There was blood…
WAIT—!
THERE WAS BLOOD?!
Lilian's face blanched as the matron's words settled.
Meanwhile, Lady Constance stared at the stained sheets with open disgust, almost as if she couldn't believe it, before slowly turning her gaze to Lilian. "Well then… it seems someone will be living under the Morvane roof after all."
The Matron folded the sheets sharply and handed it back to the servants. "It is confirmed. I must return at once to inform His Majesty about it."
While their voices drifted like distant echoes, Lilian looked down at herself. She was still in the same nightgown she had worn to sleep, wrinkled but untouched. Her body felt no different. No soreness. No discomfort. No sign of anything intimate having happened last night.
Then how did she end up here? In his bed?
The more confused she was, the more her heart thudded.
Where did the blood come from? She had fallen asleep on the chaise lounge, had she not? So what happened?
And more importantly… Where was the Duke? What had he done?
As the Matron swept out of the chamber with her entourage, Lady Constance paused at the door and fixed Lilian with a hard stare. "A proper wife knows well to rise from bed before her husband. Get dressed and come downstairs quickly. Do not make me return to drag you out of here myself."
The door shut with a crisp snap after that, leaving Lilian alone with her racing thoughts.
**********
Lady Constance personally escorted the matron to the gates.
"It seems forcing my nephew into marriage wasn't enough for the crown," she said to the Matron. "They had to insist on consummating the forced marriage as well, pressuring him to bed that unknowing girl. I trust His Majesty will be satisfied with the news you're carrying, and won't demand for more."
The matron offered no retort. She kept her expression neutral and inclined her head slightly as a show of respect.
"Have a good day, My Lady," she said instead, before climbing into the carriage.
Lady Constance watched in silence as the wheels rolled past the gates and disappeared down the road. Only after the carriage was gone did she draw her cloak tighter around her shoulders. With a sharp motion, she summoned her personal maids who lingered at the main entrance of the fortress, and she made her way toward the northern barracks.
She stopped at the threshold rather than stepping inside. The barracks were, as always, loud and unforgiving, with the relentless rhythm of steel striking against steel, the harsh commands cracking through the air, and the pungent mix of iron, sweat and cold lingering like an unwelcomed haze around her.
It was hardly a place she intended to wade into.
"You there, fetch me the duke," she instructed the nearest guard, her breath misting in the air. "Tell him his aunt is here to see him."
The guard bowed swiftly and hurried within.
Constance remained by the gate, her gloved fingers drumming lightly against her arms as she waited. The sharp Northern wind tugged insistently at the hem of her cloak, but she barely flinched.
A couple of minutes passed before Caelan finally emerged from the barracks, the cold air clinging to the heat still rising off his skin. His hair was habitually tied back in a loose messy bun, with several strands escaping to fall across his handsome face.
She noticed the faint sheen of sweat at his temples, a clear sign he had been pulled abruptly from training.
He stopped a few paces in front of her, his breathing barely uneven despite the exertion. "Aunt," he said simply. "What are you doing here of all places? I thought you hated coming anywhere near the barracks."
Lady Constance regarded him with a calmness that she rarely afforded anyone else. "You returned last night and only thought to have informed me today? If you think I found it amusing that I figured out your arrival from a palace matron, then you're most definitely wrong."
Caelan's jaw ticked almost imperceptibly at her complaint. She was waiting for him to explain his reasons behind not informing her, and he did not avoid her gaze.
"I've been busy."
"So I gathered." Her gaze swept over him— his loosened uniform, the sheen of sweat, the unruly strands from his bun— before settling her gaze on his eyes. "So you went ahead and bedded that unknowing girl."
His brows dipped, but his voice remained steady. "I had to. The Crown demanded it as part of the treaty."
"I'm aware of what the crown demanded," Constance replied evenly. "But I did not expect you to comply so readily."
Caelan's eyes narrowed a fraction at her annoyance, but he did not respond out of anger. "I did what was required to secure the Southern borders. Nothing more."
"Even so, you know the type of family she comes from." Constance lips tightened. "She is a Vale. Why allow such a disgraced woman onto your bed? She will taint it with her misfortune."
Caelan exhaled slowly through his nose. "Aunt, we've been through this already. I don't think I have to explain myself all over again to you."
"I see. Then it was our mistake for letting her live after all those years," she crossed her arms tightly. "But do you truly intend to keep that woman as your wife? Forever? Have you even seen her face behind that mask?"
"No… why?"
"It's horrendous!" She exclaimed. "Utterly ruined. Do you really wish to keep someone who has been damaged beyond repair? I could hardly stomach the sight of her. She's hideous!"
"Well, none of that matters to me," he replied, unfazed by her words. "I didn't marry her because I needed a beautiful wife, and besides, it's quite obvious she wasn't treated well at her uncle's estate, so it's no surprise she doesn't exactly 'glow up'. This marriage was a tribute. And as long as she doesn't cause us any trouble, WE won't trouble her either. Do you understand, Aunt Constance?"
"And why…" Lady Constance demanded, bristling. "are you saying all of this to me? Are you seriously taking her side?"
"No. I'm saying it because you're stubborn," he replied plainly. "So leave her be. I'll come find you when I'm finished here."
"Caelan–"
But he had already turned away, disappearing back into the barracks without giving her a chance to argue further.
*************
Lilian dressed for breakfast in silence.
The same servants who attended to her last night were assigned to her again in the morning, moving around her with the same careful efficiency. All the while she waited, half-consciously listening for footsteps that never came.
When the servants finished fastening the last clasp of her gown, she retrieved her mask and lifted it to her face. In the mirror as she stared at her face, the mask was the only thing she felt remotely grateful to have received from Gloria.
Even her knee felt somewhat relieved now after the servants had applied a cool treatment that eased the sting.
But they didn't treat it last night when they got her ready for bed, so what changed?
Once she was fully prepared, they guided her out of the dressing chamber, ready to escort her to the dining hall where everyone else would be waiting.
But just as they stepped into the corridor, Lilian froze.
Down the hallway, Caelan was approaching his chamber door, his hand lifted as if about to enter.
Her eyes widened, and she called out.
"Your Grace–"
"My Lady–!"
One of the maids whispered urgently, but Lilian was already moving.
She gathered her skirt and hurried down the corridor, ignoring the startled gasps behind her. Caelan was just about to close his chamber door when her hand shut out, stopping it from shutting. He looked up sharply, his eyes meeting hers over the edge of the doorframe.
"What did you do to me last night?" She demanded.
"Hm?" He blinked at her, as though he had no idea what she was talking about.
When he let go off the handle, Lilian, who was still using her weight to keep the door slightly open from the outside so he wouldn't close it on her, soon lost her balance and stumbled forward. Instead of falling to the floor, she fell straight into his arms. His hands came up instinctively, circling her slender waist to steady her.
She froze.
He froze.
Her servants froze.