To Odelle (4)

"Feel free to just call me Leticia, my lady," she gently insisted, fingers hovering over Mikael's feet. There was a hint of worry in her voice as she inquired, "Your throat seems a bit dry, my lady. Do you want me to fetch you a glass of water?"

Mikael gave a little nod in response. It seemed like she hadn't quite figured out Mikael's mannish voice. This only means Mikael had managed to pull off a convincing feminine voice.

While Leticia hastily made her exit, the tent's flaps flung open, revealing Beth. Their eyes locked momentarily, and perhaps they even shared a wordless talk.

Beth, who happened to arrive at the right moment, could not help but be confused. What in the world had Leticia been doing in Mikael's tent?

But just as quickly as their gaze had connected, Leticia broke eye contact, marching off with her head up high. She left Beth hanging, wrestling with her burning curiosity and internal questions about their brief encounter.

Beth shuffled closer to Mikael, and her eyes wandered down to his feet, which glistened with aromatic oils. From then and there, she managed to piece the puzzle together.

Finally, Mikael caved in, returning to his regular voice, "I was looking for you."

Beth, keeping her eyes down out of respect, gave a polite nod. "I pitched in with washing the veggies, my lord, I mean, my lady," she corrected herself pronto, knowing how important it was to keep up the act.

"I shall continue where the other maid left off," Beth said, getting down on her knees to take over Leticia's duties.

…

Mikael went from sitting on the edge of the bed to plopping into a cushioned chair. His eyes drooped halfway as Beth's hands kneaded all his feet's weariness away, melting the tension that had stubbornly settled in his muscles.

Mikael had dismissed Leticia after she had gotten him a glass of water and had permitted Beth to take over.

His thoughts began to wander as his gaze drifted past the candlelit canvas walls, through the tent's flaps left open, watching as the colors of the horizon changed.

Nicolaus had been out hunting for a good hour and a half, and the afternoon was steadily changing into the evening, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple.

This could be the moment Mikael had been waiting for.

He couldn't help but think about the slim chance of making a run for it, with the forest sitting right there beyond the tent, offering a route to freedom. The thought bugged him like a persistent itch, and he began considering its odds.

Running from those knights patrolling nearby was already looking like a challenging task. Plus, figuring out how to navigate that forest was another headache.

As each second ticked away, his internal debate raged on. Being free from the chains seduced him like a siren's song. His heart raced as he weighed the pros and cons. Should he seize this opportunity?

A sigh slipped from his lips. His thoughts wrestled with the visions of his twin sister and his father. He couldn't simply abandon them to the unknown destiny that awaited them.

Guilt gnawed at him. Protecting his family weighed heavily on his shoulders like a ton of bricks.

Talon, who vowed to protect him, also haunted his inner musings. He had been trapped in this same predicament as Mikael. Leaving Talon behind would be an unbearable burden on his conscience.

The crushing weight pressed down on him, almost suffocating. Mikael couldn't shake the nagging thought that maybe, just maybe, he could have just run away before the whole wedding thing. He could have chosen the path of the coward, abandoning everyone else.

Like his father.

But that was a decision he couldn't bring himself to make; he refused to be labeled a coward, even if it meant bearing this heavy cross.

And if he were to escape now only to get hunted down later? Mikael shuddered to think of what lay in store for him, Beth, Talon, and Mikayla.

So, with a deep sigh, Mikael resigned himself to his current circumstances. The dream of freedom would have to wait, maybe indefinitely. For the time being, he had to endure this marriage and what accompanies it out of a deep sense of duty for his loved ones.

As Beth finished up the massage, Mikael slowly opened his eyes, his face breaking into a grateful smile. "Thanks, Beth."

The moment, however, was abruptly interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. The tent's flap, which had been swaying in the breeze, suddenly rustled, and in came Nicolaus, like a storm that just popped up out of nowhere.

His eyes swept the room before finally settling on Mikael and spoke, "You might want to see this, wife."

When Nicolaus referred to Mikael as 'wife,' the term resonated within Mikael like a blast of cold air. It was like a big, heavy chain, tying him down to this marriage deal, even if it was pretend. Mikael did his best to hide how he felt, quickly putting on his shoes and trailing after Nicolaus out of the tent.

Outside was a striking display where there lay an array of preyed animals. Among the hunted were rabbits and deers, some with impressive antlers. But the real star of the show was this enormous wild boar with its monstrous tusks.

Mikael's eyes widened in awe at the sight of the impressive catch; he had not seen such a jaw-dropping pile of hunted animals before, having never had the chance to attend the hunting competitions held by the King.

"Woah! Um, th, this is impressive," he stammered in surprise.

Nicolaus, standing nearby, noticed Mikael's surprise and let a sly little smile slip onto his face. "Have you ever seen a catch at a hunting competition before?" he inquired.

Mikael shook his head, feeling embarrassed. "No, not once."

"Well," Nicolaus quipped, "if this has got you impressed, you'd probably pass out if you ever attended the hunting competition. The loot there dwarfs this catch," he said, waving toward the pile of animals.

As Mikael stared at the lifeless forms of the preyed animals in silent wonder, Nicolaus continued their conversation. "Why?" he asked.

Mikael blinked, a little taken aback. "Why what?" he asked back.

"Why haven't you been to the King's hunting competition?" Nicolaus clarified.

Mikael took a moment to read Nicolaus' expression before answering truthfully, "I've never really been invited. And to be honest, I have never been much of an archer."

A momentary pause hung in the air before Nicolaus leaned in closer to Mikael, his voice low. "You know, we all have our shortcomings," he admitted.

"Like what?" Mikael's curiosity was piqued, and he leaned in to hear more. "What's the one thing the Marquess of Odelle can't do?" he prodded playfully.

Despite his face resting on a stoic expression, Nicolaus' eyes lit up with a hint of mischief. "I'm no expert at dancing," he admitted.

Mikael blinked a few times, completely baffled. Nicolaus, the esteemed Marquess of Odelle, widely acclaimed for his mastery in swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, and exceptional talents in trade and commerce, openly confessed his lack of expertise in dancing?

He had to work hard to keep from breaking into a grin, thinking that Nicolaus might just be messing with him.