The jewels shone in the bright sun,

reflecting the light and shooting tiny beams of light towards me.

The black jewel at its center glittered as it was moved around,

catching light at different angles.

The band was a golden color,

much like the decorations within the Estate had once been,

before the Duchess had plunged the house into mourning,

and never gone back.

I always thought it was because her love for Cael was so strong,

but as I look at the new ring on her finger,

I find this impossible to be true.

Anger overwhelms me as my eyes rest on the black jewel,

but then a new emotion emerges.

Hope?

How could there be hope,

when she was so obviously betraying the memory of her previous lover?

But then I look down at my own hand,

where a small diamond sits atop a simple golden band.

I begin to imagine another ring replacing it,

and I am no longer filled with remorse.

- Brianna Cecille Blades