"Miss hannah please calm down" hannah had gone storming into the underground dungeon.
"Calm down? Calm down? You want me to Calm down after hearing my stupid husband caused trouble for the duchess and is currently in prison." She was screaming as she pushed the guards out of the way.
"Honey, i can explain" he had sprung up from the floor running towards the door of the cell like he had anticipated her arrival.
"Cavill what were you thinking? How could you say all that to her grace?" She had grabbed him by the colar through the bars.
"Miss hannah please Calm down" the guards were having trouble pulling her off him as he begged for her to listen to her while she shook him.
"You had better pray to get the death penalty or I'll be killing you myself"
"Honey please hear me out"
"Miss hannah please let him go he is turning blue"
"It was a huge commotion, your grace. I never knew hannah could get so angry."
"Well he had it coming, how could he be so rude to the duchess."
"Well.... sir cavill has been by his grace since childhood. i would understand his shock to find out he suddenly got married while he was gone for less than a month."
"Thats true I heard he even dropped out of the race to become a successor of viscount rubien"
"Thanks ladies, you can leave now. " stella and Trisha shift uncomfortable as if knowing that their words might have made the duchess feel bad.
"Greetings your grace" i can see how conflicted she looks.
"Thank you for coming hannah" I wanted clarisa to have freedom to do what she wants but yesterday I realized that I had been neglectful of her needs. She looked happy with me just honoring her request, so I thought everything would be okay.
"It is an honor, your grace"
"Do you know why i asked you to come in?" I should have known not every one would accept her as the duchess.
"Yes your grace"
"Cavill, I always knew prison would suit you"
"Seeing how you can still joke, the rumors must br false."
"Why did you do it? You knew there would be consequences and I know you aren't this impulsive so, why?"
"I did it because I love you, stop making that face, you know I would make an excellent duchess"
"Cavill, stop trying to deflect using jokes"
"Give me permission to investigate 'her grace' and i will tell you why."
"Cavill, that will not be possible." Knowing him, he will say nothing and just sit there looking pitiful.
"You have a wife so you should understand. Even if you give me a good reason for it I still have to punish you for your insolence"
"Why are you getting angry at me? Its because it's you theodore. Thats why i did it, how come you dont understand? I picked up my sword for you, but when it mattered I could do nothing but watch you get hurt over and over again." His voice broke, but he wasn't someone who would cry.
"For 8 years i watched you lose yourself but still.... still i couldn't do a thing. I knew.... i could see it in your eyes.... one more time was all you need and you would be pushed off the edge. I failed to protect you in the past but never again. The duchess?? I would even go against his majesty if it meant protecting you."
"Please, i just want to make sure, so let me protect you this time and if it turns out to be nothing ill take my punishment no matter what it is" once cavill latches onto something he will not let it go. He may even do something dangerous just prove his point.
"Fine, but you will remain in jail. You can have one of your subordinates do the investigation and you seem to be mistaken about something. i dont care if it turns out to be nothing or if she has a big secret. You will pay dearly for disrespecting my wife"
"Thank you, it will be my honor your grace"
I knew this castle was huge, but who knew they would have an empty room this big. Im glad I asked steven for this as i needed something to remind me of my purpose. I must have lost my mind the past few days. I guess being out of the counts estate must have made me relaxed. Family, love and people, i gave up on those a long time ago. Casting a sound proofing barrier on the room and layering it with shock absorption magic.
"Ice wall, fire lance" thats right i missed this, i should have done this sooner then i wouldn't have mistaken how i felt and what i should do.
I refuse to get attached to anyone, i don't care if it's cowardly but I refuse to get hurt especially when I know he will never love me back.
"Clarisa, you didn't have to come" he sprung up from the chair walking towards me.
"I heard you were in bed all morning, how are you feeling, now?" well i spent all morning practicing magic, not that i can say that to him. His hands felt cold against my forehead. Why does he act like this? It's because of things like this that I keep getting confused.
"I'm fine, I promised to eat lunch with you didn't i? Or do you not want me here?" He helped me set up as we sat down.
"You are always welcome. I just didn't want you to strain yourself" his words sound sweet, but he is only saying this because I'm the duchess nothing more.
"Clarisa are you sure you are alright? You barely said a word during lunch. I'll send the physician to you later. So please don't strain yourself too much." He kissed me on my forehead. My heart was barely holding on as I tried to contain my feelings but when he does things like that, i can not help but hope.
"I'll be fine, thank you for your concern my love but i dont need a physician. I'm just a little tired is all" because i need to remember my place, i keep forgetting because of his actions but i'm nothing but the duchess. The people In this castle they don't need me, what they need is a duchess and that is the role I'm filling now. It's a role that anyone can fill. I'm nothing special, I'll never be anything special to him.
I spent all day in my bedroom working on my embroidery, after using so much magic this morning, i was on cloud nine. Hannah hadn't come all day, she is probably with her husband. I guess the look on her face would change once she resumes her duty.
Knock knock. Who is it? I asked the maids not to disturb me as I wanted to rest.
"I'm sorry to disturb you your grace but you have a visitor" maria wouldn't bring just anyone when I told her I needed to rest.
"Come in" i stared at the door as it opened. My eyes felt like they would pop out of my head as the familiar black hair came into view, she looked exactly as I remember with tears streaming down her face.
"Greetings my lady... no it's your grace now. Have you been well" i didn't know how but I was suddenly standing right in front of her.
"Sarah.... but how? Why?"
"I missed you my lady. Why didn't you ask me to come with you? I waited for you to ask me to come running. i waited for you my lady, i missed you so so much." I pulled her into a hug as she cried and held me tight.
Earlier that day in count dumonts estate.
"Sarah, will you be eating that slice of pie?"
"Sarah"
"Oh yeah ann, sorry yes you can have it"
"Still in a daze? I thought lady clarisa sent you a letter last week."
"Yes but I cant help but worry she hadnt met the duke when she sent that letter. Im just worried."
"Well everyone thought you would be going with her. It came as a shock that you were left behind."
"Hey Stacy how could you say that? You know how crushed she was when lady clarisa left"
"Well I didn't lie. Sarah you should have held onto her and asked her to take you. It's not like you have anything keeping you here" Sarah had been quiet for a while now just smiling gently.
"Is Sarah here"
"I am here, head maid"
"Come out, there is someone here for you"
He keeps crossing the line, i keep trying to keep my senses but he keeps breaking down the walls I build up.
"His grace must really value you my lady. He even allowed a commoner like me to use something as valuable as a warp gate" Sarah had calmed down and we were now having tea by the window.
"I didn't know you wanted to come with me. I thought you were only beside me because I was a dumont." She slid her hand over to me and held mine
"I was beside you because I liked you, my lady I mean your grace. I loved being beside you"
"Then what about the countess, you said she saved you" she smiled but I could see the sadness
"She may have taken me off the streets but you were the one who saved me your grace."
I saved her? I never did anything for her if anything I failed her.
"She was the one who took me into the residence but you were the one who gave me a reason to live. After losing my younger sister to an illness, I lost my will to live. Taking care of you gave me a new purpose your grace." I didn't know all this, 18 years i spent with her by my side and I knew nothing about her.
"I'm sorry, I keep making mistakes I'm so sorry" I know crying as the duchess is unsightly but today has been a long day and I cannot keep my emotions in check.
"My love" she had jumped into his arms hugging him tight.
"Thank you for bringing her here my love." She had looked so pale at lunch and she was extremely quiet at dinner time but now she is acting like her usual happy self, I'm glad.
"I'm glad i made the right choice. I'm sorry i didn't notice that you were lonely"
"No dont apologize, not today. I'm too grateful to you today for you to apologize." Its that feeling again, the tightness in my chest, the feeling of wanting her close always. Clarisa who are you? Why do i feel this way? If i stay close to you will i find out why?
"So sir cavill will be given the maximum punishment for disrespecting you. You don't have to worry about him anymore" I could barely comprehend what he was saying. How did I remain normal last night laying on bed in his arms, my face is about to explode with how embarrassed I am.
"My love, if its not too much trouble can you leave his punishment to me?" He is hannahs husband, she may hate me now but I should do something nice for her one last time.
"Do you feel bad because he is your maids family? Do not worry about that, i asked the head maid to dismiss her from your service....."
"No you can't, i am the victim here and it's not like he stabbed me with his sword. They were just words, i'm fine" he furrowed his brow.
"Clarisa, no matter how simple the words were, they were used intended to cause you harm. So I cannot forgive him, because words hurt just as much as a sword, some hurt even more."
he looked me in the eyes as his blue eyes sparkled under the dim light. Caressing my face as he plays with my hair he plants a kiss on my cheeks and pulls me closer. What if he feels the same way about me? There is no one he acts like this not knowing the effects he has on me, he is so unfair.
"Fine, but leave his punishment to me and as for hannah I want her to continuing being my personal maid. I really like her my love."
"If that is what you wish for, so be it" he is so unfair.