Clueless -Canute x reader-

5.

Chapter 5
The next steps    

Inappropriate. 

The singular word that plagued Y/n's mind as she pondered over her recent encounters with the king. Swirling the cup of strong wine, she felt herself being hypnotized by the circling scarlet liquid. Completely indulged in her thoughts, the sounds of her comrades who sat around her at the table fell muffled to her ears. 

'I slept in another mans bed.' 

It'd been a full day since the day she'd awoken in the kings chambers, engulfed by his warm sheets that were bathed in his scent. Laying under his stare that was usually piercing and intimidating when pointed towards other, but softened when focused on her features. 

She believed the king didn't have any ulterior motives in his actions towards her, only desperately longing genuine camaraderie. Although the guilt building in her stomach was pushing the bile to her throat, leaving a bitter feeling in her mouth she couldn't rid of. 

While her husband was home, fighting for his last breath, she was here laid in another mans bed? 

It didn't matter what intentions were, she'd overstepped. She mentally noted to never step foot into the mans chambers when the sun had already fallen. 

 "Look who it is." Wulf's voice hadn't pulled Y/n from her thoughts, it was actually the gentle nudge he'd given her arm. Missing his words entirely her brows knitted together slightly in confusion as her head turned to the man seated beside her. 

While the man chose not to repeat himself to the woman who clearly didn't hear him, he instead gestured his head towards the entrance of the great hall. 

Two woman stood at the entrance, but only one had caught Y/n's eye. 

Wavy Hazelnut brown hair that plunged gracefully down her shoulders, coupled with eyes of a similar shade. Her pale complexion complimented the pink of her heart-shaped lips, the synthetic blush adorning her cheeks giving her appearance more youth. The accessories around her neck flaunting her status, her thin figure wrapped in a pretty but casual dress. 

"Who is that?" Y/n asked Wulf in a hushed tone, not noticing how the male rolled his eyes at her as her eyes were still fixated on the beautiful woman. 

"I swear you're never paying attention these days." He grumbled disappointingly under his breath, speaking his thoughts aloud to himself. 

Y/n didn't bother question the man again, her gaze following the woman's steps as she was lead to the front of the hall to the table where Canute sat with his sister and some other nobles. 

She watched as Canute greeted her with a synthetic smile, the woman returning the expression with a smile of her own that failed to reach her eyes before she sat down. 

"Those two are probably going to end up married." Wulf passively said, taking another spoonful of the warm flavourful food. 

"Huh?" Y/n gaped, finally removing her stare from the woman to turn her head towards the older man seated beside her once again. 

Wulf suppressed his laughter, signalling to the woman to pick her jaw off the floor. Pressing her lips together in a firm line, embarrassed Y/n shook her head slightly. 

"Emma, daughter of the Duke of Normandy." Wulf answered without needing to hear the question, Y/n practically screamed it with her eyes that were still wide in both confusion and surprise. "You've really just been in your own world lately, hah." 

"You speak of this as if everyone already knows." Y/n teased, as if implying if she hadn't known then this arrangement had to have been kept under wraps. After all, countless hours where she could've been at her husbands bedside she was spending serving her duties in the castle. There's no way something so important couldn't swept under her nose.