Double the Love

Her uncle’s voice roused her from her thoughts. “Since you finished with your schooling you have become somewhat idle in your habits.” Ariana sighed.
“I would not be idle, Uncle, if I had actually been educated to do something.” - too true!

“What did it do for Mariamne?” he repeated. “It made her happy,” returned Ariana softly. “Happy!” He lowered his hands and thumped the table. “Who was she to have the right to be happy? The daughter of an Albanian aristocrat, who once owned land from Berat to Fieri. Land that was lost when we were driven from our country by all those Ottomans with their fezes and hookahs! It was her duty to marry an Albanian and carry on the sacred blood tie with her country.” - happiness isn't a concern 😑

“Tell him – yes, Uncle,” she whispered. “Yes – I will come.” - usually BC females run away from an arranged marriage...

He would surely go straight to Prince Stefan and relate what had happened. And then the Prince would have to come and rescue his bride-to-be from the clutches of these animals! - animals are majestic creatures. People are brutes and barbarians!

In the night, lying awake on her pallet, she pressed her fingers to her mouth as if to recreate the pressure from Lorenc’s lips. She should be imagining the kiss of Prince Stefan, but it was Lorenc’s dark eyes that flashed at her when she closed hers. - again, unusual sentiment in a BC novel. The lead female is attracted to her captor.

He certainly had a nobler bearing than she could imagine a gypsy possessing. But then when had she ever met a gypsy that she should entertain such a prejudice? - yes!

Although her own room was pleasant, Ariana found the rest of The Castle somewhat gloomy. Walls were lined with paintings depicting scenes of hunting and the furniture was heavy with the legs of chairs ending in claws or hoofs. - that's appalling. All those poor dead animals 💔💔💔

Ariana felt faint. Break someone’s heart? Whose heart she wanted to cry, but she dared not reveal the extent of her jealousy. It was clear that Lorenc was so taken with Bonnie that he did not wish to part with her. - brain cells not connecting...

With Lorenc her heart was a lark that soared into the spring air. With Stefan it was a captured finch lying motionless in its cage. - that's the life of most, if not all, captive animals 💔💔💔

The Prince’s carriage passed her at such a speed that she was alarmed. What had the Prince discovered to have his horses lashed so hard on what was the home lap? - cruelty to animals and children is a crime like no other!