Chapter 34: An Invitation

Chapter 34: An Invitation
“Why don’t you think she is a great pick? I mean she has the best fighting skills than any other young lady in the capital” Martha said to Maria.

“I know but then there is something about her that doesn’t sit well with me. Can’t you see why she came here, she wants us to consider her. Alicia loves Damian, I had noticed it while they were growing up but I overlooked it and took it as a teenager that is infatuated, but it seems to me now that it was more than that”

Alicia clenched her fist hard and gritted her teeth. She did not like the fact that Maria already knew her ulterior motive. At least from today she will know a better way to handle her.

Her letter of request got to Damian and Arthur was present when Butler Young brought it.

“A letter from Lady Alicia” Young handed it over to Damian.

“Why would Alicia be sending a letter” Arthur asked in surprise.

“That’s what we are going to find,” Damian opened it and read it out loud. Then dropped the letter after he was done.

“What? Why is she asking to be friends with the Baroness” Arthur was surprised. He has always knew Alicia liked Damian since childhood and she doing this now is kind of suspicious.

“You think there is something wrong with it?” Damian asked. 

“It’s strange, I mean, her requesting such a thing seems…”

“Seems what? I think it’s a good idea, Althea needs a close friend, someone who will teach her our ways, someone she can confide in since she is yet to open up to me”

“You really think she needs that? If she can’t confide in you, do you think she will confide in Alicia Lee, a childhood friend of yours?”

“It’s not the same and I think she would, Alicia is a friend and open minded. I think Althea will like her and if she doesn’t I will make sure Alicia stays away” 

Arthur shakes his head. He thinks this is a bad idea, he wants to tell Damian that Alicia likes him. This might just be a scheme of her's to be close to him but he couldn’t. 

“Alicia knows how to fight very well, my wife can learn one or two from her. They can train together, I’m sure Althea would love it”

Arthur sighed “Alright, let’s see how it goes”

Damian wrote a later of invitation and asked young to send it to Alicia residence”

An hour later, Nora rushed into her mistress chamber with the letter of invitation in her hand. 

“My lady” she called out

Alicia looked up at her “What is it” thinking she was being disturbed for no reason.

“The Baron has sent an invitation”

Alicia immediately stood up in excitement and collected it from her. She read the letter and smiled happily.

“Finally!!” She screamed in happiness.

She hates the idea of being close to the baroness but this was just a way for her to be close to Althea so she can easily execute her plans of getting her out of Damian’s life.

Alicia immediately went to her reading table and wrote a letter. She wrapped it up and gave it to Nora.

“Send this to the Baron, inform him I will come to see the Baroness in two days time”

“But my lady, why are you waiting until two days?”

“You don’t expect me to rush there immediately do you? I will look desperate”

“True, I will send it immediately” Nora rushed out while Alicia stood in front of her wide mirror smiling.



Two days later 

Damian watched Althea eat only a small quantity of her breakfast “What wrong?”

“Nothing” she replied.

“Why are you not eating well this morning” 

She could sense his worry “Nothing, I don’t just have an appetite, I will eat more during lunch” she said that so he will not force her to eat more as he does sometimes.

“What do you plan to do today?” 

She looked up at him wondering why he was asking “Why do you ask?” She said with her usually hostile tone.

He was already used to her hostility “You will be having a visitor”

“A visitor” Althea asked in surprise and wondered who that is “Is it someone I know?”

“Is there anyone you know here in Westland?” Damian asked while he wondered if she actually knew someone here.

Althea brought her head down sadly and shaked it in response. She thought maybe it was someone from home, maybe her parents or one of her siblings. How could she have thought it was any of them when she was forced into this marriage, Damian will surely not want any of them to come visit.

Damian had seen the sad look on her facs. Did she think he was referring to someone from her home? She must miss them.

“It’s the prime minister's daughter, her name is Alicia Lee. She is a childhood friend of mine and I invited her over. Since I’m busy you can have someone to talk to, she is a friendly person” Damian said.

She could not understand why he was deciding everything for her including who should be her friend. He said the person is his childhood friend, meaning he wants to use her to keep watch on her .

“Okay, it's not like I have a say” Althea said down hearted.

“You can choose not to see her if you do not what to” Damian informed.

“What's the point of refusing, I'm sure you already sent an invitation”

“I am the Baron, I can do anything I want, if I sent an invitation, I can also unsend”

Althea sighed when he kept on bragging “I will just see her then, she will feel sad if you are to tell her not to come anymore”

Damian held her palm and kissed sit “Look at you being so considerate”

That afternoon before lunch time, Alicia arrived at the estate. She stared at the tall mansion that had up to 4 floors and smiled. She remembered coming here when she was little to hang out with Damian and his other friends. Her father was close to Damian’s father until things suddenly changed. She knew the whole story but she tried not to recall it because it made her very angry.

She stepped in with her personal maid, Nora and two of her guards following behind.

Butler Young was at the entrance of the mansion. He bowed his head when she approached.

“Welcome Lady Alicia of the House Of Lion” Young greeted not forgetting to mention her family's symbolic name.

Alicia felt pleased when he addressed her in that way, not forgetting the family she came from “And you are?”

She doesn’t remember him being the butler when they were little.

“I’m Butler Young”

“We will sure get along in the future, Young," she smiled.

Young raised his brow curiously at her statement. What does she mean by they will get along in the future?