***
Latrice Evans
Two days later...
The last two days have been extremely busy. One reason was that Rissa and I would be going on our expedition to form an ally with the Eros kingdom...The other reason was Orisis avoided me whenever we were at the same place. Did it bother me? No. But it did make people around us anxious.
***
Two days earlier...
I was in the library after the tour that Agnes gave me. The house had a dark aesthetic which was wonderful but...It made the house seem gloomy. It made it seem like a house placed on sale just for it to remain empty. The black and brown with a tint of gold made it seem like a take picture for Instagram and views house. Like a Hotel.
I walked through the library looking at the books. Most of them were Philosophy-based books or Magic-based books. Other books were books on military-based books and others were books about herbs and plants. It was like a bookshop rather than a library.
"Treece!" he stormed in.
I stared at him startled by his entrance. He looked sad and angry. His eyes were droopy as he stared at me.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked as I stared at him amused.
"Are you going to the Eros Kingdom?" He asked.
"Yes." I answered.
"We only got married a day ago." he tells me.
"And?" I asked him.
"Look, We both know that this is only a contractual marriage. And last night...last night was a mistake that should have never occurred." I added.
"A Mistake?" he asked me amused.
Sadness lingered on his words but it did not matter to me, because I had to survive and live a long happy life. I already gave my heart to someone else. Ethan has my heart, even if I don't know where he is... He has my heart.
"Okay." He let out.
"I won't bother you." he added as he walked away.
I watched him leave as I continued with my book tour.
***
"Lattie?" Rissa called out to me.
"Yes?" I responded.
"Are you okay? You looked so engrossed that I thought he might have done something really bad." Rissa let out.
She arrived yesterday at the northern duchy. She came along with Jack and Thomas.
"I'm just a bit worried about our expedition." I informed her.
"Will it work out?" She asked me.
"Of Course, it will." I answered.
The truth was that we would get it done but it would take us two weeks or more. Our ship voyage would last four days and negotiation would last 2 weeks. This wasn't going to be a walk in a park but a walk into a dragon's liar...
"Duchess Latrice, everything has already been packed up."
"Thank you." I said I walked to where the carriage was.
The Crown Prince and Orisis were standing there with Rissa.
I stared at them. Rissa and the Crown Prince acted more like a married couple than Orisis and I would ever be.
"See you in a few weeks?" Rissa let out as she hugged the prince.
"I'm going to miss you." he expressed to her.
"Me too." She replied.
I stared at them as I didn't want to stare at Orisis. I was scared to stare at him.
Did I have reason to be scared? No, but I felt really bad about the tone in which I spoke to him last time.
"Be safe."
I looked up and Orisis stood behind me with his arms over my shoulders as he hugged me. I didn't know what to say to him and said the first thing that came to mind.
"Thank you." I told him.
He sighed before kissing my forehead and releasing me from the hug.
"Lattie are you coming?"
"Ah, Yes." I let out.
Orisis kissing and hugging me had me dazed trying to understand why he did that. He avoided me for two days. We didn't even eat breakfast together. Am I sad about it? No, I'm annoyed that could keep a promise. Gosh! I sound like someone who missed him. I didn't miss him. How could I miss someone that would kill me?
Shaking my thoughts off I walked towards the carriage where Jack helped me get in the carriage. I looked out of the window of the carriage and Orisis waved lightly before heading in. I waved back as he walked into the house. I did that because I did not want him to think weird again. I waved at him when he was not looking so that he would not have his hopes up.
"What's wrong with the both of you?'?" Rissa asked.
"It's nothing big." I told her as I sighed.
"It sounds very big to me." She replied.
"Summary. We are not talking because of things I might have said." I explained to her in a dismissive tone that stated that the conversation was done and over.
"How mean were you?" she asked me.
"My normal mean." I answered her.
"Impossible. That man looked so sad it was like you were your top-tier mean." she let out surprised.
"I only told him that the consummation of our marriage was a mistake." I whispered.
"You had sex with him?" She asked excitedly.
"Was it just like the first time?" She asked.
"I'm not telling you anything you filthy-minded child." I gasped.
"I will take that as a Yes." she let out giggling.
"But he really did look sad Lattie." She let out after a few moments.
"Why would he be sad?" I asked her.
"Maybe because he might have feelings for you or he really loves you." She offered probabilities.
I doubt so... He got the real Latrice killed in the novel just because he wanted the throne and because of that...She died a sad death. I don't want to end up like her... I'll never end up like her.
"He doesn't." I let out as I rested my head on her shoulder.
"Neither of us will know unless you ask him," she spoke.
"Well, I don't love him so it is fine. He does not have to love me." I tell her.
"You deserve happiness just like us." Rissa let out patting my shoulder gently.
"I know. And I'll be happy after I divorce him." I told her.
"Okay. Let's forget about them." Rissa let out as she leaned her head on mine.
"We should look around at the commoner's market in Eros." She told me excitedly.
"I heard that they sell food that we don't." she added excitedly.
"Is that so?" I teased her.
"It is!" She replied speaking Tabula Rasa before laughing.
Marissa was from the Ulrika Xenia side of Xenia. She spoke Tabula Rasa very fluently. You would think she would attend school in Ulrika, but because she was born on the border of Aegis Xenia and Ulrika Xenia, she was given a bit of everything. She travels into Ulrika and Argus freely because of where she was born.
"The harbour looks so beautiful."
I snapped out of my thoughts as I looked out of the window. She was right. It was beautiful. The blue water that sparkled like diamonds. The calming ocean waves sounded like a sad melody being sung. The Ocean smell was not overwhelming or underwhelming. It was just perfect. The seagulls that squawked made me believe that this was a market town because of how vibrant and active everything was.
The carriage stopped and we got out of it.
"This is beautiful. I didn't think that the Northern Duchy had such a beautiful harbour and market town." Rissa let out in awe.
She was right. This was beautiful and the fact that nobody spoke about it was surprising. This could be a raving place.
"We should come here after our expedition. " Rissa added.
"Of Course, we should." I spoke still in awe.
"Duchess Latrice and Lady Marissa, this way. The ship has arrived." Jack told us.
"Oh. Yes, we are coming." Rissa said shaking her head.
We walked towards the ship and our knights helped us. When we got on the boat we saw Count Pattel and Marquess Chong already on board.
"Count Pattel and Marquess Chong." I acknowledged their presence.
"It's an honour to meet you, Duchess Evans." They greeted.
"Lady Marissa it is an honour to meet you." They bowed at her.
"Oh, please do not bow. I am not the crown princess so do not bow until I prove myself to be worth it." Rissa told them surprised that they bowed.
"It's okay Rissa, they have to show their respect to you." I let out.
"You will prove you are a worthy candidate for the crown prince and they will respect you." I told her in an assertive tone.
"But still, respect should be earned not given out. If given out it is not respect but fear. I want to be respected out of respect not out of fear." She explained whispering loud enough for me to hear but not loud enough for them to hear her.
"You grew so much." I let out smiling at her.
I was happy because I knew that they heard her and I could see them nodding their heads in approval. After all, this was their first test to see if Rissa was worth it. Would she act pretentious and arrogant or would she be reasonable and practical?
Everyone got on the ship and we departed if to our destination...