Orisis Evans
"Osiris?" Arthur, my Vassal questioned.
"What's wrong?" I asked him as I entered my office.
The musky scent that filled my office strangled me as I entered. It was the same as when my fa-
"Why are you helping her?" he asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I looked over at him, and he looked at me with an expression that searched for answers.
"Helping doesn't benefi-" I interrupted him with a smile; "She is a very interesting person," I answered, as my mind drifted to our previous meeting.
"Please don't touch me,"
I could still hear her voice dancing through my mind. She had an interesting expression that made her seem like a kitten that was about to scratch anyone that tried to touch it. The determination in her eyes that made her seem like a young lad off to fight in a war. Did I seem like a war to he-
"She's a child, Osiris!" Arthur exclaimed interrupting my thoughts.
"Arthur, I'm no beast," I said as I sat down at my desk.
"Yes, I am going to marry, but I intend to wait until she is a full-fledged adult," I added.
"She had such a pleasant scent that surrounded her," I let out, closing my eyes.
Was Vanilla and Jasmine her regular scent? Did she always smell like that?
"Osiris, You- What about your age gap?" He asked me trying to reason.
His question snapped me out of my daze, and it made me somewhat angry.
"Arthur, Keep Quiet." I let out, agitated. he looked surprised- NO, He was shocked.
"You-" I stopped him before he could finish.
"You are the last person to be talking about age gapes," I reminded him.
"And didn't YOU get married when you were 14? And that to, to a 9 year old girl? Who is now your wife?" I asked him. He stared at me hopeless as he rubbed his temples.
"That's what I thought," I added as I leaned back into my chair.
I closed my eyes and all that I could to see was the home she grew up in. There were portraits of hung everywhere. From when she was a little girl to her last portrait from the previous year. In every portrait of hers, she made a funny expression. Her nose was either scrunched up, or she had her tongue sticking out. My favourite one was the portrait of her at the age of 12, trying to look at her nose while her tongue stuck out. It was amusing as I couldn't figure out if she was doing it unintentional or intentional.
I chuckled as I remember how she looked in her portrait. "She's funny," I informed Arthur. He stared at e in disbelieve as I informed him.
"What?" I asked, fully aware of what he would say.
"Does she want to marry you?" he asked me.
I thought for a moment as he asked me the question. Did she want to marry me?
"I don't know about that, but I do know that I am marrying her," I answered honest.
"And, I don't think our age gap is that bad. She turns 18 in the upcoming summer season, so I will e marrying her after that. Not to forget that she had already debut at the Debutante that His Majesty had hosted two years ago," I added as I sat upright in my chair.
There were letters spread across my desk, and I started looking through them out of boredom.
"Why don't you get married to Aubrey's little sister?" Arthur asked. His voice was filled with desperation and confusion. His eyes kept searching for answer from me, and his face was scrunched n a worried manner as he tried to make sense of my choice.
"Why don't you get married to Aubrey's sister?" He asked me. His words felt like they were venom being spat at me as I heard them.
"Arthur, You are my best friend, but do not cross a line that we aren't prepared to face," I informed him in strained tone voice. My eyes were still fixated on my desk. Files were scattered everywhere on one side of the desk, while clear paper, and ink quills laid on the other side. There was a small platter where all the letters rested on. I picked a letter up from the platter, and I skimmed through the letter.
"You could lose your head," I added as I glared up at him. He sighed as he rubbed temples for a second time.
"Osiris, as your best friend , I am going to ask you one question," he let out. His voice sounding tired of our current conversation.
"The girl has nothing but a pretty face and boy." he started. "She still has to learn responsibilities. What does she have to you? What does she has to offer this Duchy?" he questioned me.
"What could a freshly turned 18-year-old offer to you, and this Duchy?" He continued. His voice was filled with concern. He sounded concern for me, and for this Duchy. I knew Arthur meant no harm, I knew it better than anyone in this world.
"She offers the safety of this Duchy," I answered.
"My marriage to her, protects this Duchy. It protects this duchy from Aubrey and his sneaky sister," I continued. "My marriage to her, reassures me about this Duchy. It tells me and gives me the reassurance that I do not have to stress nor wonder about information being sold to any other duchy in the Aegis empire," I added.
Marrying Latrice means I get to avoid all the existing marriage proposals and I can move on without worrying about who could potentially ruin this Duchy. It gives me closure, and there is just something about her that is very interesting-
"But-" before he could even continue, I interrupted him; "You said that she still needs to learn a few things, but the truth is she is the perfect duchess. She has learnt responsibilities and I can vouch that for her,"
He stared at me surprised. His face told me that he couldn't understand why I would vouch for a woman I barely knew. I could explain why I trusted her so much. Why I believed in her so much.
"Do you know why?" I asked him. He nodded his head and I continued; "Because I've heard her speaking at an event at which only Alumni's were invited to," I answered.
"To me, She is the perfect Duchess," I stated as I threw away the letters that I've been skimming. They were marriage proposal letters from different noble families that I have received. After I threw away the letters, I sat straight up.
"The announcement about my engagement will be made in 3 weeks from now, so I expect you to work hard and make sure everyone far and wide know that I am no longer the most eligible bachelor in the empire," I ordered as I started arranging my desk neatly. Arthur nodded his head and was prepared to leave when my office door suddenly barged opened and he barged in.
I sighed as I stared at him. His manners were left at the gate of my estate. He always left his manners at the gates of my estate.
"Really Brother?" He let out as he threw himself on the couch that was at the centre of my office.
"What's wrong, Your Highness?" I inquired in a bored tone as I arranged my desk neatly.
"I thought that we agreed that we would get married in 2 years from now!" he answered pouting and offended. I rolled my eyes and said; "I apologize, Your Highness, but I do not know of these verbal agreements that you are bringing fort," I informed him. He stared at me surprised and dramatically as he held his chest.
"And if I did mot sign a paper then I never made such a promise, and I never said anything of such sort," I added as I stared at him.
He gasped as He stared at me shocked. I stared back at him and it felt as if we were in a staring competition. Why would I ever agree to something so crazy? No- I know I would never have agreed to something so outrageous.
"Are you trying yo say that I, a royal member of the Aegis empire, is lying?" He asked shocked and dramatically.
"I would never dare accuse the Crown Prince as a liar," I answered blasély.
The Crown Prince looked at me flabbergasted. His eyes were filled with shock as he stared at me. "You're so mean," he whined, sighing.
"I'll be sending a wedding invitation to you soon, okay?" He informed me,, His entire demeanor changing as he got up to leave.
"What?!" I asked shocked, confused, and surprised.
"Remember the girl from the masquerade ball?" he asked me excited.
" I found her," he added winking as he left he left.
"Hey! Wait! At least tell me or give me the name of the person who helped you!" I shouted as I got up and ran after him.
"No!" he answered before sticking his tongue out as he wore his cape and rode away on his horse.
"Bastard!" I yelled. He rode away and I could hear him laughing as he disappeared behind the gates.
"I can't believe he actually found the girl he spoke to before I could, it must be nice have been nice," I spoke, sighing to myself.
"I can't believe you, Osiris!" Arthur let out shocked.
"You went to a masquerade ball without me?" he asked me sounding hurt. I sighed as he looked at me like a woman who had just caught her husband's affair.
"It was the day you told me you were going to the Ulrika empire, right?" He asked with his hands on his mouth. I sighed as I stared at him.
"Well, I didn't find the girl from the party, maybe that will make you feel at peace," I tell him as I walk back to my office.
"You are a big meanie, The Crown Prince was right about that," he informed me as he followed me dramatically to my office.
"You are a married man, and were you planning to cheat on my wife?" I asked him pretending to be surprised.
"What? No." he responded, surprised.
"You're really such a meanie," he added.
"Whatever you say," I said as I entered my office and started working.
He entered after me and he stood next to door. I looked up, and then I remembered something important.
"Ah, Go to the best designer and jeweler in the Aegis empire and send them to my fiancé, also tell them to make dresses so beautiful that no one has ever seen in this empire or any empire," I ordered him as I read through my work papers.
"Okay, I will do so," he answered as he opened the door.
"Don't forget you have to go to the Imperial Palace for the meeting later today," he added before walking out. "And No, You cannot avoid this meeting, It is very important," he warns.
"What if I'm sick?" I asked as I pretended to cough.
He stopped and smiled at me. "No one is fooled by that ridiculous wheezing fake cough, you would have to do a better job at faking your coughs," he answered.
"And I will drag you there if I must," he added as he walked out.
"I would like to see you try," I said, smiling at him. He stared at me and smiled before walking out.
He would not do anything, after all, I am stronger than him.
He came back and he warned; "If I find you in this castle when I come back from sending people to do your errands, I will drag you to that meeting all messed up,"
He left after his 'warning', and after a while, the Head maid, my previous nanny, entered. She had a tray with her.
"Your Grace, I've brought you tea," she said smiling as she entered after knocking.
"Thank you, Agnes," I said as I took a cup of tea and the cookies that she brought.
"Agnes, could you please start placing Jasmine flowers in my office?" I asked her.
"Of course, I will," she answered, smiling warmly.
"Thank you," I said as I took a bite of one of the cookies. It was a chocolate flavoured cookie with chocolate chips. Agnes smiled and walked out.
"Agnes is a great baker!" I shouted as she closed the door laughing.
I continued working on the papers in front of me while I ate the cookies and drank the black tea Agnes made. I was reviewing the finance books in front of me.
As I sat in the silence, I started missing her. The silence singing made me miss her. It made me remember how beautiful she is. She is like an ocean that meets the shore on a cool breezy night.
I kept working while thinking of her, and after thirty minutes. The words in front of me started to look so blurry... I kept closing my eyes and opening them after a few minutes, and still, everything was blurry. I looked up when I heard my office door opening. Arthur stood at the door, smiling. Damnit! He used my nanny against me. The last thing I saw was a devilish proud smirk on Arthur's face.
***
When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in my respective chair at a meeting that I did not want to attend. I stared and there was no one in the room, so I get up in an attempt to leave when suddenly everyone else enters. A malodorous scent hit my nostrils as the board members entered. The air was so thick that the room could be sliced in half. The Crown Prince entered and noticed me, he smirked before he walked towards me. "Isn't this lovely?" He asked, snickering.
"His first meeting in 2 years," he added, cooing. I glared at him before smiling.
"Is it not time for me to be responsible?" I asked him, smiling. His smile faltered and he glared at me before walking towards his seat.
Everyone sat down and the meeting started.
"Have any of you found the key to open the realm gate?" The wizard asked, as he looked around.
Everyone shook their heads indicating that they hadn't.
"Grand Duke Osiris, Have you checked through the mines thoroughly?" He asked me.
"No, Although I have looked through every nook and corner of the mines with my knights and there was nothing, just gems, gold, and diamonds," I answered sarcastically, as I rubbed my chin.
I always thought that he asked dumb questions when he knows that the answer is the same.
"Maybe it's in one of the other empires" The Crown Prince suggested. His voice brought me back to the current situation.
The meeting continued and after a while of listening to their nagging, I blocked out their voices.
My mind wandered to Latrice Richardson. I find that she is a very intriguing and interesting person. I'd like to know more about her. I needed to know more about her, because- she- She was someone that piqued my interest way more than she was supposed to.