.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ᰔᩚ.ᰔᩚ ⭑. ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑
CH 119
The bathroom was quiet, save for the sound of splashing water and the servants shuffling about, no one dared to speak as Erna had her bath.
Erna sat silently in the middle of the bath, looking down at the petals that floated on its surface and waited for the time to pass. The lead up to her return she had been so terrified, but now that she was here, she felt calm in familiar territory. She didn’t know why she made such a fuss about returning to the palace.
“Your Highness,” Lisa said, casting a worried look at her mistress, “if you don’t feel like it, Mrs Fitz…”
“No, Lisa,” Erna said, raising her head.
Lisa saw the grim acceptance on Erna’s face and lowered her head without saying anything further.
After the bath, Erna got ready for the night, draping a long gown over her frail body and tying her hair up in ribbons.
“Have a peaceful night, Your Highness,” the servants said as they departed.
Erna stood along in the middle of the room, listening to the wood crackle in the fireplace. Maybe it was due to the new décor, but she felt unfamiliar with the room she had spent the last year in.
“One year,” she whispered to herself as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Come to think of it, this was the season she had gotten married. Erna tried to count the days left until their wedding anniversary, it was only a week, maybe ten days. She let out a resigned sigh. Confined to the palace as she was, she had lost track of the days completely.
It had been a day that she had been looking forward to for so long. She made grand plans to celebrate with Bjorn, hoping that he would not be too busy to be able to spend the whole day with her. She chuckled to herself, feeling childish in her expectations.
Erna decided that she would ask Mrs Fitz for the exact date in the morning. Bjorn would probably not take the anniversary seriously, but it was her duty as his wife to celebrate all the special days as a family.
As she looked about the unfamiliar room, her eyes caught on two crystal glasses sat on the side and memories of their first night together surfaced, before quickly being swallowed by the murky depths of her mind again.
She knew that as his wife, she was expected to provide pleasure to her husband in the bedroom. Perhaps that was her most important role, but she wondered how long she was going to be able to keep Bjorn’s interest.
With sleepy eyes and foggy mind, Erna checked the clock on the mantle, it was nearly time for Bjorn’s return.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
“Should I kill him?” Bjorn muttered. “Declare war by beheading him and send it back to Lars. After that, you and father can take care of it.” Bjorn narrowed his eyes as he examined Alexander’s empty seat.
Leonid put down his glass of water, a sly smirk on his face. The meeting of the Princes had gone on for far longer than either of them had wanted, all due to Alexander Hartford not wanting to leave. He stuck around like a bad smell.
He seemed so concerned with his sister’s comfort, about how she was going to be able to live the rest of her life with such a tarnished reputation. After giving voice to his thoughts, he broke down into tears. He wanted to appeal to Bjorn’s understanding, but was ultimately futile. How could he appeal for sympathy from a man incapable of sympathy?
“How’s that sound Leonid?” Bjorn’s crooked smile felt like a shark like. “I’ll pay for the war.” Bjorn’s annoyance was palpable.
“If you’re going to pay for it, then maybe you would also like to consider the breach of international treaties, diplomatic isolation and reparations.” Leonid said with a serious frown, throwing the joke back at Bjorn. “Now that he’s drunk enough, he’ll give up almost immediately.”
