Speaker 1: 0:00

Renaissance, episode 3. The Proposal, the announcement, came like a thunderclap over Florence. It spread through the marketplaces, whispered behind fans in grand drawing rooms, carried on the lips of merchants and aristocrats alike the Covertin heir is to be engaged. Alexander Covertin had made his choice, and the name that accompanied his in every conversation was not Queenie Marlowe, it was Eloise Rinaldi. Queenie stood frozen in the middle of the marketplace when she heard the words, the weight of them crashing down on her like an unforgiving tide. The voices around her blurred into a distant hum. But one sentence stood out, clear and sharp as a blade. It was announced at the Coverting Gala last night, before the entire aristocracy. He proposed in front of everyone. A cruel laugh followed. And to think he proposed in front of everyone. A cruel laugh followed. And to think there were rumours about him. And that scholar's daughter. Foolish, wasn't it? As if a man like that would ever truly choose a woman like her. Queenie's hands trembled at her sides, not because of the humiliation, not because of the pitying glances she could feel burning into her back, but because, for the first time, she realized that maybe, maybe, love wasn't enough. She turned on her heel and walked away.

Speaker 1: 1:40

Alexander had barely slept since the night in the garden, eloise's words haunted him, twisting through his thoughts like poisoned vines. What is the greater act of love Staying with her and ensuring her suffering, or letting her go and saving her? He had agonized over the choice, weighed every consequence in his mind, but in the end the decision had not been his. His father had made it for him. The morning after his meeting with Elowus, the Duke summoned him to the study. His expression unreadable. You will announce your engagement to Lady Rinaldi at the gala. He said simply, as if he were discussing the weather. Alexander stiffened. You would have me publicly propose. His father leaned forward, steepling his fingers. You have entertained this distraction long enough, this distraction long enough. Your choices reflect not just on you but on this family, and I will not allow a coveton to be the subject of scandal. Alexander clenched his fists. You have no right. I have every right. The Duke's voice thundered through the room, his cold veneer cracking just enough to reveal the force beneath it. You are my son, you bear my name and you will do as is expected of you, or so, help me, I will make sure that girl is wiped from Florence entirely. The threat hung between them, suffocating, and so. With the weight of generations on his shoulders and the spectre of his father's power looming over Queenie's safety, alexander Covertin had gotten down on one knee before Florence's elite and slipped a ring onto Eloise Rinaldi's finger.

Speaker 1: 3:43

Days passed. Alexander searched for Queenie in every shadowed alley, every bustling street, but she was gone. He left notes at her door Please, scrawled in desperate ink words. He never would have spoken so freely before Queenie, please. I need to explain. This is not what you think. Meet me Anywhere, just once. But none of them were answered. She had vanished from his life like a dream slipping through his fingers, and it was his fault.

Speaker 1: 4:25

Queenie sat by the riverbank, the pages of her notebook fluttering in the evening breeze, but no ink touched the parchment. Her hands refused to write, her heart too heavy to create. She had given him everything Her love, her trust, her very soul, and he had cast it aside for duty. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to burn the memory of him from her mind, to tell herself that she had been foolish to believe a love like theirs could survive in his world. But she couldn't, because deep down she wanted him to fight. She wanted him to storm the Covertin estate to defy his father to prove that what they had wasn't just some fleeting passion, but instead he had given up, and so she would too. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she closed her notebook, inhaling sharply to steady herself. If he would not fight for them, then she would not beg. Some loves were meant to be eternal. Others were meant to burn brilliantly before fading into memory, and she refused to let herself be destroyed by a love that was never hers to keep.

Speaker 1: 5:49

Eleanor Covertin had watched her brother waste away before her eyes Since the night of his proposal. Alexander had become a shell of himself. He rarely spoke, rarely ate, rarely even met Eloise's gaze, and it enraged her. She had warned him, she had told him what their parents would do, and still he had fallen into their trap, and now Queenie was suffering for it. Number this would not do.

Speaker 1: 6:23

Eleanor strode into Alexander's chambers without knocking, finding him sitting in the dark, a glass of untouched whiskey in his hand. Tell me, brother, she said her voice sharp, do you enjoy being a coward? Alexander's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing Get out, eleanor. No, she said, crossing the room and yanking the glass from his hand. I won't let you wallow in self-pity while Queenie is out there, heartbroken because of you, his face twisted with pain. You think I don't know that. Then do something.

Speaker 1: 7:08

Eleanor's voice rose. If you love her, then fight for her. He let out a hollow laugh. It's not that simple, isn't it? She leaned down, gripping the arms of his chair. You think marrying Eloise will save Queenie, that by sacrificing your happiness you're somehow protecting her? Alexander looked away. You're wrong. Eleanor pressed Because Queenie isn't just hurting Alexander. She's leaving His breath stilled. What Eleanor's gaze was? Ice. She's made arrangements to go to Venice to start over. Alexander shot up from his chair, his pulse pounding in his ears when, tomorrow. Eleanor folded her arms. She believes you don't love her enough to fight that. You made your choice. Alexander's fists clenched. I had no choice Then. Make one now. The words rang through the room like a challenge.

Speaker 1: 8:21

For the first time in weeks, alexander felt something other than despair. He felt purpose. Venice, queenie. He had one night, one chance, and this time he would not let her slip away. The moon that night was in full bloom Over Florence. As Alexander tore through the streets, his cloak billowing behind him, the word she's leaving echoed in his mind, each repetition, tightening the noose around his chest Queenie, venice, tomorrow.

Speaker 1: 9:01

He had spent weeks drowning in his own regret, shackled by his father's threats, eloise's deception and the weight of duty. But no more. Tonight he would fight for her. Tonight he would make it right to live With. This regret would be unbearable.

Speaker 1: 9:23

Queenie stood in the dim candlelight of her room, her trunk half-packed. Venice she had dreamed of seeing it for years, of walking its bridges, of writing by its canals. But now the thought of leaving Florence filled her with an unbearable ache. Because Florence was his city and despite, despite everything, she still longed for him. She had spent weeks trying to forget, to convince herself that Alexander had made his choice and that she was nothing but a fleeting distraction to a man bound by duty. But her heart refused to believe it. A sharp knock interrupted her thoughts. Her father entered his kind eyes, heavy with understanding Are you certain about this? She inhaled deeply, forcing herself to nod, yes, nod, yes. He studied her for a long moment, then sighed Then we leave at dawn. Queenie bit the inside of her cheek and turned back to her trunk. Dawn, if Alexander truly loved her, he had.

Speaker 1: 10:39

Until then, eloise Rinaldi was not accustomed to losing. She had spent years crafting her place within the Covertine world, moulding herself into the perfect future duchess. Yet in all her careful planning she had failed to predict one thing Queenie Marlowe's hold over Alexander. He may have proposed, but his heart had never belonged to her, and that was unacceptable. So she had made a choice If Alexander refused to let go of Queenie, she would ensure there was nothing left for him to hold on to.

Speaker 1: 11:21

At the docks, a lone figure waited in the shadows, a hired hand paid handsomely to ensure that Queenie Marlowe never made it to Venice. Eloise approached her face, unreadable. You understand your orders. The man nodded. A small accident, nothing fatal, just enough to ensure she never sets foot on that ship. Eloise exhaled slowly. This was not how she had wanted to win, but she would not be discarded. No one made a fool of Eloise Rinaldi. Eleanor was waiting for her.

Speaker 1: 12:05

The moment Eloise turned to leave the docks, eleanor stepped from the shadows, her expression hard as stone. Tell me you didn't just do what I think you did. Eloise stilled, then slowly turned, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face. Eleanor, always lurking where you don't belong. Eleanor's fists clenched, you're having her attacked. Eloise didn't blink. It's nothing serious, just enough to ensure she leaves Florence broken. The words were so calm, so dismissive that Eleanor felt her stomach twist with disgust. You're pathetic, she spat. You think this will make him love you? Eloise's lips curled. Love doesn't matter, power does? Eleanor let out a bitter laugh. And yet you have neither. Before Eloise could react, eleanor turned on her heel and marched toward the waiting horse, tethered at the entrance of the docks. There was only one person who could stop this now, and he was already on his way.

Speaker 1: 13:26

Queenie stepped into the street just as the bells of Florence tolled midnight. The air was thick with the scent of the river, the city alive in its nocturnal bliss. And then she saw him, alexander, racing toward her on horseback, his face raw with desperation, his voice cutting through the night. Queenie, her heart lurched. She barely had time to react before he was dismounting, striding toward her as though the earth itself had propelled him forward.

Speaker 1: 14:05

What are you doing here, she whispered, her voice trembling. He reached for her hands, gripping them tightly, stopping you. She tried to pull away, shaking her head. It's too late, alexander. You no. His grip only tightened. No more excuses, no more duty, no more them. His voice cracked, his breath ragged.

Speaker 1: 14:39

I love you, queenie. I have loved you from the moment I saw you and I will love you until my last breath. Tears blurred her vision. You're engaged, not anymore. Her breath hitched. I made a mistake.

Speaker 1: 14:55

He continued, his voice hoarse. I let fear control me. I let my father, eloise, the entire world tell me who I should be. But I can't, I won't Live without you. She wanted to believe him, god, how she wanted to, but the pain of the last week still clung to her. And what if they try to destroy us, alexander? What if your father? He won't. The voice came from behind them. He won't. The voice came from behind them, eleanor. She stepped into the light, her face determined. Because I'll make sure of it. Queenie blinked, eleanor. Eleanor nodded Eloise tried to have you harmed tonight. Queenie gasped what, don't worry, I stopped it. Eleanor folded her arms. But Alexander is right, if you leave, they win, but if you stay, we fight together.

Speaker 1: 16:01

Queenie turned back to Alexander, searching his face for doubt. She found none, just love, just a promise. Finally, she exhaled a shuddering breath and stepped into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her as though he never intended to let go. And this time he wouldn't. And this time he wouldn't.

Speaker 1: 16:28

By morning, the scandal had erupted. Word of Eloise's involvement in Queenie's planned attack spread like wildfire. The Duke was furious, distancing himself from her in a calculated move to protect his own reputation. But it was Alexander's final act that sealed her fate. In front of Florence's highest society, he publicly ended the engagement. I do not love you, eloise, he said before the entire ballroom, and I never will. For the first time in her life, eloise had nothing left to fight with. She had played her hand and she had lost.

Speaker 1: 17:11

Weeks later, alexander and Queenie stood hand in hand on the steps of the Covertin estate. They had won Against the odds, against power, against wealth, against expectation, Against power against wealth, against expectation. Eleanor stood beside them, her smirk triumphant you owe me for this, you know. Alexander laughed, tightening his hold on Queenie. Dinner for a lifetime. Queenie smiled, tilting her head up to meet Alexander's gaze. Are you ready for this? His eyes softened For you Always. And as he kissed her, deep and slow, a vow in every breath. The world finally belonged to them, not to power, not to duty, not to anyone, but their own unbreakable love. And this time it was here to stay, bold and apologetic. Weeks passed as rumours and things died down At the Covertine Estate.

Speaker 1: 18:24

That evening, the air carried whispers Sliding through the corridors like ghosts haunting the great marble halls. Servants lingered in corners, their murmurs hushed but urgent. The Duke had summoned Alexander to his study, and that could only mean one thing Something was about to change. Margaret Covetin stood at the window of her private sitting room, her gaze locked onto the dark horizon Behind her. Two maids exchanged cautious glances as they set out the evening tea service. Have you heard one of them whispered? The Duke's given Lord Alexander an ultimatum, whispered. The duke's given Lord Alexander an ultimatum. The other murmured back.

Speaker 1: 19:16

Margaret's fingers tightened around the silk of her gown, she did not turn, nor did she indicate that she had heard. But inside her thoughts whirled. Alexander had defied them, humiliated them. Alexander had defied them, humiliated them. First it had been Queen Imalo, the scholar's daughter, as they all sneered behind closed doors, then the public spectacle of his broken engagement to Eloise Rinaldi. Now the whispers of rebellion stirred in every corner of the household. And Margaret knew her husband well. He would never let this stand. With a slow breath, she lifted her teacup and took a measured sip. Let the house whisper, let them speculate. By the end of the night there would be nothing left to whisper about.

Speaker 1: 20:04

The study was dimly lit, the fire casting shadows that flickered against the dark wooden walls. The Duke sat behind his grand mahogany desk. A predator at rest. Alexander stood before him, shoulders squared, jaw set. He had played this game before. He knew the rules, but this time he was no longer willing to be a pawn. The Duke set down his glass of brandy, fixing Alexander with an icy stare.

Speaker 1: 20:39

You will marry Lady Marim Rocker. Alexander didn't blink. No, his father's expression didn't change. That was not a request. Alexander exhaled sharply, his patience already fraying. Do you hear yourself, father? You treat marriage as though it's a trade agreement.

Speaker 1: 21:04

The duke leaned back in his chair, folding his hands. That is precisely what it is. Alexander clenched his fists. I won't do it. You will, his father said evenly, or you will be disinherited. The words dropped like a stone into the silent room. Alexander felt the weight of them, but he did not falter. The Duke continued his voice cold as steel.

Speaker 1: 21:36

Lady Marim is the daughter of Duke Rocca. Their family holds considerable influence in both the political and financial spheres of Florence. This marriage will secure your future, and ours. Alexander shook his head. You mean it will secure your power? The Duke's expression darkened. What do you think? This family is built upon Sentiment. Love, he scoffed, rising to his feet. No, alexander, it is built upon alliances, strength, power.

Speaker 1: 22:12

Alexander met his father's gaze, his own burning with quiet fury. You mean control, the duke's jaw tightened. I mean survival, a tense silence stretched between them. Then the Duke sighed, as if speaking to a child who simply refused to learn. You are a Covertine, he said, voice low. That name carries weight, privilege and responsibility. Alexander's breath was steady, controlled, number. It carries chains, his father's lips pressed into a thin line. Then you leave me no choice.

Speaker 1: 23:00

The room seemed to shrink as the Duke stepped forward, his presence overwhelming. If you refuse this marriage, he said his voice, a slow, deliberate threat, then you will no longer be my son. The word should have struck him harder, should have made him hesitate. But instead Alexander felt something unexpected Relief For the first time. The path was clear.

Speaker 1: 23:32

The moment the study door slammed, the house came alive with whispers. In the servants' quarters, the kitchen staff exchanged wide-eyed glances. The Duke is furious, one muttered, glancing around as if afraid to be heard. I heard Lord Alexander refused the Duke's going to disinherit him. Imagine a covetin cast out like a commoner In the grand hall. A butler leaned in to a housemaid. His voice barely above a breath. The young master's going to leave. He's really going to do it.

Speaker 1: 24:15

And in the upper halls, behind the doors of her chambers, margaret sat alone. Her hands trembled slightly as she poured another cup of tea. She had always known this moment would come. She had seen it in Alexander's eyes since he was a boy the rebellion, the fire that refused to be tamed. She had spent years trying to stifle it, trying to make him understand. But now she could only watch as he burned their world to the ground.

Speaker 1: 24:48

Alexander was storming down the corridor when Margaret stepped into his path. His mother, always poised, always unreadable, looked at him now with something almost like desperation. Alexander, she said softly don't do this. He stopped but did not soften. Do what mother Refuse to be sold like a commodity.

Speaker 1: 25:20

Margaret's expression remained calm, but he could see the tension in her fingers as she clasped them together. But he could see the tension in her fingers as she clasped them together. Your father, my father, has made his decision. Alexander cut in, and so have I. Her lips parted slightly, hesitation flickering across her face and for the first time in his life Alexander saw it Fear, not for herself, for him.

Speaker 1: 25:52

Do you have any idea what you're walking into? She whispered. You think you can just sever ties and build a new life? The Covertine name is not just wealth, alexander, it is protection. Alexander exhaled sharply, his voice thick with frustration. Protection from what, mother? A life of my own choosing? She stared at him silent. He softened just slightly. I love her, he said, and for once I am choosing love over duty. Margaret's gaze dropped. You were never meant for this world, she murmured. I see that now. Then, after a long pause, she stepped aside. She would not fight him, not because she agreed, but because deep down, she had always known Alexander was never meant to be caged.

Speaker 1: 26:59

The night air was cool. As Alexander saddled his horse, eleanor met him at the stables. Arms crossed, so she said tilting her head. Arms crossed, so she said tilting her head. That's it, then, you're really going. Alexander tightened the straps, then turned to face her. Yes, eleanor studied him for a long moment, then smirked Well, at least it'll make family dinners less excruciating. A small laugh escaped him, but there was something raw in it, something final. She stepped forward, gripping his arm Be careful, I will. Then, with one last glance at the estate that had shaped and suffocated him. Alexander mounted his horse and rode into the night To freedom, to Queenie, to a future that was finally his own. The house fell silent, the servants stopped whispering, the halls grew still, margaret sat alone in the drawing room staring at her untouched tea, and in his study, the Duke poured himself another drink. For the first time in his life. He had lost, and he knew it. Join us each bi-weekly for a heartwarming romantic story that will captivate your heart and leave you longing for more.