Chapter 19 Chapter nineteen
One hour before Claus find Ellie talking to Sylvia
~Claus~
The courtroom had been unusually quiet, sunlight filtering through the high windows in pale sheets, catching the dust as it drifted through the air. Ellie has been always from the courtroom for a long time.
I was doing a routine check on some reports. I raise my head my I heard the click of shoes entering the courtroom. I thought it was Ellie but it turnout to be Roger.
He stop when he get to the foot of the throne “your majesty” he greeted, a polite smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Roger,” I replied, surprised. “you are back? I thought you left a long time ago,”
He nodded, glaring briefly at me. “Yes, I did. Actually, I was asked to deliver something to you. From the President of the women association, they are hosting a meeting about a charity proposal and to questions the strength of the pack.”
He held out the envelope, thick and sealed with red wax. “She said it’s important. I’d advise you to read it soon.”
I took it, feeling the slight texture of the wax beneath my fingers. “And Ellie?” I asked, almost without thinking. “Have you seen her?”
Roger’s expression softened. “No. Not since I left here. Why?”
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I studied the envelope again, wondering if she had anything to do with it. “Just curious,” I said finally.
“Oh,” he said, as if suddenly remembering something. “Actually, I saw her earlier at the training ground.”
That made me stop. “The training ground?”
He nodded. “Yes. Looked quite occupied too.”
I frowned. Ellie have never been to the train ground ever since we get married . She once told me she despised the smell of metal and sweat, that the clang of swords made her head ache. What on earth would she be doing there?
By the time Roger left, I could no longer focus on the envelope. I slipped it into my cloak pocket and made my way toward the yard, curiosity turning slowly into unease. The path leading there was bright and dusty, the autumn wind sharp against my face.
The closer I got, the louder the familiar sounds grew, steel meeting steel, laughter, voices carried on the wind. And then, through the blur of movement, I saw her.
Ellie.
She was standing in the sun, her hair gleaming like copper, her cheeks flushed. She was laughing with my brother. Sylvia was there too, his sword glinting as he demonstrated a move. Ellie clapped her hands in delight, and something in me tightened.
It shouldn’t have bothered me. She was free to laugh. Free to breathe the same air as him. But it did.
I watched as my brother leaned close, showing her how to grip the sword. She tried awkwardly and missed, stumbling into him. He caught her. They both laughed again.
Jealousy burned through me so fast it startled me. I wasn’t the type to lose control over something so trivial, but seeing her there, so close to him, her smile brighter than I’d ever seen it, filled me with something sharp and ugly.
Before I knew it, my feet were moving. I walked toward them, my pulse loud in my ears. Sylvia noticed me first, his eyes flickered toward me, assessing. My brother turned too, his grin unbothered, but Ellie didn’t see me until I was only a few steps away.
"Ellie," my voice thundered
“Claus!” she said, startled. Her smile faltered slightly, replaced by confusion. “What are you doing...”
I didn’t let her finish. My hand found her arm gently, but firmly and I pulled her to me. She gasped, caught off balance, her palms pressed against my chest. For a moment, everything around me blurred, the clang of swords, the chatter, the sunlight.
I forced a smile, masking the storm that twisted in my chest. “Training, are we?” I said lightly, glancing at my brother. “Didn’t think Ellie was interested in swordplay.”
“She asked me to teach her,” Sylvia said, sliding his blade into its sheath. There was a hint of amusement in his tone. “She was doing quite well, actually.”
Ellie looked up at me then, her eyes bright. “I wanted to learn,” she said softly. “I thought it might be useful.”
“Useful?” I repeated, pretending to laugh. “For what? Chopping vegetables?”
Sylvia snorted. “Come now, Claus. Don’t be cruel.”
“I’m not,” I said, though my voice carried a sharpness I hadn’t intended. “It’s just… Ellie isn’t built for this sort of thing.”
Ellie’s brows drew together. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”
I hesitated. Her face flushed from laughter moments ago, now showed a trace of hurt. It twisted something inside me, but pride made me speak anyway. “You’re too fragile,” I said. “Sword training isn’t meant for....”
“For someone like me?” she interrupted, her tone cool.
Sylvia shifted uncomfortably. “I’ll… give you two a moment,” he said quietly, and left the yard, though not before giving me a knowing look.
Ellie pulled away from me, crossing her arms. “Why are you here, Claus? To scold me?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I just...” I stopped, searching for words that didn’t make me sound like a jealous fool. “Roger told me he saw you here. I was curious.”
She tilted her head. “And that why you here?”
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “That is not the reason.. I didn’t mean it that way” I exhaled sharply. “let talk inside”
Her eyes widened slightly. “About what?”
I didn’t answer. The silence stretched between us, heavy and fragile.
She took a small step closer, her voice quieter now. “Claus… you can’t keep treating me like I’ll break if I so much as lift a sword. I wanted to learn something new. Is that so terrible?”
"I did mean it that way, love," I apologized " can we talk inside?" I asked.
"Okay," she muttered under her breath