Wish Granted Ch. 03

"Miss Saivio, what will be your fate once you return to Henrisk?" he asked slowly, leisurely, his words foaming out of his head like a crawling fog. This was nearly the opposite of the brisk tone she had associated him with. Something was wrong with him.

A few beads of fear ruptured in her throat, but she ignored her feelings and said quite politely, "Would Your Grace find fault in me for keeping such matters private, as they should be?"

"Aaaaaahhhh! You silly nestling!" His gloves scratched about as he cracked the joints of his fingers.

"I don't believe it would be proper of me." Danetta watched him silently fume at her as she ate the rest of the first course. The second course served to her consisted of thin slices of pork, a spicy fruit tart, a tiny and wiggling jelly confection, and another glass of the sweet water.

She was halfway though the meal, blushing, when her host spoke to her again.

"Damn, I'd love to have that, but I just ate."

His indecent terminology startled her, and a scoop of her jelly slipped off her spoon, splattering onto her plate and nearly marking her dress.

The duke kicked his chair back with a frightening screech. Then he stretched out his long legs and popped his joints again. "You should tell me about your father. Come now!" He was whining like a child.

She found herself breathing out, "Will you ever let me be?"

"No, I will not." He laughed, and it wasn't a heavy laugh. It was wheezy.

Danetta sighed and dug up her jelly. "My father owns a small shipping company, but he hasn't been fairing well. He turned to alcohol and the Game Hall for comfort. Now he has a debt to pay, and his only option is to sell me at the next services auction. He believes I'll be worth more as a bride than a maid."

There. It was all out. She had coldly and stiffly given him the facts.

And, once again, she knew he was judging her. She looked down at her plate, finished off the second course, and waited for dessert to be served. A few servants silently went to her, cleaned up the area, and put a few tiny rectangles of cake before her. They were darling little creations, covered in sugary white frosting and tiny berries.

She heard a razzing sound, as if he was shooting his breath between his lips. She was reminded of a parent putting messy, blowing kisses onto a baby's belly. When he stopped making those sounds, he was laughing again, his shoulders shaking, his chest heaving.

"Woman, woman!" He spoke like he was trying to get her attention, but he already had it. "Do you see the path before you?"

Danetta didn't understand the question. She popped one of the little cakes into her mouth to avoid speaking. The confection was very light and mellow, and the sugar enhanced the flavor. She knew it was an expensive treat, because the last time she had anything similar her mother was still alive.

"You don't have any idea what's happening, do you?" He seemed to think she was funny. He certainly was laughing enough to make her think so.

Danetta shook her head and put another cake into her mouth.

He slapped the table with his hands, and he stood up. He bowed, chuckled, and straightened up. "I suppose I've bothered you enough. Sleep here tonight. I'd never allow a battered woman to travel, unless it's an emergency."

"Your Grace!" She made to rise, but his gloved hand rose first, silencing her without any sound nor contact.

"For the sake of propriety, I'll send a letter to your father. He has the right to know you're alive. If you still wish to go to him two days from now, then I'll offer a carriage."

Her hands spread out and down her thighs, over her blue over-skirt, and she nodded weakly. "Your magnanimous compassion is overwhelming, Your Grace."

***

On the following morning, the Lord of the Duvanu province retired to a private library. His favorite bodyguard, Hansu, knocked on the frame of the doorway and asked permission to enter. Adjusting the plain fabric over his head, the noble eased himself into a padded seat and told Hansu to come in.

With a bow, Hansu stepped into the perimeter and said to his employer, "I regret disturbing your quiet, Master, but something has been troubling me, and I believe only your wisdom can put me at ease."

"I'm not a wise man, Hansu, but I'm willing to aid you." He nodded and flicked his fingers at the man.

Hansu straightened his back. "I revisited the tree with your name, where Miss Saivio was assaulted. I was curious to see if the scoundrel's body had been consumed by the animals."

The duke popped his joints and groaned. A headache was coming. "Hurry it up, Man. What's the problem?"

"The body's gone, Your Grace, and so is the man's bag."

Under the wrapped fabric, the noble's eyelid twitched. A searing, throbbing pain he was unfortunately well acquainted with was spreading around his head. "A beast dragged him away."

"Master, I had the same thought, but there were no dragging lines in the blood, nor in the dirt and grass. In fact, I examined the footprints. I recognized the marks of your shoes, the shoes of my companions, and mine. I also recognized the dainty prints of your esteemed guest. Then I saw the last set, which belonged to the assailant. The conclusion I have is insanity, Your Grace."

A pause, Hansu's brow had lines of worry across it. The duke slapped his knees as he rocked his body impatiently. "Go on, Man!"

"Master! It seemed as if the man simply stood up and walked away!"

"Ridiculous. Don't concern yourself with that thought." He dismissed Hansu, but gently, and then he pressed his leather covered fingertips against his head.

***