, audit your library?
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"A gargoyle? I’ll have you know I’ve been told I’m very brooding!"
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Exactly! You’re too busy being 'dark and mysterious' to notice a lady’s waistline expanding.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
It’s perfect. Now, help me into the carriage. This child apparently weighs as much as a small anvil today
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
(Rubbing his temples) "And what, pray tell, are you going to tell your parents?
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
The Viscount will have my head on a pike if he thinks I’ve kidnapped you.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
(Grinning) "Oh, I’ve already drafted the letter in my head. '
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Dear Mother and Father, I have decided to pursue a rigorous course of... ascetic meditation at Lord Theodore’s countryside retreat.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Do not visit. The vibrations of your concern will disturb my chakras
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Chakras? You don't even know what those are!"
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Neither do they! That’s why it works.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
If I sound like I’ve lost my mind, they’ll stay far away to avoid catching it.
As the carriage began to roll toward Theodore’s sprawling, overly-masculine estate, Khendra started critiquing the interior immediately.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Theodore, we’re going to need to move the armor collection. It’s very 'stabby.' Not good for a nursery."
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"There is no nursery! There is a guest wing and a room full of inherited broadswords!"
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
We'll call it 'The Blade Suite.' It’s very chic. Also, your chef—does he know how to make pickles with chocolate ganache?
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
The little revolution in my stomach has very specific demands
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
(Slumping into the velvet seat) "I am the most feared man in the Northern Provinces,
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
And I am currently being held hostage by a woman who wants chocolate pickles
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Correction: You’re being held hostage by a woman and a mysterious mystery-child.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
That’s a two-to-one vote, Theo. You lose
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"I’m going to have to double the guard," he muttered, though a small, traitorous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Not to keep the enemies out, but to keep the sanity in."
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"That’s the spirit! Now, tell me...
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Do you have any silk pillows, or am I expected to sleep on a pile of shields?
chapter 103
The carriage pulled up to the looming stone arches of Theodore’s estate.
It was a fortress of masculinity—all dark oak, cold marble
And portraits of ancestors who looked like they’d never smiled a day in their lives.
Theodore stepped out and offered a hand to Khendra, his expression somewhere between a protective knight and
A man regretting every life choice he’d ever made.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Welcome to the Fortress of Solitude,"
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Try not to redecorate the exterior."
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"No promises,"
Khendra chirped, taking his hand.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"A little ivy and some pink shutters would really bring out the 'I-don’t-execute-people-on-Tuesdays' vibe you’ve got going on."
Theodore led her past a row of stunned-looking guards to the East Wing.
He stopped at a pair of massive, gold-leafed doors.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
This is the Master’s Suite. It has the best sunlight, the softest mattress imported from the Southern Isles
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
And a fireplace that could roast an entire ox.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
(Peeking inside at the sprawling, luxurious bed) "And where are you sleeping? In the kennel with the hounds?"
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
I’ll be in the study across the hall. I’ve lived on battlefields, Khendra.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
I Can sleep on a stone floor. You, however, currently have the structural integrity of a fine porcelain vase. Sit. Now.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
(Sinking into the plush bed) "Oh... I think I just felt my soul leave my body. This bed is dangerous.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
If the 'Father' shows up, tell him I’ve retired from society to become a professional pillow-tester
Theodore closed the door and leaned against it, his face turning serious, though his eyes remained soft.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"We need to talk about the 'terms' of this... arrangement. You can stay, but we need a timeline."
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"I’m all ears, My Lord Commander. What’s the price? A vow of silence? Do I have to polish your shields?"
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
First: You stay within the estate grounds. If you go to the village and someone spots that three-month glow
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
The rumor mill will move faster than a cavalry charge
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Second: We hide this for as long as your corsets can reasonably lie for you
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
And when the corsets give up the ghost?
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
When I start looking like I’ve swallowed a decorative watermelon?"
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Then we tell the world it’s mine."
Khendra froze, a piece of chocolate she’d scavenged from a side table halfway to her mouth.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"Theodore... your reputation would be incinerated. You’re the 'Paragon of Virtue.'" * shocked*
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
I’d rather be a 'Paragon of Scandal' than let you face the Council alone.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Anything. Except giving up the pickles."
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
You have to tell me the moment you remember him.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Not so I can kill him—well, maybe a little bit so I can kill him—
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
But so I know what kind of monster or man we’re dealing with. Deal?
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Deal. But Theodore? If we tell people it's yours, you're going to have to practice your 'loving father' face.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
Right now, you look like you're calculating the trajectory of a catapult.
Theodore sighed and walked over to the fireplace, stoking the flames until the room was cozy and warm.
He then reached into a cabinet and pulled out a heavy, fur-lined cloak, draping it over her legs.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Is the room to your liking? Is it too cold? I can have the servants bring up five more heaters."
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"Theodore, I'm pregnant, not a hibernating bear. I'm fine."
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
You looked pale in the carriage. I’ve ordered the kitchen to prepare a broth.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
And some... whatever those chocolate-pickle things were. I’ve sent a runner to the market
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
(Smirking) "You’re hovering, Theo. It’s cute. Aggressively protective, but cute."
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"I am not hovering. I am... strategically positioning myself for maximum safety." * flustered*
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"You’re hovering. Admit it. You want to touch the 'revolution,' don't you?"
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
(Blushing furiously) "I want to make sure the revolution doesn't give you heartburn so you stop complaining about my 'stabby' decor! Sleep, Khendra.
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
Tomorrow, we write the letter to your parents. Try to make it sound less like a cult and more like a vacation.
Khendra virlour (Female lead)
"No promises! 'Dear Mother, the gargoyle is actually a giant teddy bear...'"
Villain Male lead (Theodore)
"Go to sleep!"
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