The F*ck Is Wrong With The Duke?
1619 Words
We had come across countless guards and maids to finally arrive where we are. At the dining table of the duke and family members... Only.
I, and two other personal maids would stand behind our masters whenever they decide, that it is their own time to eat.
Lord Elliott Chamillet, his younger brother, had already been seated in his usual sitting position. At the far end of the oval walnut table, where he would not have to partake in most discussions.
He loved distancing himself from everyone just as he is a ruthless person to the core, yet, his personal maid, Regina, claims to be in some sort of special relationship with him.
Yeah, right...
I would always think in my head that she lies, since she knows no one will dare approach him to ask about their ‘affair’.
“Have a seat” Edgar casually offered while faintly drawing the royal dining chair away from the table.
The cushion had been a mixture of dark red and ox blood. Having blunt spikes at its two ends and armrests on both of its sides, all of which is plated in gold.
Just the furniture notified me to know my place.
I looked at Edgar, hoping he would realize that I had silently been pleading for him not to do something this horrid. I equally nodded a faint ‘no’ when I saw that the appealing gaze was of no help.
If he does this to me, I thought as I could already foresee the next minutes, it will be worse than being tossed to the floors as garbage in his sight. Or endlessly being called names by everyone.
It will go down in history, it will be a new name and juicy tale to keep the gossips in their mouth, fresh for a really long time both in, and out of the castle.
If he does this to me... I will never forgive him.
“Let me” he dragged the chair across the floor, seeing that I will not easily be convinced, and placed it behind me.
In doing so, Edgar had created a sudden eruption of raking sound, assuredly steering heads to our direction, as the chair was too heavy for one man to lift.
I felt an arm on my shoulder. It had been Edgar’s... He now forced my whole body to lower itself and rest my buttcheeks on the unmerited cushion.... On the royal seat that has been, for generations and more to come, for nobles.
Lord Elliott’s head had been lowered all this while, chomping on his food and minding his own business. I was unable to tell if had seen me in all of this.
Of course he must have noticed the unfamiliar face after Edgar’s noisy effort to have me seated was made, but that, was just to assure myself for a short while that Lord Elliott didn't mind.
Edgar once more scraped the chair as he closed the distance between I and the table. I could not help but embarrassingly maintain eye contact with my feet as he made it obvious that he would not be stopping any time soon.
“Very well then” he took a seat across me with a sigh of relief. Edgar would always wrap tissue around his cutlery before anything else. He then began feasting as if I were a ghost.
It had remained so for close to five minutes... My head had not taken the risk of finding out who watches. As I'm sure everyone did.
“You should eat something” Edgar suddenly commented the one thing, apart from sitting here, that I didn't want to do “You look pale”
My eyeball instantly rose in excitement after having registered that I had been deprived of food the whole of yesterday...
“Or would you rather I feed you?”
No, definitely not, I thought. Please don't feed me.
At the corner of my eye, I could see the piece of meat that was attached to a tissue wrapped silverware, and slowly coming my way...
He is not being serious about this, is he?, I questioned myself as I suddenly became short of breath when he forcefully pushed the meat into my tight lip.
I had thought of something stupid at that very moment... That I might be able to chew it without being noticed.
I firmly closed my eyes when I felt my jawline potray with a bite-
“What do you think you are doing brother?” Elliott retorted. He must have held his patience till he could no longer.
My heart pounded in my stomach when the sudden and aggressive voice echoed through the walls... It had been my second attempt to chew at the lush meat, I had not even swallowed, I cried in my heart.
“This is a table for royals, let alone family only” He placed his utensils down and regally wiped his mouth with the golden yellow handkerchief beside him.
“Have you somehow confused her for your future wife?”
Everyone’s gaze was on Elliott. But mine had been fixated on the person behind him... Regina.
She had been cracking up from where she stood. I felt a bitter need to punch her, but my present shaming would not allow me to even stand up.
I had been weakened by fear and shaking from it just knowing that I am the breeding ground for all this ruckus.
“She is the daughter of a harlot, a practical bastard that you are feeding!”
My gaze darted towards Elliott, then to Edgar. The man that brought me here.
Edgar had likewise fixed his gaze towards his younger brother. Listening to his every condemning word about me... Doing nothing about it.
Say something!, I thought... Edgar had been the one to put me in a position as such, the least he could do was speak up for me... Right?
“Or has she charmed you into doing this?”... “Could that be it?”... “Did she entice you by making love to you?”
Say something!
“I would buy her for a penny, I still do not know why father had wasted a lot of money on her because of you”
I look at the duke with widened eyes... ‘BECAUSE OF YOU?’... I must not have heard well.
My father had been offered a deal to sell his daughter out because of you... Why would you want but me? Why would you do that in the first place?
Either way, this truth is equally as messed up as my present situation.
“And now she shows off her effect on you by drawing her a seat... feeding her like she has been born with no hands or bitten off by a wolf-“
I had had enough of Elliott’s insults and Edgar’s patience in all of this. I pushed the chair with my back, without a care that I had been the one to scratch the bench this time, and rose to my feet.
Edgar had hoisted his hand up in an attempt to refrain me from leaving. I shoved it aside, causing it to land back to his stead... The gasps from the servants that followed filled the room.
“Do not touch me-“ I warned with a heavy heart... “Duke” before then adding the latter. Out of respect for his name.
I marched out of there, and could now hear whispers from all sides, as well as Edgar’s voice.
The words, however, were unclear. Did he mock me now that I am gone? Was this the hard way of repaying me for the slap?... Did my apology not mean a single thing to him?
He should have said something while I was there, I thought... As of now, he might as well be laughing at me with his brother.
What really got into him this time? After having wrapped my hand with gauze and with so much tenderness in the act, he does this minutes later...
I rose my palm to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating... That It wasn’t just me seeing things I wanted to see... For him to take care of me once as I have done to him for years now.
“NOO!! Noo” I shake my head to get all that rubbish out before it becomes implanted in me. In doing so, I burst out in a short-lived rampage as I tore off the muslin.
Anyone who sees me must think I have finally gone mad... First, a witch for ‘killing the old duke’. Second, a w***e because of their own understanding of genetics. Third, a liar, I won’t deny that one... And now, a hypnotist, for being entangled in Edgar’s horrible sense of humour.
I don’t think any of Edgar’s intentions for me are pure, I concluded. Nothing sets him aside from everyone else. Not even my stubborn heart misdirecting me into thinking he is different, and he can be trusted.
That stupid feeling I get only when I am with him must die down.
There will always be something more than meets the eye with him. The mastermind to containing me here ... But what do you gain having me here Edgar? A jester for you to easily make a mockery of!?
I stopped in awareness, that my mind, after having decided to cut down any sentiment I have for him, had been saturated with no one else but him.
“Edgar this, Edgar that, Edgar, Edgar, Edgar... EVERYTHING EDGAR!” I huffed for breath “Ohh, go f*ck yourself Edgar.”
- Writer
