Crown of Shadows

In a world rife with manipulation and moral ambiguity, the lives of Aiden and Edith, scions of Duke Acharde, unfold in a complex web of obsession . His son, Aiden born through a mistress (Maria) and daughter, Edith born through the Duchess( Sofia). Their insatiable desire for control over each other, clashes with yearning for dominance . Amidst the power struggles, they need to navigate through the greedy nobles who covet their house and their own manipulative father . One wrong decision and will be teared apart. Exploiting the rivalries , escaping vengeance lurking behind them , and betrayals ready at each corner, creating their own hell and facing their own demons, they must navigate a world where power is both currency and curse. " Characters must confront the ultimate question: What have I become?

--------



Little Aiden, marked by uncertainty, stands poised outside his mother's chamber, the strained voices within weaving a web of intrigue. Marquess Lionel, an emblem of a house that fervently upholds chasity and honor, has been summoned. Aiden's mind races, dissecting the intentions behind this unexpected summons. "Is mother's aim to counter the Duchess Sofia by allying with a house of repute?" he murmured.



As Aiden contemplates, his reverie is fractured by a cutting voice at his side. Edith, his sister, exudes an air of composed authority as she gazes through the keyhole he once occupied. Her revelation slices through his thoughts, laying bare his mother's audacious gambit. "Your mother seeks to entice Marquess Lionel into marrying her sister," Edith elucidates, her tone tinged with a blend of sarcasm and intrigue. Aiden's objection is swift: "But Marquess Lionel is bound in matrimony already."



Edith, embodying elegance in her very movement, remains unruffled by her brother's agitation. She retorts coolly, her eyes never leaving the keyhole's vista. "After all," she adds, her voice a well-aimed arrow, "does not your mother's house carry the legacy of capturing wedded men? It's a reputation not easily denied." Her words pierce Aiden's armor, eliciting an involuntary tremor in his hands. He becomes a portrait of vulnerability, his visage reflecting myriad emotions, while Edith's demeanor remains as impervious as marble.



With a graceful pivot, Edith resumes her journey down the hallway. Aiden, his thoughts churning, yearns to voice a retort, to assert himself in the face of her unwavering composure. Yet, as his gaze catches his reflection in a nearby mirror, he is confronted with his face carrying millions emotions - each a potential weapon for enemies lurking around - baring his internal landscape. In contrast, Edith stands untouched by the tempest within, her face - a canvas void of emotion. She is indeed million miles ahead of him.



As their stories unfold, decisions will be made, consequences will unfurl, and the specter of torture—both inflicted upon others and themselves—will cast its long shadow.

---------

I will upload 4-5 times/week