To Love Your Husband

Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

My husband hates me. Anna Katherine slumped against the window seat of their room, her heart tight. The book she was reading sat open and ignored on her lap as she brooded.

She thought they might grow to love each other, but he was becoming more cold daily. He left before she woke and spoke to her in clipped tones throughout the day. Now her only relief in her muddled life, Brandt, was away. The captain of his military division, he took his men to stamp down a rebellion in one of the inner towns. He was the only thing keeping her from total depression. It was wrong to continue loving him so, but could not help seeking affection even if it was only friendship. She counted the days until his return, only four more to go.

Even friendship would be preferable to Lelio's and her current situation, but he kept his distance. Anna Katherine pressed her forehead to the cool glass of the window. Autumn was in full swing and the court gardens were awash with reds and oranges.

Only a few months ago she thought perhaps Lelio might like her a bit. It was the second time they had met, their first meeting only a few weeks before at her sister's new home. The Prince was celebrating his twentieth birthday with a ball and she had been foolishly excited. She had planned to dance the night away with Brandt.

Anna Katherine wore a blue gown embroidered with lilies and had her hair in intricate braids atop her head. As she entered with her family and greeted the royal family her eyes scarcely left Brandt. Once the dancing began she became a wallflower, dancing only once with her father and brother-in-law. Brandt on the other hand had women falling at his feet for a dance, so she contented herself to just watching him. A particularly striking woman caught his attention halfway through the night and Anna Katherine could no longer watch him fawn over other women.

"-rather dull. Not like Prince Brandt." Her ears perked up at the sound of her prince's name.

"He is attractive you must admit." A couple of girls tittered close by.

"But he is so cold!"

"He dances because he must and makes it apparent."

"And badly at that." One of the girls whispered and the others screeched in laughter.

Anna Katherine knew they were talking about Prince Lelio and found him in the crowd of dancers. He looked incredibly bored as he spun an older woman around a bit clumsily. She was doing all of the talking and he seemed to be spacing out. It was rude, albeit more than a little funny. She hated to laugh at anyone, but he looked so done with the woman it was comical. Her raspy voice could be heard from where Anna Katherine was standing. When he suddenly made eye contact with her from where he was dancing she had to press her lips together to keep from laughing. He made a 'kill me' face at her and she pressed her fingers to her lips.

Lelio practically ran from the woman once the song was over. He took two flutes of campaign from a passing server and made his way toward her. She gratefully took the glass that he offered her and sipped at it.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Lelio asked as they watched the crowd together.

She cut her eyes at him. "More than you it would seem."

"For as terrible a dancer as myself it takes concentration to dance. It becomes excessively difficult when someone distracting you with idle chatter about themselves."

"I think the trick lies in not concentrating."

"Easily said by a claimed wonderful dancer." He grinned slightly.

"Yes dubbed so by a self proclaimed terrible dancer." She laughed lightly and he smiled again flashing some teeth this time.

Anna Katherine happened to glance back in the direction of the chattering girls she had been watching earlier and noticed them glowering at her. Shocked, she turned her back to them and faced more toward Lelio. He noticed her movement and looked over her head at the girls with a slight frown on his lips.