Villains also get Second chance

Chapter 86: a doll in the walls

Katherine pov

The dinner was long served, but there was no hunger. I was playing with my fork on the plate for a long time. And like always the maids were giving me looks, they thought that i did not see them, making faces or whispering, but they were wrong. My eyes were on their every move.

"Your majesty, do you need anything else?" asked the head maid, and I shook my head.

"Have his majesty returned with my brother?" I asked for the fifth time and she shook her head.

I sighed and ate another piece of meat, I didn't even recognise what it was. Here everything was different.

It had been a month, yet I was not able to adjust. How would i, i had lived a free life, our country Wusnaustan, was completely opposite of this Forchhestire empire. There women and men were treated as equals. 

Women can do jobs, business, fight and anything they want, but here I was kept in these four walls, like a trophy adorned in a museum. My father, Greggory Christenson, had promised me a good life here, and I wonder where that was.

Even my husband was busy with the empire and his first wife. I closed my eyes again, when the scornful face of Rosamund came into my mind. That lady, she talked less and barked more, even animals were more civil then her.

"Your majesty." 

"Yes"

"His majesty and royal highness of the Wusnaustan empire, is here" she replied and i finally a smile came to my lips.

"I want to meet them, ask for an audience '' I ordered and she nodded.

Though Philip was my cousin, he was the only one I could depend on, for now.

I walked towards the room as all the servants kept bowing their heads, greeting me.

"How was your day, Katherine?" asked Charles standing up and giving me a chaste kiss on my forehead. I smiled, 

"It was a good day, your majesty. How was your day?" I asked back and he sighed.

"It was a long and tiring day, Katherine. We visited a few important places, met some important men and I even showed Philip his new working place and his new home." he replied rubbing his forehead, as if a headache was forming but my whole concentration was on his wordings.

"What do you mean by his new home, your majesty?" i asked and he was looking surprised, yet i could see a bit of guilt flashing through his eyes, and i got my answer. So he was separating us.

I closed my eyes, as I did not want to see his face anymore. He was nothing but a bunch of lies, draped in honeypot. 

"Ah, Katherine, look at my memory, I forgot to tell you that Philip is going to live with Cassius. It would be easy for him to learn that way. You know it took more than two hours to travel one way.

The administration work continued till late, and he would reach at midnight and then go back early in the morning if he decided to travel. And as a good brother in law, i did not want to tire him out." he continued his list of excuses. But there were no expressions on my face.

Though his reasons would sound logical, there was an easy solution to it, hire a clerk who was wise enough and provide him as an assistant of Philip and let him work from the palace. But we both knew the real reason.

"Its alright sister, i would continue to visit you often" said Philip hugging me and i smiled, but i was sure it was a strained one.

"I understand, brother, take care of yourself" I replied with the best voice I could muster and he smiled back, kissing my forehead.

"It's late, I would not want to stay between the newly wed couple. Goodnight sister, goodnight brother in law." he wished both of us and left smiling.

What was new, what he did not know that Charles had an excuse, each night.

"Uh, Katherine. I am very tired and I wont feel comfortable sleeping at a new place, so i am going to retire in my chamber. See you in the morning, alright." he replied, giving me a side hug and I nodded.

"I understand, your majesty." with that he smiled and walked out, and like always i was left alone walking around.

Rather than going to my bedroom, I walked towards the lake where I spend my most of the time. The best thing this palace had was it was surrounded by the ocean, for safety purposes, but it gave a serenity to me.

"You should not stay out till late, your highness" came the voice I could even recognise in my dream, the only man who had treated me kindly here.

"Sir Richard, I thought you had retired for the night." i asked without turning back, his footsteps came closer and he stood by my side.

"How could I since you are still out, your highness. As your knight, I will always be around you." he replied and I chuckled.

"No one is there always, sir Richard. And it's not like I am out of the palace, I will be safe here, you can go and sleep." added but the man furrowed his brows and I shook my head.

"Your majesty, you should not be that disappointed. It had only been a month. Soon you would go out, whenever you desire. And there is a tea party this weekend at her highness palace." he replied, consoling me and I nodded my head.

"That is if she had won the case today. Is there any news about that" i asked intrigued. She was a bold lady to meet with, her eyes were like she had seen the world, though she was not young but her eyes had wisdom that she still should not have.

"Oh, sir Benjamin told that she had won the case, sir Damien, the man who had fought the case for her, is the best lawyer our place has." he replied proudly and I furrowed my brows.

"Shouldn't the duke palace have his own lawyers?" he chuckled and I looked back at him, his silver hairs shining like the moon in the night and his unique gray eyes.

"That's a very interesting event, your majesty. I did not know much, but sir Damien requested his majesty to give him a leave for this purpose and his majesty asked his highness, who affirmed that he had no objections in sir Damien fighting the case instead of his highness lawyers.

They both must have thought, sir Damien was a better lawyer. But the fact is this whole matter was kept a secret. I know because I was there at the time. 

You should keep this matter to yourself, your majesty." I furrowed my brows as I didn't find anything suspicious to keep it hidden, yet I nodded and he smiled.

"You should go and take rest, your majesty." he said again and I nodded, as I did not want him to suffer more because of me. 

He escorted me to my room, and sighing, I laid on the bed.

As the morning rays touched my face, I opened my eyes, and I started feeling tired already. Now I had to go and meet Rosamund again. Even the thought of meeting her made me wish to sleep again.

"Grace"

"Yes, your majesty"

Grace came and bowed down to help me wearing my sleepers and then we walked to the bath, i walked into the pool filled with rose petals and three maids started rubbing my body and washing my hair, as i walked out two maids were standing there with the robe, i walked towards the room and two maids were standing there with a bunch of clothes spread on the moving table, i wonder why did they need so much as each one was full of stone and jewels, i randomly pointed at one and they soon started dressing me up like a doll.

I walked towards the empress office, and here she was sitting like a majestic queen.

"Good morning your majesty"

"Good morning, Rosamound" 

"Ah, since you are here, let's start the work" she replied and I nodded.

She started giving me files and taking a few to work, but she never explained how their nation maintained the accounts and like everyday I started putting efforts in understanding it myself, though she was here to explain to me their rules. i wonder if i would start living a life same as before would things work for me somehow?

(Hey readers, sorry for the mistake. but i had edited it as promised moreover in 6 hours, yay. i would try to more more conscious in the future, thank you for understanding. I hope you enjoy this part of story too. katherine needs your support too. happy reading)