The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

The motor car ground to a halt before the quiet guest house where Damian and Eilika were to spend the night.

Maurice stepped forward to open the door on Damian’s side, while the royal guards quickly formed a perimeter around the vehicle.

Once outside, Damian extended a hand toward her. She gathered the heavy folds of her gown in one hand, placed her fingers in his, and stepped down onto the stone path.

Together, they walked into the grand foyer, where the manager immediately stepped forward to escort them up to the top floor suite.

"Your Grace, should you or the Duchess require anything at all throughout the night, simply ring the bell beside the vanity," the manager offered, bowing deferentially. "The staff will be at your beck and call."

"Understood," Damian replied with a single, firm nod.

Taking the cue, the manager bowed low once more and retreated, softly shutting the wooden door behind him and leaving them in the silence.

Damian turned the key, locking the door securely from the inside, while Eilika unclasped the leather straps of her suitcase to retrieve her nightdress. A weary yawn escaped her lips as the fatigue of the long journey caught up to her, and she slipped away into the washroom.

When she stepped back into the chamber, she was surprised to find Damian already changed into his dark night robes, lounging comfortably atop the bed.

"Oh. The suite is certainly spacious," she murmured, making her way over to the dressing table.

One by one, she unclasped her earrings, unhooked the delicate pendant resting against her collarbone, and slid the slender bracelets off her wrists. Setting them down, she pulled the final hairpin from her hair, letting the heavy tresses tumble freely over her shoulders.

From the bed, Damian watched her every movement, his eyes softened with quiet admiration. "The North Province is only a two-hour carriage ride from here," he said, breaking the silence. "By motor car, we should arrive even sooner."

"That is a relief," she replied softly.

Standing up, she blew out the candles around the suite, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside lamps to cut through the darkness. She crossed to the bed, slipped beneath the warm duvet, and settled in.

Damian clicked off the lamp on his side, plunging the room into shadow as he shifted closer to her. His fingers brushed gently against her cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I wonder if Roman is asleep," she whispered into the quiet night.

"He is undoubtedly sound asleep by now with his grandmother," Damian murmured, his thumb lightly tracing her jawline. "It is nearly midnight."

"Hmm," she murmured softly, her eyelids growing too heavy to keep open. "My legs hurt..." The quiet confession slipped out as exhaustion overtook her, and within moments, she drifted off into a deep slumber.

Damian sat in the silence for a long moment, watching her breathing evening out. Slipping quietly out from beneath the covers, he crossed the room to his coat hanging near the doorway.

He reached into the inner pocket and retrieved a polished, spherical wooden box. Unscrewing the lid, he looked down at the pale white ointment inside.

Scooping a small amount onto his fingertips, he walked silently back to the bed and sat at the lower edge.

Once he was finished, he placed the wooden box onto the nearby side table. Returning to his spot beside her, he didn’t drift off immediately.

Instead, he simply lay in the bed, his gaze resting on her, watching over her sleep until exhaustion finally pulled him under as well.

~~~~

The next morning, Eilika woke to the sound of Damian’s voice breaking through the quiet room.

"Eilika, we need to leave. It is already eight in the morning," Damian said, standing near the window.

"What?" Eilika gasped, sitting up abruptly and rubbing the lingering sleep from her eyes. "Why didn’t you wake me earlier?" she complained, throwing off the covers.

As she swung her legs over the edge of the mattress and stood, she froze in surprise, the pain from her legs from the previous night had completely vanished.

"The staff will arrive shortly to assist you in dressing," Damian replied calmly, turning to take a seat on the armchair across the room.

"Hmm." Eilika made her way toward the washroom, but as she stepped inside, she halted.

The copper tub had already been drawn, brimming with steaming water. A smile touched her lips, knowing Damian must have arranged it before she awoke.

She bathed quickly, scrubbing away the lingering fatigue of yesterday’s journey, before pulling on a thick linen robe and tying the sash securely around her waist. Expecting the maids to be waiting with her gown, she opened the door and stepped back into the suite.

Instead, she found the suite silent, save for Damian.

He turned from the window as the latch clicked. His gaze fell upon her, and for a brief second, his breath caught in his throat. Droplets of water glinted in her dark, damp hair, spilling over her shoulders and darkening the cloth of her robe.

Though the fabric concealed her skin, the damp material clung faintly to her silhouette, lending her an unintended radiance in the morning light.

"I thought the maids would be here to help," Eilika murmured, her eyelashes fluttering as a sudden wave of self-consciousness took hold of her.

"I did not call for them," Damian replied softly, closing the distance between them with measured steps.

He came to a stop directly in front of her. Eilika kept her eyes lowered, her heart beating a fraction faster. Reaching out, he placed a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face upward before pressing his lips to hers in a kiss.

"It is difficult to exercise restraint," he whispered against her mouth, his warm breath fanning across her skin, "but we cannot afford to be late."

Withdrawing, he turned and stepped out of the suite, leaving Eilika standing alone in the quiet room, her heart racing. A warm flutter bloomed in her chest, and despite herself, a subtle smile began to curve her lips.

"Good morning, Your Grace. We are here to assist you with your dressing," a woman’s voice called from behind.

"Good morning," Eilika greeted, turning to see two headmaids entering the chamber, one carrying an exquisite morning gown draped carefully over her arm, while the other held a pair of matching low-heels.

Eilika took her seat at the vanity table first, settling before the mirror as a stylist stepped forward with dry towels, carefully tending to her damp hair to prepare it for the day’s journey.

Once she was properly turned out, the maids bowed and departed the suite. A moment later, Damian returned, a member of the serving staff trailing closely behind with a laden tray. The waiter arranged the morning meal upon the table, bowed, and quietly withdrew.

"Maroon becomes you, Eilika," Damian remarked, a faint smile touching his lips as he sliced an omelette in half, paring down a smaller portion to lift to his mouth.

"The Duke is being remarkably bold today," she replied, a subtle tilt to her head. "He never gave such compliments back at the estate."

"I did," Damian said, setting his fork down. "Though perhaps not at the breakfast table, where everyone is watching. Besides, we rarely find ourselves alone there. You are constantly occupied by Roman, my mother, or your duties."

"Is the Duke complaining that I neglect him?" Eilika asked, a hint of amusement in her voice as she lifted her glass of fresh pomegranate juice to her lips.

"I am merely stating the facts," Damian replied, meeting her gaze over the table. "Though for this entire month, you will have no choice but to share your time with me. There will be more than enough opportunity for us to enjoy ourselves."

He was happier than any words could convey. He already had a carefully organized list of activities he intended to enjoy with Eilika once they reached the North Province.

Though official state business was the primary reason for his journey, he had painstakingly restructured his entire schedule to ensure he could give her the vast majority of his time.

With Eilika, he found himself eager to experience simple pleasures he had previously paid no mind to, all because he had taken the time to learn what brought her joy.

"We could not remain in Varos for the lamp-lighting festival, so we shall celebrate it here instead," Damian pronounced, breaking the silence.

"Ah, yes. The festival takes place tomorrow," Eilika replied as she set her fork down. "With the recent tensions, it had nearly slipped my mind."

Eilika felt a happiness settled deep within her chest, knowing that Damian was actively carving out space for their relationship.

In the beginning, reaching his heart had felt like an insurmountable task, full of distance and rigid protocol.

Yet somehow, through the moments they shared, the distance had dissolved into something warm.

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