*************
Missed the last post due too a trip out of town. Good news, though. I’ll be moving to a day shift schedule in a
few weeks. It will be a lot easier to
write consistently once that happens.
*************
“So what exactly is the nature of
our relationship?” Nesia asked as Donavan drained another glass of water.
“Why must you ask me that?” Donavan glanced at the door, knowing that the
guards would be coming soon.
“Because I don’t know what it is
anymore,” Nesia sighed in frustration.
Donavan opened his mouth, but hesitated, and Nesia realized that she
probably was not the one with the most problems in the room. “We’re safe in my room,” she told him,
remembering Cam’s note about the place being clean. “Whatever you say will stay with me.”
“You said that to me once before,”
Donavan smiled slightly. “And I still
haven’t gotten in trouble for what I said last time. I’ll trust you again.”
Last time. Nesia could not remember the incident that he
was talking about, but she could draw conclusions. He had broken free of the mold his father had
crafted him to be just long enough to tell her his honest opinion of his
supreme master. Donavan must have been
paranoid for a while after that. He
never went against the man. He said what
his father wanted and did what his father ordered.
“To be honest, I don’t know what it
is anymore either,” Donavan admitted.
“You first told me that you had no intention of marrying me despite
their wishes. You never told me if you
changed that opinion or not, though I am not adverse to the idea. You have been quite the, well, valuable…friend. He got upset when I visited you in the
hospital every day and sent me to deal with the Dredzen Family instead.”
Donavan started rushing through the
last bit, embarrassed by his confession.
He was telling the truth. She
remembered discussing her stand on not getting engaged to the Asuraeson heir
with several people. Nesia just could
not remember who exactly, and she did not have time to dwell on that thought.
“Their not giving a choice at all,
are there?” Nesia asked as realization dawned in her mind. “They’d probably tie me to a chair for the
ceremony and just cover up any pictures with my accident.”
“Sorry,” Donavan said quietly. “I understand that a marriage in title only is
not ideal. Once it is done, if I have
the power to, I will…”
“Young master,” a guard yelled
through the door, “we will be entering.
Straighten up if you need to.”
As annoyed as she was at the
interruption, Nesia almost laughed. The
guard was giving them warning just in case they were inappropriate. Now she remembered the guard’s name and why
she liked him. His name was Steve, and
he had always been willing to bend the rules and support the master he was
loyal to; which was Donavan and not the father.
Nesia hid the bottle of illegal
water just in time. Steve walked in, his
face serious, and followed by the replacement bodyguard. Obviously Steve’s loyalty to Donavan first
was a problem for Lord Asuraeson since he had assigned more guards to assist
with protecting the heir. Steve was
resistant to the…the…
“Are you all right, Katherine?”
Donavan asked as he stood up.
“Yes,” Nesia sighed as the
information hid behind a headache. “The
accident seems to have given me migraines.”
“Shall I call Doctor Harsten?”
Donavan asked.
“Not necessary,” Nesia quickly
answered. “I have an appointment with my
personal doctor next week. I’ll call him
if it gets worse. And when I find my phone.”
“I will procure a new one for you
immediately,” he assured.
“Don’t worry about it,” Nesia said,
feeling that trouble would come from something like that.
“I now have to return to my
meetings. Please stay well,
Katherine. A guard will always be
outside your door for your protection from now on.”
************
1 – Refuse the guard since it would be like house arrest,
which was probably the parents’ idea
2 – Delay Donavan and try to ask him one more question even
with the guards around
3 – Just shrug it off and shoo everyone outside for some
peace and quiet
************
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