Chapter 10: Chapter IX
The journey was a pleasant one. Christian did not comment on their previous conversation and they merely made small talk. She felt more at ease with him now.
When they arrived to his home he introduced her to the servants and Eva went to rest for a while. Christian called his men in his office to expand on the issues that seemed to have plagued them.
He was sipping his drink when 5 men entered the room. One of them was his steward and the other were workers on his lands.
"My lord" they all inclined their heads and aligned themselves in front of him. Christian regarded them critically and his steward, who seemed not to bear the weight of his gaze anymore, stepped forward and addressed the issue.
"My lord, I am very sorry to have called you so suddenly but this could not have gone on for much longer."
"Yes, I have gathered as much. Please go on and explain!"
"It's bad my lord! The villagers have been having problems with..." The steward looked at the men next to him as if seeking their approval to speak.
One of them, taller and sturdier than the rest took over and explained what the steward found hard to express.
"A creature me lord"
Christian raised his eyebrow in question, trying to understand what they were talking about while trying not to show his disbelief.
"A creature? Please do go on!"
"It was dreadful, I lord, and it had elongated fangs and....hideous just hideous."
"The anti-Christ!" Another one whispered.
"What nonsense! Christian started to say but the steward confirmed the villagers' affirmations.
"It is true my lord, I have seen it myself. It roams the night and attacks our cattle. The villagers have not had the courage to exit their homes at night and some animals have been stolen. Even one of your lordship's horses has been harmed."
"It's true, I tell ye me lord"
Christian raised his eyes and analyzed each of the 5 men. They were trembling under his scrutinizing gaze. He was wondering just how much truth there was in their words. It was preposterous but yet these men seemed to believe it. They looked so certain it pained him to disappoint them.
"Fine, I shall look into this" they all sighed in relief and thanked him.
After they left, Christian tried to decide the best course of action. He would have to interview each man and establish the exact details. He was sure that it must have been their imagination but they were worried. He had to do something to reassure them and to take their fears away.
Eva managed to sleep for a while after taking a hot bath. She felt refreshed and she was anxious to join her husband. It was late afternoon when she went down to his office where the servants had said that he could be found.
She wanted to spend more time in his presence, she seemed to derive so much pleasure and warmth from his mere closeness. Although she had hoped she could get along with her husband before the wedding she had not expected him to awake such feelings of giddiness in her. She felt truly carefree...
Smiling, she knocked on her door and upon being invited she entered. He was standing at his desk, deep in thought and frowning over some papers.
She feared she might be disturbing him and just as she was about to leave He put his papers aside and raised his gaze to meet hers. His eyes seemed to be almost...smiling.
"Am I disturbing you?" She asked with uncertainty.
"No, no, come in and take a seat"
She followed his direction and sat down on the chair in front of the desk. She did not know what to say or how to act now that she was in front of him so she just smiled nervously.
"I trust you have rested?"
"Yes...yes, a little bit of sleep can do wonders?" She fidgeted a little bit, not knowing exactly how to continue the conversation. She looked around, pretending to be interested in the decor of his office, all the while trying to calm down her pulse.
"Is it to your liking?" He was looking at her expectantly.
"Yes, it's magnificent, did you decorate it?" She asked, taking in the classic furniture and the Greek statues that lay around. It was a museum in miniature, she thought.
He did not answer so she dared to look at him. He was seemingly in a trance.
"Oh, yes, I did...With my father" he answered in a dead tone. Had she asked something that she should not have? Was it something about his father? She was dying of curiosity but she decided not to continue with the subject.
"What were you doing?" She had absolutely no idea how a wife was supposed to act, if she was allowed to ask about her husband's affairs. Her mother hadn't served a very good model and even if she had....considering the times she had spoken with her mother, or the times she had seen her interact with her father... She was not sure at all.
"You remember that thing that had to be resolved that I was called to urgently here?"
She nodded.
"Well it seems the villagers and my steward have apparently seen some sort of demonic creature that attacks the animals."
"Creature? "She asked wide eyed.
"Well, at least from what my men have been saying, yes, it seems a creature has been wreaking havoc around here"
"And you believe them? I mean… isn't it a little bit far-fetched?"
"Indeed it is but I have to put their fears to rest, which is why I am going to deal with this problem myself" he said, his attention redirected to his papers.
"Can… Can I help? "She asked him unsure of herself.
"You want to help? "Her husband's tone was full of disbelief and she quickly nodded.
"I guess you could help me interview the people? You could deal with the men's wives" A big smile appeared on Eva's face and she thanked him for his vote of trust.
She was so enthusiastic when she left his office. She could use this opportunity to show him that she was not useless. She felt really determined and at once sent a servant to make an appointment with the first family for tomorrow morning.
Weekly Power Status
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