Shooting up from his slumber with wide eyes and a gasp, Charles darted his eyes around his room with a tight jaw. Air rushing in and out of his nostrils, he clutched at the comforter spread over him. A cold bead of sweat ran down his back, his brows pinching as he exhaled in frustration.
With a grimace, Charles craned his neck towards his window. Bare, with its curtains drawn aside per usual, Charles looked to the moon, letting its soothing light calm him and his nerves and maybe even allow him to sleep. But he sighed and looked away a moment later, knowing he wouldn't dare give the dream a chance to return.
He would instead, and much rather, take another restless night.
His sleep was not doubt plagued by the announcement. When Emilia rose with the sun of the following day, his fear would take another step towards reality. Charles knew better. He knew better than to think the Prince would have any disinterest towards the Duchess. Any man, even a Prince would jump at the opportunity to be with Emilia. And would probably even perform tricks for a chance to lay with her. Charles' jaw clenched as the nightmare's images became waking ones.
The thought of Emilia writhing to be free of her husband's embrace. Earlier, it had been the opposite, moaning the Prince's name and doing his lustful bidding. He wasn't certain which thought plagued him more. His fist clutched as he tried to calm himself.
Perhaps it was wrong of him to have such assumptions. He knew nothing of the Prince's personality – only Emilia's. Considering how eager she was to go through with the engagement, it pained Charles to admit that the first thought would have been more accurate to assume.
Head hung low, his hair swayed against his face when meeting the cool breeze of the evening. Reaching his destination of the garden, Charles closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, always having enjoyed the scent of roses – especially beneath the light of the moon. And even more with the accompanying scent of ...
Rosemary?
Charles' head rose to catch the sight of Emilia sitting atop the ledge of the fountain in the middle of the garden. Inhale interrupted by his own sigh of awe, he allowed himself the spectacle. Leaning on her right hand, her body curved at the angle, her legs bent at the knees beside her, feet hanging off the wide stone edge of the fountain.
The cotton of her sleeping gown seemed to glow alongside her skin in the heavenly light of the moon. Her blue eyes, lonesome, stared into the water's reflection of herself as her free hand stroked her hair, which sat against her left shoulder, and hung down to the stone.
She was stunning.
But she was also out past her curfew.
And being the one responsible for her, one usually took precedence over the other.
"Emilia?" Charles called to her, stepping off the few steps attached to the porch of the Estate and making his way over. But his scolding frown turned into one of worry when seeing her flinch and promptly wipe tears from her eyes.
She was ... crying?
"Emilia?" Charles questioned again, his tone gentler as he came to a slow stop beside her. She kept her head turned away from him, but he could see the embarrassed scowl on her face within the reflection of the water. His heart panged while his blood boiled. "Emilia," he repeated when she refused to acknowledge him.
Jerking her body around, she hopped off the edge of the fountain, eyes averted and frown prominent as she flattened the ruffles in her gown. She sniffled, head low and began storming away, her voice nasally and withered.
"I'm going to my room. You don't have to escort me," she snapped. But Charles was quick to cut her off. Still, she kept her head turned, never one to show her tears. But Charles was also not one to just stand idly by and watch them fall.
"What?" Emilia snipped, her hair shielding her profile from him until he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, turning her enough to face him despite her reluctance.
"Why are you crying?"
"Don't be absurd," Emilia argued, jerking her shoulder from Charles' gentle grip. "The pollen is more than my tolerance allows tonight, that's all."
Charles couldn't help but give a grim grin. As proud as ever. Of course, she would deny any exposure to her vulnerability. He gave a nod, crossing his arms as she straightened hers at her sides.
"Fine," Charles allowed. "Then tell me why you're out beyond your curfew. It's nearly dusk."
Emilia's eyes widened, unable to come up with an immediate answer. Her lips pursed in embarrassment, and her eyes welled with both anger and sadness. Charles' shoulders slumped, his brows pinching upwards in angst.
"Emilia," he pleaded.
"Leave me, Charles," Emilia whined, turning away again, though this time she did not begin to approach the porch in attempt to escape.
Charles scoffed a chuckle. "I've dedicated my life to remaining at your side, Emilia. Please."
A lingering pause of silence held between them before Emilia slowly started to turn back around, looking over her shoulder, though her hair still covered her profile.
"You may have been right," she sniffled, her hands coming to brush against her arms, gripping them insecurely.
"About?"
"My ... nerves."
Charles brows rose in understanding as he sighed and allowed himself to sit down against the edge of the fountain.
"About meeting the Prince."
Turning around, Emilia's face scrunched in what looked to be agony. "What if he doesn't like me, Charles? What if I become the woman known as the one Prince Benjamin refused? What will become of me? Who would dare propose to a rejection of such a standard?"
Charles frowned, stuck between a wall and a hard place. Would he be asked to comfort her about such a thing as well? Staring into her welling eyes, he closed his, and offered her what he could, as he always did.
"He will love you, Emilia," Charles sighed.
"How can you say that so confidently? You said so earlier. We've never even met. I haven't even the knowledge of what color his eyes are!"
"They will gaze upon you no differently," he assured with a warm smile.
Emilia's shoulders slumped, her peril drained by the calm demeanor of the butler. Charles moved his hand beside him against the stone of the fountain's edge, gesturing for her to have a seat. Wiping her eyes again, she obliged, slumping beside him.
"I so want to marry, Charles. I want it with everything I am," Emilia went on, craning her neck up to gaze at the stars. "To have a family like my parents." Charles smiled, nodding at the sentiment. He knew her dream well. But he also knew what having a family – a happy one, at least – required, which she hadn't seemed to realize just yet. "But," she stammered. "I would have more than one child."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I know the loneliness of an only child ..." Her head lowered to view her lap in thought before her eyes flickered upwards towards Charles' observant ones. "Well. I did," she smiled. "I guess I have you to thank for that."
When she looked away again, Charles felt his throat knot with the oncoming nerves from such an emotional confession. Swallowing the lump, he offered,
"I can help you,"
Attention returning to him, eyes gradually drying, Emilia's brows furrowed in confusion. "Help me?"
What am I doing? Charles thought to himself in dismay.
Of all the times to attempt a confession, or anything remotely similar, now was not the time. Not when her meeting with her fiancé was within the proceeding twenty-four hours. Not when she was already so nervous regarding its results. Not when he was her butler. And certainly not after she had just told him, in so many words, that he was the sibling she never had.
"Should you need it," Charles finished, averting his eyes from her prying ones. "If there is anything you need ... approaching your wedding day. I promise to be there for you in any way I can."
Smiling, Emilia nodded, her feet subconsciously beginning a happy kick over the edge of the fountain. Soon after, her eyes fell again to her lap in thought, though the soft smile remained.
"Do you really think he'll like me, Charles?"
Sighing, Charles gazed upon the beauty whose heart could never be his with sorrowful eyes. The Prince would love her, he knew without a doubt. But it was knowing that it would never be in the way he had his entire life.
"I'd be willing to bet my life. The real question here is whether or not you will like him," he teased, though it was anything but. More of a fleeting thought of hope, if anything.
Emilia giggled, looking to him again. "A Duchess not to like a Prince?"
Charles' fear precisely.
"Emilia," came the sudden booming voice of Grand-Duke Richard.
Gasping, both Charles and Emilia's attention snapped to her father who stood on the porch of the Estate, expression looking anything but approving. Both standing, Emilia's hands gathered sheepishly near her stomach, her head slightly lowered.
"Father ..."
"What are you doing out this late? Have you any idea of what is taking place tomorrow?"
"Y-Yes, Father. Forgive me, I was just speaking with Charles ..."
"Who should have sent you to bed the moment he saw you out of it."
Bowing, Charles kept his eyes low. "Forgive me, my Lord."
"To your room. Immediately," the Grand-Duke urged. "Pray you don't look like a commoner in the morning."
"Yes," Emilia succumbed, rushing back into the Estate as quickly as she could manage, with Charles following slowly behind her.
She was well inside by the time Charles reached the Grand-Duke at his current pace. Bowing his head again, he apologized once more.
"I apologize, my lord. I will see to it that she returns to her room for the evening."
"No," Richard refused, making Charles stop with uncertainty.
"My lord?"
"What were you doing out here with Emilia? As I said, you should have sent her off the moment you caught her. Which leads me to wonder if you brought her out here yourself."
Charles' eyes widened at the implied accusation, his head immediately shaking in denial.
"I ... I would never," Charles insisted. It was one thing to accuse him of something he had longed to do if he'd actually had the courage to do it. It was another to do so when he was doing the exact opposite. "I had come to the garden after having trouble sleeping, to find Emilia had done the same."
"Hmph," was Richard's gruff rebuttal. "And what were you discussing? Hmm?"
"She was ... crying. I was merely trying to console her."
"Crying? Console her about what?"
"She's quite nervous about tomorrow's meeting ... She worries how the Prince will take her."
"Hmm." The Grand-Duke paused in consideration, judging the truth of the explanation. "And your comfort to her?"
"I assured her he would love her, as she would him," Charles grimly, though honestly, replied.
"Mm." The Grand-Duke gave a stiff nod, crossing his arms over his gray, thermal sleeping attire. "It is a big day, after all."
"My lord?
I suppose it's only natural for her to be nervous about meeting a Prince to marry."
"Yes ... I imagine the Grand-Duchess must have been equally nervous upon meeting you?" Richard chuckled, turning to face Charles, and slap his hand in a grip against his broad shoulder, nearly startling him.
"You're a good lad, Charles. You've helped see Emilia to be a fine woman."
"Ah ..." He bowed his head at the praise. "Thank you."
"But I want you to stay here tomorrow when Emilia visits Prince Benjamin."
Head jerking up, Charles was taken aback by the swift turn in generosity. "Wh-But why?" he stammered at a loss.
"While you are good at your job indeed, even I was quick to assume your intentions with Emilia. Your closeness could prove to be a problem should the Prince or his staff witness it and assume the same."
"Surely you can just explain our relationship ..."
"We can't take the chance that they won't understand."
The Grand-Duke chuckled seeing Charles' worrisome expression. "So concerned you are for our little girl. Don't fret. I'll be accompanying her. You can put your mind at ease. You should get to bed now, too, should you wake up looking twice your age," he laughed, squeezing Charles' shoulder before turning and going back into the estate.
Watching him go, Charles stood in a mixture of anxiety and disbelief.
Thanks for reading! If you're looking for the story in full, or interested in what else I've got (mostly spicy political romantasy and one-shots -- but also other stuff??), feel free to check out my site, www.theseekersguildhq.com.
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