Finally Found

Chapter 17 - Emilia

This garden is quickly becoming my favourite garden here in Hadlau, excluding the palace's own garden that is. I think it's the privacy of this garden that I prefer especially when I'm spending time with my mates, soon we won't have time for this or the space. Not with the amount of people who'll soon be arriving in case war is declared, and even if it isn't my mates have told me that they'll have to retake Nerkise anyway to restore order and keep the peace.

They'll get busier every day, it's a waiting game at the moment for troops and information to arrive but once those things start arriving it'll be non-stop planning and training. Luckily it seems that Lady Hess will keep me busy, first with the ball she's hosting soon and then she mentioned various charities that she helps and supports which I might be interested in helping as well.

It's nice getting to sit and enjoy a private dinner with them even though we always have dinner together since we got here it's never truly been alone. There'd always be servants running around just outside the dining room or coming in with more food or to take plates away. Now we're actually alone no servants around our only company being each other and the animals we can hear in the garden.

We take our time finishing dinner, picking at the food we'd been sent, before taking a slow walk around the garden to help the food go down. Only doing one lap around the garden we head back to the palace, today has been a long day but at least tomorrow will be easier. I have tea with Lady Hess and her friends in the morning but after that I've got the whole day to spend with my mates unless they get called in to deal with a Council issue. They don't think that'll happen though instead it might be a few days before another letter arrives.

Climbing into bed together we share a few kisses, they keep the kisses brief and light helping me to feel more comfortable with it. Lilas may have explained a lot about sex between them and it helped but I'm still not ready for anything more than these light sorts of kisses, although watching the deeper kisses they share together is starting to make me curious. Maybe soon I'll be comfortable enough for that.

In the morning with Talindra's help I carefully pick out a dress for the day, it needs to be comfortable but still nice enough to be meeting Lady Hess's friends in. We settle on an elegant red dress with sheer sleeves and beautiful embroidery around the neckline. I sit down allowing Talindra to brush and style my hair while I look over the jewellery trying to decide what'll go with the dress eventually settling on a pearl necklace and headdress.

Once I'm dressed I re-join my mates downstairs in the dining room, they've already started picking at breakfast so maybe it had taken longer than I thought for me to get ready. As I enter they look up towards the door and start staring for some reason.

"Is there something wrong? Should I wear something else?" I ask looking down at my dress trying to figure out what could be wrong with it.

"Nothing, you look beautiful." Lilas reassures me, "Come and eat something before you need to leave." Complying I walk over taking the seat next to Lilas and starting my own breakfast. Across from me I can still feel Bel looking at me.

"Having you given any thought to what you'll wear to Lady Hess's ball?" Bel asks leaning over the table slightly towards me.

"Not really, Madame Joanna has been sending the dresses I ordered here as soon as she finishes them but I don't really know what to wear for a ball."

"Don't worry. I've got an idea for one." Bel grins happily excitement shining in his eyes, "I'll start working on it today and if you don't like it you don't have to wear it." I nod in agreement making his smile grow even more. The dresses that Bel has made for me are my favourites and I know that I'll love whatever he makes.

Breakfast goes by quietly and quickly so before long I'm leaving the palace to go to Lady Hess's manor. Talindra is coming with me and not having anything else to do this morning my mates walk us there, after my first trip into the city I'm grateful that they're there. I know that I shouldn't be scared of going outside the Council area after all our day out at the market was fun but it couldn't undo a life of fear.