"Sir, where shall the equipment be placed?" One of the men asked me on this dark, shivering night. I had already lost track of time, for I was needed not here, not there, but everywhere. The shipments had already arrived, and I had already requested that Jaykim to handle the matter more or less as my father did. Some clothes belonging to the girl Derby had started being brought into the house, in addition to her sister's and the little brother's. It would indeed be a big home. In some way, I felt this was the most proper time to visit the city—the royal side, of course, and maybe to look or have a glance at the princess. Her face had not yet left the glimpses of my overly busy thoughts. She was still somewhere engraved, somewhere unknown, just somewhere. "Place them, as directed by Jaykim." I replied, after realizing the gentleman was getting anxious, off my thoughts and my unreplyance manner.
After the placement of shipments, I made sure everything was in order and rested a little, but as much as I would say a little, I was disturbed by overloaded knocks on my door. "Come in," I stated, leaving my bed. "Sir, the smith men ask for a replica for the files and stones for their silk; sir, the papers of accounts need signing; sir, the leader of taxes in the city wishes for your word in the monumental; sir, these files need your approval before resending them to Italy;" As many questions as there were, I sure could not understand his statements. He had so many papers and writings on the sheet he had. It was more work overloaded than others. "What should I start with?" I asked, hoping for a rather good answer, when he stated, "The Duke hasn't signed for a while, and the ministries sure shall want proof of the matters happening in here. Additionally, the Smith men have started resigning due to a lack of good health care and the blisters on their hands. The pay is quite low, sir. The ship yesterday has not yet been paid; it still awaits at the shore." The complaints were as many as people rioting in crowds towards government stations. I had never visited the area where steel was produced, never indulged myself in businesses of the outside world, but it seems today, or rather, from today, I sure have some work to do. "Any debts?" I asked as fast as possible. "No, sir. There is no debt, except for the approval signs required; there are quite a few pieces of paper, but Jaykim has dealt with some. He deals with businesses internally, while the duke himself takes control of more authentic and outside businesses. " Okay. I stated this as I headed straight away to have a bath. Another long day, it would be.
The papers were many: sets and sets, writings over writings, signatures over signatures. My head was throbbing, to the extent that no tea would ease the migraine. It was already evening, and not even for a minute did I set out to walk out of the room. I had taken my lunch and breakfast in here, and setting my eyes on the loads of work and sheets that awaited my writing, my mind shoved 'tired'. "Sir, Derby is here." The guard stated that I was lightly massaging the sides of my head. With that, I walked out of the office or library, with him leading me: "There they are, your lordship." My mind was in a terrible state; I felt more like a zombie. I had never worked myself out like I did today, and the day was longer than ever to waste on unnecessary talks. "Hello, I see you have alighted. Please come in. For it is to be your home as of today." I stated this in a rather straight-forward and fast tone. With the guards helping on their stuff and big carriages, I saw the young lady, Derby, checking me out from far away. "You look terrible, your lordship." She stated this, which caught me off-guard. I had not even once looked at myself in any reflection, and I don't think I still had the time for that matter. With that, I just slightly smiled and stated, "A gentleman is set for work; how do you expect to eat and drink without one who works as hard?" "We share the property in half." She replied, which made me chuckle, then state, "The hotel and the loyalty of this place. You forget I am still a Duke's son." As I stated, I checked the big watch on the walls of this castle, and so, no matter how fast the time traveled, I needed to finish off the loads of work. It has to be today, maybe, so that tomorrow I can sleep well. "I am happy you have arrived. (To the guards) Please, set them the nicest hot bath to stiffen their nerves and aid in their tired state. I shall alight for supper later. Please excuse me." With a smile, I nodded to the lady and left to the library again. Father had not signed most papers; some were from previous years and others from previous months. It felt like Father having me take up the works here in Tigris was like a way to stop me from having a lot of free times because, God knows, this work was more than a piece of art.
"The table is set, sir; we await you." The guard on my door stated. Time, how is this time moving so fast, goodness? With that, I signed one last sheet as I left the grievances of the workers of Father on the lead to maybe check on each and every grievance in the morning to know the process in which I shall deal with them. Doing all this somehow felt like the start of another chapter in my life. It felt more like being taught how to handle responsibility without really having a family. As I rethought, walking into the spacious living room, I set my eyes on my new profound members, the hotel's manager's children, Derby and her siblings, with whom I had not yet learned their names. The large seat with which was supposed to be sitted by the Duke was left open, and I could see a large plate, as if they wanted me to sit there. That was always fathers and he was not dead, so that, according to me, would be disrespecting him. Thus, I decided to sit next to the Lady Derby—why lady, anyway? I am so used to the royalties. Apologies. Either way, she seemed to be a quite respectable lady when she stated as I sat, "Lord Vikings, the chair was supposed to be sat by none other." I just smiled at her, and realizing everyone wanted an answer, I stated, "I am still no Duke." With that, they just nodded, and we started serving ourselves the delicious food prepared by our hardworking chefs. "So, Derby. Eehh, where do you all really come from?" I asked, trying to make the supper not as silent as some graveyards. "Father is from China, but we have lived here all our lives." She stated. That, of course, I knew. They used to stay, here, but okay, we have had quite great acquaintances with her, but since she did tell some of her story, I decided to accept it and went silent as I focused on the food that yearned to be finished by me. "Lord Vikings, why do they call you by the name Lord?" The little boy asked, looking at her sister as if in fear that she would reprimand her for his statement. "Lord, (mimicking) Okay, eeh, I see. it is some sort of royalty. But calling me a Viking is no big deal. We are family as of from today." I stated, looking directly into the dark-pupilled eyes of the handsome little boy. "You don't take interest into royalties as much, my Lord." Derby asked, and so I replied, "Not that I don't take, I just don't find it fancy for my name's utterances." "People in the hotel say you are not a real duke." The young boy stated, and his sister reprimanded his statements as fast, "I'm sorry, he didn't mean his statements." I did not have anything to say about that. As much as I wanted to show them that the words didn't hurt, I sure knew my heart would not be comfortable with the words. Discomfort again shoved, and my mind raced again on should-haves and could-haves. "What do they say?" I asked in a rather calm tone. I needed to know the thoughts of the people here at the lake. I needed to know if I was invited or if someday I was to be thrown out like a human with a deadly disease. "Not much; they just talk about your mother, Lady Isla, and the Duke. They all have doubts." Derby stated. Her sister was rather quiet in all these statements. She was probably digesting and contemplating my statements and sayings. "Oohh," I stated, and then rethought a certain thing and asked in a rather hopeful tone, "And what do y'all think?" They were all quiet about that. No one spoke and no one altered a word when the quiet sister stated, "The rumors are not to be true, for even though your facials may not replicate those of the Vikings, they state, your looks are undeniably twinnly to your mother's." With those words, I just smiled. Hearing someone state that I was somehow a copy of one of my parents, with whom I had never met other than through the paintings and drawings, I felt like I belonged. It was a new feeling. The rest of the supper taking was quite silent, just the utterances of the spoon and the plate as the food was being scooped by the subjects. I had already finished signing the past month's works that were left unattended, and now all that was left was that for this month, in addition to the smith men, who complained of blisters and poor medical service and production machinery tools. Speaking to the three new family members in this castle, I felt my mind lighten a bit, but I sure knew I needed the utmost sleep, so I headed straight to my room. Little did I know that my last great sleep would be on the day Lady Elizabeth left for the city. The thoughts of when to visit Lady Elizabeth started crowding my thoughts; some days had passed after her leaving, and I was sure she waited for me as much wherever she was. One cloth after another, I removed and wore my simple sleeping attire, rested my head on the silk pillow, and let my thoughts flood. The first thing was the day I met the princess near the banks of that river in London. I ongoing, then started imagining the balls and how the one dance we made together enlightened the whole crowd not to join but rather watch the flourishing individuals set on the stage with their beauties of dance. After the thoughts, a frown could not help but form on my face. I wondered who she was with, how she was doing at the moment, and what her thoughts regarding me were. I had left in the most unmannered way ever. I felt a tear form in my eyes and my heart bleed, or rather, squeeze in pain on her behalf. 'She sure was hurt," my mind deeply ingrained. The what-ifs followed. Maybe someday a wedding, maybe some children, but the question was, where would a royal like the princess deserve to be set, or rather placed, for living? If I were, or if these possibilities could happen, I needed to create the best base for her. She was the princess of England, and she deserved the most formidable, explicit, outrageous, and best life out of the adage of her dreams and her thoughts, which even the king himself would never provide. The more I thought of this girl, the more I felt the heaviness in my chest. The more I felt the need to see her, maybe one last glance, a simple one, a beautiful one, even to the fact that I would see her embraced on the hands of another, I sure would be happy that she found one who deserves her. My mind was flooded, my heart was broken, and my soul served no utterances to the confusion that reigned in the mind and heart. My father always told me love was the most beautiful feeling, and I hope he was right.