My Villainous husband loves me

I remember the day I died.

There was nothing remarkable about it. Just a cold day, in an enclosed space with an angry husband driven by mindless hatred, and I ended up with a broken neck.

I recall the cold stone floor of the Royal hallway rushing up to meet me as my husband's fingers closed around my throat.

I don't remember much of the argument that led us there. I just remember his angry voice, his angry hands on my body.

The last thing I saw was the flickering torchlight dancing across his twisted face as I choked out his name: "Markle."

For a moment, it pulled him back from the brink of madness. He released his grip, but it was too late. I was already gone.

I lived an unremarkable life.

Just a daughter of a dead Baron and a loving, doting wife of an ice-cold husband.

if I had another chance, I would make better choices. I would divorce my heartless husband and save my parents from certain death.

If only...

I thought it was the end, that I would drift off into the dark, never to be heard of again. But then, something strange happened.

I appeared in front of the heavenly bodies - three towering figures with piercing gazes, their presence both captivating and intimidating.

The central figure, a being with skin like polished marble, spoke in a voice that resonated deep within my soul.

"Do you wish to return to the land of the living?" He asked me.

"Yes, I wish to. I wish to return to a time before I married Prince Markle Raven and do anything but marry him" I answered.

"Alright" They said "You have been given a rare gift, Abigail. A chance to redeem your past and forge a new future but there is a catch." He told me.

"A catch?"

The heavenly bodies regarded me with an unyielding gaze. "You will not remember your husband's face or name, Abigail," the central being said. "But you will remember the pain he inflicted upon you. You will remember the lessons you learned from him."

As the being spoke, I felt a strange sensation wash over me. My memories began to shift, like sand in the wind. I tried to hold on to them, but they slipped through my fingers.

"Wait!" I cried out, panic rising in my chest. "Don't take away my memories! I need to remember Markle, my husband. I need to remember what he did to me!"

I pleaded with them, begging to be spared from this fate. But the heavenly bodies remained resolute.

"Your bloodline and that of the royal family are essential for the future, Abigail," the central being said. "This chance to save your parents and rewrite your future is a rare gift. Do you want it?"

"I do" I answered.

Because how could one forget a person who ripped everything away from her?

Whatever they said, I will remember Markle. The devil is very hard to forget.

The heavenly bodies nodded in unison, their faces impassive.

"Then let it be so," they said. "You will return to your past, ten years today. To make your life easier, you will have a chance to choose your husband, to shape your destiny. But remember, Abigail, the consequences of your actions will be yours to bear."

And with that, everything went white.

When I opened my eyes, I was ten years younger, unmarried, and lying in the girlhood carriage that belonged to my family with my head on someone's leg.

The sun was shining, birds were singing, and I felt... alive.

At first, I thought I was dreaming... but I wasn't. It felt real.

"I am alive" I said out loud, my voice shaking.

A familiar face greeted me, and I felt a surge of joy. "Nanny Josie?" I tried to embrace her, but she gently pushed me away.

"Abby, child, we don't have time for hugs" she said, her eyes serious. "You must remember the plan."

I blinked, confusion washing over me. "The plan?" I repeated, feeling a sense of trepidation.

Nanny Josie's expression turned stern. "Abby, focus! You must recall the plan. Your life depend on it."

"But my parents..." I said with hopeful eyes, whatever sent me back ten years earlier must have surely sent me to a time where I was still the honorable Abigail Spencer, a daughter doted upon by two loving eccentric parents.

"Your parents are missing, child. Presumably murdered. What is the plan, Abigail?"

As she spoke, memories began to resurface, everything except my husband's name and face. I remembered the countless hours Nanny Josie had spent drilling the plan into me, preparing me for the impossible.

Of course the heavenly bodies returned me to the day, I found out that my parents the Baron and Baroness had gone missing...and my distance cousin, Chadwick had been declared the new Baron of Bluestone since my father lacked sons and as a reward he sent people to kill me.

"The plan," I whispered, my mind racing. "We're going to make the impossible trip to the kingdom capital, Zurich. We'll demand to see the tyrant king, Aldous, and show him the Raven seal."

Nanny Josie nodded, a hint of pride in her eyes. "That's right, child. The Raven seal binds King Aldous to honor a wish from the bond bearer. We'll use it to force him to wed you to his heir, Prince Markle"

Markle?

Is this my husband's name?

I shut my eyes and tried to remember. I came short.

"I know the plan," I said, determination burning within me. "And this time, I'll make it work."

"Now, Run" Josie said and pushed me out of the carriage.

Author's Note

Drop a word for Abigail