"You should aim to keep your dignity, Lady Laviere," Bastian said, peeling Sandrine a foot away from him. His voice was icy and his breathing was laboured.
He retired his gown, doing his best to hide the erection that kept wanting to peer out from the fold of his robe. Sandrine attempted to approach him once more, but Bastian firmly kept her at arms length. His gaze was firmly unyielding.
"Bastian?" Sandrine said, refusing to accept his rebuttal. The bulge was firm evidence that he wanted her and she wanted him too, it was no illusion and despite his hurtful attitude, there lingered a warmth between them.
"I don't want this," Bastian said, "what I want is a wife that knows how to act like a noble lady, not a night lady. If you want to carry on acting like a whore, then I am sure that a young painter of yours will accept you like this."
Sandrine blanched, then quickly turned the deepest shade of red as her whole body flushed with embarrassment. Bastian barely twitched as he looked down at her with those cold eyes and cut her with his words.
"I was so glad that you were interested in me, Bastian, but to cast judgement on my love affairs while conducting your own is a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"
Sandrine tried to calm down, but her pride had been dented and she was not going to let it pass. She had never lied to Bastian about her lovers, promising herself wholly to him if only he promised himself to her, their openness to each other was what drove her to love him in the first place.
"I was not trying to criticise, just offer some advice, I didn't intend to be mean to you," Bastian said, wiping drips of water from his face.
Sandrine looked at him stunned for a second, before letting out a laugh. "Don't you go and act all noble like you're the purest soul, you're the one acting all vulgar."
"I was just saying, I would like a noble wife."
"Pardon me?"
"Well, it's not a good thing if both partners in a marriage are vulgar and unfaithful, it's a bad mix."
It was hard to ignore the fact that this man was from a family of junkyard dogs, whimpering for scraps at the high lords table. Given Bastian's attitude, you would have thought he was from a long line of nobles descended directly from the Emperor himself.
Though it was true that Bastian's position had improved greatly since the time of their original deal, his reputation was garnered solely from a military career, supported by the Emperor. His marriage to Odette was what got him his station. This meant that Laviere no longer held station over him.
"Are you really going to pretend to have forgotten all the favours my father pulled for you?" Sandrine wielded her devotion like a weapon.
"Lady Laviere, your father has already earned a huge profit three times his worth thanks to me, I think his favours are repaid," Bastian said with a sarcastic smile, once again trampling on Sandrine's feelings.
"Even so, it doesn't mean that all emotional debts have been paid off."
"Wow, you've changed since when we last met."
"I still love you, Bastian, that hasn't changed."
Despite Sandrine's desperate last appeal, Bastian showed no signs of being moved by her pleading. All she could read on his face was a deep fatigue, and drunkenness.
"If you're so interested in toying with emotions like this, then maybe you should seek another to marry, is that crystal clear enough? Or am I wrong in remembering our conversation?" Bastian said.
Sandrine became very aware that she had not a thread of clothes on.
"I wanted to marry you because I highly valued your quick wit and adaptability. I thought you were a skilled player in this game, but it seems I might have been wrong."
"Bastian, I…"
"This is the last consideration I can show you, Lady Laviere, by not kicking you out of this mansion, bare as you are." Bastian's voice became low, barely audible. "I will be back in an hour and I expect to find my room vacant. I very much doubt we will meet like this again."
"How could you do this to me?"
"Quite easily. Maybe next time, show the respect and dignity expected of a noble woman, then I will find it hard to turn you down, Lady Laviere." Bastian left the room and Sandrine collapsed onto the bed.
She had never truly expected to gain Bastian's love, so when she had received it at the start, she longed to be desired by him. His resistance deepened her shock and wounds had been inflicted. It felt like she had reduced herself down to a mere piece of meat. It was humiliating, pathetic, beneath her. She loathed herself for falling for such a despicable man. Her unyielding love for him felt more like a punishment.
Sandrine gathered up her nightgown, tears streaming down her face. He didn't even look back at her as he left. Having been rejected to the very last, all she could do was watch him walk away.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
"Their relationship is very strange," said a maid coming into the break room.
"See, I told you so," said the maid who had first voiced the suspicion.
"I mean, last night they were in separate rooms and had separate breakfasts," the maid continued as she brought in the dirty dishes of breakfast.
"Maybe it's out of consideration for madam's ill health."
"Nah, it's just strange, it's been nearly a month since the master returned home. A young couple reuniting after two long years should not be living so distant from each other. Moreover, the duke was not that affectionate as a father."
"True, judging by how quickly she discarded her mourning dress, it doesn't feel like the mistress is grieving all that deeply for her father, and she's not even that ill any more."
"She's going out today. She is enjoying the social life happily enough, but when she is around the master, she acts like she did at the start of her sickness." The cook expressed her disapproval of the neglect the hostess was showing her husband just as the service bell rang.
"I'll go, you just got back with breakfast."
"Volunteering? My how you've grown, Mollie."
"Ha, I'm still quite young," Mollie laughed, heading for the door.
Mollie rushed from the lounge, heading right for Odette's bedroom. She knocked, waited for permission to enter, before she opened the door. She found Odette sat by the window, basking in the morning sun.
"Good morning, ma'am," Mollie said cheerfully. Odette turned to the maid and smiled. "I hear you are attending the Royal Ladies tea party, shall I get an appropriate dress ready for you?"
"Yes, please," said Odette, turning back to the window.
Mollie pulled out a light blue dress, to which Odette approved and then proceeded to help Odette cloth herself in the dress.
"If you need my help, feel free to tell me."
Mollie was the first to run out of patience as she attempted to tighten the corset. Her hands pausing with the strings in her hand, Odette's pale and beautiful face remained emotionless.
"I'm worried that the master might have found out about your betrayal, he's a scary person, he'll never let you go so easily," Mollie said, tying off the corset. Odette did not reply. "Please, you can trust me, ma'am." Mollie tried to make herself sound as sincere as possible.
Even after learning that Mollie was Theodora's spy, Odette took no action. It was clear that Odette had some plan for the future, letting a suspicious maid stay by her side, Mollie was impatient to know what. They had a symbiotic relationship, but Mollie had nothing to lose.
"Maybe you could seek help from your family, you never know, there might be a way you can support each other." Mollie pressed the point as she finished tying off the lace. Odette turned around, her once serene face wavered.
Molly smiled at her co-conspirators.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
"Welcome, Major Klauswitz," Admiral Demel greeted warmly.
With a salute, Bastian calmly made his way across the office. Admiral Demel was lounging on a sofa near the window, waiting for him.
"I hear this is an urgent matter," Bastian said, standing in front of the Admiral.
"Yes, indeed, please, have a seat."
The meeting felt suspicious, but Bastian followed the senior officers command. As he settled into the plump sofa and gazed about the autumn hues of the room.
"I received a message from His Majesty, he wants you to come and have dinner at the palace."
"Tonight, at the palace?"
"Yes, that's right. I know it's quite sudden, but I suspect he has something special planned. You will have to attend and scrap all other plans you might have."
"Yes, of course," Bastian said, taking the order boldly.
Bastian hoped it was to close the deal, the emperor had no other reason to call him out like this. Being called up so unexpectedly, maybe the deal had come to a satisfying conclusion. Bastian anticipated a substantial reward.
"I can only congratulate you on keeping such a big secret from me. The Emperor has garnished you with a myriad of medals and honours, I can only dream of what great reward he has planned for you. Maybe another promotion, at this rate, you'll be giving me orders soon." Admiral Demel clapped his fat hand on Bastian's shoulder.
It might be advantageous to declare his intentions to divorce before entering into negotiations with the emperor. He had a plan to lay all the blame on the woman and the dirtier the reason for divorce, the better. Considering the Emperor's guilt in all this, it would lead to a splendid reward.
"Well, that's all there is, considering the amount of preparation is needed, I suggest you head off now and get yourself ready."
Bastian left the office with an expression that was no different than if the Admiral had given him watchman duties, or sent him to the other side of the world on another two year mission. He looked at his watch, which showed nearly noon, it was going to be a very long day.