Capítulo 77: 'I didn’t mean to go that far.'

After another quiet dinner, Amelia went to spend some time in the garden to get some fresh air. Of course, even if she told him otherwise, Oswyn still went with her.

Scattered around the expansive back garden, were stone benches in between newly pruned hedges. The duchess picked one near the center where a small pond used to be. Lucky for her this time, her new aide finally got wind that she wanted to relax so he kept his distance and decided to look around instead.

"Leave us. I'd like to talk privately with the duchess." A commanding voice took both their attentions and Oswyn bowed his head after receiving permission to leave from Amelia. "It's cold out here. Laila asked me to bring this to you. May I?" he said, showing her the fur cloak in his hand. When the duchess nodded, he unfolded it and placed it over Amelia's shoulder.

"How are—"

"Would you—"

Both stopped and stared at each other then laughed. All the worries she had days before all vanished into thin air and Alexander looked relieved too.

"Ladies first," he said in a faint, but upbeat tone.

"Would you like to walk with me to that gazebo?" Amelia stood up and pointed at the far left of the garden. The way there is through a pebbled pathway adorned with wooden arches. It's bare now, but during spring, the arches are decorated with flowering vines.

The light scattered around the expansive garden only reached the gazebo just enough that the two rulers can see each other's expressions.

"How are things in your duchy? Were there any problems at sea?" Amelia initiated.

"It has been extra hectic as of late. How about you?"

"Same." Amelia gave a small smile then directed her attention to the trimmings of her cloak. "It has probably reached you about my recent council replacements."

"Ah, yes. I was wondering about that too when Reignold mentioned it to me."

"You met with Sir Reignold?"

"Yes. He came to Thuenia to see the gardener. He was staying at Castle Talcard then, so he quickly visited."

"Gardener?" Amelia tilted her head and her brow arched. Why would Arabella's grandfather visit Alexander for a gardener?

"Yes. Did he not report it to you? I've been keeping a prisoner in suspicions of being involved in poisoning us. Have you forgotten how we were poisoned on our first date?" Alexander kidded but Amelia blinked her eyes and wanted to answer yes to both. Because not only was the matter not reported to her, but she also completely forgot about it too!

She looked away with a sarcastic smile on her face. How could she forget the face of her maid and the boy she killed? And the man who attacked her? Those empty days she spent sleeping just to recover.

But a gardener? Really? Just that simple?

"He must've reported it to Uncle Vance and with the things that's been happening in my duchy lately, I think he wanted to tell me in the most convenient time, but there just wasn't any of that as of late." The duchess snickered but faded soon enough after mentioning her grandfather. "So, is there any update?" Since he has brought it up, might as well ask about it. This thing has been dragged out long enough that it's becoming something irrelevant to her now.

Alexander puffed a cloud of air and shook his head slightly. He was smiling but his eyes weren't.

"Another dead end," he said. "I'm sorry to disappoint you again this time."

"This time?" Rather than ask about whether or not the gardener is alive, Alexander's last words stroke her curiosity the most.

"I failed you twice," he said, not looking at her, "the first one was when I couldn't find who did that to your family, and the second time is this. All my efforts proved to have been in vain that I've started to have second thoughts if I am really suited to be your husband. I can't even get to the bottom of these little things." Alexander showed a half smile, and Amelia found that confession of his shortcomings adorable that she reached out her hand and touched the side of his face, his growing stubble tickled her palm.

It wasn't there the last time she touched him, she thought.

"Those are not little things. And I know you have other, more pressing, tasks to do than follow leads to who know where it ends. I'm even worst because I forgot about it, don't you think?" Amelia beamed at him, her hand slightly ruffling his hair as he continued to sulk.

How could someone so competent and rough-looking sulk just from a minor blunder? Amelia couldn't help but giggle. She pulled back her hand and covered her mouth.

"What's so funny?" there was a skip on the duke's tone and Amelia looked up to him.

"I missed you, Lex," she said in almost a whisper.

Alexander's eyes widened in disbelief, but soon enough it softened, and he reciprocated, saying that he missed her too. He even leaned forward to give her a quick kiss on the forehead that made Amelia blushed.

"Anyway, where were we again? Ah, yes, the gardener. Tell me all about it." She asked and Alexander obliged.

He told Amelia how and where the suspicions started. He said, that since no one knew other than his own men of his plan to surprise the duchess months ago, he had one of his knights investigate everyone that gave a hand in the preparations of his departure. From the servants who was there when he said his plans to Jyver, to the blacksmith where he ordered the black iron dagger from, and the servants involved in preparing the carriages, the horses, and their meals.

Noticing the gardener was purely coincidental after seeing him with a stableboy at the gazebo in the far end of his garden. It was his gut speaking when he ordered Barrett to investigate the boy. Alexander shared what his men found in the boy's rundown house, except for one—the letter written on the imperial stationery.

"But the poison, Brother Ayland said it was from Pradour, right? How did he get it? We all thought that my late-aunt's husband had a hand on it, but it wasn't the case?"

"It seems so. I also receive a letter from my sister who's currently in Pradour right now as a favor from Vance. She met with some of Vance's men that he requested to look into the poison, and they said, transporting the plant used in the poison can't be possible. It was our first thought too, but Ayland said some probabilities, so we were convinced Walton had a hand in this. Plus, I…" Alexander paused. He almost said that Vance retrieved a letter from the stableboy and the maid when they caught him. "I found a letter in the stableboy's pockets with Walton's initials and your aunt's seal embossed at the center of the paper."

"Leti's in Pradour? What is she doing there?"

"Vance asked her a favor regarding his… coming home to Pradour to help his family."

All information she just heard from Alexander vanished into thin smoke. Despite her objections on the matter, he still decided to leave. And what about her?

"Amelia?" Alexander called when the duchess turned quiet. She was looking at her fidgeting thumb, her mind was clearly somewhere else. "Cice?" Alexander called again, his hands over her shoulders, lightly shaking her. But even though how many times he called her, it was only on the fifth one that she turned to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing. It's just that… I recently discovered that Uncle Vance is actually… my grandfather." She said flatly and Alexander's hands fell on her sides, unsure of what to tell her but his worried eyes and sudden silence was enough to tie one end to another. "You knew?" she said faintly, her eyes shone with the impending tears that pricked the back of her eyes.

"I found out about it while I was investigating—actually, it was Leticia who told me about it. She came across the information by accident after visiting Pradour at the request of the emperor. I didn't know the details but that was that. I didn't tell you because I simply didn't know how." His gaze didn't break as he said it. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I know Vance's been dying to let you know too and I know that he has his own reasons why he didn't tell you. It would be better if it came from Vance himself." Alexander reached out and took both Amelia's hand. He rubbed the top of it to warm it up before bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

Amelia understood Alexander's point. If she was in the same situation, she would probably do the same too. Just as the duke said, her grandfather must have had his reasons.

"Does Uncle Vernon know?"

"People close to your parents knew. That's all I can say, Cice." Alexander's voice soothed Amelia. Seeing the tears welling on her eyes, he reached out to dry it with his thumb followed by a soft caress of her cheek, but before he could retrieve his hand, Amelia stopped him.

His hand was big and rough and warm against the duchess' cheek. There were all sorts of feelings and thoughts hovering over her that she doesn't know what to make of it anymore. Should she be angry, disappointed, or relieved? She stared right into Alexander's amber eyes that faintly mirrored the flickering flame of a nearby torch, hoping for some sort of divine resolution to make her in peace with the information handed to her. But what came after that, in a split second that rendered her motionless, was the pair of lips she asked for nights ago.

Amelia's eyes widened when she felt his lips on her—her hands waving at first, not knowing where to land until it settled at Alexander's name, and the other on his chest. They were little pecks at first; Alexander gauging how she would react. And when she didn't protest, the duke kissed her with a gentle urgency, the way he kissed her at the banquet hall where Alexander volunteered to be her husband. But when her body leaned in closer, Alexander paused, swept her in one swift motion and placed her on his lap. Instinctively, she placed her arms over his shoulders for support and Alexander's arm wrapped around her waist to prop her better.

"Cice…" Alexander looked up to her with soft, almost half-opened eyes asking—begging—her for more, his arms around her waist. A tingling sensation ran through her body.

How can such a man make her feel like so… weak and unreasonable? Where's the cool-headed, logical, goal-driven and practical woman she grew up to be? Weren't they talking about something serious? Something about her family? Something involving life and death? Then why, when she lifted her hand to brush it through Alexander's lush hair, pressing herself against his muscled chest, she placed her hand on his nape and pulled him closer for another kiss?

She wanted this some nights ago, and she realized she wanted it still now despite everything thus far. Blame it on her curiosity, on her coming-of-age, on stress that wanted to be released, on whatever—she wants it!

The kiss started at the same rhythm—the only one Amelia knew—until the duke leaned in, pulling her closer. So close that she could feel his warmth embracing her whole. Alexander's kisses started to get rougher—and hotter—and Amelia felt herself opening to him, her reserves broken. When she felt his tongue on her lips, she welcomed him, bracing herself by clutching onto Alexander tighter, her body moving on its own.

Noises dulled other than the sound of their own breathing. They'd separate for a second to catch a breath but as if their lives depended on it, they'd find themselves tangled in a sea of unbridled emotion; the next one deeper than the last. But when she felt Alexander's hand squeezed her thigh, she realized that he had slid it in under her dress, she flinched, accidentally biting the duke's lower lip.

Alexander growled, licking his lip, and realizing what had caused it, he pulled his hand and cupped Amelia's face for last one kiss. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes closed, his forehead touching the duchess'. "I didn't mean to go that far."

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