"This is Steven the butler and that is Maria the head maid" an elderly man who looked to be in his 60's and an older lady in her 40's bowed in introduction.
"Maria will show you to your room to rest up" one thing clarisa noticed was that something was strange about the dukes voice. It wasn't cold but there was something there that felt emotionless.
"Thank you, your grace. I'll retire first." The castle looked magnificent.
"This will be your room your grace. This is the iris room. All the past duchess of runan have used this room. I hope it is to your liking." The room was huge. It felt like i had been transported from hell to heaven.
"Thank you, it must have taken allot of time to prepare it."
"It was our pleasure your grace. This girl is named hannah and she will be your personal maid going forward" pointing to a brunette beside her.
"Greetings your grace, its a pleasure to serve you going forward" she had soft feature but there was something about her that i could not explain. It's like I was looking at a seasoned fighter. I may just be wrong.
"I'll be in your care hannah"
I can't stop thinking about him. My heart skips a beat at the thought of him, I feel lost each time i remember his eyes. I have only felt this way once in this world, it was the day i discovered my magic. I'm scared to put a name to this feeling. What if I end up messing things up again? Is it okay for me to get greedy? To have a little hope? I need to know more about him before I make my decision. Ringing the bell to summon hannah.
"You sent for me your grace" she got here so fast, how efficient.
"I would like to have a bath and retire to bed for tonight"
"As you wish your grace." The bathroom was just as impressive as the bedroom. I guess the people here live In abundance. They even have taps with running water here.
"Hannah, how long have you worked here?"
"I was born in the castle 27 years ago your grace, I grew up here and started working from a young age"
"Can you tell me about his grace I want to know more about him. I would like to be on good terms with him" fidgeting with her hands as she didnt know what to expect. Will I be rejected or not?
"Definitely your grace I'll be glad to tell you anything" I could hear the joy in her voice without seeing her face as she washed my hair. Hannah may seem cold at first but she has a surprisingly bubbly personality.
"What happened with his previous engagements, you don't need to tell me if you dont want to. But I feel it would put my heart at ease to know." I could feel her eyes on me trying to examine my intentions. She must be wondering if I'm friend or foe after all I'm still a disgusting dumont.
"This happened 8 years ago when his grace was only 10 years old and had his first engagement. She was the adopted daughter of a baron and was 2 years older than him. His grace was so happy to finally have a new friend aside lord Jordan and miss ivy. No one could have guessed that she would do something so horrific." I could hear the emotions behind every word. It was like I was putting her through torture by making her remember.
"It was 2 weeks after the engagement announcement and since when they started having play dates. It was a normal day till a scream was heard from the room his grace used for his play date. By the time the guards got to the room his grace had been forced to slash her down with his sword. She turned out to be an assassin and she had attacked his grace when he had his back turned to her." What? What an horrific thing to put a child through
"Why would someone do something so wicked. What did the former duke do about it?" I was getting angry but why?
"His grace was given full authority over the case and to punish those involved. It was supposed to serve as one of his successor lessons. He decided to give them leniency hoping they would change their ways after a warning. Everyone thought they had changed and then 2 years later his grace got engaged again. This time everyone was cautious and a guard was always around them during play dates. His grace looked so happy as she was the sweetest child. But it was also all an illusion" this makes no sense how could he let a 10 year old child take control of an assassination attempt?
"It was 3 months after their engagement, she had always prepared meals or tea for his grace so that day was like any other but suddenly his grace was bleeding from his mouth and nose. He had been poisoned. She screamed some incoherent nonsense before lounging at him with a knife." My God
"What did his grace do? What about the guards?"
"Luckily his grace has immunity to most poison so he was able to also cut her down before the guards could step in"
"That's so awful. What a wicked scheme to force upon a child" I could feel my heart breaking as tears streamed down.
"What about the culprit? Certainly his grace punished them?"
"His grace was a very tenderhearted person and having to cut down 2 people was already weighing on him heavily. So he just gave the family of the girl a hefty punishment and everyone thought that would be the end" I could feel her getting angrier. She was pained before but now it was just pure rage.
"When his grace turned 15, someone who was supposed to be a friend, that evil thing. Lord Jordan and miss ivy had come to visit. They had been friends with his grace since they were all 6 years old so no one suspected a thing. But that evil miss, she poisoned him" she was crying, her voice broke not out of pity but from anger. I could see every emotion flashing through her face.
"His grace looked like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest. Although he was immune to poison that incident left him bedridden for 3 days. The doctor said it was because of the mental shock and when he woke up he said he couldn't remember who served him the tea with the poison. He protected her, but everyone knew who did it. Everyone knew it was her yet she acted like she did nothing wrong. Even after all these years she stills walks around in the castle like she owns the place. Shamelessly like she never did wrong" huh? Why does this story sound so familiar. That's weird it feels like something I've heard before but why?
"So what did the previous duke do? There is no way he let it slide after the dukes life was actually threatened now."
"That was why, 3 days after his grace regained consciousness he had a private meeting with the previous duke, no one knows what they talked about but after that , he suddenly left the castle on a horse with just a sword. He returned back that evening soaked in blood. It was so scary. It was the first time we all saw that look in his eyes and it was the day his grace lost his smile." Her voice was filled with longing, it was a pain I couldn't imagine.
"He must have been so lonely and heart broken. How awful, how incredibly awful. He must have also blamed himself, he would have regretted not taking action earlier" i couldn't stop crying. Why does it hurt me so much. I met Him for the first time today so why, why am I so affected?
"His grace was never the same again. That day the names of 3 noble houses were erased from runan's history and they must never be mentioned again."
"What happened to lord Jordan and miss ivy?" After doing something so horrible there is no way they remained the same.
"Those shameless people, they never apologized, your grace can you believe it?"
"What?"
"Even till date his grace still let's them come into the castle and they still call him their friend" I don't get it, why did the duke do that. Is he maybe in love with miss ivy. There is no way he would just let it go after what she did.
"No one knows why his grace did it, but we all know he doesn't treat them the same way he did before that day. He once loved them so dearly. He would laugh loudly. He was such a happy child but that day was the last time he smiled."
"It must have been difficult for you to recall all that. Thank you for telling me hannah. Now I know his grace better. I feel closer to him."
"No need for thanks your grace but please treat him well. His grace has been through so much pain already. We all just want to see him happy." But why did his story sound so familiar? Am I just over reaching? Hmmmmm. Springing up as her eyes widen in realization.
"Your grace?" Hannah was startled as she shot up from the bath tub.
"There is no way right? It cannot be? But it would make sense. The reason why it felt like everything was predetermined. It would make allot of sense" i can't believe i just realized this. I need to confirm
"Is anything the matter your grace" she looked genuinely concerned and fearful.
"I'm just asking but this miss ivy is she living with count Fyord, lord jordan's family?" Please tell me I'm wrong. Say that I'm wrong please.
"Yes your grace, she has been living under their protection since childhood. But how did you know"
"It was just a guess" I say chuckling awkwardly. She looked doubtful but didn't press further.