Living The Life Of a Grand Duchess

chapter 8: glaringly real...

Katerina was ascending,the grand steps when she was greeted by a procession of her staff and quite a number of what looked military personnel standing at random places in the foyer.

"Good day gentlemen there seems to be a problem I am not aware of."
Katerina inquired

"Good afternoon Miss, the Lord will not be receiving any visitors today."

" I am the Lord's wife."

Silence enraptured the whole room.

" Welcome home your highness,if it pleases you shall I tell the kitchen staff to serve the guests lunch?"
Boris came and asked her.

" YOU sir  Have yet to answer my question,is there a problem that I don't know of?"
Katerina asked the military personnel infront of her" No not at all your highness."

"Yes, you may serve our guests lunch, I will go to freshen up so I can meet the Lord."

Yes your highness, the Lord is in his study with his right hand in command.

"Boris,who are all these men?"
Katerina asked.

" Answering her highness,they are some the highest standing men and eligible bachelors in society."

Everyone in the room was shocked, isn't she supposed to be ugly,smelly and dwarfed too I mean with the ridiculous nature and enormous amount of rumours buzzing about in the capital,it almost see real.
But when they set eyes on her,she was to die for.

Katerina meandered up the stairs like a white peacock with a façade of confidence heading straight to her quarters and when she got there she spoke to Olga and Katya and expressed her deepest fears unbeknownst to them coupled with a few other pressing issues like maybe I'm living someone else's life, that kind of thing.

"Oh Olga,I can't believe the time to face my estranged husband is here."
She says taking in deep breaths.

"I know I always seemed less concerned and nonchalant about his existence and presence in my life but he is now glaringly real and it's making me nervous,I can't help but realize and sieve through all the what ifs in my head,help me Olga what should I do,he might be an old man for I care."
She said on the verge of tears.

" I have never for once seen you weak and broken like this your highness,let's today not be the first time."
"Be strong as you always have, even when your mother died you never cried, when you arrived at the palace at such a young age and slept alone for two weeks in a dark room you never cried even though normal children would, when the tsarina and her children would treat you badly you never cried Even when your father shipped you here already married without your permission, you never cried so why now?"
" You always use your ability to block and harness emotions to your advantage so use it now to become your second self."
(Hinting at her mental health, Wilhelmina's mental health.)

Katerina instantly realized that the crack in her resolve was likened unto the usual behavior of the real Wilhelmina and so she strapped up the flood gates the best she could for now.

"Let's get me dressed for tonight's occasion Olga,this calls for celebration."

And so Olga helped Katerina roll and tie her hair in a Crown of silk cloth on her head for a heatless curl technique and also helped her take a bath whilst Katya made preparations to receive her at the bathroom door,she bath with piping hot water and used her bath oils and solutions which when coupled with the steam from the bathtub would melt the scents into her skin and hair and soothing the areas which she shaved resulting in silky soft and smooth hair and skin.

She exited the bathroom door and Katya met her with a linen cloth to dry he body.
She looked flushed and smelled good all over,she applied her jasmine scented body lard on her freshly bathed skin for a moisturizing effect,She then put on a loose light pink lace night gown that flowed to the ground a few inches excess with a train of 3 ft and was somewhat see through,with a v that stopped an inch under her breasts and let her hair down which fell to her thighs in waves,she adorned her self with a gold chain 6 Carat tear drop rose quartz with a smooth feel and similar earrings,she had a pearl ring on her right hand and a single pearl bracelet on her left wrist.
She put on her kitten heels and collected her scented lace fan from her dresser table.

"I think you are ready for dinner tonight,your highness."
Olga said with a knowing smile on her face.
This thirty one year old lady surely knew her way around men.

"I will ensure to lead this marriage even if it may not be the one of my dreams,I refuse to succumb to fate."

"Let's go then."
Katerina swayed her ample hips as she walked in a very sultry manner.

Meanwhile...
The head butler and chief of staff Boris vasiliy called everyone of the staff of gall

"Sir Boris why have you called all the staff here today there are guests that need attending to staying over for dinner and they are being left untended."
The head maid complained.

" Calm down Mrs Cowper I have a very important matter to address."

" You have the stage sir boris."
A tall and lanky old man held onto Mrs Cowper's arm in restraint.

"Thank you, Mr Cowper."
Boris thanked him

*Clears throat*

" As you all know by now,the Lord has returned to the estate after two long years.And he returned with guests."
" they stayed over for the duration of lunch and now dinner and with my years of experience in service to noble families I sense that there will be unrest at tonights dinner and lady Cordelia da Silva will be there, quite the bothersome lady she is."
" she will challenge the authority of the new madame and we must not let that happen,her honor must not be sullied.
The aftermath of this dinner will determine the amount of face the madame will lose or gain it will also decide her influence in society, but it will be a fierce battle as lady Cordelia holds a strong sway on the minds of the masses and she plans to use her influence and schemes to trap our lord so as loyal servants that live and die for our masters we must protect them at all cost .
Cordelia's aim is to cause a rift between them,we must avert this crisis.
failure to do this...I cannot even imagine the course of catastrophic events that come after.

"Sir Boris the madame is approaching the dining hall!"

" Quick, that's our que make sure to inform all the others that were not here."