Chapter 5

Arya was frantically running around as she got the estate ready. It was the first time Susie had never seen the duchess so stressed, or perhaps, so focused on something like this in the 2 weeks she'd been working for her.

She was preparing a bedroom in the estate, talking to the chefs about meal plans, organizing activities to do. A visitor was coming in the next few days and of course she didn't know who they were nor had the duchess told her. However, considering everything the duchess was doing in preparation, whom ever was coming must have been important.

Susie was being kept in the dark about the visitor the other servants on the estate weren't saying anything to her either. Duchess Varez had told Susie that it would be better if she observed and learned things about the estate and the duchess herself as she worked and then tried to make sense of things on her own. The duchess thought that explaining everything to Susie would just make her confused. Then there would be a time in the near future where all her questions would be answered. However, Susie was already confused as it was.

Susie was currently making her way to the duchess's office carrying a large vase full of fresh flowers. The duchess had ordered her to bring to her office. Upon arriving at the door she heard people that were talking inside. She knocked and once she was told to enter she went inside.

She found a servant standing infront of the desk where the duchess was seated speaking to her. ".... is also on his way." she caught the servant saying midsentence. Duchess Varez looked like she was angered by what the servant had told her, as she let out a sigh of frustration. "That idiot! He just does as he pleases." Susie noticed the servant blink his eyes in fear at how the duchess spoke in such manner about the person in question.

Now she was curious. Had she come in only moments earlier she would have heard what they were talking about. There was a moment of silence as Arya Varez looked like she was contemplating what to do for a moment then she let out another sigh.

"Alright, thank you for the report." she said to the servant then dismissed him. As he left then Arya turned her attention to Susie. "You brought the flowers, I see." she said to her. "You can place them over there on the table." She said referring to the table located in the sitting area.

Susie did as her master had ordered. "Have the other servants finished their preparations for today?" Arya asked.

"Yes, my lady. Everyone is ready." Susie reported.

"Then we're ready lets go outside as we wait their arrival. The servant said they're about to arrive." She commanded her.

Although, Arya was a little upset by what the servant had reported to her, she was still excited and she would just have to make sure 'he' doesn't in the way of the things she would do.

The duchess and a small of the estate servants waited outside by the entrance as three unmarked carriages and some knights on horses came into the driveway of the mansion. The carriages then came to a stop in front of where they stood.

A moment passed before the door to the main carriage in the middle was opened by the knights and a well dressed young boy came out of the carriage. All the servants except Susie knew the young boy was Crown Prince, Aston.

"Mummy!" The young prince shouted as he ran towards Duchess Varez. Arya opened up her arms wide as he jumped into them. She lifted him up and hugged him tightly.

"Aston." she said lovingly. She planted multiple kisses on his cheeks. "I've missed you so much."

"Mum stop!" he laughed since he found the kisses ticklish. "I'm not a baby anymore."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, stop please." he begged wriggling around in her arms.

"Oh, don't move around so much you're too heavy for me to carry." Arya commented as she tried to maintain her steady hold of him. "It's like youre getting heavier each time we see each other."

"I told you I'm now a big boy." Aston proudly boasted.

"I see." Arya laughed.

Then all of Aryas' servants bowed their heads as a second figure got out of the carriage and approached from behind her. Susie standing amonhst the crowd was wondering why everyone was bowing but also bowed copying the others.

"Duchess Arya it's lovely to see you again." The figure said when he reached Arya who was facing the other way as she hugged Aston.

Arya turned round to face the person but didn't bow down like her servants. A tall muscular man with an intimidating aura stood before her. He had tan skin, luscious blonde hair and glowing golden eyes that matched her son's. Though Arya didn't want to admit it his face seemed like a carefully chiselled sculpture. Many years ago she may have been completely enfatuated by him, however, that wasn't the case anymore. Or atleast thats how she wanted to seem.

"Emperor Cedric, what are you doing here?" She asked irritated.

"I see I get no greeting." Cedric playfully commented.

"Don't you have an empire to run?" Arya ignored his ccomment.

" I wanted to see how the mother of my child is doing." he said sweetly as he brought a hand to caress Arya's cheek.

Arya was quick to swat his hand away . " You could have just sent a servant to check up on me and report to you."

" I prefer doing it this way." he added lightly.

The emperors' knights and all his servants were once again in complete shock as they watched their master; who was usually serious and expressionless, become suddenly docile in the precense of the Crown Prince's mother. He became a whole different person.

What was particularly even more shocking was the duchess was being so cold to him yet he was reacting positively to them. One of the servants could ever imagine talking to the emperor the way Duchess did and getting away with it.

Susie was also shocked and staring wide eyed however it was for different reasons. She wasn't sure if she'd heard correctly but the man talking to the duchess was the emperor and.....the young boy was the Crown Prince?! What in the world did this mean? Susie just couldn't believe it. So many thoughts began to come to her mind. Was this the madams secret was this why she went to great lengths that she made her sign a non-disclosure agreement?

"You don't have to come here all the time." Arya continued her rant to Cedric.

"But I like when daddy comes here with me." Aston interrupted his mother.

"What?" Arya said surprised as she turned to look at Aston whom she only just remembered was still in her arms.

"I want Dad to stay with us."

Arya darted a threatening look at Cedric. "Did tell him to say his?"

"No, I swear I didn't." Cedric quickly defended himself.

"I never get to play with Dad in the castle its only when he comes here and I get to call him dad and not 'your majesty' anymore." Aston continued. The sad look in Aston's eye and the tone of his voice touched her. Then again anything Aston said could move her.

"Alright then." Arya finally yielded to her son as she let out a sigh. "But you could have atleast told us before hand that you were coming."

"Aah, sorry about that, it was kind of a last minute decision." Cedric shyly explained.

"Anyway you must be hungry Aston lets get you changed and we can have lunch."

Arya took note of Sir Aaron who was standing close to Cedric. "Sir Aaron."She simply said in greeting.

"My lady." Sir Aaron greeted back with a small bow.

Then Arya put Aston down as they began to move towards the entrance to the mansion leaving the emperor behind as if he wasn't there.

"How come you get a greeting?" Cedric angrily complained to Sir Aaron. Sir Aaron took note of Cedrics deadly tone sensed danger and quickly replied."I don't know..... uh let me help the servants with the unloading of the luggage." Then he quickly turned away.

As she walked away the emperor watched. He specially her figure and how it looked as she moved.

Some servants very quickly went to help began offloading the Emperor and Crown as others went inside the mansion following behind princes' things. As Aaron directed them he noticed off all