The Duchess who cried

The scent of blood soured Aretha's mood quickly. She picked up her speed until she arrived where she smelt the blood. She arrived just in time to see a fragile leg being pulled roughly from the carriage.

"DO NOT TOUCH MY HUSBAND!"

He barely had any time to react before his head was severed from his body. She didn't have her sword with her but her hands were more than enough. She sliced through bodies with her hands like they were butter, decimating anyone who remotely looked like a threat. By the time she was done, there was not one corpse that was in one piece.

"Ouch! Fucking…damn it! My nail!"

Caspian was seated on the ground and had watched the massacre happen. This woman who had slaughtered 15 men with her bare hands…was complaining of a broken nail. He couldn't believe it.

He had heard countless things said about Duchess Quire but some things weren't adding up. First of all, she didn't look like a monster. Yes, she looked terrifying with her bloodstained white shirt, face, and hands but asides from that, she looked normal. No, not normal, terrifyingly beautiful. Even the blood on her face added to the allure.

"Oh my…I almost forgot about you! I am so sorry. I wanted to make a good impression today but I fucked that up. Are you quite alright?! That must've been very shocking."

She got closer to him and inspected his body for injuries. As she did, he was able to see her face clearly, and seeing her crimson eyes up close intimidated him.

"You…know who I am?"

"Of course! How can I not know the face of my husband?" She said, smiling like it was supposed to be so. Caspian couldn't wrap his head around it. He was a groom, not a husband. She was talking like she had already accepted the marriage. She couldn't possibly…

"I beg you to bear with me. I cannot change these clothes and staying out in this weather surrounded by bodies is sure to attract demons. We might have to abandon your luggage and your wheelchair for now. Is there anything you need?"

"…no."

"Perfect. Please hold on tightly to me, Count Aderam. I would be a bit fast."

This was his first encounter with the duchess and soon-to-be wife. The day had been nothing but shocking but if only he knew that wasn't the last of it.

The wind whipped past them as she basically flew back to the castle on the hill. She lied when she said she would be a bit fast. His eyes were clenched tightly shut as she ran because of how disorienting and frankly, humiliating the whole situation was. While he wasn't looking at her, she was looking at him.

"Cute," she remarked to herself. She saw the portrait but it really didn't do him justice. His soft, pale face, his long soft silver hair that extended just a little past his shoulder, his lovely green eyes, and his thin frame, everything was so lovely to her.

When she first heard her husband was to be a crippled man, she was outraged. She had endured several insults and humiliation in her lifetime but she hoped for marriage to be a bit different. She was unhappy in life. Being unhappy in marriage would be equivalent to just killing her. So, she went to investigate her husband for a little bit.

She sent a letter to the king as soon as she got back home, accepting the engagement. It was suspicious to everyone why she accepted the marriage so easily but at least, it worked out for everyone. Well, everyone except Caspian.

"Milady! Why are you covered in blood?! Is that…Count Aderam?!"

"Prepare a bath for Count Aderam immediately! Samantha, go to the town and tell the craftsman to bring the wheelchair I asked him to make. Count Aderam, are you well enough to eat? That unfortunate encounter must've dampened your appetite. However, you must eat to regain your strength."

"Milady, how many times have I told you that you cannot hold a man that way?!"

"But how else am I supposed to hold him? There's no wheelchair here yet and he needs the warmth of my body now."

"The servants will take it from here, my lady. You're embarrassing the count. Go take a bath yourself. You don't want to be covered in blood for much longer, do you?"

"I don't mi…I will go and change right away!"

There were several male servants in the castle. She handed him over to the strongest one and watched them leave with worry in her eyes. The head butler, Conan, followed them down to the bath.

"Pardon our lady's rudeness and the rather embarrassing welcome you got to our home. My name is Conan and I'm the head butler of this castle. I am also the one who has been taking care of Milady since she was a child so please do not be offended by her brutish methods. She truly meant no harm by handling you like a beast."

"I'm not upset, Sir Conan. Rather, I'm thankful she saved my life. How did she know I was in danger?"

"She was too excited and couldn't stand the wait so she decided to track you on the journey by escaping before any of the knights could catch up with her. You would find that it is a very common occurrence in this household. Her sense of smell, sight, and hearing are also very sharp so it's hard for someone to hide something from her…except in a parable."

"I…see. You have been watching her for a long time, haven't you?"

"That is correct, my lord."

"Then you couldn't possibly have agreed to this marriage!"

"Milord, I may have raised her since she was a child but the lady is still the Duchess of Lothbrigde. Her decisions are final and I must respect that. But…I wasn't happy with the decision. I wanted her to be happy since…well, there are some things better said by her grace. But I think this marriage wouldn't be such a bad idea. Our lady might be brutish but she's likable."

The Count had nothing more to say.

Meanwhile, while the Duchess was having her bath, she had to be forced down by her maids so she could be scrubbed clean, as per her request. There was no way they could've held her down so she couldn't come out of the bath until every single part of her was clean. Inside the bath, she was still crying about her broken nail. It distressed everyone around her as well.

Both of them came out at roughly the same time. The silence was awkward and they barely had anything to talk about. To make it worse, her stomach grumbled loudly, echoing in the long, hollow corridor. She wished to bury herself right there and then...until she saw that he was smiling.

"I guess I wasn't being very considerate of you, milady. I was bold enough to forget you were a lady. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course. Do you...want to eat something?"

"I would love to. But first, may I take a look at your fingers?"

"My...fingers?"

"Oh, that must've come out wrong. I heard you say something about your nail being broken and I got curious. Forgive me for..."

She walked closer to him and knelt in front of his wheelchair, extending her hand to him. Once again, their faces were close and it astounded him just how tall she was. He took her hand in his and found that they were soft...not exactly what he was expecting from someone who just used her hands to slay 15 men.

"Ah, so that's what the problem was. Your nail ripped out from the nail bed. It must've been painful," he said softly. The way he touched her hand made her feel ticklish and his voice made it worse. She could see his eyelashes softly fluttering and it made her own heart flutter. The man was more beautiful up close.

"You have very beautiful eyes."

Her words shocked him. But he wasn't the type to leave a lady without a compliment in return. It was only courteous.

"And you have beautiful hands. I know the nail would grow back soon so there's no need to be so distressed. But if there's anything you want me to do, I shall do it right away, milady."

She was so close, she could kiss him. He wasn't like any of the men at the barracks. The stench of death and the greed she often saw in their eyes wasn't present in his. The hands he called beautiful had slain many, many men, friends, and foes. Because of her bloodline, she could heal all scars. However, the ones in her heart remained open and sore.

"Milady, are you planning to keep Count Aderam held up in the corridor? Isn't it courteous to treat your guest to lunch, at the very least?"

"Oh, that's right! I am so sorry, Count Aderam. I will take you to where we will dine right away. Is the wheelchair uncomfortable? I had it made specially but it's not like I had you to fit it. Are wheelchairs even fitted? Forgive my rambling."

The Duchess really wasn't anything like he expected but...it wasn't a bad thing.