Lèse-majesté

Part 35

Chapter 34

Things didn't go as planned for the next two days for Astrid. She had to deal with a backlog of documents, as well as sorting out the issues in her fief. That couldn't be delayed as the people were suffering. However, thanks to Lady Cami and the Merchant guild belonging to her family, the procurement of supplies went smoothly. Soon a large convoy would depart the capital with the supplies needed to ensure her peoples' livelihood. Meanwhile, things with Lady O'fair had not progressed smoothly. After Eret's defiance, Lady O'fair had stormed out of the room. Half an hour later her father had barged into her office demanding how she could humiliate the Lady so. Astrid rightly concurred that their guest must have gone to complain about the whole situation. She had just sent him on his way, fuming, but it left her in a sour mood for the rest of the day. Dinner that night wasn't much better as Samuel was gushing about Lady O'fair's qualities as a wife to Edwin, who was still recovering. Rosalinda was also still holed up in her room and Esmeralda simply let her husband talk. Franky, it put Astrid off of her appetite for the night. She excused herself early though she felt bad for leaving Edwin alone in the dining hall.

For the following days, Lady Gretchen actually kept a low profile. Astrid pondered if her father had laid it out too thick at dinner that particular night but Astrid had heard not a peep from her and her entourage except for the need for basic necessities any Noble Lady would want. Even with the work piled up, Astrid planned. She had a steady correspondence with Hiccup and the twins. Her coachman delivered the letters diligently. She had also kept up a correspondence with Lady Heather and Lady Camicazi. The lather she wanted to thank for her contribution while the former wanted to talk with her on some manners pertaining to High Society. So it was that Astrid had organized an impromptu tea party. It was the height of the Social season after all, though she was hardly interested in watching the men peacock to get a lady's attention.

A knock on her office door jolted her out of her musings. Thinking it was Minden she paid not much mind when she uttered "Enter,".

"Excuse me, sister," A decidedly-not-Minden-voice said.

"Edwin," Astrid stood up when she saw the young man. "Come sit," She gestured to one of the plush chairs in the office. Edwin looked decidedly nervous. Surely Lady O'fair hadn't been making any unwelcome overtures when Astrid wasn't around.

"Astrid, I want to thank you for helping me break this engagement," Edwin began. "But I didn't come here for me,"

"Oh?" Astrid raised a brow.

"It's Rose," Edwin said while holding his breath as if Astrid might kick him out any second.

"Oooh," Astrid now muttered. Honestly speaking she hadn't given Rose much thought. At first, she was mad that her order to stay in her rooms had been disregarded. Then she had learned that Rosalinda had snuck out. Which made her even angrier. When she learned what had happened to Edwin on the way back from the fief she wanted to take an axe to a tree repeatedly. Rosalinda tested her sanity in ways that had Astrid contemplating bloody murder at times.

"I think she needs help," Edwin continued. Astrid looked at him with a frown and her half-brother must have sensed her incredulity. "Astrid please, I'm sure she didn't mean to push me," he pleaded. "Everything was all in the heat of the moment. I pushed her when she wanted to be left alone, I get it. It doesn't make right what she did, but I get it. Honestly speaking if I was her I'd have done the same thing."

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked with a frown as the way Edwin worded it had her become suspicious.

Edwin looked somewhat sheepish, though he took a deep breath before uttering "Rosalinda and I aren't really twins," He confessed. "She shares no blood with you though mother made it seem that way,"