Angelus Carduus

Chapter 12: Pagonis

Under the warm sun, a warm yet cooling breeze brushes past the trees causing it to shudder in response. Its leaves were in the shade of bright cooling green mixed with hues of pink symbolising spring.

Valeria woke up with her feet freezing off. She lightly groaned, slowly sitting up before wrapping the blanket around her body like a cocoon. She was about to fall back to sleep when she realised she was on her bed.

"I was sure I fell asleep somewhere else..."

"Ah, Your Grace are you finally awake?" Myra asked as she walked into the room with a wash basin for Valeria to wash her face.

"Oh Myra." Valeria looked around at her, "Did you bring me back to my room?"

Myra placed the basin filled with water down and shook her head. "No, Your Grace. It was the duke who brought you here."

Valeria blinked. "The duke? He did?"

"Yes Your Grace, it was surprising to see you come out from his room as well!" Myra exclaimed, her arms wiggling from excitement.

Valeria quickly lifted her hand up, "We did not do anything. The duke was sick so I took care of him."

"Your Grace, you took care of him!?"

"Is that even more shocking?" she raised an eyebrow at Myra.

Myra nodded, "Of course! Your Grace has never cared about the duke."

Although what Myra had said was true and accurate, Valeria couldn't help but feel like she got stabbed by an arrow of guilt. She awkwardly moved her line of sight away from Myra and to the basin of water.

She washed herself up and was about to get dressed when a maid knocked on the door. The maid looked at her once before pointing her gaze downwards the whole time as she spoke.

"Your Grace, the duke has asked this servant to tell you to dress nicely today."

"Dress nicely? For what?"

"The duke would like to go out with you to town today."

Valeria raised an eyebrow, not pleased by what she was hearing, "Today? Didn't he just recover?"

"Yes and the duke wants to-"

"No." Valeria cut off the maid who was still speaking.

The maid flinched in surprise, "..Pardon, Your Grace?"

"I said no," Valeria's cold eyes swept past the maid, "Tell the duke I do not want to leave today."

The maid, now afraid, hurriedly bowed and left the room, running off to report back to Aelius. Myra worriedly looked back at Valeria who had a sour look on her face.

"Your Grace, why did you reject the invitation?" she questioned, not understanding Valeria's train of thought and reason.

Valeria slowly brought her gaze up to Myra and responded, "He only just recovered and yet he wants to leave?" she lightly scoffed.

"He mustn't realise yet that it's easier to get sick again than recover." she muttered.

Myra then understood. "Your Grace, are you worried that the duke will get sick once more?"

Valeria didn't reply. She didn't want to admit she was somewhat worried for him. Living with an illness for her entire life, she clearly knew how well a small illness could grow into a huge problem causing deaths left and right.

"Just get me dressed." she muttered to Myra.

She was dressed into a classic water green dress with bell sleeves, at the waist of the dress, it was tied into a bow securely with a matching colour string.