Chapter 13: Chapter 13
They had already been travelling for 5 days and not once was there an opportunity for Celia to speak with the Grand Duke. They continued to ride in separate carriages and even when they took breaks, her fiancé did not come out of the carriage. Ramas even brought him his food inside.
Whenever she tried to get close to his door, the secretary intervened and told her that he was either sleeping or working and therefore could not be disturbed.
At some point this isolation even made her feel so lonely that she asked Ramas to put her mother's portrait in her carriage. That way she at least had the feeling that she was not completely alone.
It was already nighttime and Celia had laid down on the bench seat. The bright light of the moon lit up the whole interior of the carriage and so she could clearly see her mother's reassuring smile. Sometimes she wondered if it would all have been different if she were still alive.
Just like Celia, her mother had not had an easy life. She was born the daughter of a baron who always was kindly regarded. Unfortunately, he was also a very money-hungry man who even sold secret war strategies to enemy kingdoms. When this was discovered his life was miraculously spared, but he and his family were stripped of their title and all their possessions.
Her mother probably would have died a beggar on the street, had it not been for her impressive beauty. She had had many suitors before the verdict, including Count Fleuret. A widower with a little daughter, 15 years older than her mother who then was only 17-year-old.
The funeral of his first wife was not even two months ago and he had already proposed to her mother. He did not insist on a dowry and even offered her father a large amount of money in return for giving him his daughter.
He just wanted to help them and was head over heels in love with her. At least that's how many people knew the story. But Celia knew better. Her father was anything but noble. He didn't just want her mother, he wanted to own her and paid for her like an object.
Celia's mother was not stupid and knew that, yet she accepted his proposal. She just thought about her parents' well-being.
At first the count also treated her well but then Celia was born and everything changed.
The same silver-blue hair as her mother, but her eyes resembled neither the dark brown ones of her father nor the deep blue eyes of her mother. Sometimes she asked herself if she had really had an affair. But she just couldn't imagine that her angelic mother would have done something like that. She endured the unheated room, the far too small food portions and the constant teasing by the servants. Nevertheless, she always remained kind and raised Celia with a lot of love. If she had had someone else, she would not have had to endure all this in the first place.
For Celia herself, things only got really bad when she turned 8. That was when her mother succumbed to pneumonia. All because her father refused to call a doctor just for a small "cold".
She had cried for days after her death and lived like a ghost in this big building. Always careful not to cross the path of her father or her sister Aria. The latter had made it her mission to always remind her of her family background and used it to harass her.
This went on for two years, then Lora, who was 7 years older, came and was assigned to her as her maid. Since then, she has not been harassed by the servants anymore and no longer felt lonely again.
Lora had been by her side for so long now. That was probably why Celia missed her so much. It had been a bit of a shock for her when her maid told her that she would stay. But she couldn't ask Lora to give up on everything just because of her impulsive decision to go with the Grand Duke.
"This was the right decision, wasn't it, Mother?" She asked quietly in the direction of the painting. But all she got in reply was the soft hooting of an owl. If this went on, she wouldn't be able to sleep a wink.
She got up and looked outside through the window. There was no one to be seen, so the men must have gone to sleep too.
Ramas had told her that there was a small lake nearby where she could wash herself if she wanted to. So she decided to take advantage of the bright night to take a walk there.
Quietly, she slipped out of her carriage and enjoyed the light wind blowing through her hair. The lake was not very far from the carriage and Ramas had given her a good description, so she found it straight away.
The moon was reflected in the water and made the surface shine silver. A beautiful sight that made all her worries disappear for a moment.
She went to the shore and washed her face with the water. It was colder than expected, but still did her good. Afterwards, she leaned against a nearby tree. She folded her arms around her legs and rested her head on them.
Despite the cold cat wash, she felt herself getting tired and closed her eyelids briefly to let her eyes rest a little.
When she heard soft splashing, she opened her eyes again, only to realise that someone had covered her.
Sleepily, she rubbed her eyes and took a closer look at the strange blanket, which turned out to be a cloak. She recognised directly from the smell that it must be the Grand Duke's cloak. It was a woody and nutty mixture with a hint of orange blossom.
Immediately she looked around excitedly, hoping that he might still be there. And then she saw him ... how God created him.
Apparently he had taken a bath in the cold water and was completely undressed. She would like to say that it was too dark to see anything, but the moon was shining extremely bright that night.
My nude drawing was pretty much spot on. Now I could even draw the missing part.
Startled by this thought, she quickly got up and ran back to the carriage before her fiancé noticed that she was awake. If he had caught her staring, she would probably have died of embarrassment.
Completely out of breath, she arrived at the carriage and got in. She lay down again and closed her eyes, only to open them again shortly afterwards. Great! Now I won't be able to sleep at all.
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