•Lovesick Royals•(Remarried Empress)

Chapter 11

In the following day, the princess had been taking a nice stroll after her training had finished. Different thoughts swirled on her mind but one in particular has had her dazing off for the past couple days.
The preparations had gone smoothly, she had finally succeeded in protecting the blonde empress from the misfortune that would befall her, the snake like mistress had slowly began to show her true skin and her bastard brother is steadily loosing the trust & respect of the nobles and commoners. It was all going according to her plan, only a matter of time until she finally triumphs in her endeavors.

A cunning smile had overtaken her lips as she happily walked about. Oblivious of the archers hidden inside the brightly colored leaves of the trees, until noticing an arrow whiz past her overhead. She took in her sorroundings as she placed her hand over the hilt of her sword, ready to use if deemed necessary.

The different flora swayed with the wind as the bright sun pierced the mass of fluffy white clouds. Cautiously approaching the direction in which she saw the arrow shoot at.

"Oh god..." She mumbled.
A small blue bird lied on the ground, the arrow sticking out of its small blue body. Recognizing who the bird in disguise was, the bloodied creature was quickly scooped up in her arms and taken to the nearest place she could think of. The room of her green eyed duke.

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Ergi lounged around his room, sitting on his bed with a glass of wine on one hand and a brown leather bound book on the other. He enjoyed the silence and spolitude that kept getting taken away by the mistress of the emperor, as it seemed like the concept of time does not exist in her world. He snorted.

It crossed his mind to go and visit his royal lover, but he knew that she had a lot of things in her mind right now. He didn't want to disturb her.

His resolution diminished when none other than the ravenette princess burst through the door with a panicked and disheveled look. He was about to ask what was wrong until she showed the wounded bird wrapped in her arms.

"He was likely on his way to deliver a letter to Navie. I didn't realize someone was hiding" she stumbled with her words as the duke took the bird and started treating it. The ravenette helped him in any way she can, giving him the gauze, the ointment, and other things he needed.

Once he was finished, the brunette placed the blue bird on his bed and made sure the small animal wouldn't fall.
Turning around, his eyes caught sight of the princess sitting on his chair, her dark hair was let out of its ribbon as she ran her hand through her hair.

Without a word he silently walked towards her and picked her up before sitting down and placing her on his lap.
Rieka placed her head on his chest as the duke twirled a piece of her hair around his finger.
The ravenette looked up at him and trailed her silver eyes around his face.
"Have you not been sleeping recently?" She asked. The dark circles around his eyes catching her attention.

The ash haired man shrugged and shook his head at her question, burying his head into her neck before he placed a kiss on her skin. His action sending shivers down her spine as he continued.

Rieka cuddled into him more when she felt her eyelids become heavy and she left out a small yawn. Ergi let out a chuckle at the sight, he started humming and watched as the princess fell asleep in his arms.

As he was about to doze off as well, he heard loud knocking on his door. He groaned. In the palace full of maids and butlers who valued proper etiquette, there was one person who could care less about such manners. Rashta.

Before she could continue her incessant knocking, the ash haired duke placed the princess on the other side of his bed(moving the sleeping blue bird away on the couch, in case he turned back to his human state) before he fixed himself and slowly opened the door. Making sure that the princess wasn't visible.

"Lady Rashta" he greeted.

The black eyes of the mistress lit up when she saw her friend.
"Duke!" She tried to push the door wider. "Can i come in?"

The ash brunette firmly held it in place as a sarcastic smile formed on his lips.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to entertain guests right now"
The duke observed as the snowy haired girl's face fell, it was obvious she didn't expect him to refuse her request.
She opened her mouth to ask why but closed it in the end.

"Then I'll come back another time then"
Ergo nodded as he waved and swiftly closed the door.

His actions had confused Rashta, he was never one to refuse any of her request, and she wanted to ask more about the imperial family, but she guessed she won't get her answers for today.
"What is he hiding for me...?" She mutters dejectedly. Walking sadly back to her room with different thoughts plaguing her mind.

•|•|•

A few hours after the incident.
In the room of the empress, the blonde sat on her bed while she listened to the story her ginger haired lady-in-waiting regaled.

"It's true your majesty, I saw it with my own eyes. Her majesty really held a wounded bird with her. I couldn't quite make out the color as she wrapped it with her scarf to try and stop the bleeding"

Countess Eliza looked at her mistress to see what her reaction might be.
"If it really was true, then his majesty, King Heinley I did not loose a messenger bird." She tried to reassure the anxious royal. The countess had been worried ever since the blonde empress woke up, not wanting the woman to strain herself too much after the shock.

"The only way to confirm it would be to ask Rieka myself." Then a confused look settled on her face as she furrowed her brows.
" The blue bird being rescued by the princess is something I can believe..." She trailed off as she turned her gaze towards her 2 ladies-in-waiting.

"But it's still quite hard to wrap my head around the last piece of information you have told me"

Laura shook her head in protest of Navier.

" I have no reason to lie your majesty...
The princess has a special relationship with the Duke"

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