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Chapter 119 - Matters Of Precedence (1)

I\'m sitting on an armchair, wrapped in a blanket, while one of the maids treats Alexander\'s wound.

They took out the aquavit again, and my Duke took a few sips before the maid started to sew him up.

He didn\'t offer me the beverage when he cured my hands. Well, it\'s true that I didn\'t need sewing.

From here, everything seems like a trivial procedure. My Duke is comfortably sitting on the couch. His right hand is clenching the armrest, and his forehead is sweaty, but he doesn\'t let out a single whine. He endures it in silence.

When our eyes meet, he even smiles tenderly.

?Why is my Duchess frowning like that?? he asks, feebly.

?Who is going to cut the beef for me, from now on?? I spit out.

The people in the room stop chattering for a moment, and they turn to us. Half of them are used to these odd exchanges between my Duke and me, but the rest is staring dumbfounded. I swear I see a couple of sympathetic expressions.

They\'re feeling sorry for their mighty Lord.

?It will be just until I heal,? Alexander replies, unbothered.

?I can find someone else for the time being,? I tease him.

?I still have my right hand, my dear.?

What does he mean by that? That he can discipline his wife with a single hand? That he will kill anyone who dares to help me?

?Indeed,? I nod. ?Are you going to use your sword on my helper??

?Oh, no!? he exclaims. ?I\'ll find a way to cut beef with my right hand only.?

I eye the maid and watch how she cuts the thread and starts suturing the wound.

I move to the couch and sit on the armrest my Duke was clenching. I take his right hand and entwine our fingers.

?I already told you that I like a whole Duke more,? I point out. ?You didn\'t have to cut yourself.?

?It was necessary, my dear. I couldn\'t see in the dark, and I needed to know where the attacker was.?

He stopped a blade with his left hand. I\'m so glad that his fingers didn\'t get cut off. The knife landed on his palm, injuring it deeply. The wound is only a centimetre from his wrist.

?This Duchess is very displeased,? I murmur.

While the guards all have weird expressions, wondering what makes my Duke keep me alive, my husband tilts his head and smiles brightly.

?You won\'t notice any difference, my Duchess. I can promise you that,? he reveals and kisses my fingers entwined with his.

I puff, wondering how many colours has my face changed into during these few hours.

?This was not the principal attacker,? I say, then. ?It was just a decoy. They\'re still around, ready to strike.?

?You think so??

?It was a clumsy attempt, my Duke. Also, what kind of assassin is knocked out after a few blows? It would have been a longer battle if that person was trained.?

?I don\'t like admitting it, but I agree with you. I would probably be able to stand my ground for a while against a trained assassin, but there\'s no way I could win so easily.?

?However, now, you can fight back, my dear,? I point out while lifting my brows. ?Someone attacked and wounded a Duke, the next in line to the throne. You can issue a complaint in the capital, and you can investigate all you want now. And when you find out who is the culprit behind it...?

?Then, we\'ll be able to cut the monster\'s head,? he whispers.

It won\'t be easy. We first need to find proofs about Duke Grahm\'s involvement.

?Alexander, I was thinking about something,? I whisper.

I wait for him to move a bit to the side, and I slip down on his side.

?Duke Grahm is too powerful, isn\'t he? He\'s almost untouchable. Only his majesty can move against him.?

?That\'s the problem,? Alexander nods. ?We can\'t ask his majesty to intervene. Even if we do find some lead, the Emperor should remain neutral.?

?Wait,? I chuckle. ?Don\'t run too fast. I was trying to say that, maybe, we should lower our aim. If Duke Grahm is untouchable because he\'s your peer, we can\'t say the same about his son. Or about his granddaughters.?

?Mhm, I like having a merciless wife,? he mumbles. ?What do you want to do??

?All they keep doing is trying to make their miss marry you, Alexander. If she becomes unable to be the Lady of Kyre, then there won\'t be any reason to kill me. It won\'t solve the problems with the rest of the nobles, though. However, only Duke Grahm dares to attack a Duchess, right? The other nobles care too much about their positions to make a move against you.?

?What is the plan??

?I haven\'t created one, yet. However, I know what can be done to improve our situation a bit. I\'ll write a couple of letters, can you help me make sure they\'re delivered to the right people??

?I can,? he nods. His sound arm surrounds my waist under the cover, and he drags me closer. He pecks my forehead, and I sigh in embarrassment.

The Lord\'s office is full of people, right now!

Stoneyard\'s gates have been closed, and the guards are inspecting every place in search of traces. The dead assassin in the room has been moved away, and the maids seemed to recognise him.

?He worked in the stables,? one of them whispered.

Which makes it possible that he poisoned the horse as well. Except that it was all fine on the way to the village. The animal changed behaviour only after we stayed there.

This enforces my theory that the man was acting as a decoy. Also, he knew where to strike with the blade. He would have cut my throat if I was sleeping at my side.

?How did a stable worker know about the master bedroom\'s furniture disposition?? I ask out loud.

The guards turn to me with wide eyes while I roll mine. Even though I act a bit spoiled, I\'m not all that dumb.

I\'m not in the mood to sleep, right now. Also, I can\'t stay in a nightgown in front of everyone like this any longer.

?I\'ll freshen up and change,? I inform my Duke, and he simply nods.

One of the two maids helping me every day is already here, and she follows me without a word. I asked not to wake up Kate since she would just add to the chaos.

I walk in the Lady\'s chambers and take off the bloody nightgown. Unfortunately, the stain is on the back. I\'ll have to ask the maid to wash it away.

After cleaning up, I walk in the office and sit at the desk.

?Lit up a fire and prepare some tea. Possibly something calming,? I order while moving the budget to the side. I take out some clean paper and start sketching a letter. When I\'m satisfied with the draft I start writing on immaculate, scented sheets.

I let the ink dry while sipping some warm tea and munching cinnamon cookies.

?My old friend... We haven\'t written to each other in a while due to the difficult circumstances of the last few months. I\'m glad to finally find some time to write to you. After losing the war, my life has changed so much that I struggle to recognise myself. I\'m now the wife of Duke Alexander of Kyre, and hence I find myself as the Lady of this northern land,? I read while reaching out for a second sweet.

The maid startles when she hears my voice, but I\'m not bothered by her careful ears. I will show the letters to my husband soon, so there\'s no need to keep them private.

?After settling down and getting used to my position, I thought it would be nice to reconnect with some of my old acquaintances. I hope to read your reply very soon, and that you won\'t throw away our friendship just because I\'ve fallen from grace.?

It\'s short for a letter, but I don\'t want to waste efforts in phrasing my thoughts when I\'m not sure if the person will write back.

I add some lines on the first paper I\'ve written. I ask the recipients about his daily life and family, making it personal. Every one of my contacts shared different information with me, and I want to show that I paid attention to what they wrote or talked.

People like feeling like they\'re special.

?I hope they\'ll ask me about my life as well,? I voice, turned to the maid.

She nods, not knowing how to answer such a statement.

?When the ink dries, bring the letters to the Lord. If he approves them, I\'ll seal the envelopes and send them off.?

She bows slightly before opening her mouth.

?I was ordered not to leave my Lady\'s side,? she breathes. ?I\'m sorry, my Lady, but I can\'t follow your orders right now.?

?The Lord\'s orders have precedence,? I sigh.