The Lord in Blue

Chapter 1

I wake up to the sound of someone giggling. My niece. I can hear her getting closer to my bed, trying not to make any noise despite the creaky old floor giving away that she is coming. Once she is close enough, I hear her take a big breath before she screams "happy birthday, auntie!"

Downstairs my family has made a special breakfast. My two younger sisters hug me, while my brother-in-law just smiles at me. My mother, on the other hand, is already giving me her judgy look that always says the same: you are getting old, you are unmarried, you are a disgrace to the family and to the crown.

Because we are royals. My father was the late King's brother, and the current Queen is my cousin, almost like an older sister. We grew up together at court, and even though she was the heir to the throne, we did everything together. From taking the same lessons, to spending the day reading on the woods or sneaking out to see the cute boys swimming on the lake. But everything changed when my father got sick and we had to move to the countryside.

I was 16, about to be properly introduced in society. But that never happened. The doctor had said that the country air would benefit my father's health, but that didn't happen either. After he died, my mother decided to stay there, she didn't want the pitiful looks from the other ladies.

A couple of years later, the King died, which started a civil war. Some lords didn't want a woman on the throne, and bastard sons appeared out of nowhere. But in the end my cousin showed them all that she was meant to be queen, and time has proven it.

Everything that was happening in the country, my mother not wanting me to marry someone who wasn't a Lord, and me not wanting to marry someone who could be my father or joining a nunnery, lead us here. To my birthday. To accepting that I'm going to be the unmarried rich aunt who spoils her nieces and nephews with everything they want.

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We were almost done with our breakfast when someone knocked on the front door. A messenger.  And not any messenger, a royal one.

"This is for the birthday lady" he says. "The Queen has order me to wait until you give an answer to her letter".

As I take the package and the letter from him, my mother shows him the way to the kitchens, where he can wait.

I open the little package first. Inside it there is a pearl necklace with our family's initial in gold hanging from it, just like the one the Lady from my favorite painting at court wears. I just hope I have better luck than her and can keep my head on my shoulders.

While my sisters and my niece marvel at it, I read the letter.

Dear cousin,

It's your birthday! I know you don't like celebrating them, but this is a special one! And not because of what your annoying mother says (don't tell her I called her that). Your life isn't over, you aren't a disgrace. In fact, those two things are about to change. I need you back at court with me. As my Lady, as my right hand. Big things are happening by winter, and I need people I can trust next to me. And there also  is a certain someone I want you to meet, someone that both you and your mother will like. Yes, he exists. Please tell me you'll come back.

Kind regards, the Queen.

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The next few days pass in a blur. It's all about getting ready, packing my things, getting new dresses, new shoes, new everything. I don't have time to think about what is about to happen, though there was not much to think about, to be honest. I love living in the countryside, but I miss the court and my cousin.

When it's time to leave, everyone is crying, telling me how much they'll miss me, how happy they are for me. Everyone but my mother, of course. When she comes to say goodbye, she only says one thing. "This is your second chance. Don't ruin it".

I don't share a single tear. It isn't until I'm more than half way through my trip that it finally hits me, and I can't stop crying. I'm leaving that little bubble that has been my home since what it feels like forever, I'm not going to see my family in a long time. I'm going back to court, to a new one full of strangers except for my cousin. I have no idea about how it works. And I'm not a kid anymore, I'm an adult, and at court people play very dangerous games. Just ask the Lady from the painting.

While I'm thinking about her and her life, my carriage suddenly stops, and I can hear the horses complaining. Before I can get out, the driver comes to me.

"There is a tree on the road, my lady. It probably fell last night during the storm."

"What are we going to do now?" I ask.

"We can try and move it using one of the horses, but it'll take some time."

I just nod at his suggestion, leaving the carriage in case I can be useful somehow.

Moving the tree takes longer than I expected, but mainly because the horses aren't in the mood to cooperate. Seeing that this is going to take some time, I pick one of my books and sit under one of the trees to read. I've not finished the first page, when I hear that someone is coming. Two riders. They stop when they see the carriage.

"What has happened here?" one of them asks. He has dark hair and quite a big nose. Big, but interesting. Suddenly, he turns to look at me, brown eyes scanning my face. I know I was staring at him, and I instantly feel the heat coming to my face. Thankfully, my driver stars telling him what has happened, making him look the other way. I try to focus on my book, let the men discuss what to do with the tree and the horses. But I can't help it and I look at him from time to time. He's wearing very fancy clothes, all of them a dark shade of blue. So is his companion. They probably are some lords who live in the area and who went for a ride.

With the help of their horses, who were more willing to cooperate than ours, they all move the tree to one side. When they've finished, I see him smile. He has a beautiful smile, but just as big as his nose. Is everything on him big, I wonder? Wait, what am I think about? Woman, focus! I can feel the heat coming back to my face again when I notice him walking towards me.

"We've moved the tree, my lady. You can continue with your journey."

"Thank you very much, Lord..."

"Lord Mount" he says. "Count Mount to be more precise".

The most horrible laugh ever leaves my mouth when he says it.

"I'm so sorry, my lord. I didn't mean to be rude." I can feel my face burning again and I want to hide, but I don't know where.

"It's fine", he says. "I'm used to people laughing when they first hear it, I've been teased about it since I can remember."

"I'm sorry you've had to endure that, my lord" I reply.

"Don't be, my lady. I've got my revenge on most of them." When I look at him, he's smirking, a dimple showing on his left cheek. "Hope we'll see each other again, my lady" he says while bowing.

"My lord" I bow back.

He and his companion are gone, and I'm back on my carriage, already on the move. But there is only one thing I can think about. That smirk and that damned dimple on his left cheek.