Uriah stepped into the room. "Good morning, Milady." He stepped over to her bedside. "How do you feel?" He knew it was a bit of a frivolous question, but he'd asked it so regularly over the last few months, it was a part of the routine.
And sometimes, she even answered him honestly.
They'd become friends, to a level, but he knew she felt pressure to keep him at arm's length. He wished he could make that go away, if for no other reason than to offer her what she seemed to need, with no strings attached.
Ebony barely lifted her head to look at him. "I feel worse than I look, which is probably horrendous. But I need to get this done so I can focus on the more important things. But I can't get this done if everyone is arguing with me about every little choice I make."
She groaned and grabbed the open bottle she had on her personal desk and took a drink, forgoing a glass. She rubbed at her temples. "Winter is almost upon us. I need to check our food storages and make sure we have enough to feed everyone when winter hits. But I can't do that if I constantly have people arguing with me about the renovations that need to be done." She sat back with a sigh. She looked at her guard. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be dumping this on you. I'm just stressed."
She didn't elaborate anymore. She was exhausted, well on her way to being drunk so early in the morning, and her body hurt. When she had taken this on, she hadn't expected it to be so…much. She knew she would have to put effort into ruling but she never expected it to be like this. A part of her longed to be back at the brothel where her days were easy.
Uriah nodded slowly. "You can just pull rank and end arguments that way. I know you're not used to it, but it is an option.
He touched her shoulder. "And you can delegate checking food stores. I have several men who are competent enough to do that well. Valiel could do it. Heck, I could do it if you really need me to." He leaned forward and put his other hand on her other shoulder. "But you don't have to do this alone. And don't apologize about telling me this. A, I can see. B, I asked."
She had leaned into it like she had to do every bit of the work herself. She clearly wasn't used to delegating, as any person new to command had to learn.
Ebony leaned back into his hand and looked up at her friend. "Yes, I could pull rank, but they know better than I, at least at all of this. They've been running this house far longer than I've been alive. I trust their judgement. Except they're pulling me in different directions and I don't know which way to go."
She dropped the pen she had been holding to massage her temples. She was trying. She was trying so hard to be good at this but she felt like no one saw her efforts. They barely even saw her.
"Could you?" She asked in regard to checking their food storages, turning her body to fully face him. "That would make time for me to check the stables and see if they need to place any orders before winter."
She looked up at him with pleading eyes. She hated putting any of the work on him. He was supposed to be her guard and that was all. "And can you see if I need to order anymore of your winter armor, or whatever the hell that's different for winter." She wasn't very viced on soldiers clothing. She was used to taking it off, never inspecting exactly what parts there were to it.
Uriah noted her lean, and gently applied pressure, massaging her shoulders. "Miss Ebony… it's your home. Choose what you like, what you enjoy. You don't have to bend to them." He'd largely stayed in the background of those discussions, but was deciding to start giving the designers more of a glare.
The hopeful, pleading look in her eyes tugged at his heart, and he nodded quickly.
"Absolutely. In fact, if you'll stay in the Manor today, I can check the stables as well. You could rest and make design decisions, free of pressure." He rubbed her shoulders just a tad harder, working the muscle tension loose.
He gave a small chuckle. "The armor doesn't change in winter, we just wear warmer clothing under it. But thank you, Ebony."
He reserved using her first name alone for moments when he thought she needed the support or tenderness, and this was such a moment. He worried if he left her alone today, she'd drink herself into oblivion, but maybe, just maybe, if he took some pressure off her, she'd let him in a little further.
Ebony could barely contain the moan building up in her throat from his massaging. It felt so good to have someone work through the tension that had built up in her shoulders. Her head sagged forward for just a moment as she just let herself feel.
"You're amazing, Uriah, you know that?" And he truly was. She wasn't sure where she would be without him. She would have likely lost her mind. There was so much to do, so much to learn, and it all fell on her shoulders. If he hadn't been there to help shoulder the burden, sue would have gone mad.
She took a look down at herself and grimaced. She needed a bath. A long one. "Can you call for the maid to draw my bath. And tell Robin," her household manager "that I'll meet with him in an hour."
She was putting her foot down and finishing tue orders today. No more back and forth and arguing over what would look better. She thought herself of having impeccable taste. She was choosing today and placing the orders and that would be the end of it.
Lear had given Ebony several factors in choosing a guard. He'd also had a set of criteria he'd kept to himself, and one of those was how the guard would respond to her.
Uriah had been a good choice, because he'd be kinda and caring and gentle, without getting his heart involved past friendship. He was aromantic, and had expressed as much to Lear in the early days of his soldiering. It had made him feel odd at the time, till he found there were others in similar situations.
Now, that was factoring in, as Uriah had no ulterior motives in his actions, other than wanting to care for someone he'd come to love as a friend, whatever that may look like.
She was responding to his touch, and the more he worked, the more he realized, she'd been storing more stress than he realized. He'd thought she was drinking it all out, but apparently not.
"I'm not amazing, Milady. Just employed by someone who draws out my best." His hands moved lower, working their way down her back, occasionally twisting lightly, drawing pops from her spine and working loose knots in her muscles.
"And I can do that. I'll deliver those messages momentarily." A calculated risk, not jumping to obey, but… she seemed to want this, at least, if not need it.
Ebony found herself leaning forward to give him better access to her back as he moved down it. "Don't short yourself, Uriah. You are amazing. And have skilled hands. Whichever man or woman you decide to tie yourself to will be very lucky."
She murmured quiet curses as he worked out particularly tense parts of her back. It was painful but it helped. She placed her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. She kept her eyes closed, blocking out everything but his hands on her.
"We should make this a weekly appointment. I'll up your pay for being my personal masseuse." She was only partly joking. She would most definitely pay him more to give her weekly massages. It felt amazing, albeit a bit painful. But she could already feel her muscles relaxing under his touch. The tension was slowly leaving her body.
"I'm tied to you at the moment, Milady." he said gently. He had worked out the worst kinks in her back, and had worked down to the small of her back, where his hands gentled, just rubbing rather than massaging.
He chuckled slightly. "You needn't up my pay. I'm here to serve you however would help you." He could feel her relaxing, slowly.
"And a masseuse has to stop short of really being helpful, Miss Ebony." He kept his voice low. Flirting with the Countess might be dangerous, best to be careful about it.
Ebony groaned quietly in her hands. "You certainly deserve a raise if you do this more often."
Her shoulders stiffened ever so slightly at his words before dropping. She pursed her lips and pulled away from his hands. She turned her body so she was facing him almost fully. "I don't like mixing business and pleasure. I've found it never has good outcomes." She reached her hand forward to squeeze his arm gently. "While I appreciate the thought, it's not something I want or expect from you. And if your roots are anything like mine, then it's definitely not something I would ask of you."
It wasn't that he wasn't attractive or that she wouldn't necessarily want to bed him. He was perfectly attractive and she believed he would be a great bed partner by the way he treated her. But he was her guard and if anything went wrong between them it would affect more than just their sexual relationship. It was more than just that. She was a Lady. A Countess. She wasn't supposed to have sex with anyone that wasn't her husband. She had a role, an image to fulfill. She couldn't ruin that, couldn't ruin Clavin and Lily's future by being caught in bed with a man.
(That's such an unfortunate thought process, given the Crown Prince is such a himbo XD )
Uriah didn't push the matter. When she pulled away and made her position clear, he nodded slowly. "Understood, My Lady. Though I have felt no pressure, it's a true offer that I'll leave on the table should you ever find yourself in need of… stress relief, let's call it." Release was the word running through his head, but better to be polite. "And I don't believe I've explained much of my background, but I can assure you, it has no bearing on this particular activity." He gave her a small smile. It was kind of her to even worry about that, but he'd not been saved out of the sex industry.
He was also aware that she was likely weighing the pros and cons of the whole situation, and if she found her drinking less of a drain on her reputation than bedding a guard, that was her call. His responsibility was her well being, as well as doing his best to mitigate whatever damage she might do to her own reputation.
"I'll get you that bath, Milady." He bowed slightly and headed out the door, getting a few servants' attention and letting them know a bath was in order. He also sent off a missive to Robin, before stepping back into the room.
"Anything else, Lady Ebony? I'll be posting double guards on the room, though I doubt there'll be any need for them." If he was going to be out and about today, he wasn't leaving her unguarded.
Ebony only straightened herself, facing forward as Uriah spoke. As he left the room, she found herself looking down at the sheet of paper. She made her decision on the drapes, a deep emerald. The main hall, the ball room, and formal dining room would have stained glass. She would let Robin choose the art in hopes to satisfy him. There were still lots more to do. She would send for the merchant to look at different flooring as well as placing her orders.
She looked up as her guard entered the room once more. "No, that will be all, Uriah." A moments pause. "We're okay right?"
She didn't want his intention to cause any drift between him. He was her closet friend. Her only true friend really.
Uriah noted that the paper she'd been frustrated over a bit earlier was more filled out, which was a good sign. He smiled at her question.
"As far as I'm concerned, Milady. As long as you believe so, then yes." He tipped his head forward, looking at her more calculatedly. "I'm not so sensitive as to allow your rejection of me as a bedmate to affect the friendship I count so dear. On top of that, my only goal was to relieve your stress, and if a simple massage on a regular basis will help with that, then so be it. Saves me having to get in and out of the armor an extra time." His smile turned a bit more mischievous at the last bit, before he bowed again and headed back out.
He was off to the storehouses and stables to check on things. This would keep him busy till lunch at least.
Ebony bit her cheek to stop herself from laughing. She shook her head in amusement at her guard. She finished the thought she had been writing down before standing on wobbly legs. She quickly found that she needed to use the wall to guide her to her bathroom. She had realized how much she had truly drank until sje stood.
It took her longer than she cares to admit to undress and step into the tub. She knew there was the option of calling her maid but she found quickly she didn't like someone helping her bathe. She would rather do it herself. She took her time bathing, mostly because she smelled horrendous. She worked on the knots through her hair that she had recently cut to lay at the tip of her breasts. It was reliving to be rid of such long hair. It had been a nightmare. This was much more manageable.
She did, however, call her maid in to help her dress. Corsets were not for the wearer to lace up. She chose a long sleeve, ivory gown. It would be perfect for the tasks she had ahead of her for the day. Her hair was pinned up in simple braids to keep it out of her face and off her neck.
She sent her maid to call for the merchant for this afternoon. After slipping into her heels, Ebony walked to her office to meet with Robin. She put her foot down, no longer allowing then walk all over her. She explained about the drapes and about her decision on the stained glass. He would run his ideas through her before an order would be put in. When her meeting was finished, her maid walked through the door. She confirmed that the merchant would arrive shortly after two. And she had a letter for the Countess.
Addressed from the Crown.
Countess Ebony Morgan of Morganshire
You are hearby invited to the palace for the King's 65th birthday. There will be a grand ball as well as serial activities to be taken place the days after.
We look forward to seeing you.
His Magesty, the King.
Uriah was out for the better part of the day, doing the assigned work. The stables were good to go by the time he was done, a few necessary bits of tackled being sent for repair.
The storehouses were as full as they could be, and Morganshire would be in a good situation come winter. The Manor wouldn't lack for food, and Lady Ebony was worrying for nothing.
He was heading back to the Manor around dinner time, when a messenger came riding up.
"Sir! Sir! A message for you." He handed him a page, crumpled and hastily written.
Lady Ebony, care of Uriah.
The Prince is riding through Morganshire on his way back to the Palace with another group of youngsters. Just so you know, if your citizens report disturbance.
Lear
Uriah spurred Nurl and made it back to the Manor as fast as he could. He asked a servant where Lady Ebony was, and hurried to her, entering the room a bit too quickly to hide his urgency.
"A message for you, Milady."
Ebony didn't look up at Uriah as he entered, her gaze glued to the letter in front of her. The king. The party. The invitation. She couldn't decline it, even she knew that. This wasn't an invitation but a demand. It would look terrible if she herself didn't show up.
The king.
The man who murdered her family. Her mother and father. Her brothers and sisters. Dead at the hand of this man. And now she was being summoned to the palace to celebrate his birthday. Could she do it? Could she be civil and celebrate?
She held out her hand silently for the message that Uriah had brought. She hoped it wasn't anything bad. She wasn't sure she could handle anything else. She poured herself a glass of wine, sipping it as she read the message.
"Preapre the estate for the prince's arrival," she said after reading it, finally looking up. "The vest dishes made, our best wine brought up. Everything. I have no doubt he'll want to stay the night after his journey."
She wasn't sure how she felt about him visiting. They hadn't any correspondence since she had left. What would think of her?
Uriah wasn't so sure.
"Milady… if I may. It sounds like he plans on riding straight through." He felt like Lear would have said if the Prince was specifically coming to the Manor. "Though… if you were to intercept him, I'm sure he could be persuaded to stay." he offered gently.
Lady Ebony looked very shaken by something, and Uriah had to wonder about the paper she'd been holding.
"Is there anything I can help you with just now?"
"Send a rider to intercept and prepare the estate. He's been riding long and hard, I'm sure he would gladly accept the invitation. And it would look back if I didn't offer."
Ebony showed nothing in her expression. She kept it blank. She silently handed him the invitation she had received. "We're expected at the palace in one month's time to celebrate the king's birthday. We will need to start preparations for the journey." She leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "What the hell to get a king for a birthday gift when he has everything?"
Uriah nodded and gave a quick whistle over his shoulder. A guard appeared, and he rattled off something in Harad, which sent the guard scurrying.
"Messenger sent, Milady. As for the gift…" He knew now why she was so bothered. "Your presence is considered gift enough. The king is well aware he gains nothing in presents. This is a chance to show his dominance, in that nobody is going to refuse this." None of the nobles had ever brought gifts, to his knowledge. It was more about the King knowing he had full power to just summon them all at a whim.
"But. It's my job to keep you safe, Milady, and I take that very seriously."
Ebony nodded at him. "I know you do. And you've done well, Uriah. But the palace will be different. It's dangerous in many ways for me. I wish I could tell you but it's safer not too. I hope you understand."
She stood to stand in front of him. She took her hands in his, giving them a small squeeze. Platonic. She viewed Uriah as her friend. And maybe in another world where she wasn't who she was and what she had through, she could see herself settling down with a nice man such as he. But this was the world she was given. She promised herself she would never marry, never have children. She had been through so much and seen too much.
Uriah nodded seriously. "You don't need to explain the particulars to me, I believe you."
He squeezed back, watching her expression. She was obviously thinking heavy thoughts.
"Though… I have a feeling the King will be too distracted by the war effort to pay too much attention, even at his own party." He hoped, for her sake, that this was true. It had been before.
"I hope you are right," Ebony said. "Don't tell the children about Romulus. I'll speak to them personally. About him and the king. They will be staying here. I will not have them anywhere near the palace."
She would go for a ride to clear her head if the prince wasn't riding through. The fresh air helped her sometimes, when didn't want to drink away her problems. But with the prince potentionally arriving, she needed to dress for that.
"Will you alert the staff? I need to change into something a bit more presentable for a prince."
Uriah nodded. "A wise choice, Milady. I won't say anything."
He let go of her hands gently, heading towards the door. "I'll let the staff know, though the messenger said the whole squad was several hours away yet." He headed out, letting the staff know what Lady Ebony had said previously.
"Thank you." Ebony waited until he left to chug the rest of her glass. She walked quickly to her room, this time calling her maid to help her get ready. She was unsure of what to wear when getting royalty. And while she had been around them for days, unwashed, and in terrible circumstances, this was her first time greeting them as Lady Ebony Morgan, Countess of Morganshire.
Ebony and her lady decided on a deep emerald gown https://pin.it/5D8eRWs. It was embroidered, long, dramatic sleeve, high neckline, jeweled belt. It was a tactic to show her wealth, her status. Her hair was swept up in a braided crown. Jeweled pins were placed strategically in her hair. She wore no jewelry save the emerald studs in her ears. Her makeup was simple. Rouge on her cheeks to create add some color. Khol lined her eyes to make them pop. A deep red painted on her lips. She looked like a queen. She was only missing a crown. It's was too much and yet she felt powerful.
