Chapter 82

IAN sighed as he looked at the map of the recent riots that were happening all over the island before he rubbed his face with his hands, wanting to get out of the courtroom as soon as he possibly could. But of course, Niklaus had another plan coming for them when he saw the duke was pulling some other ledgers that went way back in the ancient time when The Origins perhaps lived. Ian arched his eyebrows at him.
“Seriously? Do you want to look at the ledgers now? But it’s almost morning and I don’t think that we have to spend the night at the Stone Tower when we have our wives to warm our beds,” he stated, as Niklaus shrugged. The duke was smirking.
“Well, Becca will not be minding when I am busy with the tenants’ payment as Becca called my tasks at the Stone Tower,” Nick chuckled softly before, sighing. “Perhaps I am missing my wife dearly as well, Ian,” Niklaus said, rubbing his mouth as Ian was snapping his finger at him.
“See? I told you we could pick this up tomorrow. Perhaps we have better luck finding the perfect solution as to how The Origins managed the tenants and the commoners when they were riling up like this. I know this is not the first time for us to be handling this kind of situation,” Ian said as Niklaus was turning to look at him, arching his eyebrows as the duke smirked.
“Have any field experience with this, Kain?” he asked before Ian was rolling his eyes at his friend.
“If I were, I would be giving some pointers on how to make sure that the commoners will have complied with our demands. But as you can see, I am stuck with you here in the courtroom of the Higher Court and I am desperate to get back to my wife,” he stated before Niklaus was laughing. He never thought on the day that he would see Lord Dorian Hassildor being anxious to get back to someone other than himself.
Perhaps the matchmaking by Ara was bearing fruit. Niklaus pondered about it as he felt the same way about his wife Becca. Maybe, just maybe, Ara had a knack for matchmaking a lord with another lady of polite society. The duke sighed before he closed the ledgers and stood up from his seat. Niklaus was taking his coat, hat, and gloves as Ian was tugging on his gloves.
Ian smiled at his friend before waving his hand, striding toward the door as he was eager to leave the duke and the courtroom as soon as possible. The marquis was restless before he was smirking at Nick.
“I told you that you would be anxious to be with your wife too, Nick. I will see you tomorrow then when I have wrapped myself in my wife’s arms,” the marquis said before he rushed out of the Stone Tower, getting inside the waiting carriage that bore the crest of a silver griffin before the coachman was driving home, toward his eager wife who was ready to make Ian feel heavens again.

EMILY was pacing back and forth as she was looking at the missive on the table that she put on. She was in the new yellow room that she couldn’t wait to show to Ian when he got back from the Stone Tower. But not without telling her husband first the secret that he kept from her.
A very important secret that would determine the relationship between her brother and Emily for the rest of her life.
“Where are you, Ian? Come home now so that I can be angry with you,” Emily mumbled to herself as she smoothed her hands over her skirts. Her silk slippers were padding across the carpeted floor of the yellow room. The gaslight was illuminating the room as the candelabras were shining.
She exhaled a deep breath that she had taken before as her sensitive hearing, thanks to the enhanced genetics that she got from her husband, was capturing the claps of hooves of a very familiar carriage ride.
Emily turned toward the window as she was standing still, looking out at the black carriage that bore the silver griffin crest of the Marquis of Kain before it rounded in front of the foyer of the townhouse. The marchioness was sucking on her breath when she saw that her husband, who was nodding at the footman that opened the carriage, was smiling as he was gripping his silver-headed cane.
Then, Ian got off the carriage and walked toward the entrance of the townhouse.
Her husband looked happy but Emily would make sure that Ian would have more happiness when the missive from her brother was concerned. The marchioness was looking hard at the silhouette of her husband as she was preparing her long speech of rage and anger as well as being cheated on when they promised that they would never keep any secrets between them after the Marriage Vow.
And it looks like my husband is not a gentle person to keep his promises, Emily mused before she assumed her seat on the single divan that was facing the door of the yellow room, being illuminated by the fireplace as she sipped her blood-laced tea to calm her nerves.
And perhaps, she would have the courage to tell Ian that she was his equal in everything.

IAN was excited when he got inside the carriage as he was looking at the townhouse that had become a home to him, thanks to his marchioness for making it possible. He never thought that he would view the townhouse as anything else other than the place where he slept and ate during his stay in the capital.
But marriage has changed his perspective on life itself.
“We have arrived, milord,” the coachman stated before the footman got out of his position, opening the door for Ian as the marquis was taking his cane and putting on his hat as he stepped off the carriage. He was looking at the looming townhouse that held someone dear to him.
Someone that he cannot live without.
“Have the day off. I see you tomorrow then,” he said, smiling as Ian was gripping the silver cane that had belonged to his family for centuries since The Origins settled on the island and founded the new country that was now known as Niapachad Island.
He was smiling at the butler, handing off his hat and cane before Ian was tugging on his leather gloves. Then, he was looking around the parlor to find the familiar silhouette of his wife, only to be disappointed when Emily did not greet him at the door.
“Where’s my wife?” he asked the butler as Ian was giving her the gloves. The butler bowed to him as he was saying that the marchioness was waiting for him in the new yellow room. The older man also noted that the marchioness had done decorating the room and was waiting for Ian’s arrival to show it to him. Ian smiled at the thought that Emily had of him.
And I know exactly how to christen the room, he thought before patting the butler on the shoulder as Ian was making his way to the yellow room.