"I think I should stop avoiding the Lady," Alek thought aloud and Ramas looked up from his book.
"Fascinating, did you come up with that all by yourself, Your Grace?"
I should fire him. His secretary had been telling him for days that he had to stop avoiding Celia. But it was only the night before last that it occurred to him that maybe he was right. He was actually just trying to give her some space and hadn't even looked through the window to see how she was doing.
Then, one night, he decided to take a short walk and discovered her by chance on the shore of the lake. Quietly and peacefully she slept there while the light of the night shone on her silver hair. She looked just like a fairy.
He wanted to wake her up, worried that she might catch a cold, but he couldn't bring himself to disturb her sleep. So he put his coat over her and then sat next to her for a while. It still seemed so unreal that he had finally found a woman who was actually willing to marry him. For years he had been hoping for such a chance. There was no way he was going to ruin it.
Unlike Celia, he would probably have taken her even if she wasn't so pretty. Even if her character hadn't been so good. His future wife could act as arrogant as she wanted, he would take care of the consequences ... well, Ramas usually did that, but it came down to the same thing.
He would make sure that she had a fulfilled life with him and hide his dark side from her as best as he could. Everything would run smoothly in this marriage, he would do better than his father and not repeat his mistakes.
He lovingly stroked her soft hair. "I hope you've really thought it over."
Then he got up, walked a little way along the lake and undressed. The water was icy, but it helped him to clear his head and so he walked further and further in until he could submerge his head completely under the water. After swimming a few laps he went back to the shore and got dressed again. When he wanted to check on Celia again, she was already gone. Only his coat was still lying there by the tree. She had probably woken up when he was in the water and gone back to the carriage. So he took his coat again and returned as well.
And after this encounter, he wondered if he had overdone it and should spend more time with her. They would soon arrive at his estate and he could take the opportunity to show her around.
+++
Celia noticed how she suddenly became quite nervous. The coachman had told her that they would soon reach the Grand Duke's estate.
Would she be accepted there as his fiancée? What if she wasn't educated enough or her origins became an issue? Should she be treated just as condescendingly by the servants, this time she had no Lora to stand by her.
She pushed aside the curtain at the window and immediately saw the huge estate, which was probably twice as big as her father's. This was where she was to live from now on. Only now did she realize who she was going to marry. All this time she had only raved about his looks, but Alek was also the richest man in this country, after the royal family. Besides, he was second in line to the throne, as the crown prince had no brothers.
She felt sick, but now it was too late to back out. They were almost there and Ramas would open the door and introduce her to those people as the Grand Duke's fiancée.
She heard the sound of the carriage wheels change as they came out onto a gravel path that led directly to the entrance of the house.
She took a few deep breaths. "Wish me luck, Mother," she said to the painting in front of her and then they stopped.
She could hear exactly how the door of the second carriage was opened and then closed again. Then, crunching footsteps on the gravel floor, which came to a stop in front of her door.
When the door opened, however, it was not Ramas standing there, but the Grand Duke himself. Immediately she had the image of him at the lake in her mind again. How he climbed out of the water in the moonlight and the drops of water pearling down his muscles. Oh God, why now of all times?
All day long she had successfully repressed it and now this.
"May I?" Her fiancé asked her while holding out his hand. On his lips a charming smile that gave her butterflies. After not seeing him up close for days, this was almost a bit too much for her. One should forbid this man to smile, this is deadly!
She held out her hand to him, but turned her head away. She definitely did not want him to see her bright red face.
Carefully he led her out of the carriage and then into the house. Several people were already standing there to greet their master. But none of them seemed surprised that he had brought a woman with him. Presumably he had informed them in advance.
"This is my fiancée, Lady Celia Arinella Fleuret. She will be the new mistress of this estate from today on, married or not. So hopefully you know how to behave towards her," Alek introduced her. His stern tone seemed to allow no backtalk. The staff nodded obediently and Celia spoke up briefly. "It's really nice to meet you all. Please take good care of me."
The Grand Duke looked at Celia with a satisfied look and out of pure reflex she quickly looked to the side.
She felt him let go of her hand and looked in amazement at the place where he had just been standing. In the meantime, however, he walked towards his secretary and spoke to him briefly. Afterwards, he turned around again and nodded to her before leaving the room.
Ramas came over to her and offered his arm directly. "The Grand Duke wishes me to escort you to your chambers."
Still a little disappointed, but also rather tired, she accepted his arm and let him lead her up a large flight of stairs.
The house was incredibly beautiful and much brighter than she had imagined. There were even flowers everywhere, giving off a wonderfully sweet scent.
"I would have thought it would be much more sombre here. The Grand Duke doesn't seem like the flower type at all," she spoke her thoughts aloud.
"Indeed, His Grace had many things adjusted before your arrival," Ramas explained and her heart warmed. Never before had anyone put so much thought into her wellbeing. "But it must have been a lot of work for such a short time. It wouldn't have been necessary."
With an exhausted expression in his eyes, the secretary stopped in front of a door. "Good to know that at least one of our masters is able to think rationally."