Wilhelm could see how unhappy his new bride was despite his tries to reassure her of their possible future together. It was no secret that, although his reputation as a war hero was known across the country, he wasn't a desired person.
Many thought he was cursed. His mother died giving birth to him and his father later while the castle was plagued by a disease. Many people died then, most of the staff followed their lord to the other world. The rest fell ill as well, spending many days with one food in the grave. But not him. Whatever the disease was, it did not affect him like it did the others.
He was only a boy of 10 when he lost his father and had to take care of himself, as well as his staff during such dark times. They did not forget his devotion to them as the rest of the world.
Fortunately for the young lord, help came shortly after in the form of his uncle who just pushed the army of the invaders past the border to temporary submission. It would take 16 more years until they were finally defeated.
His uncle, Rem Burundi was the strongest fighter in the realm and it was him who taught Wilhelm everything he knew. He came on a cold cloudy day with his clothes still stinking of blood, asking to see his nephew. When the remaining staff presented the offspri g of his brother, Rem scanned him from head to toe with firm eyes before making up his mind.
"Come boy, we have work to do if you are to take over my brother."
With those words, he trained Wilhelm very strictly for the next six years until he was considered of age. Despite his long and horrendous training, his uncle always had a nice thing to say to him, to encourage or to console, his grim personality reflecting mostly on the outside.
But even he left the young duke, only three years after they both left for war. Not before making Wilhelm promise he'll stop the enemies once and forever. And promised he would try to live a happy life back home.
"Don't worry about me, son! I've spent many happy moments on this earth so my premise does not scare me. But you are only a youngling! Find a happy life. Settle down after the war, marry and father my children!" He smiled encouragingly at his nephew. "I'll soon meet your parents and tell them what a great man you have become."
His uncle's death at only 38 years of age only added fuel to curse rumours and after he came victorious, they turned even worse. Of course, all acclaimed him as the nation's hero and presented their gratitude. But behind his back, people talked about how he smells of death.
This did not bother him much, it was mostly his people who were outraged for him. Until then, since the moment the bride entered the temple for the ceremony, she looked dejected and frightened.
First when he saw Elin that day, his heart started to beat a little faster looking at her beautiful profile in the distance. She looked like an angel in her pure white dress, holding a bouquet of white flowers. Her face was covered by a white veil, but her could still spot her cherry plump lips behind it, as well as her rosy cheeks.
However, when he lifted the veil, her face was frozen with terror and her eyes were moist and trembling.
Wilhelm just wanted to run away. An entire army of invaders didn't make him run away as it did his soon to be wife. He thought that if she hesitated only a bit during the ceremony, he'd anule the whole thing.
But she didn't. She went through it all, holding herself straight. The thought that she probably realised she could not escape sent unpleasant shivers down his spine.
At the end of the day they were married and ,while he waited for his wife outside the Elsher manor, beside the couch they were going to take, one of his men approached. It was Helor, a young soldier who the duke asked to find more about Elin.
"Your Grace!"
"Rise Helor! What news do you bring"?
"Your Grace, it wasn't easy to find anything about the lady. All the servants are praising her for her beauty and brains as well as her parents for raising such a child. But…" the soldier hesitated.
"But what, Helor?"
"The lady tried to run away two nights ago, but was brought back by the duke."
"Damn it!" He hissed through his clenched teeth. "So her life here was all happy. The only dark part of it is this marriage? Fuck this domn tradition!"
He loathed the tradition to marry a duke's daughter then more than ever. He loathed himself as well for not being a man of prestige for her.
"Your Grace," Helor interrupted his thoughts and his pacing. "I disagree. I don't think her life was so good here."
"And what makes you think so?"
"I followed the miss the past days, as you asked, and I mostly saw her sad, lifeless."
"She was to marry me!"
"That might not be the problem. If she were so happy here but turned fearful only because of this event, why did nobody console her? The duke never went to her to sooth her and the duchess less so. Not even the maids, except for an old lady who I think is her nanny. Every other person was just there to help with the wedding preparations, ignoring her as much as they could."
"Didn't you just say that the servants praised both her and her parents?
"It is so, Your Grace. Yes, I doubt their words."
"Why?"
"Because there was no warmth in them, only wary."
Wary? It wasn't a subject for them to be careful about. Wilhelm looked up at the mansion and for the first time at the servants. All were tense, walking around doing their duties.
If Helor's suspicions were true, it only made him wonder more about his wife. At the same time, her felt his heart easing a little.