Chapter 1
My mother is the only female general in the kingdom. The day they bring her body back to Graham Manor, shattered and broken from the battlefield, a royal decree arrives with it. The King names me a Lady.
But my father, standing in the very hall where my mother's body lay, orders me to give the title to his bastard daughter, Ann Graham.
"It was your mother's jealousy that forced my hand," he barks. "She never allowed me to take another wife. Because of her, poor Ann has suffered the shame of being illegitimate all these years."
He adds, "Think of this title, this honor, as your way of making it up to her."
My two brothers corner me later, insisting I go before the King and petition him to give my title to Ann.
Even my fiancé, William Foster, the man I am supposed to spend my life with, pulls Ann behind him protectively.
"If Ann becomes the Lady," he declares, "she will be my wife. I'll still take you, of course, but as a secondary wife. You'll just need to serve her well."
I am terrified for them. For the entire household, I plead with them in private, begging them not to defy a royal decree and bring the King's wrath down upon us all.
Their answer comes while I am keeping vigil, kneeling by my mother's side. They drag me away to nail me alive inside her coffin.
They even faked a letter, stained with blood, written in my name. It claims I have taken my own life to join my mother in the afterlife and that my dying wish is for the King to grant the title of Lady to Ann.
And so, Ann takes everything. She becomes the Lady, basking in the doting affection of my father and brothers.
She steals the inheritance my mother left for me and uses it to marry William, the man who is supposed to be mine.
Meanwhile, I scream until my throat is raw, my nails bloody from clawing at the wood. For three days and three nights, I fight inside that suffocating darkness until the pain and the lack of air finally steal my last breath.
I open my eyes, and I am back on the very day they first demanded I surrender my honor. A cold laugh escapes my lips. My finger shoots out, condemning each of them in turn.
"How dare you," I snarl. "You speak of defying a royal command. Do you have any idea what that means? It means you are traitors. Guards! Remove these people from Graham Manor at once."
*****
The moment my father, Derick Graham, slapped me, I realized that I had been reborn.
In my last life, when he made those shameless demands, I had kept my mouth shut. I tried to reason with him quietly, all to protect the Graham family's honor.
But they nailed me into a coffin while I was still breathing.
This time, I didn't hesitate. With the red imprint of his hand still stinging my cheek, I marched straight to the royal palace and requested an audience with the King. I left with a handful of his most formidable royal guards.
When I returned to Graham Manor, Derick was standing in the center of the mourning hall, complaining to anyone who would listen, "Charlotte Graham just doesn't have Ann's grace or sensibility. She runs off over the slightest disagreement.
"Forget it. We'll take the royal decree and petition the King ourselves.
"Given our family's long history of defending the realm, he will surely agree to name Ann as the new Lady."
Ann Graham, my half-sister, clutched his sleeve, tears welling up in her eyes as she put on a show of selflessness. "Father, if Charlotte is unwilling, then let it be.
"I may envy her title, but your love and the affection of my brothers are more than enough for me."
The second I stepped out of my carriage, my father and two older brothers surrounded me.
They tried to pressure me, insisting I go with them to the palace and beg the King to amend his decree.
Ann's gaze locked onto the decree I held, her eyes shimmering with a hunger she couldn't quite hide.
In my previous life, I had tried to protect her, telling everyone she was merely an adopted daughter.
I was so worried about hurting her feelings that I never even mentioned my own title of Lady was a royal mandate granted by the King himself.
My silence was what gave them the power to destroy me.
This time, I would not be silent. In front of all the assembled funeral guests, I pulled the scroll from my sleeve and unfurled the decree for all to see.
Then, I turned to Derick, my voice ringing through the hall. "I am a Lady, a title bestowed upon me by His Majesty the King. And yet, you dare to conspire to force me to surrender it to this illegitimate child!
"That is an act of treason, Father. A crime punishable by the execution of our entire family! I am only doing this to protect the lives of everyone in this household."
My words were like a bomb exploding in the quiet hall. Shocked murmurs erupted throughout Graham Manor.
"When Lord Graham married General Linton, he swore a public oath to never take a concubine. Yet, all this time, he was hiding an illegitimate daughter!"
"General Linton gave her life to secure that title for her daughter. If he gives it to a bastard, he spits on her sacrifice!"
"How dare a girl of such low birth covet the title of Lady! She is utterly without honor."
Hearing the whispers, Derick raised his hand to strike me again as his face contorted with fury and shame.
But the royal guards stepped forward, blocking his path.
Ann's face went white. But she recovered quickly, stepping forward and giving me a low bow, pleading, "Charlotte, this is all my fault. Please, do not blame Father. It is I who should never have been born."
She forced a pained smile. "I don't want a title. From now on, I will remain in the manor and serve you as a handmaiden."
At this display, my two brothers looked as if their hearts were breaking for her.
If not for the guests, I have no doubt they would have torn me apart.
But I was not afraid.
I strode toward Ann until I was standing right in front of her, yelling, "You think you are worthy of living in the manor the King granted my mother?
"You are not even worthy of carrying my shoes!"
I turned to the guards, demanding, "Seize these traitors who dare to defy the King's decree and throw them out of Graham Manor!"