Basically, this is a sneak peek into The Dark Horse and the White Rose, a novel I'm currently in the middle of writing. It's set during World War II in Germany in 1940.
The white rose’s petals had been torn apart time and time again, whilst the dark horse had proceeded to give up on the course of true love altogether.
But Alexander had been insistent that he escorted her home. The Masquerade Ball may have been a disaster for them both, but it was the compensation he felt he owed her. Although Evaline had declined – as politely as she could, considering the hatred she still had towards her father – and wanted to walk alone in the dark, she had little choice.
The walk to the von Rosenberg residence was not far from where the Ball was being held. Despite Alexander willing to get through to Evaline, she would not speak. She had been rendered speechless, unable to form a single word from the shock of tonight’s events.
Having a best friend from childhood publicly declare his love for you was not only shocking, but the reaction from your overly defensive father raging that he could never love someone a higher class than him was outrageous. On the other hand, the Covington and von Rosenberg feud had been escalating for decades now …
“Here we are then, Miss von Rosenberg,” said Alexander when they reached their destination.
“Back to formalities now, are we?” Evaline responded bitterly.
A flicker of rage flashed in Alexander’s piercing blue eyes. Evaline looked away immediately. She was not used to his temper; it was a rarity. However, the anger soon turned into resentment and this time he looked away from her. He did not want to upset her, but she had already broken his heart. What was there left for him? Being overtly humiliated by Hans von Rosenberg was something he would not be able to live down.
“I suppose that your father has made the choice for your suitor, so maybe I should make your choice of not seeing me again,” stated Alexander. “I’m sure that Maximilian Schneider will please your family by pursuing you.”
He turned away from the von Rosenberg mansion – and Evaline – to glance up at the starry sky. The stars were shining down upon them tonight. It would have been the perfect night to have his feelings reciprocated. But alas, perhaps luck was not on his side after all. And so he started to walk down the path he came up.
“You had me fooled, Evaline. Maybe you’re not the strong independent woman that you claimed to be.”
Something inside of him didn’t want to keep his eyes off her amazing grace, her beautiful eyes. However, Alexander knew he had to let her go. He would have to admit defeat to Maximilian and give into Lena Krause after all. Even so, he was not the rebound type. He was already beginning to mourn over what could have been.
Meanwhile, something else stirred inside of Evaline. Had she been blind all this time? What was she doing? This was foolish to watch him walk away. He was wrong. She was the strong independent woman he knew – and still knew. It had been three years since they’d last seen each other and this was how she was treating him.
“Alex! Stop!” she blurted out.
She grabbed her long dress and ran towards him. She dismissed the pain in her ankles because of the shoes she had chosen to wear for the Ball. The sapphire bow that held her blonde hair together at the back broke and allowed it to flow freely in the air.
He saw her baby blue eyes. Even though it had been mere seconds since he last saw them, it felt like forever. He stopped in his tracks, even if it were to catch one last glimpse of her face. The pain of losing her at the Masquerade Ball had been too real. Maybe this was just a dream.
“My father doesn’t decide my suitor!” reasoned Evaline. “A lot has changed in the past three years. He may approve of us being friends, but … you have to understand that he despises your family with a passion. We’ve had bad things happening for a while now and I know that it’s hard, but I –”
“I know what I want and it’s you, Eva,” Alexander whispered, approaching her slowly and caressing her soft, translucent face when he was within touching distance. “But if you can’t do this, then I’ll leave. Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?”
“As you already know, I’m training the Hitler Youth. But my superiors have given me a choice to join the frontline and defend my country. If you can’t accept my feelings for you, then I suppose I will have to understand that and I will leave Berlin tomorrow for the frontline. Even so, I promise I won’t get myself killed because I suffered a broken heart. Eva, if you can even feel the smallest glint of love in your beautiful heart, then I’ll have a reason to stay …”
“I can’t decide your fate, Alexander! That’s preposterous!” protested Evaline.
“Eva, you’re the very core of my existence and you have my soul, but it’s up to you what happens to it. Do you ever remember the last day we spent together before my father took me to Poland? We were fifteen years old and the last time I saw your face, I realised that I was in love with you. You say that you deny any romantic feelings for me, but I know there’s something there! Evaline, you’re just lying through your teeth.”
“Alex, what my father said before was harsh,” she said, pretending that his words meant nothing to her. “He shouldn’t have said that. He was out of line and I won’t allow him to do that again.”
“But you’re allowing him to deny how you feel about me!” snapped Alexander. The resentment was not quite there this time, although the danger was still there. “We had a connection when we were dancing. Forget the fact that we didn’t know each other. I love you, Evaline Katerina Annabelle von Rosenberg. Why can’t you accept that you cannot fight these feelings anymore?”
He grabbed her hand and closed his eyes, sighing for a brief moment, until he opened them again.
“It’s like I told you as we were children, Eva: you can never say never. You can never say that there is no such thing as fate. This is fate, Evaline. I just wished that you would understand.”
Evaline slipped her hand away from Alexander. She was gazing past him now, looking at the colourful lights emanating from the Masquerade Ball at the concert hall down the hill. For the first time, she was afraid and painfully shy. Alexander looked ready to walk away again. But he was stuck to the spot where he was standing, fixated on her alone.
“Before you left, you asked me what I wanted for the future,” she said after a long and awkward silence. “I … wanted to be a school teacher. The odds were overwhelming. I didn’t want to be anyone’s housewife; I want to teach children the lessons of life … and love. I still want that, but after tonight, I’m not sure how far I’m willing to go for it anymore. I suppose I was pushed in the direction of a school teacher by my mother. I don’t know if it’s what I want. I don’t know what it is that I even want anymore.”
“Stop making excuses! This is what you do!” Alexander blurted out. “Granted that our families’ history is a genuine reason for not wanting what your heart desires, but I don’t think it should stop us. How many times do I have to say it, Evaline? I love you! I’ve loved you since the moment we separated three years ago! But I got lost into your eyes when we reunited. You’re the most beautiful woman on this planet. But if you’re willing to give up so easily –!”
“Do you honestly think this is easy for me!?” shrieked Evaline. “I’m from an upper class family with expectations higher than you think! My father wants me to be wooed by Maximilian Schneider, an obnoxious nobleman, and my mother doesn’t want me to repeat her mistakes! Alexander Weiss Covington, can you really be so able-bodied to think I should risk everything?”
“Like I said before, it’s your decision. But don’t deny your feelings so easily when we know that Maximilian is a royal pain in the ass. I’m giving you a choice. This is all for you, Evaline. I couldn’t protect you from the truth for much longer. But this choice is tearing you apart! I can see that! Maybe this was a bad idea to come back to Berlin. Maybe I was better off in Poland. Maybe I’m better off dying for a noble cause than fighting for a worthless one.”
Alexander had barely taken a few steps away from Evaline when she intervened once again.
“No!” she shouted. She lowered her voice when he stopped, his back still turned on her. “You cannot burden me with the decision that’ll change your life forever. I don’t want to decide your fate, Alex. But if you walk away now, do it for yourself. Don’t do it for me.”
His mind had appeared to be made up. Alexander could feel his heart breaking, but had to leave as soon as possible. He did not want to go through the angst anymore. But her voice chained him to the spot. He wanted to leave, but also desired to remain here. He was torn into two pieces over what to do next.
“Alexander, I love you.”
Those four words could have easily seemed like an impossible dream.
He was still frozen to the spot. Only this time, her words rendered him as the speechless one. Alexander slowly turned around – the mixture of pain and shock written across his face – and shook his head. The agony was right there in his piercing blue eyes. But it was over now. The agony could fade away and the next stage, acceptance, had finally presented itself.
He walked back towards her and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was hard and painful, perhaps a reflection of their long and intense confrontation. The joy of feeling her respond to the kiss and refusing to let go made Alexander’s dreams of three years – this very moment happening – come true.
They broke apart for a brief moment to breathe.
Alexander still had his eyes closed, fearing that this would only be another dream in that endless cycle. Evaline glanced at the warm, loving expression on his face. She had never seen him with his eyes closed before. He looked just as handsome as he did with his eyes open.
“I am so sorry for denying my feelings,” she said quietly, as she ran a hand through his short black hair. “I was scared –”
But she was broken off when he kissed her again. He put his hands around her waist and brought her closer to him. Like she had done so, he ran a hand through her blonde wavy hair. He loved to smell her perfume of strawberries. They went stumbling to the wall and continued their activities.
“Alex … Alexander … st … stop …” Evaline said breathlessly.
She broke off from him finally and turned away. She faced the window, glancing fearfully at her own reflection. Alexander kissed her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Don’t be afraid, please,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re not him; you’re not your father.”
“What if – if I can’t d-do this?” she stuttered. “Maybe I’m just like –”
“You’re not a monster like him,” insisted Alexander. “What he is doing is inexcusable and you’ve been burdened with such a horrifying secret. But he’s broken the rules of constitutional human rights. I think it’s time that you should break his rules of who can be your suitor. You shouldn’t be alone, Eva. And if there’s a monster in there, we’ll face it together.”
Evaline turned around, tears in her eyes. Not only was she afraid that what stirred her father to be the psychopath that he was now may have happened to her, but she was moved by Alexander’s words. He was her pillar of strength. She leaned on him, not feeling strong, but feeling strong enough to continue to express her true love.
Alexander touched her face, intrigued by what kind of monster could be behind her mask of beauty. He only saw the pain of what she could become, not the pain of what she was. He smiled angelically and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair in the meantime. His love and admiration for this amazing woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders was unbreakable. His resolve may have been chaotic, but it was out of love and warmth.
He led her into the mansion, refusing to let go of her hand.
She was his now and he was hers, too.
They had been tired of feeling so alone for three years and the result had been this.
“I’m only ready if you are,” Alexander told her, as they made it halfway up the stairs.
Evaline stared adoringly into his face, captivated by the love and attention he was giving her. She couldn’t believe she had been foolish enough to deny her feelings for him ever since their first kiss after their dance at the Masquerade Ball. Even though she didn’t know it was him at first, something had lit up inside of her when she met him. Not even the masks alone could stop them from feeling that connection.
“William Shakespeare said that the path of true love never did run smoothly,” she replied, as she placed her hands around his neck. It was still strange to realise she had loved him all along, but perhaps it wasn’t true that women developed quicker than men in this case. “He was right about true love, but I’m ready.”
The bedroom was brightly lit with the candles Evaline had left on when she had left for the Ball. They embraced, allowing their bodies to collide once again. Evaline felt a love so strong when he kissed her neck. She leaned on his shoulder, nervous. He continued to kiss her until he slowly unstrapped her from the long emerald dress. Similarly, she undid the buttons of his shirt.
They collapsed onto the bed, tangled up in the web of love. Their bodies came together, connecting for the very first time.
Evaline felt his warmth and gasped quietly. She shuddered, but knew that this was a good kind of pain. She continued to kiss him passionately on the lips and embraced herself for anything that would come.
Alexander had longed for her for so long and now he had her. He was astounded that she had taken this route, but they were able to prove how much they loved each other. He wouldn’t let her go.
To each other, they were not a stranger.
Not A Stranger
The white rose’s petals had been torn apart time and time again, whilst the dark horse had proceeded to give up on the course of true love altogether.
But Alexander had been insistent that he escorted her home. The Masquerade Ball may have been a disaster for them both, but it was the compensation he felt he owed her. Although Evaline had declined – as politely as she could, considering the hatred she still had towards her father – and wanted to walk alone in the dark, she had little choice.
The walk to the von Rosenberg residence was not far from where the Ball was being held. Despite Alexander willing to get through to Evaline, she would not speak. She had been rendered speechless, unable to form a single word from the shock of tonight’s events.
Having a best friend from childhood publicly declare his love for you was not only shocking, but the reaction from your overly defensive father raging that he could never love someone a higher class than him was outrageous. On the other hand, the Covington and von Rosenberg feud had been escalating for decades now …
“Here we are then, Miss von Rosenberg,” said Alexander when they reached their destination.
“Back to formalities now, are we?” Evaline responded bitterly.
A flicker of rage flashed in Alexander’s piercing blue eyes. Evaline looked away immediately. She was not used to his temper; it was a rarity. However, the anger soon turned into resentment and this time he looked away from her. He did not want to upset her, but she had already broken his heart. What was there left for him? Being overtly humiliated by Hans von Rosenberg was something he would not be able to live down.
“I suppose that your father has made the choice for your suitor, so maybe I should make your choice of not seeing me again,” stated Alexander. “I’m sure that Maximilian Schneider will please your family by pursuing you.”
He turned away from the von Rosenberg mansion – and Evaline – to glance up at the starry sky. The stars were shining down upon them tonight. It would have been the perfect night to have his feelings reciprocated. But alas, perhaps luck was not on his side after all. And so he started to walk down the path he came up.
“You had me fooled, Evaline. Maybe you’re not the strong independent woman that you claimed to be.”
Something inside of him didn’t want to keep his eyes off her amazing grace, her beautiful eyes. However, Alexander knew he had to let her go. He would have to admit defeat to Maximilian and give into Lena Krause after all. Even so, he was not the rebound type. He was already beginning to mourn over what could have been.
Meanwhile, something else stirred inside of Evaline. Had she been blind all this time? What was she doing? This was foolish to watch him walk away. He was wrong. She was the strong independent woman he knew – and still knew. It had been three years since they’d last seen each other and this was how she was treating him.
“Alex! Stop!” she blurted out.
She grabbed her long dress and ran towards him. She dismissed the pain in her ankles because of the shoes she had chosen to wear for the Ball. The sapphire bow that held her blonde hair together at the back broke and allowed it to flow freely in the air.
He saw her baby blue eyes. Even though it had been mere seconds since he last saw them, it felt like forever. He stopped in his tracks, even if it were to catch one last glimpse of her face. The pain of losing her at the Masquerade Ball had been too real. Maybe this was just a dream.
“My father doesn’t decide my suitor!” reasoned Evaline. “A lot has changed in the past three years. He may approve of us being friends, but … you have to understand that he despises your family with a passion. We’ve had bad things happening for a while now and I know that it’s hard, but I –”
“I know what I want and it’s you, Eva,” Alexander whispered, approaching her slowly and caressing her soft, translucent face when he was within touching distance. “But if you can’t do this, then I’ll leave. Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?”
“As you already know, I’m training the Hitler Youth. But my superiors have given me a choice to join the frontline and defend my country. If you can’t accept my feelings for you, then I suppose I will have to understand that and I will leave Berlin tomorrow for the frontline. Even so, I promise I won’t get myself killed because I suffered a broken heart. Eva, if you can even feel the smallest glint of love in your beautiful heart, then I’ll have a reason to stay …”
“I can’t decide your fate, Alexander! That’s preposterous!” protested Evaline.
“Eva, you’re the very core of my existence and you have my soul, but it’s up to you what happens to it. Do you ever remember the last day we spent together before my father took me to Poland? We were fifteen years old and the last time I saw your face, I realised that I was in love with you. You say that you deny any romantic feelings for me, but I know there’s something there! Evaline, you’re just lying through your teeth.”
“Alex, what my father said before was harsh,” she said, pretending that his words meant nothing to her. “He shouldn’t have said that. He was out of line and I won’t allow him to do that again.”
“But you’re allowing him to deny how you feel about me!” snapped Alexander. The resentment was not quite there this time, although the danger was still there. “We had a connection when we were dancing. Forget the fact that we didn’t know each other. I love you, Evaline Katerina Annabelle von Rosenberg. Why can’t you accept that you cannot fight these feelings anymore?”
He grabbed her hand and closed his eyes, sighing for a brief moment, until he opened them again.
“It’s like I told you as we were children, Eva: you can never say never. You can never say that there is no such thing as fate. This is fate, Evaline. I just wished that you would understand.”
Evaline slipped her hand away from Alexander. She was gazing past him now, looking at the colourful lights emanating from the Masquerade Ball at the concert hall down the hill. For the first time, she was afraid and painfully shy. Alexander looked ready to walk away again. But he was stuck to the spot where he was standing, fixated on her alone.
“Before you left, you asked me what I wanted for the future,” she said after a long and awkward silence. “I … wanted to be a school teacher. The odds were overwhelming. I didn’t want to be anyone’s housewife; I want to teach children the lessons of life … and love. I still want that, but after tonight, I’m not sure how far I’m willing to go for it anymore. I suppose I was pushed in the direction of a school teacher by my mother. I don’t know if it’s what I want. I don’t know what it is that I even want anymore.”
“Stop making excuses! This is what you do!” Alexander blurted out. “Granted that our families’ history is a genuine reason for not wanting what your heart desires, but I don’t think it should stop us. How many times do I have to say it, Evaline? I love you! I’ve loved you since the moment we separated three years ago! But I got lost into your eyes when we reunited. You’re the most beautiful woman on this planet. But if you’re willing to give up so easily –!”
“Do you honestly think this is easy for me!?” shrieked Evaline. “I’m from an upper class family with expectations higher than you think! My father wants me to be wooed by Maximilian Schneider, an obnoxious nobleman, and my mother doesn’t want me to repeat her mistakes! Alexander Weiss Covington, can you really be so able-bodied to think I should risk everything?”
“Like I said before, it’s your decision. But don’t deny your feelings so easily when we know that Maximilian is a royal pain in the ass. I’m giving you a choice. This is all for you, Evaline. I couldn’t protect you from the truth for much longer. But this choice is tearing you apart! I can see that! Maybe this was a bad idea to come back to Berlin. Maybe I was better off in Poland. Maybe I’m better off dying for a noble cause than fighting for a worthless one.”
Alexander had barely taken a few steps away from Evaline when she intervened once again.
“No!” she shouted. She lowered her voice when he stopped, his back still turned on her. “You cannot burden me with the decision that’ll change your life forever. I don’t want to decide your fate, Alex. But if you walk away now, do it for yourself. Don’t do it for me.”
His mind had appeared to be made up. Alexander could feel his heart breaking, but had to leave as soon as possible. He did not want to go through the angst anymore. But her voice chained him to the spot. He wanted to leave, but also desired to remain here. He was torn into two pieces over what to do next.
“Alexander, I love you.”
Those four words could have easily seemed like an impossible dream.
He was still frozen to the spot. Only this time, her words rendered him as the speechless one. Alexander slowly turned around – the mixture of pain and shock written across his face – and shook his head. The agony was right there in his piercing blue eyes. But it was over now. The agony could fade away and the next stage, acceptance, had finally presented itself.
He walked back towards her and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was hard and painful, perhaps a reflection of their long and intense confrontation. The joy of feeling her respond to the kiss and refusing to let go made Alexander’s dreams of three years – this very moment happening – come true.
They broke apart for a brief moment to breathe.
Alexander still had his eyes closed, fearing that this would only be another dream in that endless cycle. Evaline glanced at the warm, loving expression on his face. She had never seen him with his eyes closed before. He looked just as handsome as he did with his eyes open.
“I am so sorry for denying my feelings,” she said quietly, as she ran a hand through his short black hair. “I was scared –”
But she was broken off when he kissed her again. He put his hands around her waist and brought her closer to him. Like she had done so, he ran a hand through her blonde wavy hair. He loved to smell her perfume of strawberries. They went stumbling to the wall and continued their activities.
“Alex … Alexander … st … stop …” Evaline said breathlessly.
She broke off from him finally and turned away. She faced the window, glancing fearfully at her own reflection. Alexander kissed her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Don’t be afraid, please,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re not him; you’re not your father.”
“What if – if I can’t d-do this?” she stuttered. “Maybe I’m just like –”
“You’re not a monster like him,” insisted Alexander. “What he is doing is inexcusable and you’ve been burdened with such a horrifying secret. But he’s broken the rules of constitutional human rights. I think it’s time that you should break his rules of who can be your suitor. You shouldn’t be alone, Eva. And if there’s a monster in there, we’ll face it together.”
Evaline turned around, tears in her eyes. Not only was she afraid that what stirred her father to be the psychopath that he was now may have happened to her, but she was moved by Alexander’s words. He was her pillar of strength. She leaned on him, not feeling strong, but feeling strong enough to continue to express her true love.
Alexander touched her face, intrigued by what kind of monster could be behind her mask of beauty. He only saw the pain of what she could become, not the pain of what she was. He smiled angelically and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair in the meantime. His love and admiration for this amazing woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders was unbreakable. His resolve may have been chaotic, but it was out of love and warmth.
He led her into the mansion, refusing to let go of her hand.
She was his now and he was hers, too.
They had been tired of feeling so alone for three years and the result had been this.
“I’m only ready if you are,” Alexander told her, as they made it halfway up the stairs.
Evaline stared adoringly into his face, captivated by the love and attention he was giving her. She couldn’t believe she had been foolish enough to deny her feelings for him ever since their first kiss after their dance at the Masquerade Ball. Even though she didn’t know it was him at first, something had lit up inside of her when she met him. Not even the masks alone could stop them from feeling that connection.
“William Shakespeare said that the path of true love never did run smoothly,” she replied, as she placed her hands around his neck. It was still strange to realise she had loved him all along, but perhaps it wasn’t true that women developed quicker than men in this case. “He was right about true love, but I’m ready.”
The bedroom was brightly lit with the candles Evaline had left on when she had left for the Ball. They embraced, allowing their bodies to collide once again. Evaline felt a love so strong when he kissed her neck. She leaned on his shoulder, nervous. He continued to kiss her until he slowly unstrapped her from the long emerald dress. Similarly, she undid the buttons of his shirt.
They collapsed onto the bed, tangled up in the web of love. Their bodies came together, connecting for the very first time.
Evaline felt his warmth and gasped quietly. She shuddered, but knew that this was a good kind of pain. She continued to kiss him passionately on the lips and embraced herself for anything that would come.
Alexander had longed for her for so long and now he had her. He was astounded that she had taken this route, but they were able to prove how much they loved each other. He wouldn’t let her go.
To each other, they were not a stranger.
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