Aelin panicked.
What? Didn't they say that the Duke was going to visit on his birthday? Everything was happening too fast. The boy couldn't process his thoughts, but he knew that he couldn't keep the Duke waiting. He fixed his clothes and calmed down, before leaving his room. Aelin descended the stairs and found the duke standing right at the entrance, observing the mansion interior. The boy walked down the stairs as calmly as he could, one simple mistake could be his downfall. When he reached the Duke, the boy bowed and greeted him.
"Greetings, Duke Alpheus. My maid had informed me of your arrival, but I was not expecting you to arrive so early. I'm sure you have your reasonshall we continue this conversation in a more suitable area?"
The Duke gave Aelin a nod, but Aelin cut the duke off before he could take a nother step.
"Ah! Please leave your shoes on the rack near the door. It is for sanitary purposes."
The Duke gave Aelin a strange look, but complied anyways. Even after living in this world for almost 10 years, Aelin still couldn't get used to not taking shoes off in a house.
He led the Duke to the living room, and they sat down on the couches. The Duke was the first to speak up.
"It must be rude of me to visit so abruptly, but I assure you, there is a good reason."
Aelin nodded at the Duke, signaling to continue.
"As you may know, I have a son, Ijekiel. He quite the smart child and someone who's easy to get along with. But what you might not know is that I have another child under my wing."
'I actually do know', Aelin thought, but he feigned surprise anyways.
"It may surprise you for me to say this, but you two are actually related."
'Ah', Aelin realised, 'that's what he came to talk about. It's happening earlier than I expected though.'
"Jenette, please come in."
The living room door opened, and in stepped a little girl the same age as Aelin, with brown hair and blue jeweled eyes.
It was Jennette.
❈ ◈ ❈
The duke had left Jennette and Aelin alone so that they could "bond without the grown ups". The room was quiet, and there was tension in the air, neither one knew when to speak first. After waiting a few more seconds, Aelin spoke up, breaking the awkward and tense silence.
"Would you care for some tea, Miss Margarita?"
Jenette flushed at the title she was given, her name wasn't often called with such nobility.
"A-ah! I-I would love to have some, thank you! A-and please drop the honorifics, you can just call me Jennette... or give me a nickname if you would like..."
The shy girl whispered the last part of her sentence, but the blonde boy's keen ears picked it up nonetheless.
"A nickname huh... I'll have to think about it."
Jennette's face flushed a bright red, not expecting the emerald eyed boy to hear her whisper. She quickly looked around for a way to change the topic, and noticed the maid walking in with a tea tray. Thank goodness, she was saved.
The girl carefully accepted the teacup and expressed her thanks to the maid. She took a sip of the tea, and her eyes sparkled.
YOU ARE READING
Warmth (WMMAP fanfic)
Fanfiction(ON TEMPORARY BREAK! WILL BE BACK AS SOON AS IT CAN BE!) He was in Lovely Princess. This "Lady Judith" was in fact Penelope Judith, ex-fiance of the Emperor. And the other baby next to him must be Jennette. He heard people rush into the room. He was...
