A surprise

The doctor visits me in silence, poking the borders of the bruise with a complicated expression. When I startle, he stops pressing and steps back with a complicated expression on his face.

«Were you wearing a corset when you hurt yourself?»

I nod and look at Alexander.

«It doesn't look too serious,» the doctor says, in the end. «I believe that the corset has caused this bruise, and it will take time to heal, but there isn't any damage to the internal organs.»

I look at the bruise and, indeed, it's now a dark blue horizontal line surrounded by different shades of green and purple. It's awful to look at, but it doesn't hurt as long as it doesn't get in contact with anything.

I resist the temptation of touching the dark spot because of Alexander's eyes following my expression. He's holding my hand between his, and his face is dark of worry. Seeing a war commander behaving like this is odd.

«If it doesn't get better, or if it worsens, call me in a couple of days,» the doctor continues, glancing at the Duke's weird reaction.

«And what about these?» my husband asks, showing the palm of my hand to the man.

I sigh hopelessly, and I can swear that the doctor agrees with a smirk. The time I take to blink, though, is enough for him to return to his unadorned, solemn expression.

«Her grace, the Duchess, can apply this ointment two times a day,» the doctor snorts. «I'll leave some tea for helping the bruise retreat, but the Duchess should rest in bed for a few days. The tea will interfere with the blood pressure and drain the bad blood away from the wound.»

After giving some other advice, the doctor leaves.

«Was that a royal doctor?» I inquire. He didn't have the deference an ordinary medic has for nobles. Also, he clearly has different opinions about medicine from most of the doctors in the Empire.

I was so scared he would start talking about bloodletting. Fortunately, he's reasonable.

Another surprise is that my husband let a male doctor visit me. I didn't think it possible. Most men prefer having their wives die rather than to let another man medicate them.

At the same time, though, I'm sure there aren't many female doctors around.

«That's the Emperor's personal doctor,» Alexander reveals. «The best medic in the Empire.»

Is that so?

«How did you manage to reach him?»

«You're a member of the royal family, so you're under the royal doctor's care as well.»

«I thought you and the Emperor were at odds, but it looks like he didn't revoke all the privileges you had as an Archduke,» I note.

Alexander straightens his back suddenly. He stares at me for a minute, and then he relaxes and sits on the side of the bed.

«It means that the issue is solvable,» he shrugs. «Maybe, the Emperor will stop looking at me like a threat.»

«But you indeed are a threat. You haven't renounced any right to the throne, have you?» I continue, poking my nose into my husband's business. «On one side, it's understandable since the Emperor doesn't have a successor. However, it might be seen as ambition. Is that the reason why you're not in the Emperor's graces even though you won a war?»

«No, it's not,» he whispers. He rolls a lock of my hair around a finger, and I can't help but doubt his words. He's clearly hiding something, but I can't quite grasp what it is.

«I'm on your side,» I say, in the end. Whatever this husband of mine is planning, he's my only ally at the moment.

«I've prepared a surprise for you!» he remembers then.

«When?» I mutter. He was always by my side, when did he find the time?

«Won't you ask what it is, Duchess?»

«If it's a surprise, you won't tell me,» I shrug.

«She arrived a few minutes ago, so I'll let you two talk,» he says.

I raise my eyebrows confused, and surprised. A person?

When the door opens, a tiny shadow runs in and throws herself at the feet of the bed.

«Your majesty, what happened to you?» she asks, crying.

«Kate?» I mumble astonished. How did my personal maid get here? I asked her to blend in with the other handmaids of the Palace, in Polis, so that she could stay safe and far from the Empire. «How did you get here?»

«A man with long hair and grey eyes came to fetch me. He said that my Queen needed my help, so I immediately answered. I thought they killed you, your majesty! I'm so glad that you're alive,» she explains, trembling and sobbing desperately.

Kate is around Princess Lyland's age, and she's my nanny's granddaughter. She grew up at my Palace and was my only childhood companion, other than my brother.

She became my maid when she turned twelve. For me, she's the closest a ruler can reach to have a friend.

«It might have been a trap,» I point out. «You shouldn't have answered that man.»

Grey eyes and long hair? I don't think I've met this person yet. Is it one of Alexander's aids?

«She's a Duchess now,» my husband utters, and Kate turns back to stare at him.

She widens her eyes in surprise, and she stands protectively by my side.

«I'll let you two talk,» he continues, not paying too much attention to Kate's manners.

«That's right,» I intervene before my stubborn maid can say something outrageous. «I'm a duchess now, not a queen.»

She moves her eyes between the Duke and me. In the end, she decides to leave her doubts for later.

«How should I call you, then?» she inquires. «Your highness?»

«Grace, the right title is grace,» I inform her while settling on the bed. «That's how you should address me when others are listening.»

Kate has always called me by name when we're alone. There's no need to change our childhood habits.

«I'm so happy to have you here,» I whisper. I'll thank the Duke properly, later.

He gave me what I really needed, rather than what I desired.