I couldn't feel comfortable as I was scrutinized in nothing by the man with the title of royal physician. He might have seen many naked women before and done many dissections on dead bodies but that didn't mean I wanted to stand there naked for him. He moved closer and traced the air over the scar left behind by the stab wound. The king stood behind a partisan, his back turned as well to mock giving more privacy. The physician let out a long sight and stared up at me, "Might I feel the scar? I need to tell how deep it was when it happened."
I stepped back from him and wrapped my arms around my chest, glowering at him. Of course I wouldn't let him touch me, it would be indecent and I'd feel more disgusted with myself if I did.
"My lady, you're covered in scars. I have the unique ability to know how deep the wound was if I can just touch it," the man sighed.
I held my hands up so he could see I would have been holding a dagger but he just raised an eyebrow.
"My lady, please," he sighed.
"She's uncomfortable, Pierre. No lady in her right mind would let anyone but her husband touch her," the Emperor called.
"Your majesty, in all fairness I don't think that weasel Farkas was much of a husband. There are too many scars for her to have inflicted the past wounds on herself," the physician cut in.
I tried to cover his mouth but he caught my wrists, his eyes widening slightly as I shook my head. There was a moment of silence before he sighed once again. I couldn't have him saying anything that went on inside Count Farkas' estate. The Count had ears almost everywhere and if he didn't he knew who to talk to and how to butter them up.
"They might have been inflicted after she fell into the waters," he added slowly. There was silence before he started feeling the stab wound. His eyes furrowed and he began to mutter as I shivered. "This should have been a killing blow. It would have been a slow death but she should have died it's so deep."
"Her ex husband claimed her to be suicidal," the Emperor informed him. I glanced at the partisan and then looked down, pulling back from the physician. "Of course, that's a load of horse shit. I'd have had you look over the body yourself if she was dead, just so we could have the whole story. A woman of Countess Helga's reputation wouldn't just up and die over nothing."
I grimaced at the words and shifted, covering myself quickly as he stepped from behind the wall of paper. His eyes were cunning, even as they seemed a lot more gentle than they used to.
"Get dressed, Countess," he nodded shortly, "We have a case to build and another woman to save, don't we?" I held my breath as he turned and walked, the physician holding my clothes to me. I quickly started to dress as the Emperor stepped outside, the physician watching him go.
"He's a sharp man, my lady," the Pierre's blue eyes settled on me without the look of a physician. "I don't think lying to him will help you any, no matter your pride and the pill you have to swallow." I stopped adjusting the corset and stared at him, gritting my teeth. What did any of them know? They hadn't lived in that estate and they didn't know the expectations laid on me, nor what went on behind closed doors.
I finished pulling the skirts on and let out a breath, walking out. The Emperor was leaned against the wall, his eyes staring at the floor as if it had answers to his problems whatever they were. He looked up as I stood in front of him and he held his arm out, a small smile crossing his lips. I took his arm and he lead me down the hall. He wasn't what I had expected as many of the rumors of him were that he was like stone; stoic and silent.
When I had seen him before, during the balls and many social events my father was invited to, he lived up to those rumors. He didn't seem anything like that. Instead, he was gentle and I was coming to see something different.
"Stop defending him," the Emperor stared ahead, acting as if he was speaking to air.
I tightened my grip on his arm a bit to stop from shaking.
"You left blood in the chair when you came to request the divorce. I know your family and they don't raise emotionally weak women," his tone was dry and it renewed the shame I felt. No one knew what was going on and Farkas made sure of it just as much as she did. I blinked after a moment, staring up at him with wide eyes at his statement. If I had left blood, had others noticed it? If they had than I could only imagine what was going through their minds.
I put my head down when he turned to return the gaze. A sniff escaped him and he sighed. "The only reason Count Farkas is still a Count was because of your preparations. I hired your old maid to obtain that information. I needed someone who knew what went on in that household," he informed me. I blinked, staring at the ground as that innocent blonde maid filled my head. She could get in trouble and if Farkas wasn't after her before than he could be after her now.
He wouldn't want his personal matters out and in the air, even if it was a fair thing to look at all things considered. I didn't know why I was willing to keep it secret but it felt as though his hands were still on me. He was still choking me and making me hold back even now. I felt at where the dagger had plunged itself, my jaw clenching at the memory. "She is still your personal maid."
I looked up and the Emperor patted the hand clutching his arm tightly at my expression.
"You're comfortable with her and during this transition into being a specter, any friendly face helps," he nodded. His smile was genuine as he faced forward once more, "She's a good maid and bows her job well. I can tell she's yours just by her work ethic."
I bowed my head a bit, unsure if it was a compliment from the man or not about Maria. I hadn't taught her anything outside of how to organize the other servants in the estate. She'd often be ahead of me just because she dealt with them more and even lived with them.
"I want to bring your murder justice, Countess," the Emperor stated.
I frowned and looked back at him again, his face straight and a cold look in his eyes. "I wanted to bring justice down on Count Farkas for a long time." I frowned at that, the hand that had been pressing on the scar moving to pull her ear. What did he mean by that?
What had Farkas done for the Emperor to be vying for his missteps and mistakes? The Emperor nodded as if to conform to himself before he stopped. We had walked a good ways and stood next to a wall of tall arched windows when the Emperor pulled away from me and stood in front. He looked as though he had come to a conclusion and he would go to war for the result. He took my hand, stared at me as I struggled to pull my eyes away from his. He slowly bent on one knee and my eyes widened as I tried to pull my hand away from his tight grip.
"Countess Helga Holland, I'm requesting your hand in marriage in a year's time," the Emperor proposed and I blinked. I was still technically in marriage with the Count now that the death proclamation was null and void so what was he thinking? If it was a years time, was he planning on pushing the divorce forward and then taking me?
Instead of my face turning red, it paled and concern crossed his eyes at the color. It would shame him if he took me as his wife. I was already married and my face had been marked by Farkas' whip. I wasn't too pretty to begin with and I was much older than the women most likely presented to him. A year added onto that would only mean less of a woman for him in the future.
I wanted to shake my head but if I did, I'd be returned to Farkas, I wouldn't have the answers I so desperately needed from him. The hand that wasn't in his grasp moved to my face, to the mark settled on my cheek. He kept staring before something hard replaced the concern.
"In a year. I want you to get to know me as I am, Countess," he kissed the back of my hand and I wanted to crumble. "Count Farkas has no hold over a woman like you. He doesn't know how to treat the treasure of woman."
And this man did? I stared at the hand that held mine and clenched my jaw at the trembling. I slowly nodded and the smile that had been small before spread across his lips. It was something of a sight I'm sure no one had seen before. His teeth were perfectly straight and the smile left dimples on his cheeks. The gruff man look nothing less a child who was told he could play with his friends all day long.
"I'm glad," he stood up, still holding my hand as he placed his other over it gently. "A woman as great as you would be a queen to adore for ages to come."
The comment made me jerk, my mouth falling open in my surprise. He blinked and reached forward, rubbing under my eyes. My chest was squeezing as I tried not to even show that there was a cry building.
"A straight face, even when you're crying," he muttered. The smile fell to something more melancholy and I closed my eyes so I didn't have to see it.