Hummed behind closed lips. A nonsensical tune energized my morning as I wove my hair into a braid. Adjusting my favorite day dress' skirt, I stepped back and looked myself over in the boudoir mirror. "Looks pretty good." After smoothing out a couple of stray hairs, I dashed to the dining room.
The staff was hard at work preparing breakfast. Scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast sizzled on the stove, diffusing their mouthwatering scent around the kitchen and making my stomach growl in anticipation. "Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, Madam," chorused the staff.
"Do you guys need help with anything?" My hand reached for an apron, but one of the cooks pulled it out of my reach.
"Madam, don't worry. We have everything under control," The woman said with a smile. "We want you to enjoy your first morning with the duke." Hovering her hand over my lower back, she guided me to the door that adjoined the kitchen to the dining room. "We'll bring out your breakfast shortly."
"Ok, but if you guys need any help. Call for me."
A big smile flashed across her face. "Alright, Madam, will do."
I stood by the door without moving an inch. Is this how it's going to be from now on? Just me and him every day doing our household duties. Unease swallowed my happiness. Will Zander get annoyed after a while? I am no longer of any use to him, Will he tell me to leave? Will I end up all alone once again? Pushing my fears to the back of my mind, I stepped into the room.
Zander's deep voice set my heart aflutter. His wide back hid Benjamin from my line of sight as he towered over the old butler by a foot. Was he always this tall and well-built?
His head dipped forward to look over the papers in his hand. "I'm going to take a trip to the caves today after breakfast to see how everything is going."
"Are you sure, Iskander? You got here yesterday. Give yourself a couple of days to rest." Benjamin said, and, sensing my presence, his head leaned sideways to look at me from the side of Zander's shoulder. "Oh, good morning, Madam."
"Good morning."
Zander turned, and our eyes locked for a fraction of a second. "Good morning." He bowed his head.
"You're going to the mines today?" I asked.
"Yes, I would like to see how the marble production is going," Zander responded.
"And I told him that he should stay home and rest, at least for today," Benjamin added.
"I won't take long. I'll go over there and be right back."
Benjamin sighed. "Alright, then you should take the madam with you. She hasn't seen that part of the territory yet."
"No. I'm fine." My voice shook. "Besides, someone has to stay here to take care of Benjamin and the Manor. So, I volunteer for that."
"I'm not senile yet, madam. I can hold the fort while you're gone." An ear-to-ear smile split his face.
"You know that's a great idea. Will you like to come, Leyla?"
"I," A shaky breath cut off my words, and as if on cue, Benjamin spurred into action.
"I'll get your travel cloak, Madam." He walked to me, and placing his hands on my shoulders, he said in a low voice, "Don't worry, he won't let anything happen to you. You got this, just like last time."
⚜⚜⚜
The rustling of the papers on Zander's hands as his eyes scanned the pages. The clopping of the horse's hooves. The crunching of the gravel under the wheels of the carriage. Those were the only sounds I heard for the first hour of our trip.
My fingers traced the small, white flowers embroidered on the ends of my cobalt blue travel cloak. Trying to occupy my mind with something other than the silent man sitting next to me. Is he annoyed that I came with him? I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I did not hear Zander calling out to me.
"Leyla," He called my name again.
"What? Oh, sorry. Yes?"
His eyes focused on something behind me. "Look out your window."
My head turned to look at the sun shining through the trees in the forest. The golden light brought a warm undertone to the woodlands. And highlighted the thousands— no millions—of flowers that covered the ground like a giant blue carpet. A gasp of amazement left my lips. "Can we stop?
A small smile crept across his face, and he lifted his hand to hit the roof twice with the back of his hand. The horse's hooves scraped against the ground, and the carriage stopped in the middle of the dirt road.
Holding Zander's hand for balance, I climbed out and crouched next to the flowers that skirted the road. About twelve small bell-like flowers hung from a single stem, each bloom feeling like silk in the palm of my hand. "They're bluebells!" I rose to my feet and gazed at the picturesque scene before my eyes, committing it to memory in hopes of transferring this beautiful sight to a canvas. "They're beautiful, don't you think?"
"Yes, they match your cloak." He responded from his place beside the carriage.
My eyes fell on the fabric around my shoulders. "Oh, yeah. They do." With a laugh and a twirl, I added, "It makes me feel like one of those flower nymphs from the stories Mari read me as a child." Zander chuckled, and a grin crossed his features. I've never seen him smile that big before. It suits him.
"You know a lot about flowers," He said when we were back in the carriage.
"Yes, I do. Did you think I was kidding when I wrote you that I spent a whole year reading about the different types of flowers in our kingdom?"
"No, no. I was just acknowledging the fact that it shows you read about them for a year." My responding laugh brought his beautiful smile back to the surface. After some minutes of silence, he asked, "You spoke about Mari. Is she the one...?" The smile on my face dropped, and he stuttered, "S-sorry. If you don't want to talk about it. You don't have to."
"No, it's just." I took a breath, "Yes. I don't want to talk about it right now."
"I understand." He responded in a soft tone of voice.
A small smile creased my lips. "Thanks for understanding."
⚜⚜⚜
The marble caves were a sight to behold. Three large openings lay at the bottom of a ravine. Inside, the stark white stone was riddled with grey veins that swirled around the curved walls of the cave.
On the opposite side, the wall was carved like a giant staircase. The clanging sound of hammers and chisels bounced around the ravine as handfuls of men stood on each step mining the stone. While the others went to and from, hauling wooden carts stacked with slabs of marble.
"Your Grace!" A pudgy man wearing a stonemason's apron called from his place near the bottom of the mine.
Zander shook the man's hand when he got closer. "Chief Bigge. How are you?"
"Very well. I'm glad to see you're back." The chief patted Zander's shoulder. "Is this our duchess?" He asked as he walked in front of me and bowed his head. "Marcus Bigge, Madam, at your service. I'm the chief in charge of the marble production in these mines. I'm also the one you were corresponding with a year ago."
"Yes. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Chief Bigge. I'm Lehylany Nubilus."
"We've been waiting for your visit, madam." He smiled. "And if I may. Your solution to the mining waste issue was brilliant."
"Oh, thank you. But I didn't come up with it on my own. It was a team effort." My fingers twisted the fabric of my skirt.
"I read the report, and I agree. To use the waste to make bricks for paving our roads is an amazing idea." Zander praised with a smile on his face.
After a beat, Chief Bigge said, "Well, let's get started. Where do you want to go first, your grace?"
Zander made his rounds through the mines with me trailing behind him. Stopping from time to time. He would ask the workers for their thoughts and opinions about different matters. The way Zander attentively listened to all their concerns and comments made my heart swell.
He jotted some notes down in his notebook and turned to me after interviewing the fifth miner of the day. "I'm sorry if this is boring you."
"Oh, no. This is quite fascinating, actually." My eyes swept my surroundings and locked on the caves for a brief second before I set my eyes back on him.
A knowing smirk came to his face. "The caves are even more beautiful inside. Want to go in?"
"Can I?"
"Of course, madam. This is your territory, after all." Chief Bigge responded with a chuckle. "I'll tell one of our guys to go with you."
"Oh, then no, no. I don't want to bother anyone."
"No, worries." The chief waved off my complaints. "Anyone here wants to go with our duchess to the cave?"A man, no older than twenty, raised his hand. "Alright then, lad, get a lantern and accompany Your Grace." Chief Bigge ordered.
The cave walls shimmered in the lantern's light, and curiosity drove my fingers to stroke the surface. Trying to feel the overlaying crystals embedded in the rock. "This is amazing."
"Right? I was so amazed when I first came in here too." The man said. "Follow me, Your Grace. I want to show you the best place here."
The sound of water droplets echoed from further inside the cave. Walking towards the light that came from the other end of a narrow passage, I was stunned into stillness by the beauty before me.
Like a gem encased in pale walls, a small, azure, natural pool glowed under the sun's rays that came through a hole in the cave ceiling in the middle of the marbled open space.
"Wow." I breathed.
"Beautiful, right?" He smiled.
I hummed in approval.
An hour later, I was back in the carriage, sitting beside a silent Zander as we headed home. "You did an amazing job," Zander commented, looking over his notes. "The workers are very happy with the changes you made while I was gone."
"Thank you." I smiled. "And thanks to those workers for putting a good word for me so I don't get fired." A laugh forced through my lips in an attempt to ease the awkwardness I brought onto myself.
He looked up from his notebook. "What do you mean?"
The muscles on my face were stiff as I lifted my lips into a smile. "It's a joke, don't worry."
"No. Why did you say that?"
"It's a joke, I—"
His eyes bore into mine, and he asked once again. "Why did you say that?"
My smile crumbled. "It's nothing." His eyes urged me to continue. "It's just that I've been thinking lately. About how things are going to be now that you're back." My hands fisted in the fabric of my skirt. "I've been thinking about how you no longer need me and, to tell you the truth, I wouldn't blame you if you decide to, you know, let me go."
"Why would I do that? You're my wife."
My heart skipped a beat at the word 'wife'. This is the first time he has called me that.
"Benjamin, the servants, and you, Leyla, are my family, and as you already know, I don't abandon my family."
His words soothed the heaviness in my heart, bringing a relieved smile to my face. "I know."
We arrived at the manor early in the afternoon. "I'm so hungry," I grumbled, trying to ignore the sudden jolt of giddiness Zander's fingers on my waist caused as he helped me climb out of the carriage.
"Me too. I can't wait to eat lunch." He responded with a voice full of anticipation.
His eager response made me chuckle as we walked through the threshold. In the foyer, Annie patted the back of a man sitting in one of the armchairs with his head in his hands. "Don't worry about it, Sir. Acoma. There'll be other girls." She jutted her lower lip in a sad pout.
"Uhm, what is going on?" Zander asked.
At the sound of my husband's voice. The man jumped out of his seat and threw his arms around Zander. "Iskander! She's married!"
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