Josefine_4852

She was kneeling on the cold stone floor of the main hall with her hands tied behind her back. Not daring to face the intruders she kept her head low and her gaze fixed on the ground. 
She was only wearing a nightgown and her messily tied hair had started to come undone, causing lose strands of auburn colored hair to cover her face. She was thin; way to thin as most would probably say. Her beautiful features were concealed by sunken cheeks, dark circles and a dull complexion. 
Beside her was the rest of the family, all of them kneeling in a row with their hands tied back. She hadn’t gotten a good look but from the corner of her eye her father had appeared to be badly beaten...

*** 

The man who had killed her family that night had been truly terrifying. His face was entirely unfeeling as he beheaded them and he did not flinch when their bodies hit the floor.
So why had that man defied the king's orders just to spare her life? 

Amelia thought that her miserable life would continue being filled with nothing but abuse. 
She had not expected that she would be treated kindly, both by him and by his servants. And she had certainly not expected that she would slowly begin to let her guard down aroud him.

***

(Cover art from pinterest)

A thorny path

The lunch Amelia was served that day was more grand than usual. Several different courses and desserts were placed on the table table in front of her, ranging from simple soups and freshly baked bread to the most intricate gourmet dishes.


At first she was confused by the sudden ramp up. While the food she'd been served in the estate had always been magnificent it was the first time she was presented with such quantity. She soon realised the reason though; a certain maid must've gossiped about how she hadn't been eating well since the other day. She hadn't had much of an appetite since she recieved news of her lessons from Gordon, which Olivia had repeatedly expressed her concern over.


It was not like she was annoyed by the maid's gossip though. Rather it was strangely comforting being looked out for.


'I should bring Olivia some desserts after I'm finished' Amelia thought as she lifted a spoon of steaming hot potato soup to her lips.


She hadn't realised how hungry she was until she actually started eating. She even had to restrain herself from completely stuffing her face because it would be an unsightly thing to do with servants around.


'I must've been more stressed than I realized to allow myself to become like this' she pondered.


Even after eating much more than usual Amelia somehow still craved dessert. When the servants that had been waiting on her approached the table to gather the dirty dishes she turned to one of them, a young male with light brown hair and a childish face, and asked him:


"I'm sorry, would it be possible to have these sent up to my chamber?"


She gestured towards a layered serving tray of meringue tarts and miniature pies.


"Certainly. Shall I have them sent to you in time for the afternoon tea?"


"That would be perfect. Thank you very much."


"It's no problem" He answered with a polite smile and bowed his head.


Amelia was reminded of her gratefulness towards the duke's servants. It would to be expected for at least some of them to treat her with suspision or hostility considering her circumstamces and background, but so far none of them had. She had been met with far more respect here than she had back home, even during the time when she was still acknowladged as an actual member of the Ainsworth household.


She had gotten so used to the glares and sneers that the courteous attitudes of the servant's here kept catching her by surprise.


"Come to think of it, you do not have to send the bottom layers. That would be far too much to finish. You should share them amongst the staff instead while they're still fresh."


Amelia met the young boy's eyes that instantly lit up. It was understandable since desserts could usually only be enjoyed by certain staff in the evening right before they were thrown away. It was probably a rare occurance for the day-staff to recive freshly baked desserts, so Amelia hoped that her gesture could relay her sincerity. 


"You are far too kind, miss Ainsworth. Thank you! I shall share it with the others."


Amelia stayed seated at the table for a bit longer, basking in the warmth from the autumn sun that gleamed through the big windows. Outside the entire garden looked like it had been stained by the sunlight's warm colors, with orange and yellow tinted leaves covering the trees and the ground. A good day for a walk...


'Olivia couldn't still be on lunchbreak, could she?'


Being looked out for