**Diary Entry**
I never thought my life would take such a turn. Father married me off to a beggar because I was born blindwhat happened next left everyone speechless.
Zara had never seen the world, but she felt its cruelty with every breath. Born into a family that prized beauty above all, she was the invisible burden. Her two sisters were admired for their striking eyes and graceful figures, while Zara was hidden away, a shameful secret. Her mother died when she was five, and from then on, Father changedbitter, resentful, cruel. He never called her by name, only «that thing.» She wasnt allowed at the dinner table or near guests. He believed her blindness was a curse, and when she turned twenty-one, he made a decision meant to break what little remained of her already shattered spirit.
One morning, he walked into her small room where she sat quietly, tracing her fingers over the Braille of a worn book, and dropped a folded piece of fabric onto her lap.
«Youre getting married tomorrow,» he said coldly.
She froze. Married? To whom?
«A beggar from the church,» he continued. «Youre blind, hes poor. A perfect match.»
Her blood turned to ice. She wanted to scream, but no sound escaped. She had no choiceFather never gave her one.
The next day, she was wed in a rushed ceremony. She never saw his face, and no one dared describe him. Father shoved her toward the man and ordered her to take his arm. She obeyed like a ghost in her own body. Guests whispered behind their hands: «A blind girl and a beggar.» Afterward, Father thrust a small bag of clothes at her and pushed her toward the man.
«Now shes your problem,» he muttered, walking away without a glance.
The beggarwhose name was Thomasled her in silence down the road. They reached a tiny, crumbling cottage at the edge of the village, smelling of damp earth and smoke.
«Its not much,» he said softly. «But youll be safe here.»
She sat on an old mat inside, fighting tears. This was her life nowa blind girl, married to a beggar, in a cottage built of mud and hope.
But that first night, something strange happened.
Thomas brewed tea with gentle hands. He gave her his coat and slept by the door like a guard beside a queen. He spoke to her as if he truly caredasking what stories she loved, what dreams she held, what food made her smile. No one had ever asked before.
Days turned to weeks. Thomas led her each morning to the river, describing the sun, birds, and trees so vividly that Zara began to see them through his words. He sang while she washed clothes and told her stories of stars and faraway lands at night. For the first time in years, she laughed. Her heart began to open. And in that strange little cottage, the impossible happenedZara fell in love.
One afternoon, as she reached for his hand, she asked, «Were you always a beggar?»
He hesitated. «Not always.»
But he said no more, and she didnt press.
Until the day her sister, Eleanor, found her at the market.
«Blind rat!» Eleanor hissed. «Still alive? Still pretending to be a beggars wife?»
Tears pricked Zaras eyes, but she held firm. «Im happy.»
Eleanor scoffed. «You dont even know what he looks like. Hes trash. Just like you.»
Then she whispered the words that shattered Zaras heart.
«Hes no beggar. Youve been deceived.»
Zara returned home in turmoil. That night, she demanded the truth.
Thomas knelt before her, clasping her hands. «I should have told you sooner. Im not a beggar. Im the son of an earl.»
Her world spun. Every kindness, every storysuddenly, it made sense. Her father hadnt married her to a beggar. Hed given her to a nobleman in disguise.
«Why?» she whispered.
«I was tired of women who loved my title, not me. I heard of the blind girl cast aside by her father. I watched you for weeks before asking for your handknowing hed agree, because he wanted rid of you.»
Tears streamed down her face. The pain of rejection clashed with the disbelief that someone had gone so far to find a heart like hers.
«What now?» she asked.
«Now,» he said gently, «you come with me. To my world. To the estate.»
«But Im blind. How can I be a lady?»
«You already are.»
The next morning, a carriage arrived. Guards in black and gold bowed to Thomas and Zara. Holding his arm tightly, she stepped inside.
At the estate, a crowd gathered, stunned by the return of the lost heirand the blind girl at his side. His mother, the Countess, studied Zara, who curtsied respectfully.
Thomas stood firm. «This is my wife. The woman who saw my soul when no one else could.»
The Countess was silent. Then she embraced Zara. «Then she is my daughter.»
That night, standing by the grand window, Zara listened to the sounds of the estate. In a single day, her life had changed. She was no longer «that thing» locked away. She was a wife, a lady, loved not for beautybut for her soul.
The next morning, she was summoned before the court. Nobles murmured as she entered with Thomas. Then he spoke, his voice ringing clear.
«I will not take my title until my wife is accepted here. If she is notI will walk away.»
The Countess rose. «Let it be knownfrom this day, Zara is not just your wife. She is Lady Zara of this house. To slight her is to slight the family itself.»
A hush fell. Zaras heart pounded. She turned to him, whispering, «Would you truly give up your title for me?»
He met her gaze, fire in his eyes. «I already did. And I would again. She reached up, her fingers tracing the lines of his face as if memorizing his soul. «Then I have seen more of you,» she whispered, «than anyone ever could.» The sun rose over the estate, golden light spilling through the windows, and for the first time, Zara felt not seenbut truly known.
