The Lord in Blue

Chapter 9

"You want to go home?" my cousin asks, too stunned to say anything else.

"Yes, I do. If I want to move on from what happened, I need to leave this place. At least for a while. I'll be back for your wedding, I promise."

"But... But I thought you would be here to help me with everything. You know you are way better than I am at organizing things. And you haven't seen the dress yet!" she says between sobs. I can't remember the last time I saw her cry. "I understand why you want to leave," she says "but still..."

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I'm on my way back to the palace after a little stroll in the garden when I hear him call for me.

"My lady!" Lord Mount says, running a hand through his hair as he tries to put it on place. He is very in need of a haircut. "Is it true what the Queen told me? You are leaving?"

"I am."

"Have you ever seen the sea, my lady?" he asks after a few seconds of silence.

"I have not. Why?" I say, finally looking at him, a little smile starting to show on his lips.

"I'm going back home for a few days, there are some papers my father wants me to sign. Why don't you come with me?"

"To your home? With your family?" I ask.

"Yes, why not? You know I have a big family, there is plenty of space for everyone in the house. You'll be so entertained by all of us that you won't have time to think about anything else" he says. "And you'll be in a new place, one you haven't seen before. I'll take you to the beach, to my favorite places. I'm the best tour guide" he says with a wink, making me laugh.

"It'll be fun, I promise" he says, grabbing my hands. "You'll be able to move on, and then come back to help the Queen with the wedding. I know how excited you were about it."

"What will your family think?"

"I don't know" he shrugs. "But they'll probably treat you like the princess that you are, while constantly teasing me about everything since I'm the youngest one."

"You being the one who is being teased instead of the one who teases? That sounds interesting..." I say.

"Is that a yes?" he asks.

"I think it is, yes"

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"You understand how serious this is, don't you?" my cousin says. "He's taking you to meet his family. His family!"

We are walking towards the back entrance of the palace, where the carriage is waiting. 

"I know, cousin. You've been saying that for a week now" I say, letting out a big sigh. This trip has been everything she's talked about since I told her about it, making her even forgotten about her own wedding.

As expected, Lord Mount is already there. 

"You better take care of her, my lord. If anything happens to her, I'll kill you with my own hands" my cousin says to him. She tries to make it sound as a joke, but her eyes don't lie. She's being serious.

"I will, your majesty. I promise" he says.

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We've been on the road for a few hours when he asks the carriage to stop. 

"Are we there yet?" I ask, confused.

"No, not yet. But there is something I want to show you. Come" he says as he opens the door. "Do you trust me?" he asks, grabbing my hand.

"I suppose I do, yes."

"Then close your eyes and follow me."

I do as he says, not sure about what is going on. It is so windy outside, that I feel like if he wasn't holding me, the wind could carry me away.

"Lord Mount, where are we going?" I say, hoping he can hear me.

"We are almost there, my lady. Trust me" he shouts over the wind. We walk a few more steps before he stops. His hand leaves mine, moving to my waist. He's behind me. "Open your eyes" he says in my ear, a chill going through my whole my body as I realize how close he is. When I open my eyes, I can only see blue, a color similar to the one he always wears. And I hear myself gasp. "The sea, my lady" he says, hugging me closer to him.

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When we arrive at his family home the sun is already setting, the sky a color I had never seen before. A couple, who I presume are his parents, are waiting outside of the big house.

"My lady" the woman says as we approach. "Welcome to our house. Hope the journey wasn't too uncomfortable."

"Not at all, my lady. The beautiful views made it be shorter than it was" I say with a shy smile.

After the proper introductions are made, we go inside. And Lord Mount was right, the house is huge. We walk into one of the living rooms, where one of his sisters and his brother are waiting. He looks so much like him.

"You just missed the little one, her father is putting her to bed" his sister says. "But you'll have plenty of time to be together during the next few days."

"Come with me, I'll show you to your room" Lady Mount says. "You probably want to refresh yourself a bit before we have dinner." I nod before following her through a big staircase. "Our rooms are this way" she says when we make it to the top. "Yours is the other way. It's a bit far from ours, but I think you won't mind. The views are way better from there." And she wasn't wrong. From my room's window I can see the beach, the sea, part of the sun setting. "Come downstairs when you are ready" she says. "There is no rush."

We have dinner in a big room that looks at the beach. Even at night, the view is breathtaking. I don't say much, just eat and drink, but I find myself laughing at the way Lord Mount keeps being teased by his brother. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that.

The next day, when I arrive for breakfast, everyone is already there, included Summer, Lord Mount's niece. She waves at me when she sees me.

"Good morning, my lady" Lord Mount's father says as he helps me to my seat. "Hope you slept well."

"I did, my lord. The sound of the waves was more calming than I had expected" I say. 

Which is true. My cousin had said that she didn't like the coast because of the waves' noise, that they didn't allow her to sleep. But with me it was as if they were singing me a lullaby.

While we are eating, a letter arrives.

"I'm afraid your older sister won't be able to come" Lady Mount says. "One of the kids has a cold, nothing serious."

"That means you'll have to come visit us again, my lady" Lord Mount's brother says, smiling at me the same way his little brother does when he's plotting something. Now I know where he got it from.

They spend the rest of the day showing me the house and its surroundings, Lord Mount's brother constantly telling me anecdotes about things his little brother did as a kid on those places. 

"He lost his first tooth over there after he fell trying to catch a seagull. And he used to say that mermaids lived over there."

The next day, we go for a walk in the beach. Summer keeps stopping to pick shells, always giving them to me and saying "gift". When we make it back to the house, my hands are full with them.

"Don't you dare throwing them away" Lord Mount says. "I did once, and she kicked me on the shin. Who knew a two year old could kick like that." 

Again, I find myself laughing, and we are looking at each other, smiling like idiots.

"C'mon you two" his mother says. She has definitely seen what just happened, her smile gives it away.