Words written spoke as loud as Company by her side
~
Charlene's Personal Bed Chambers,
The Estate of Duke Walterus,
The Town of Crimsonton,
Kingdom of Velicia,
Darkling hours of Nightfall,
The Eighth Day of the Month of November,
Thirty Third Year of the Reign of King Jesse Crestings
When Charlene Walterus finished reading the whole length of the letter she had written to Head Knight Erion, she was most satisfied with how it was phrased. The emotion, that it would invoke in the man it was written to, was all that she needed accomplished.
Once the letter was signed, the wealthy young aristocrat placed the neatly folded, aromatic parchment into an envelope, sealed it with a rose coloured wax, scented the cover and rose from her seat.
She called for the envoy boy who was waiting outside her bed chambers. He was accustomed to delivering her letters, wearing a hood and going about secretly, lest any others find out that she was personally in touch with the men she wrote to.
In exchange for keeping the delivery a secret, she often gave him many favours.
"Here", she said, "Take this to Head Knight Erion's house and do not let anyone know. I will give you some cakes and soup to take home to your family for dinner."
There was a smile that lit his whole face up and he nodded, hurrying to take the letter and scurrying away.
As he left her chambers, the damsel walked back inside and pushed the doors to her balcony open. The cold winds blew vigorously and caused her straight long hair to be dishevelled. But she did not pay it mind.
The damsel walked over to the balcony, her favourite place to rest and think, as she watched the delivery lad sprinting across the gates with a letter safe beneath his hood. Charlene hoped Knight Erion would burn the letter as soon as he completed reading it.
After all, the portions she wrote regarding Duke Cryspus Lemiron were not true. He had not sought her before or after his marriage to Lucia. The sole aspect was that the Walterus Household had received he invitation to the wedding.
But in her heart, Charlene was confident that the relationship was a rebound. After all, Lucia was neither as beautiful, nor as talented, nor as wealthy as she was. But the fact that he married her despite everything and Charlene was publicly humiliated was unbearable.
She did not mind word spreading that Cryspus Lemiron desired her desperately, for he deserved that sort of embarrassment. But she did not wish for the source of such news to be credited to her. That would make her look like she was desperate.
She hoped, instead, that if people ever started talking of the newly wedded duke pursuing his ex-fiancée, it would begin from somewhere where people would not suspect Charlene to be spreading it, for it was not true.
As she paced the balcony, reflecting on those affairs, the smell of the rose essence brought a tingling sensation to her nose. The damsel of the Walterus House hurried into her bed chamber and sealed the perfume bottle tight and restored it back to the shelves.
Somehow, the aroma thereof reminded her of Knight Erion, whom she mostly wrote to with such scent.
She remembered that she had not browsed through the bulletin board where all the opinions of the members would be posted. She wished to do exactly such that moment.
Opening her tall wardrobe, she drew out a mint green satin night gown that lacked sleeves, but had beautiful smocking and laces. Casting it over her bed, she began removing her wine coloured dress. Laying it aside, she slipped the night gown on, relieved her long hair from inside the garment and wrapped the furs over her shoulders.
Then, she left her bed chambers and made her way up the large stairway, towards the chambers were the Reading Association was always held. The doors to the balcony thereof stood ajar and the damsel strode over to the Bulletin Board standing there.
Usually, the maids would lock the chamber by that hour, for it was accessed by members of the Association at any hour they liked and that would be unsafe for the household. However, Charlene had preferred it to stay open that day, since she had expected Knight Erion to visit her.
But since he had not come, and Charlene had had to write him a letter, it was obvious that he was not going to visit her after that.
Standing there before the Bulletin Board, she found various opinions written and posted there upon.
Chaessy had said something about love, quite akin to what she had said during the meeting. The sub knights had written about the war of the women against the dragon and how they subdued it.
Knight Roden had written something along the lines of the romance being faulty, like it was probably simply a rebound.
Baron Sean had posted about the daring and the bravery of the female lead, for having venged against a dragon. Charlene knew that such opinion was indicative to his opinion of her, for that was the image she had oft portrayed of herself: to be a strong woman.
But her eyes skimmed past all those postings, for she truly only cared about Knight Erion's. It read:
"I believe the lovers in this book have a wonderful relationship, understanding and a deep admiration for each other's beauty. The female lead boasts a great deal of strong character and utmost loyalty, which every husband truly would admire."
The damsel felt her heart flip out of her chest, for that had been everything he had ever admired about her: that she was strong, loyal and beautiful. She knew the man had only thought of her throughout the process of reading the book and had made sure to post his opinion on her as well.
Her mind imagined scenarios of what it would be like if he arrived right there at her window and saw her dressed in the slim fit satin night gown. Something about the thought was greatly satisfying, for she knew she had the man wrapped around her finger.
She would never consider marrying him in reality, for her family and status would never warrant for it. But she loved the wild fantasies he brought to her heart, for he admired her, understood her like no other and completed her.
Just then, there were footsteps that sounded and Charlene turned around to see who was approaching.
~