Chapter 8 #2
He did not slow for them, but he did not rush.
His footsteps fell heavily and echoed through the halls.
Down them he walked, his body cloaked in the shadows.
They walked in silence, onto the second floor and toward the eastern wing.
As they went, Thalia looked about, trying to assess where they were going.
Nothing but closed doorways mostly, lit lamps, paintings hanging on the walls.
It is all so… lonely. Such a huge castle with no life whatsoever. How can someone live like this?
Finally, the duke came to a stop by an open doorway. From inside, orange light poured so that it was nearly blinding compared to the rest of the castle. He stood back from it, almost as if the light might burn him.
“What…” Thalia and Oliva approached cautiously. “What is this?”
“See for yourself,” he grumbled.
They did just that. Walking past him, the two poked their heads through the door and Thalia gasped at what she saw.
It was as unlike the rest of the castle as the day was from the night.
A bedroom, on first inspection, but so much more than that.
The floor was covered in bright carpets and rugs.
The bedding was colorful, pinks and yellows and purples.
From the walls hung more colorful banners.
There was a desk, and on it looked to be a stock of pencils, brushes and paints.
On the bed too were what even looked like stuffed dolls.
And all of this was made all the brighter by the warm fire which burned in the central hearth.
“Is this…” Thalia spun around, finding that she was smiling for maybe the first time. “For Olivia?”
“For me?” Olivia gasped.
“This is to be your bedroom,” the duke said. He remained by the doorway, still covered in shadow. “I hope everything is to your liking?”
It took a few moments. Olivia, looking about the bright room, her trepidation melting as a smile of wonderment spread over her face. “My own room…”
Olivia had never had her own room before.
The home the two had lived in for so many years was too small for such things.
And when they moved in with Isadora, Olivia had begged to sleep with Thalia, terrified to be left alone.
But now, from the look on the little girl’s face, it was clear such worries were no longer a problem.
“If you need anything, or anything is missing, do not hesitate to tell Albert,” the duke said.
Thalia’s smile grew and despite her best effort, she felt tears welling in her eyes. She sniffed them back, not wanting to show such emotion. Not wanting the duke to see how much this meant.
“Olivia, what do you say?”
In response, Olivia ran for the duke and threw herself around his legs. “Thank you!” she cried out.
The duke stood frozen, totally undone by the reaction. Olivia clung to his legs, holding him tight, and slowly, unsure but somehow also gently, he reached down and touched her on the head as if to stroke it.
And Thalia watched the scene unfold, her heart swelling in ways she could never have expected but for which she was glad.
Once that was done with, Thalia made sure to help Olivia settle in the room. She checked that she would be fine on her own for a while, laughing to see the little girl rush for the paints as she cried out happily.
“I’ll be right back,” Thalia told her. She felt the duke watching her, waiting. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Olivia said nothing. She was already busy and happily distracted.
Thalia watched her a moment more, smiling before slinking from the room and softly closing the door. The duke stayed back, waiting for her.
“Thank you,” she said to him earnestly. “That was… that was more than you needed to do.”
The duke studied her, saying nothing for a moment.
She fidgeted awkwardly, finding that when he looked at her, she felt a tingle spread through her body.
She no longer feared him, and she felt that was the right thing.
But there was something else about the man…
dangerous, yes… intimidating, definitely…
but mysterious and secretive and not at all what he wanted people to believe.
“This way,” he said suddenly and started further down the hall.
She followed him in silence, but not for long. Just until they reached the end of the hallway where another door was open.
“This will be your room,” he said to her, gesturing inside. “I thought it best if you were close to your daughter.”
“Oh.” She blinked in surprise. “Yes, thank you. That is very kind.” She then walked forward and entered the room.
It was a far more simple affair than Olivia’s, but still comfortable and cozy and beyond what she’d had these past four years. The large bed, the writing desk, the rugs on the floor, the wardrobe which already looked to be full. It was everything she needed and more.
She turned about and balked to find the duke standing inside the room. Her heart leapt through her chest, a sudden spike of nerves shooting through her.
He stood to block the door, not on purpose, but such was the size of him. And where she had not considered it at all until now, Thalia suddenly realized what tonight meant… their wedding night…
Surely he does not expect… he has not said anything… no indication at all that he would want me to…
She started to shake, her body growing warm, her legs trembling as her heart thumped inside her chest. Was that with fear or excitement, though? She could not say.
“Now that we are alone, there are some things that we need to discuss.” He stood with his arms folded behind his back, brow tightened, and what almost looked like nerves filtering behind his eyes.
“Oh,” she began. “Such as?”
“This marriage and what it is,” he started, speaking plainly and to the point. “With how quickly it all happened, we did not have a chance to discuss what is expected.”
“Expected?” A lump grew in her throat that she could not swallow.
“Although I doubt you will be surprised to hear it, this is a marriage in name only.” He made sure to be looking right at her. “One of convenience. And I expect it to be treated as such.”
It was subtle, but a flicker of what almost felt like disappointment moved through Thalia’s stomach. “Y—yes,” she stammered, forcing it down because this was what she wanted to hear. “I could not agree more.”
“Good,” he said. “All I expect from you is discretion. That means no scandals. No doing anything that might raise eyebrows or turn attention toward us. In return, I will not meddle in your life or your affairs, as I expect you not to meddle in my own.”
She was nodding along, agreeing in full with everything that was said.
Indeed, now that the shock of the moment had passed, relief swept through Thalia because this was exactly what she had wanted.
She was not proud about how this marriage had come to pass.
And she still felt guilty for it, hoping that the duke would never find out.
But ultimately, she needed this marriage and if it was set to be one divorced of emotion or even contact…
the more I think about it, the more I must admit that is the best I can hope for.
“I… thank you for saying,” she said. “And I am glad to see that we are both on the same page.”
The duke nodded once. “If there is nothing else…” He half turned to leave.
“Oh, wait,” she called after him, a final thought coming to mind. “What of Olivia?”
“What of her?”
“She…” She could not help but smile. “I can’t say why, but she seems to have taken to you. What should I tell her?”
He considered the question, a most serious look on his face as he did. “Tell her the truth.” A warning look. “I am not her father, nor do I intend to be. She will never want for anything while she lives under my roof, but that is all she can expect from me.”
“I will tell her.”
“And the same goes for you,” he made sure to clarify. “I do not pretend to be ignorant of your circumstances before now. As far as I am concerned, however, they are irrelevant. You are now my wife, your safety is my priority, and I expect you to act accordingly.”
“I will.”
“Good,” he said with a firm nod. “If you wish to eat supper, alert Albert. Otherwise, I will see you…” He paused, brow furrowing. “I will see you when I do.” And then he turned to leave.
She watched him go, partly relieved that he was doing so, partly feeling as if she should say more.
He was doing so much for her and Olivia, more than she could have hoped for.
And she sensed that once he walked through that door, that would be it, and she might not have a chance to say anything else.
“Your Grace,” she hurried, taking a step across the room.
He was at the door but turned around. A raised eyebrow in question.
“Thank you,” she offered, not knowing what else to say. “For everything. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“I do,” he said. “And from now on, you may call me Ronan.” With that, he stepped through the door and pulled it shut behind him.
And as for Thalia? She remained where she was, staring at the closed door, her heart still racing, her breath rattled and heavy, her body shaking. She turned on the spot and took in her room, forcing a smile because this was a good thing. Finally, she and Olivia were safe.
All the while, there was that niggling sensation in the back of her mind. A warning that… that she was missing something. What it was, she could not say. Why it was there, if only she knew. Whatever it might be, she wondered if it had anything to do with the duke…
He wanted nothing to do with her, but did she want more to do with him? Her first instinct was to say no, but deep down, with all that had happened today and all she had seen of him, she knew it was nowhere near that simple.
But then again, nothing about this marriage was.