When the water starts to cool down, it's time to end the bath.
I've been staring at the Duke for the whole time, and he didn't turn even once. I don't know his name yet, but I can't bring myself to ask.
He has been reading a book for a while, using the light of a small lantern. The rest of the room is illuminated by the giant chandelier pending from the roof. It has tens of candles and some pretty stones that reflect the light all over the place.
When I was brought in the throne hall, it was already late in the afternoon. By now, dinner time must have come.
Still, the Duke isn't hurrying me to finish my bath.
The water has become of a colour I wish could be forgotten. It's cold and full of dirt, so I have to get out. Still, I don't want to expose my body once more. It's a stupid concern, but I can't help it.
When staying in the tub becomes more uncomfortable than walking around naked, I decide with a sigh to get out. I wrap my body in the towels found on a chair nearby, and I consider whether to wear back the black dress. It's lying on the floor, a few steps from the door.
To reach it, I have to walk by the Duke. I don't want to catch his attention.
I don't want that dress anymore either. It smells awful, and I want to forget the state my body was in just an hour ago.
«Open the wardrobe, the right panel,» the Duke utters without moving.
The wardrobe is behind, so I just turn around. I do as the Duke told me, and I find some dresses hung in there. There are also socks, underwear and everything a woman could need, including a couple of soft room-slippers.
The clothes are all in the style we use in Polis, so I'm able to wear them without help.
In Ethiro, they use different layers, and each of them requires a complicated procedure to be worn. The ladies wear long skirts that use more space than what is acceptable, and they have to help themselves with their hands if they want to walk without tripping. They cage their torso in tight corsets, trying to look as slim as possible.
In Polis, though, the climate is warmer, and we like to be free in both movements and behaviour. My clothes are all high waisted, light gowns. They're loose enough to let me walk as fast as I want, and they let the wind caress my skin while walking in the royal garden.
«You can wear what you want if you don't get out of this part of the palace. When you get to the court, though, you'll have to wear Ethirians clothes,» the Duke explains, probably imagining the grin on my face.
My head nods, showing him that this Queen is not misunderstanding his intentions. It was rather obvious. Yet, it's nice that he allows me to stay comfortable at least in my private time. It makes me feel less desperate.
«From tomorrow, the maids will help you with clothes and hairstyle. Is it all right?»
«I don't think that my opinion has any value,» I point out while choosing a mauve gown. I also wear socks because this stone palace starts to feel cold.
My body is covered just in time.
Someone knocks, and the Duke turns towards me for the first time. He doesn't insist: he glances for a second, just to confirm that all that needs to be covered is under the vests.
Once he's checked that I'm presentable, he walks to the door and opens it. Two servants come in, bringing dinner.
I walk to a chair nearby, paying little attention to my surroundings.
While rubbing my hair with a towel, I sit far from the table they're setting. I pretend not to be influenced by the scent of the food, not to show a savage part of my character to the world.
YOU ARE READING
Crazy Duke and Fallen Queen
RomansaShe's the Queen who lost a war. And he's the man who won. Theodora was the Queen of Polis, a city-state that lost the war against the most powerful empire in the continent. She is sure that they'll execute her immediately, but somehow she survives t...
