stem of hearts

Beauty

ELIAS

I swear I felt a vice closed on my heart as she stepped into the room.

I had never seen a lady so beautiful. Her hair caught my attention right off the bat. It looked soft, falling around her face in soft curls. The colour reminded me of autumn, with the russet undertones.

My chair scraped the floor as I stood, my heart thrumming in my chest. She looked puzzled. That was pretty much all I could decipher from her. I had never excelled at reading people. I glanced away, then back. I could feel warmth rush to the tips of my ears. I didn't want her to see. That would be mortifying.

Damien startled me as he spoke. "Mademoiselle von Rosewald, Earl van Cortlandt. Earl van Cortlandt, Mademoiselle von Rosewald. Er- have a seat, mademoiselle." I watched him pull out her chair, my eyes glued to his movement. I should've done that. God, how stupid was I? Damien had always been more proactive. How embarrassing for me.

It took me a moment to process everything as I watched Camille sit. I knew she was from that quaint little village near the valley. I'd only been once. Mum had lived there when she was little, so Father had taken us to the lake on a warm autumn day when I was a boy.

Once I realised how stupid I looked, I quickly took my seat as well. This was already a mess.

. . .

I buried my face in my hands, groaning as I sat on the ottoman. "Gods..." I rubbed my face, frustrated.

Damien laughed, wiping his eyes as he shut the door. "Thank you for that brilliant entertainment, Atrix." He bowed his head, laughing still.

I grit my teeth, huffing. "Would it kill you to let me have just a touch of dignity, Damien?" I hissed. He only laughed harder, which only irritated me farther.

"My liege, you've already messed that up enough for yourself." He cackled, hitting his leg breathlessly. "God, that poor girl. You looked like you were about to leap over the table and strangle her, you know."

"I did not." I snapped. Had I? Damien excelled at making me feel bad.

The butler inhaled deeply, his laughter ceasing. "It wasn't that bad, monsieur. Nothing you can't fix with a little time." He reassured, smiling faintly.

I sighed, looking away. I was no good at relationships. Adite knew why Damien had stuck around all these years. I was probably hell to deal with. Not even probably- I was. "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"True." He sighed, patting my knee so I'd look at him. "But I might be right." He shrugged as he undid my tie.

I leaned back onto my arms with a heavy sigh. "I don't have the bandwidth for this. For her. I'm hardly a nice person."

"You're nice enough, I think." Damien tucked the tie into the top left drawer of the dresser.

"Thanks." I scoffed. How sweet of him. Nice enough? That wouldn't be sufficient. I needed to be an absolute saint if I wanted to have any chance. I was certainly no saint.

"Are you going to be difficult all night, my liege?" Damien sighed.

"I'm not being-" I huffed, rubbing my face. "Whatever. You can go. I'll be fine."

The butler lingered by the foot of the bed for a moment, then he headed toward the door with a sigh. "Remember your medicine."

"I know." I snapped. He left the room. I sat up, exhaling a heavy breath. Great. Apparently I couldn't go a day without upsetting everyone.

A bird squawked in the window. I jumped, my heart practically leaping out of my chest. I glanced over, my eyes narrowing as I saw the crow. I hated birds. "Get out of my window." I sneered, getting up. It's black eyes met mine, unflinching. I slammed the curtain shut, the noise startling it away. A black feather floated to the ground as the bird fled my balcony. I slid down the wall, burying my face in my hands. I sat there in silence, my eyelids drooping. Taking my medicine slipped my mind as I drifted off.