Romane & Erzählungen
Reign's Retribution - 5 - The Bond of Seven

Chapter 8

With an amount of willpower he'd had no idea he possessed, Reign wrenched himself upright and several feet away from her. Damn his so called fucking noblesse! Cursing, he drew a hand over his face before he looked back at his own personal siren.

 

 

Azalea felt as though she'd been slapped. The heat of his body vanishing so quickly made her shiver in the cool night air, but it shook some sense back into her as well. What had she been thinking? That all of a sudden handsome knights would drop to their knees, declaring endless love? No man with looks like his had ever looked at her beyond her money. But worse, she'd behaved like a wanton, throwing herself at knights she didn't know. Celebrating her freedom was one thing, making an utter fool of herself something entirely different.

“Milady, I apologize!” the knights rough voice broke through her reverie. He looked shaken and his eyes burned with the same heat, she had just felt.

“It would be best if I took you back.”

She took a breath, “There will be no need for that, sir. I am going to ask my maid to accompany me. We will be perfectly safe, I assure you.”

 

Reign's insides felt twisted. Everything had turned out terribly wrong. He should be the one feeling like an ass, yet it was she who looked anguished. He wanted to reach out to her, make up for his actions, make her smile again, he couldn't stand her leaving him with a frown on her lips. But alas, she did. Bobbing a curtsy she hurriedly turned on her heel and stomped off inelegantly.

 

 

 

The following morning Azalea woke with a throbbing headache. Pressing a hand to her forehead she tried to ease the pain but it would not work. She could hardly remember hurrying back to the castle or climbing in bed. Stretching her limbs she noticed that she had apparently not taken the time to undress. She grimaced.

“Good morning, milady,” Mary croaked, her voice sounding as cheerful as Azalea felt.

Blinking her eyes open, Azalea acknowledged her maids presence with a tired nod and gasped.

“Don't look at me like that Lea! It's not like you'd win any beauty pageant right now.”

“What?” Mary looked positively ghastly, her eyes were bloodshot, she had dark circles under her eyes and her skin had an ill grey tinge to it. Azalea could not believe she looked even remotely as bad as her. But before she could state her theory on the matter Mary shoved a big mirror in her face and Azalea had to avert her eyes from the frightful reflection, “Ew.”

“I know.”

“Thank you very much.”

“I was as bad when I got up. I've already had you a bath fixed, hot water does wonders.”

As much as she trusted Mary, Azalea was certain that no amount of water or soap could turn her back into her usual self. Not that she'd say no to a good long soak.

“And I got you some of the concoction cook prepared for me. It tastes awful but she swears by it and honestly, I don't think we can be picky if we want you to look your best today.”

Azalea eyed the greenish brown potion, thinking she would rather stay in bed that day than drink it, “Why would I want to look my best?”

“Because of the tournament, of course.”

“Oh no!” She had absolutely forgotten that it would begin this soon. She'd have to sit on the king's podium to greet and thank and honour and whatever the competing knights. Along with her aunt and the beautiful Elisabeth, she groaned.

“At least you'll get to see the Duke again, he's sure to win some of the fights.”

“The duke?”

“Lord Reign. You seemed to have a good time yesterday.”

“You mean Thorn?”

Mary shook her head, “I can tell those two apart. Not that Thorn isn't handsome, you'd have to be blind and deaf not to think so, but Lord Reign... He's something entirely different. Though not quite as god-like as Terror, if you ask me.”

While she chatted along, and it seemed like men were a topic she'd not tire of any time soon, Azalea tried to remember meeting the infamous Duke of Canterbury. But try as she might, she could not recall having met him. She'd only danced with Thorn and later, her face turned white when she remembered her humiliation, she had conversed with the roguish knight.

“Did you know that he actually refuses to meet any of the Ladies? It's making society matrons crazy. First the king himself let's slip that the Duke is on the lookout for a wife and then said Duke won't grant any audiences, for that's what you can call them, really.” she breathed, “And it’s such a shame, for he is a fine looking man. Not that that's a basis for marriage or anything, but it's definitely a bonus. And it would almost be a sacrilege not to pass on such perfect bone-structure material to the next generation.”

Azalea cocked an eyebrow, now that was new, “You think it would be a sacrilege to the species if he didn't procreate?”

“Yes,” she said matter of factly, “But his looks aren't all to warrant his multiplication. He is fierce and strong and honourable. Indefeatable, as far as I know, oh, come on Lea, you know as much about him as I do.”

Azalea grinned and sat up, “Apparently not.”

“Now drink this and listen.” Busying herself fixing up Azalea, Mary went on, “The way he looked at you last night alone would have – had you been anywhere else – caused an uproar. That much is for certain.”