The Duchess - Gruvia

Chapter 19

Gray stood in front of the door, his heart beating fast, hands sweating and he honestly didn't know exactly what he was feeling.

When he left the castle earlier that day, all he was going to do was to ride to a nearby village to check on some of the structures that needed to be remade and then ride back home, after all, even three days later, Juvia was still bedridden per doctor's orders and he didn't want to leave her on her own for too long.

Somehow, he ended up in front of his father's room at the River Kraken's Inn.

"You can go home, Gray." Loke, who had accompanied him, told Gray. "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."

"I do." Gray said to his friend. "Juvia is right, I need answers and he's the only one who's got them. I don't want to be confused anymore. In a few days I'm going to be a father myself and I can't start that with this heaviness with my own." Loke nodded. "Stand outside, I want to speak with him alone."

"Very well." The orange haired man took a step to the side and watched as Gray finally gathered enough courage to knock on the door.

"One moment." His father's voice from inside the room made Gray's stomach turn with nervousness and he suddenly felt ill. Even though he had days to assimilate his father was alive, the notion still surprised him. A few seconds after the knock, the door was opened and Gray was facing his father. "What is....it?" Silver finally registered who stood in front of him and his eyes widened. "Gray." He breathed.

Trying to be as expressionless as he could, The Duke nodded once. "I need to talk to you." Even as nervous as he was, Gray tried to sound as clear and polite as possible. "Is this a good time?"

Silver blinked two times and finally opened the door wider. "Yes, yes. Of course." The older man stepped aside and Gray walked inside the room. "Is he coming in?" Silver asked about Loke.

"No. You may close the door." The Duke said and after his father nodded and closed the door, Gray looked around the small room; it was very simple, a single bed, a dresser and a table with only one chair, all bare, and a small suitcase by the corner. The bed was impeccably made, but there were some laundry that appeared to be clean and some were folded.

"You are accustomed to greater rooms, I know. I'm sorry for the mess and the simple room, I... that's what I could afford if I were to stay a long time." Silver looked ashamed and Gray could see the lines on his face much clearly, then.

"I know where I come from." Gray raised his chin. "A simple room doesn't bother me."

Silver nodded, his hands behind his back and he was looking to the floor. "Yes." Gray narrowed his eyes but said nothing. "May I ask how is Lady Juvia? I gather you know she came to visit me; I hope you didn't get too angry with her, she came with a guard and we were in public."

Gray felt his throat close for a second and guilt crashed down on him, but Silver didn't seem to know about the altercation between them, he was merely asking out of curiosity.

"She's the reason why I am here." Gray managed to say. "We exchanged words when she returned home and she fainted due stress."

Silver looked up from the floor, his eyes wide and clearly worried. "How is she? And the baby?"

"They are fine." Gray answering, studying his father's expressions. "But the doctor was worried about an earlier delivery, so he put her in bed rest."

The older man breathed in relief. "Good. That's... good. She's a sweet girl, nice."

"She is." Gray agreed and they stayed in silence for a few seconds and Gray couldn't hold his questions any longer. "You know why I am here. You know everything I will ask you, don't you?"