Robert cringed at the sound of wood scraping the floor. It's loud squeal echoing down the hall and vibrating in his ear. He gritted his teeth in pain. He wanted to yell and tell the fool moving furniture this early in the morning to find another room to scrub the floors.
He tried to ignore it. Sipping his tea. Trying to avoid moving his head too much for fear of causing his head to hurt more. Just as he would take a bit another squeak. Then again.
Frustrated he took controlled strides to the hall. In front of a giant armor was a servant. His body significantly smaller than the furniture he was moving. Walking over to the boy he cringed as he tried to move the piece inch by inch.
Robert resisted the desire to yell at the boy to stop his futile effort. Instead, he walked and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. He was greeted by a pair of surprised dark brown eyes. The boy was young no older than 13. Robert had never seen him before, he knew all the men and women that served in his house. The exception being the Jane, she was new to the house. She was introduced to him when Lady Eleanora first arrived in the house. This child was new, and he looked just as surprised that he was actually seeing Robert.
"Could you please stop that, it is very loud, and it is very early," Robert demanded.
The boy aggressively pulled his shoulder away from Robert. Giving Robert a full view of his body. His long sleeve hanging loosely where a hand was meant to escape.
Robert was stunned to see a living man with out his arm, he obviously lost it later in life and not at birth. Now that he saw him, it made sense that he was having to make so long to move the cabinet.
"Would you like to tell me what you are doing?" Robert asked. He did not attempt to smile, every muscle in his face hurt, plus all the other parts of his body. He was getting too old to drink.
The boy glared at him as if he was annoyed by him. He was not the one with a headache.
"Moving that." The boy used his missing hand to point.
"You're certainly trying." Robert quipped. "But why?"
The shrugged and looked over the looming furniture. As if it were some small annoyance. "I need to dust behind and under it, you servants obviously did not do it before the mistress arrived"
Robert felt his eyebrows rise up instinctively "Are you saying the staff did not know how to clean before?"
"I wouldn't be moving that piece of rummage by myself if they did."
Robert was stunned, no servant called the masters of the house items trash. He wanted to be offended, but his headache caused him to be more annoyed. He did not have time for rude, unmemorable children. "What is your name?" he asked a little too angry.
The boy looked as though he would refuse to tell until a sweet sing song voice called. "My Lord?"
Turning around standing at the mouth of the hall was his sweet wife. Eleanora pulled off her riding gloves as she took a step closer to them. Her eyes sparkled wildly from her ride this morning. She looked concerned. A look Robert had never seen her wear.
"Is there a problem My Lord?" She asked Robert, but her eyes stayed on the child.
"The lad was just a little too loud. He also seems to not be satisfied with his fellow staff, or the furniture" Robert was slightly amused by the boy but kept his face unchanged. Which only seemed to make his wife more nervous. Her eyes bounced back and forth between the two men, assessing the situation.
Eleanora sighed as if tired of what he had said. She walked over to stand beside Robert. "Apologize to the Duke."
Robert thought the boy would give her lip, but to his surprise, he did the opposite. "I am sorry my lord, I will find a way to be quieter and respect your possessions."
Eleanora looked expectantly at Robert. While he wanted to find the words to forgive the boy, he felt he was doing it only because Eleanora forced him to. He found himself simply nodding to the boy, and judging from his wife's pressed lips she was not happy with his response.
"Thank you" Eleanora said finally for Robert. He thought she would dismiss him with out another word. Until she took a step forward away from Robert and closer to the boy.
"Please get Mary to finish what you were doing and have her move all the furniture to be sure there is no dust hidden. Let her know I would like it done today as well." Robert did a double take at the order.
"Sweet wife, she is but a young girl. She could not move what that boy moved before and more." Robert contradicted.
Robert watched as his wife's back somehow got straighter. She turned to look at him. "My Lord do you not trust me with over looking the staff that maintains our home?" The question was sweet and delicate, but Robert could feel the hiss just beneath the flowers.
"No sweet wife, I just" He began until he was interrupted.
"Excellent, please tell dear Mary that both the Master and the Mistress of the house have specially requested she take care of this task."
Robert closed his eyes at the position he got himself stuck in.
"See that easy, anyone could do that." Eleanora dismissed as she began to walk away when a booming knock sounded at the door.
She turned her perturbed eyes at her husband. Waiting for an explanation she made no moves, just stared at Robert. The male doorman ran to the door after the second knock. Causing her to move her fired gaze from Robert to the slow man answering the door. She pointedly nodded at the fact the servant was indeed too slow.
Robert closed his eyes at her forgetfulness. He signaled for his wife to take his elbow so they could greet their guest. "Sweet wife, I failed to inform you we are going to have a guest this afternoon."
Eleanora stared blankly at the space between them and the entrance of the house. "It seems so my lord. Here I am unkempt." She referred to her riding attire. "I hope to not offend our guest." Robert could hear the slightest bit of sarcasm in her voice.
Never
Robert wanted to assure her. The words just could not leave his throat. So he simply patted her hand.
At the front door was the guest, always welcomed in his home, his majesty. His wife's hand tightened in nervousness, a common reaction. Â "Your Highness, Welcome back into our home."
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Eleanora felt her hand tighten around Robert. She wanted to cause him pain. How dare he invite him back here. These bastards. These men. Damn Robert for being a fool. Damn the King for his torture.
His grin said it all. The king loved secrets, especially his over hers. He would have to get in line with the others who had something on her.
She curtsied, just low enough to be respectful. "Your Majesty, you honor us."
"Thank you, Lady Eleanora, for welcoming me into your home. I do hope you know it better now?" Charles teased.
She involuntarily blushed at the memory of her wedding night. She could not walk past that corner with out blushing. "Every turn and bend." she divulged.
"Good."
She could feel the electricity in the air. God help me. Her eyes fixed on his. Memories filling her mind. How did he do this to me?
"Would you get us some tea, dear? While we talk business your highness" Robert requested breaking her concentration.
"Of course" Eleanora rolled her eyes when they could no longer see. Yes, all she was good for was a good cup of tea.
She walked to the kitchen to request the tea be made. Her mind buzzing. She did not trust Charles being in her house. He had his meeting with her husband at his palace, why would he be here. Mary passed by avoiding Eleanora's gaze.
"Mary" the girl froze. Eleanora grasped her arm "I need you to do something for me." She whispered.
Walking in the room with a tray, Eleanora eyed Charles. Ignoring what her husband was telling him. She began to serve the men their tea her eyes unable to break contact with Charles. Just as she brought the tea cup to her sitting husband. Mary came rushing into the room, knocking the tea from Eleanoras Hand into her husband's lap.
"Oh dear. Are you ok?' She feigned concern. Pushing toward the door. "Mary help my husband clean up."
She watched Mary escort Robert from the parlor. Eleanora sighed falling into her husband's seat across from the king.
Charles smiled at her and raised his tea to his lips. "I wouldn't your Majesty. You prefer hot tea, you wouldn't even bath in that." Just as she stated that Jane walked in with a hot new pot of tea.
Charles smirked, "You always were about theatrics."
"Well, you always enjoyed the theater." She leaned toward him. "Tell me, Charles. What brings you here?"
"I came to talk to my favorite advisor." He leaned back in his seat. Eyes stuck on her's. She felt him being honest.
"My husband could meet you at your Palace." Eleanora began to fix them both tea.
"I was not speaking of Robert." Charles purred.
Eleanora pulled back the teapot from the cup. "I knew that letter was meant for me."
Charles laughed at his own cleverness. "We have always had secret letters. I thought we could reignite them."
"You addressed it to Robert. He could have gotten it. If I did not intercept it from his Valet." She scolded. Her hands clasped in her lap turned white. "You were being reckless"
"Only the wives are home at the time of delivery. Plus half our relationship was about the risk." He retorted.
Eleanora shook her head in frustration. He was not getting it. "For a very aware man. You seem to misread signals. I did not respond on purpose." She sneered.
"I know," Charles confessed. "I also know that it was wrong of me to jump you the night of your wedding. I have much to apologize for Eleanora and only one life to make up for it all. I wanted to come see you. But I resisted at first. So I sent the letter, to make sure you were ok. But you did not respond. " He pleaded. He scooted to the edge of his seat. His hand sliding between hers. "Eleanora I remember returning to England and feeling as though the sea had swallowed me up." he confided. "In that time all I wanted was you back at my side. So I understood what you were going through and sent the letter to be sure you were ok."
Elenora felt his warm palm between hers. It caused her unexpected comfort. In the last few weeks, she had endured so much silently. All the change overwhelmed her, she felt as though she was suffocating. But his hand was so familiar and kind. She leaned forward and gently pressed her forehead to their conjoined hands. She hated how good it felt. It reminded her of a pure white happiness. A joy that felt as though it could never be snuffed out. She wanted it to smother her, leaving her forever feeling this way.
The feeling did die, much to her dismay. "You had a queen to comfort you." She savored the way his hand fits perfectly with hers. She did not want to let go, but she could hear her husband arguing with Mary as they approached them. She began to rise. But he pulled her toward him. Her legs pressed into his knees. Their hands still conjoined. "Why are you here Charles?" She urged.
Charles looked up at her making the most serious eye contact. "I made a vow" he muttered.
Eleanora only had enough time to pull away and return to pouring tea before her husband walked into the room. She placed the tea on the table in front on the men before walking out of the room.
Eleanora walked in a daze to her bedchambers. Tearing through the drawer she found the white letter with chipped red seal. Written in feminine black ink Eleanora felt bile rise in her throat.
He's unequivocally in love with you.
Welcome back to the game.
-C.H