Generous

Wura was deep in her own thoughts as she followed the guard through the Castle, she wondered, what Liam was playing at, why would he want to see at this time?? Unless it was something, very important, that maybe had to do with her.

Wura's mind started to rage, as she began to think of the many reasons why Liam would want to see her now, she started to think that maybe something bad happened to her Father, or her mother, or her Aunt or Uncle, she just hoped that they were all okay, just the thought of either one of them being ill, made her feel worried and panicked, she would not know what to do if she would only be stuck here.

Wura started to feel a stuffy feeling in her chest, she really hoped that all was well, and that she was only overreacting and overthinking, Wura was still trying to calm herself down that she did not realize when the guard stopped walking and he called out to her.

"My Queen…" called the guard once again as Wura snapped out of her many thoughts.

"Ahh… yes…" said Wura as she looked at the guard.

"My Queen, are you alright?" asked the guard.

"Yes, I am alright" said Wura as she gave a quick smile.

"Alright my Queen, here is his Majesty's study" said the guard as he stood behind the door.

"Oh… alright then… thank you" said Wura as she looked around, it would seem that Liam's study was next to his bedroom, and Wura would know, even though she had only been to his room two times, but she knew that the hall they were in was the one of his room.

"You are welcome my Queen, his Majesty is right behind these doors" said the guard as he smiled and he bowed his head as he walked away as he left Wura standing there.

Wura was questioning this whole thing, if Liam wanted to see her, then why did he not call her to his office? Why did he ask her to meet him at his study, which she did not know even existed before, to think that he was just behind these doors, he better have had a very valid reason for calling her here.

Wura just shook her head as she opened the door as she walked into the study and she closed the door behind her as she took a moment to look around… she had to say that Liam's study was… nice and cosy, it had a simple feel to it, which was much more different from his office that had an official feel to it.

Wura took a few steps forward as she turned to quick corner, and then she saw him, Liam, sitting at his desk as he looked like he was in his own thoughts, that made Wura worried, she had never seen him so absent minded before, so whatever he had to say to her had to be very important.

"Liam??" asked Wura as she called out to Liam and he snapped out of his thoughts as he smiled at her.

"Wura" said Liam as he smiled.

"You called for me Liam is… is anything the matter??" asked Wura as she was bracing herself to hear very bad news, she did not know if she would be able to handle it.

"Yes… something is the matter" said Liam as Wura felt her heart sink, Liam was never one to give her bad news, he always assured her that nothing was wrong, but now, she felt uneasy, very uneasy.

"What… what happened??" asked Wura as she felt her voice breaking already.

"Wura, please sit down first" said Liam as he gestured that Wura sit down on the couch as Wura did so immediately, she just wanted to know what was wrong, and how serious it was, and if everything was okay or not.

"Now can you tell me what is wrong Liam?" asked Wura as she looked at Liam and he stood up to sit beside her.

"Is it serious?" asked Wura.

"Very serious" said Liam as Wura started to get scared now.

"Tell me Liam… What… what is it… what happened??" asked Wura as she looked at Liam, she did not think that she could handle any sort of bad news right now.

"Is my Father alright, are my family alright??" asked Wura in panic.

"They are alright Wura…" said Liam.

"Then what is so serious?" asked Wura as she was relieved that her family were alright.

"Is the Kingdom alright?" asked Wura.

"Yes, everything is fine" said Liam.

"Is Uncle Nigel alright?" asked Wura as she had only seen him last night.

"Yes he is alright" replied Liam as Wura was now confused, if everything and everyone was fine, what did he call her here for then?

"If everything is fine, why did you call me here?" asked Wura as now she was very confused.

"Wura I called you here, because I have something for you" said Liam as he smiled.

"Oh good heavens Liam, you are… horrible, you made me so worried for nothing, you should have just said so from the beginning, my mind was already raging with bad thoughts" said Wura as she sighed, what was wrong with him?? Did he just want to make her worried at all.

"I am sorry if I made you feel that way Wura" said Liam as he smiled, he did not know that she was such a worrywart.

"You do not really seem sorry, anyway, just tell me why it is that you called me here" said Wura as she sighed, she really did not need all this unnecessary stress right now.

"I need you to…" said Liam as he paused and Wura narrowed her eyes at him, he was acting very strangely, she was suspicious of him.

"I want you to eat with me, it is noon after all, and I am sure that you have not eaten yet" said Liam as he smiled and Wura's face contorted to a mix of anger, disbelief, and shame at herself for coming here.

"Good heavens Liam, what sort of man are you?" asked Wura in anger.

"You called me all the way here?? You let me ask you many questions, you made it seem as if it was something very important, and in the end, all you ask me is this??" asked Wura in disbelief, she blamed herself for thinking so highly of him.

"You started asking questions, and you did not let me speak first" said Liam as he smiled.

"Oh speak first, my foot, you are horrible, so horrible Liam" said Wura as she punched him on his chest, because that was the only accessible place for her to harm him, and well she did not want to hit his face because she was sure that he would not take it lightly with her if she did.

"Just so horrible" she said as she gave him one last punch and Liam let her do what she wanted, it was the first time that she was touching him on will, that made Liam happy, and besides, she looked really cute, her punches were not hurting him at all.

"Is that a no?" asked Liam as he smiled, he did admit that he was at fault for letting her mind continue to rage on, but he just wanted to tease her, and well it backfired in his face right now.

"Yes, it is a no, a big, fat, NO, No I will not eat with you" said Wura as she scoffed and she rose to her feet, she was getting out of her, Liam was just being impossible, so impossible, the fact that he had tricked her with his calm demeanour during their morning stroll, she really was foolish for letting herself be fooled by him.

"Not even if I have carrot cake?" asked Liam as Wura paused on her way to reach for the door handle and Liam smiled, he knew that carrot cake was her favourite, which was why he had asked the cooks to make some carrot cake especially for this occasion, he knew that if all else failed, carrot cake would not.

"Did you say carrot cake?" asked Wura as she slowly turned around, not that she was weak or anything, but she was really missing her parents, and well now with Nora gone, she was lonely, and she was sort of craving carrot cake now that he had mentioned it, and well, she had not eaten yet… so she wad hungry.

"Yes carrot cake" said Liam as he smiled and he stood up from the couch as he walked to a little table by his desk and he held a plate of carrot cake in his hands.

"It is freshly baked, and well I cannot eat it all alone, I was wondering if you would help me finish it, although I am sure that it will not be as good as the carrot cake your mother makes" said Liam as he smiled and at the mention of her mother, Wura started to feel like crying, she missed her family, but she would not cry now.

"Well I…" said Wura as she did not want to look weak, but his offer truly was tempting, she could not remember the last time she had carrot cake, and well now… she was craving for something sweet.

"What do you say?" asked Liam.

"I would really like to share, I am a generous man" said Liam as he smiled and Wura scoffed at him, generous indeed, he was not generous, he was dubious, he was trying to bribe her and trap her with carrot cake, and he knew that it would work.

"Well since you said that you like to share Liam…" said Wura as she smiled and she walked towards Liam and he smiled.

"I will take that" said Wura as she smiled and she took the cake from Liam and she turned around to walk away as Liam was surprised by what she just did, he had not expected her to do that.

"Thank you for the cake Liam" said Wura as she smiled and she got ready to open the door. Liam snapped out of his shock as he realized that this too was about to blow up in his face, and he and Wura would not end up eating together.

"I only told you that I wanted to share it, and not for you to take it, why are you stealing my cake?" asked Liam as Wura turned around to look at him.

"But you did say that you were a generous man, and generous men give out, do they not?" asked Wura as she smiled smugly at him and Liam realized that his words had come back to bite him, Wura was not one to take words lightly, no not at all, she held on to them in order to use them against you.

"Yes, but not in this case" said Liam.

"Oh, but I thought that generosity has no bounds?" asked Wura as she wanted to laugh at him, but she had to keep up her serious façade, it was just too fun to tease him, now he would felt how it felt to be teased.

"Oh alright then, you can have the cake, but I did call you here because I cannot finish it on my own, and I am sure that you cannot either" said Liam as he smiled and Wura smiled at him.

"Oh I can, trust me, I have a very big stomach" said Wura as she smiled, she was just pulling his leg, she could not even eat half of this cake by herself.

"I hope that you are happy with your cake then" said Liam as he smiled, he would let her do as she pleased.

"And I hope that you enjoy it… but if you change your mind, you could always stay here with me" said Liam as he smiled and Wura looked like she was thinking, when in reality she wanted to stay here, Nora was gone, she had no one else to talk to, and well she did not want to eat alone, so she wanted to stay here with Liam, and of course they could eat the cake together, he was the one who had it baked in the first place, so he should enjoy it as well.

"Hmm, on second thought, you are right… since you are so generous, I will stay here, and we can have it together" said Wura as she smiled and Liam smiled.

"Alright then" said Liam as he smiled and Wura walked back to sit down on the couch as Liam got a knife and he handed it to Wura as she cut him a piece and he put it on a plate and she cut herself another piece as he put it on a plate for her and Wura placed the rest of the cake on the little table beside her as Liam sat next to her.

"I do have to say that the carrot cake is not that bad, but it needs a bit more sweetness" said Wura as she smiled and Liam watched her eat the cake with joy as he was happy, and he took a bit out of his cake as well.

"I have to agree with you there Wura" said Liam as he smiled and Wura looked at him, she knew he planned this… somehow, he knew that she loved carrot cake, it was her favourite cake, it warmed her heart to know that he had made this cake just for her.

And well Wura did not like to be alone, so eating here with Liam made her happy, it was nice to eat with someone.

"I never knew that you were a thief Wura" said Liam as he laughed.

"I am no such thing" said Wura as she looked at him.

"You tried to steal my cake" said Liam.

"That you so generously offered to me" said Wura as she added.

"No, you tried to steal it" said Liam.

"I am no thief, and I do not steal things" said Wura.

"Oh no, I beg to differ" said Liam.

"Oh then?? Tell me what I have ever stolen from you?" asked Wura as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"My hear…" said Liam as he paused, he knew that saying that right now would be too forward, and well he did not want Wura to run away from him, so he decided not to say what was on his mind.

"My horse… you stole my horse's affection from me" said Liam as he made up a fake answer.

"Oh Liam you are so petty, just because you horse loves me does not mean that I stole his affection from you" said Wura as she scoffed and Liam smiled at her.

"Well even if you did not, it is hard not to like you… you have a certain charm that is hard not to notice or resist" said Lim as he smiled and Wura looked at him.

"And well, you have a certain annoyance to you that you show no one else but me" said Wura as she scoffed and Liam just smiled at her as silence reigned for a while.

"So you have a study?" asked Wura.

"Yes I do" replied Liam.

"I did not know that you had one" said Wura.

"Well sometimes, you just need break and a change of environment, which is why I have this study, it is relaxing" said Liam as he smiled.

"I can see that" said Wura as she smiled.

"It was my mother's study… I guess that is why I feel so calm here" said Liam as he smiled and Wura smiled at him, he was talking about his mother again, he had not done so in a while.

"I can imagine" said Wura as she smiled.

"I understand you… I feel the same… when I am in my Father's study as well" said Wura as she smiled, back home, she loved to be with her Father in his study, it was calming.

Liam smiled at her, they were more similar than they realized.

"I have not brought any woman here before… you are the first" said Liam as he smiled at Wura and Wura cleared her throat… she did not know why that made her feel… special, she was the first woman he had brought here… to a place he considered calm.

"Well I let Nora go home" said Wura as she changed the subject.

"Oh… why is that?" asked Liam out of curiosity, Nora was Wura's maid after all, and of course she could do as she pleased with her.

"Well she received a letter from home earlier, her father is ill, and she was worried, so I told her to go home and take care of him till he recovers.

"Ahh I see… I wish him safe recovery" said Liam.

"And so do I, I can only imagine how worried Nora must have felt, not being there to help or take care of her father, which is why I let her go, I cannot bear to see her sad" said Wura.

"I agree, it is a horrible feeling" said Liam as his mind went to when he and Wura returned from Cornwalk and he returned to his father being ill until the inevitable happened.

"So are you going to get a replacement maid?" asked Liam.

"Well no, I do not need one, I will just wait till Nora returns, besides I can take care of myself" said Wura.

"Well alright then, I trust that you will" said Liam as he smiled.

"Which reminds me, I need to go and see Lady Marli" said Wura as she stood up, she could not say that being here with him was not enjoyable, but she would not tell him that, or else it would make his head swell.

"Alright then" said Liam as he smiled, Wura had already finished her piece of cake.

"See you at dinner?" asked Liam as he smiled.

"See you at dinner" said Wura as she smiled and she walked out of his study, leaving Liam there with a fulfilled smile on his face, his plan had worked, they had spent some more time together, and he could see that she was getting less and less annoyed with him, she was just in disbelief and a little bit of annoyance, but she knew that he was just teasing her.

Liam looked at the cake on the table, he thanked it for actually working, now carrot cake was his favourite cake.

…

"Oh my Queen, I have been looking for everywhere, but I was told that you were with his Majesty" said Lady Marli as Wura looked at her and she walked into her room as she closed the door, she did say that Lady Marli could come and see her at any time.

"Oh yes Lady Marli, I was" said Wura as she smiled.

"My Queen, Nora told me that you gave her permission to go home and take care of her ill father" said Lady Marli.

"Yes I did" said Wura as she smiled.

"My Queen, would you like a replacement for Nora, till she returns?" asked Lady Marli.

"No, I will wait for her to return" said Wura as she smiled.

"But my Queen…" said Lady Marli as she was cut off.

"I can take care of myself Lady Marli, I can bathe myself, clothe myself, so I do not need another maid" said Wura.

"Alright my Queen, if you say so" said Lady Marli.

"But I will still assign you a temporary maid my Queen, just to assist you" said Lady Marli.

"That Is just alright Lady Marli" said Wura as she smiled and Lady Marli smiled.