Chapter 40

IT HAS been a few weeks since their wedding trip to Moorgis and that disastrous dinner with her sisters and their husbands. Becca was humming softly as the twilight just entered the sky.
The indigo sky indicated that their nightlife would be starting as Niklaus had to leave to be at the Stone Tower, leaving Becca to spend her time in their estate's library.
Becca has picked up another reading that she found in the massive library as the tomes were worn out and the spines have been cracked since the start of their lifetime.
"Milady, there is someone to see you. Are you willing to see her?" the old butler said as Becca turned her head from the pages that she was immersed in the new tome that she was reading. She closed the book before smiling at the butler as she was standing up from the divan that she was sitting in the library.
"Who was it?" she asked him as she was putting the tome on the table that was situated at the end of the divan. The butler was bowing his head at her.
"The lady named Emily Moore is here to see you, milady," he said before Becca perked up. It has been some time since she had spent her time with Emmy and it would be a good way to waste her time rather than being alone in the massive library.
"Bring her in and please prepare some tea and scones please," she instructed the old butler before he bowed to her again.
"Very good, milady. I will be back with the lady and your afternoon tea," he said before the butler was moving out of the library.
Becca was smoothing her skirts before someone stepped into the library Emily removed her bonnet and gloves before giving them to the old butler as he excused himself to get the tea and biscuits going.
"Becca!"
"Emmy!" Becca said as she went to greet her friend. She hugged Emmy before she breathed in the sweet scent of her best friend.
It has been a long time since she was in the company of another human being but the demon was not acting up and demanding her to take Emmy's blood right from the vein.
Perhaps it was because that she fed already that dusk when she made love to her husband.
"My, you look lovely, Becca. I cannot say that the marriage to the Duke of the Higher Court was going great for you," Emmy said before Becca asked her to take a seat at the divan. She smiled before she smoothed her ringlets from her face.
"Well, I cannot say that I agree but when I thought back on the day that I almost ran away from my wedding, I have to say that the wedding to Niklaus was the best decision I ever made in my life," Becca said.
Emily smiled weakly at her. She instantly knew that her best friend was having some kind of trouble in her heart and Becca would do anything to help her to get better.
"Emmy, what's the matter? Is something the matter?" she asked her best friend before Emmy turned to look at her. She shook her head as she sighed.
"No, nothing's the matter, just a little problem that I ran into lately," she said before Becca was arching her eyebrow at her.
"A little problem? Was it about your late father's estate? Please don't tell me that the queen was asking it to pass to your distant male cousin. If she does, I will personally ask her—"
"No, nothing of the sort. I just want to get away for a while, if you wish. I just got something that I need to get away from the capital for a bit. And I have come here today to say that I will be leaving at my earliest convenience," Emily said before Becca was blinking her eyes at her best friend.
"You...will be going away?" she asked as Emily nodded.
"Yes, but rest assured, I will not be going away for a long time. Perhaps I will be away only for 2 weeks or more. It's not as if I would be going away for a long time. And I have something to get done for myself as well, Becca. I hope you understand," Emily said before Becca was shaking her head as she smiled at her best friend.
"Of course, Emmy. But if you're running into problems while you're away...do not hesitate to tell me a telegram, okay? I want you to know that you will always have me to help you wherever you are," Becca said meaning it.
She did not have many friends growing up, and knowing that her only best friend to go away from the capital was something that Becca never thought would come to her mind.
But if Emily wanted to get away from the bling and the enchanting Royal Molftus as well as the annoying Gossipers of the polite society, then Becca would do anything in her power to help her friend.
"When will you be leaving?" Becca asked before someone was rapping at the door. They both turned to see that the butler had returned to bring their tea and scones.
Becca was biting her lower lips as she would take her tea laced with the blood but since Emily was in residence with her, she had to forgo the blood for now. She just hoped that her demon would not be raking and demanding blood from her best friend's pulse after this.
"Thank you," Becca said before dismissing the butler. He bowed and went to close the library's doors as he left Becca and Emily to continue their conversation.
"Well, this is something that I've never had in a while," Emily said as she was looking at the high-end tea and scones.
Becca felt bad for not providing the most exclusive tea and biscuits for her best friend when she knew that Emily had been struggling financially and emotionally with her parent's deaths and her brother's disappearance a few years back.
The investigation into that case has concluded as death and it hit Emily so hard that she was left with her father's estate as well as debt.
"Are you sure you're alright, Emmy? There hasn't been anyone that came for—"
"Oh, no! It's nothing like you imagine, Becca. I am fine, I just feel...confined while I was in the capital and something came up St. Betown and—"
"You will be going to St. Betown?" Becca asked before she poured the tea for her and Emily. Then, she put two sugar cubes for she knew that Emily had a sweet tooth before handing them to Emily to stir it.
"Thank you, and yes, I will be going to St. Betown. I knew that I had some relatives there but I would have to make sure that my father's relatives were not moving for the past years as it has been too long for me to visit them. The last time I saw them was when I was still in my teens," Emily said before she stirred the tea with a teaspoon and took a sip. She sighed as Becca was sipping on her tea as well.
"This is delish. I wish I still had some money to spend on such good tea," she said before Emily was taking a biscuit and dipped it in her tea. Then, she took a bite as she sighed for the meal.
"Eat up, Emmy. I have more if you wish to have them for your journey," Becca said before Emily perked up.
"You do that for me?" she asked before Becca nodded. She smiled weakly before her tears were brimming with tears.
"Oh, Emmy," Becca said before putting her teacup down and hugging her best friend. Emily was a tough person as she never showed her weakness to anyone.
She was the sweetest, gentle person and Becca hoped that someday, someone would take care of her best friend and hopefully he would treat her right like the lady of the genteel breed she was.
"I will miss you, Becca," Emily said as she dabbed her eyes with her kerchief before Becca smiled.
"And I will miss you, Emmy," she said before they were talking about other things, not wanting to revisit the conversation that Emily would be going away for a while.

LORD Dorian Hassildor was looking at his desk in his townhouse located in Royal Molftus for he had to be in the capital as long as the court was in session. And right now, he did not want to do anything else but sleep.
But knowing that something was waiting for him, on his mahogany desk with the golden crest of the young queen of Niapachad Island, he knew that he had to read it and it would be important.
And he was dreadful to know what the young queen wanted from him.
"Please not the marriage request," he mumbled before he tore the wax and read the letter that was sent for him. He scanned line by line that he was to meet the young queen at his earliest convenience at the Royal Castle. Thinking that it was nothing more than just a meeting with the queen, Ian sighed a relief.
"Well, at least I am not demanded to find a bride just yet," he said before he removed his cravat as he went to the decanter to pour himself some ale to remove the deadness that he felt after spending some time in court.
His demon was raking at him to get some blood but Ian was ignoring the call for he knew that the young queen was trying to do something behind his back and Ian would not be falling for her trick like Niklaus was with his cousin.

EMILY was taking a deep breath after she walked out of Belikov Estate where her best friend, Becca, who was known as the Duchess of Belikov now, was putting on her bonnet and gloves.
She felt the heaviness of the parchment that stated that she would be employed if she went to St. Betown, the town that was famous for the Contest of Champions.
Emily smiled for the first time after the tragedy that fell upon her person. She never thought that everything would be gone in an instant like her parents' death and her brother's disappearance. She did not know what to say or maybe get angry at Fate but for all she knew, it would not be bringing them back.
Why stuck in the past if she can move forward?
Lady Emily Moore called for hackney as she was ready to move on with her life, getting away from the capital to the arena town so that she could get something out of her life, hopefully finding a job that would sustain her and perhaps find love along the way.
And maybe, just maybe, she will be welcomed back into the gentry after the scandal of her family in the past few years if she manages to land a husband with powerful influence over the Gossipers.