The holidays had officially begun, and with them came Frigia's new responsibility as Cayden Sterling's temporary aide. As nervous as she was about the task ahead, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn't refuse, thanks to Professor Derek's insistence.
Frigia arrived at the grand entrance of the Sterling Dukedom's palace, her eyes widening as she took in the vastness of the estate. Rows of towering trees lined the path, and it took her a full thirty minutes just to walk through the front garden. "Just how big is this place?" she wondered in awe. As she approached the palace, she was greeted by the sight of a massive structure made of pure white marble, its walls gleaming in the sunlight. Beautiful white lilies filled the garden, their fragrance hanging delicately in the air.
"Wow... it's so pretty," she whispered to herself, momentarily forgetting her nervousness.
As she reached the palace entrance, a group of servants and a distinguished butler, Mr. Paul, were waiting for her. He stepped forward with a warm smile, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Welcome, Lady Frigia. We've been expecting you. Master has spoken highly of you and the remarkable qualities you possess."
Caught off guard by the praise, Frigia felt a flush of embarrassment but managed to respond calmly. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Paul's smile deepened as he gestured for her to follow him inside. As they walked through the palace's impressive halls, he continued the conversation. "I understand you'll be filling in for Edric while he recovers from his injury?"
Edric. So that's the aide's name, Frigia thought to herself. "Yes, I'll be taking over until he's back," she confirmed.
Paul nodded sympathetically. "Edric's injury was quite sudden and unfortunate. With the size of Sterling Dukedom, there's more work than Master Cayden can handle alone. In fact, he's not fond of handling it at all." Paul chuckled lightly. "It's said that if left to his own devices, the master would likely skip half of his responsibilities. Lady Frigia, we're counting on you to ensure that our master gets his work done."
Frigia raised an eyebrow. "Cayden? The same Cayden who's renowned for his discipline and excellence?" She found it hard to believe. He didn't strike her as the type to avoid work, although she'd seen glimpses of his playful side.
Paul smirked. "Oh, yes. He may seem all prim and proper on the outside, but appearances can be deceiving. Edric had his fair share of struggles keeping Master on track. I imagine you'll experience a bit of that as well."
Just as Frigia was about to ask more, Paul's words were cut short by a sudden interruption.
"Ahem."
The sound came from behind them. Frigia turned to see Cayden, standing there with a hand on Paul's shoulder, giving him a warning look. His usual playful smirk was gone, replaced by a sharp, menacing glare.
"Paul," Cayden said coolly, "I asked you to bring Lady Frigia straight to the office. What are you doing now? It sounds like you've been talking behind my back."
Paul, undeterred by Cayden's tone, smiled cheekily. "Not at all, Master. I was simply telling the lady how wonderful of a person you are, so that she doesn't run away." His voice was laced with mischief.
Cayden's face flushed with embarrassment as he stammered, "Paul, you—"
"Anyway, as Master is here now, I believe my assistance is no longer required," Paul interrupted smoothly. He gave a slight bow. "I'll take my leave, then."
With a last glance between Cayden and Frigia, Paul walked away, leaving the two alone.
Frigia, who had been struggling to keep her laughter in check, looked at Cayden, who was visibly flustered. He quickly avoided her gaze, his hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh… don't believe anything Paul said. I mean, he tends to exaggerate things a bit," Cayden tried to explain, his voice faltering as he blushed. "I'm really a good boss. I promise."
Frigia couldn't help but smile at his embarrassment. "Of course," she replied, doing her best to remain composed, though her amusement was clear.
Cayden cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and pointed towards a hallway. "Ahem, anyway… the office is this way. Let's get to work."
As Cayden led her down the elegant hallways of the palace, Frigia followed in silence, taking in her surroundings. The grandeur of the place was overwhelming, but something about it also felt warm and inviting. She found herself feeling a bit more at ease than she had anticipated.
"It might not be as bad as I thought," she mused quietly to herself. The situation, which had once seemed daunting, was slowly starting to seem manageable.
They arrived at the office, a large, stately room filled with bookshelves, polished wood furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the vast gardens. Cayden gestured for her to take a seat at the desk.
"So, what's on the agenda?" Frigia asked, slipping into the role of aide with surprising ease. Despite her anxiety, she was determined to do a good job.
Cayden leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "We've got quite a bit to go over today. There are reports from the estate managers, correspondence with other noble houses, and a few documents that need reviewing."
Frigia nodded, already mentally preparing herself for the workload. "Alright, let's get started."
Cayden watched her as she organized the papers in front of her, a small smile playing on his lips. "You're very efficient," he noted, impressed. "Edric might have some competition when he gets back."
Frigia blushed slightly at the compliment but kept her focus on the task at hand. "Thank you," she muttered quietly, not daring to look up at him.
They worked in companionable silence for a while, the only sound in the room being the occasional rustle of papers. As the hours passed, Frigia found herself easing into the role, her nervousness slowly giving way to a quiet sense of confidence. She could handle this.
After a while, Cayden broke the silence. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "you don't have to be so formal around here. We're going to be working together for a while, so it's okay to relax a bit."
Frigia glanced up at him, her expression uncertain. "Relax?"
"Yeah," he grinned. "You can be yourself. I promise I won't bite."
Despite herself, Frigia chuckled softly at his words. "I'll keep that in mind."
As the day drew to a close, Frigia felt a strange sense of accomplishment. It had been a long day, but she had managed it. Perhaps working with Cayden wouldn't be as bad as she had feared. And maybe—just maybe—she could start to see him as more than just the heir of the Sterling Dukedom.
As they packed up for the day, Cayden looked over at her and smiled. "Thanks for today, Frigia. I think we make a pretty good team."
Frigia smiled back, a rare moment of warmth in her typically cold demeanor. "Yeah. I think we do too."
Sometimes, the people we least expect to connect with are the ones who open doors to a new version of ourselves.
- Anonymous