章節 21: CHAPTER#21:Divorce?
"Good day, Master."Jafar greeted Erebus who wore a fresh grey shirt after a bath. He swept his wet hair back exposing his forehead which had a small scar near his left brow. He turned back towards the table and stabbed half-cooked meat and ripped a chunk with his teeth. Droplets of blood trickled down his hand from the stabbed meat stuck in his short knife. He licked it off and savored its flavor and went for another bite when Jafar put down a letter on the table. It had the same black and gold seal that indicated royalty.
"What's this?"He frowned and looked at his attendant.
"A letter from the imperial palace Master",Jafar replied courteously.
He sighed in frustration and pulled out the meat from the knife and removed the wax seal with it.
His eyes ran from one word to the other. A crease on his forehead appeared as he proceeded to the end.
The silence in the fire-lit room was disturbing. He stood up and stopped in front of the fireplace and threw the letter into the fire. The orange and green flames slowly fed onto the letter until no traces were left of it.
"How's she faring?" he inquired. He picked up the knife once more and looked at his attendant.
"She's...still in shock my lord. But Mina her maid says that she's doing nothing out of the ordinary. She hasn't stepped out of her chambers. The guards have been stationed close by and have been doubled at every entrance of the fort."
He remained silent and listened to him as the thought of visiting her intrigued him more.
"And as for the wedding my lord. The preparations have been made. The bride's wedding dress was delivered this morning. The maids will help the princess with the preparation."
-"That thing with the princess again? Isn't she a fake?"
He frowned and once again stabbed the last chunk of raw blood sausage and tore it with his teeth.
-"He is hopeless."His attendant sighed. Jafar had been teaching him about noble etiquette ever since the title of nobility was bestowed upon him.
It had been a fruitless attempt for the last five years. Either he dozed off in his spare time or sparred with the recruits or secretly surveyed the territory in the daytime.
Erebus opened the door followed by Jafar. "Where are you going master?"
"Training."
"What about the rehearsal of the ceremony?"
"No need."
"Master!"He argued with Erebus when Mina appeared before them followed by the head butler.
"Master, brother?"Mina stared at them.
"What's wrong Mina?"Jafar looked at Mina forgetting what he was arguing about with Erebus.
"Weren't you supposed to be with the princess?"
"Ah! That's what I wanted to inform the master." she gasped.
"What's wrong with her?" he raised a brow.
"Umm~The princess tried on the wedding dress. It fits her perfectly. She gives you her thanks."Mina conveyed.
-"Again with the princess."He thought.
"Did you tell everyone that the captive is the princess?"He looked at Jafar.
But he refuted claiming that only Mina caught on to their conversation. So he had to clear things up.
"Other than that she does not address her with the names which may raise suspicion among the servants and guests."
"Has she filled the ears of the servants during her stay?" he wondered.
He needed to shake off the queasy feeling in his heart.
Erebus cut them halfway and joined the trainees in their practice. His mind couldn't be at ease. He would falter or zone out in duels causing him to rely on his instincts more than his intellect. He received a blow on the wound on his torso he received in the last battle.
In the second round, he broke a few of his opponent's bones who withdrew immediately before they could even strike at him. He puffed and panted and sat under a dead snow-covered silver tree. The wind blew carrying dead leaves and stung his wound.
-"Ah it opened again. Damn It!"He cursed as he saw fresh blood seeping through and staining his shirt red.
He pressed the ruptured area to stop the bleeding and looked up at the vast grey sky. His eyes shifted to the old stone building. It was the main annex of the fort. He saw Luciana come out into the porch with Nemesis. The boy sprang and circled her in excitement. Mina hurried out with a shawl to cover her from the cold.
She smiled wanly but her face showed deep pain and hopelessness.
-"I hate that look on her face..."He gritted and looked away. His hand clenched the pommel of his double-headed battle axe tightly.
"Commander we're starting with the next training session." He heard his subordinates assembled in the training ground.
He ripped off his shirt and tied it around the wound after pouring water on it. It stung him painfully. The chilly wind engulfed his naked upper half. The wind whispered and carried dead leaves from the ground covered in snow that was now mixed with dirt.
He glanced up and realized that she was looking at him. She hurried into the chambers with Nemesis when their eyes met.
Later in the afternoon, he visited her chambers where he saw the old physician advising her about her health. He seemed to be the only other person to be close to her after Mina and Jafar. Leo slept by the fireplace covering Nemesis with its long furry tail to prevent cold.
He reclined slightly by the door and gave a single knock at the door. It was enough to draw their attention to him. The physician bowed to her and briefly greeted him and hurried out of the room. He watched the old man leave and shut the door behind him. She hung her head and looked at the sleeping boy avoiding any eye contact. The air in the room grew uncomfortable.
"It seems that my future wife is not pleased to see me."His voice was deep and heavy. He could have some elegance if he spoke more politely.
She flinched and did not respond.
-"Of course, some proud woman like her wouldn't accept low-born impure blood for her husband."
"The marriage contract... It has time before the ceremony. If you wish to add something to it I will consider it."
His assurance was something that she feared more than before. If she were to ask him to leave would he accept it?
"Divorce..."She blurted her thoughts without realizing it.
"Hmm?"He looked at her as if he didn't quite get what she said.
"If...just in case... If you achieve your goals... Will you divorce me?"
She asked him. This time she looked straight into his pitch-black eyes that could swallow her whole.
"Not a chance." he rejected her proposal without a second thought.
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