The Duke and The duches of Vaugrenard

Chapter 17

Finally after several days of travel we had reached our first destination, Anatol.

Anatol was one of the largest city in our empire after the capital. It was known for having the highest population of nobles in the empire. Most of the wealthy citizens live in Anatol due to the city being closed to the capital but not close enough for the emperors sight.

Vincent asked me if we should pass by my parents home but I said no. I don't want to see them. I haven't seen neither of them since my weeding almost on year ago. He said he had a few meetings here in Anatol so we should stay her for around two days before we head to the capital.

We head straight to the The duke Vaugrenard manor, "The Black Castle." I had not been here since the first time they had announced our engagement. I came here during the night so I wasn't able to admire its beauty.

The manor unlike it's name was not black but a white blooming castle with high arches and towers. It had a beautiful garden in the entrance and large front doors.

Once the carriage came to a stop the maids and butlers started to unload everything.

Gemma got off first then Vincent and he handed me his hand and I followed him. I took a step out and admire the size of the manor.

An older gentleman walked down the steps and bowed when he got down.

"My lord, my lady. Welcome. We have prepared the manor for your stay." He says to us and then he turns to look at me. "My lady it is an honor to meet you I am Louis the head butler of this manor"

"Like wise Sir Louis"

Vincent asks the head butler something but at the same time he stretches his arm out and I look at it and then at him. He looks back down at me and raises one eyebrow.

What is he doing? I look back down at his arm, does he want me to grab it?

I reach out and cross my arms to his and he begins to walk up the stairs still talking to the butler about some manor issues.

As we entered the foyer I couldn't help but be surprised at its glory.  I was reading that this manor actually used to belong to the royal family ages ago. Although it was smaller than the Vaugrenard Estate it was still a magnificent home.

Gemma was standing at the bottom of the steps and she smiled and bowed as we got closer.

"My lady, your handmaiden will escort you to your private chambers in the second floor." Sir Louis says.

"Alright thank you, again it was an honor to meet you" I say to him and let go of Vincent's arm to start to walk up the stairs where Gemma stood but he holds on to me back. I look up at him and he doesn't look at me . Just continues to look at them both, soon Gemma and the butler walked away and finally he looked back at me. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I have to leave for the capital tonight, his majesty wishes to see me before the engagement party." He says to me.

"Oh so we are already leaving?"i ask him.
"No just me. You will leave tomorrow morning and should arrive before noon. Just in time for the engagement ball. Felix will be escorting you to the hall, and i will meet you there."
"I see. Will you join me for the dinner before you leave?"i ask him and before he could answer we heard a few steps behind us. Marcus one of Vincent's soldiers approached us.
"What is it?" Vincent asks him.
"I appologize for the interruption my lord, the emperor sent out a black letter and urges you to make your way to the capital" he says and i could see the annoyance on Vincent face.
"It's alright. You should go see what his majesty needs." I answer for Vincent and he nods and walks towards Marcus and takes the note from his hand and goes outside.
Suddenly I'm alone in this huge foyer. I looked around and Gemma was making her way down to me. "This way my lady"
Gemma had taken me up the stairs to the left down a large hall and all the way down to two large black doors. She opened the door and the bedroom was enormous. "It's gorgeous isn't it my lady" she says to me.
"It is. Am i going to share a bedroom with the duke?' I ask her and she nods.
"Yes my lady, the duke asked for the arrangements to be this way. Would you like to change rooms?" She asks me.
"oh no, no that's fine its just ... I've never shared a bedroom with the duke that's all" i tell Gemma and smile at her.
"Yes my lady."
"So will it also be like this in the capital?" I ask her and she smiles.
"Yes, the duke asked for that as well"

After dinner Gemma and i take a tour around the manor. Although it is very huge the size is still half of what the main manor is. Even coming from a noble back ground i still couldn't help but be astonished by the size of everything that belonged to the duke. Well that belonged to the booths of us since we where now married.
The last room to tour was a library, Gemma told me that this was the third library of the manor and that it solely used to belong to the dukes mother when she was alive. "Gemma do you know if there are any records of the dukes parents?"
"I'm not entirely sure my lady. I could ask the head butler to see if they have any at hand at the moment" she asks me and bows and walks out the room.
I keep looking around and turn the corner and at the end was a desk. I walked over to it and looked at the chair and took a sit. The only thing i knew of his parents was that they resided in this residence while they where still alive. I know of this since father used to mention that he would visit the previous duke and duches plenty of times. There's nothing much on the dukes family since its seen like the royal family so people don't really pry. But this is now my family right? I should be able to know some few details if one day I'm going to bear a child from Vincent.
I looked down at the desk and opened the drawers and a white notebook sat there alone. I took it out and opened the book, it was empty. I flipped the pages and a picture fell out. The back read,
To my daughter, whom i love... i captured you in your
Happiest moments.
princess Aria, duke Cain 1680
I turned the picture around and the most gorgeous women i had ever seen was looking back at me. She had long bright blond hair, her blue eyes shinned as she smiled and beside her was man, Vincent. No this was Vincents father and his mother.

"My lady I asked the mani butler, they only thing they had on file was the duke and duchess family registry" gemma says as she approaches me.

She hands me a black folder and open it and read the first few documents. Royal documents signed by the church stating the official date for the ex duke and duches weeding date. Other court papers  of Vincents birth and their death certificates. Also the dukes family registry.

The duches family registry was quite simple, her name and her parents name. Mmmh there something odd, this names ... don't they belong to the emperor and the empress.

Was Vincents mother a princess? Does father know about this? Does anyone know about this? Wait if his mother was a princess doesn't that make him a prince? Is that why the emperor so attached to Vincent? Ive always known that the emperor depended on the Vaugernard dukedom's, but it was odd that he would call Vincent all the time. I mean he was even on our wedding! He didn't even show up to the queens third nephew who married a princess from a far away land!

But even so, Vincent is the duke and the emperor already has a crown prince. So why does he keep pestering Vincent to visit him? Should i ask him the next time we meet? I mean it would've been nice if he would have told me before. I must have been seen like an idiot when the emperor and empress showed affection towards me while the weeding. I just thought it was weird that they weren't as cold as everyone had said they were.

"My lady?" I looked up from my thought and looked at Gemma. We were no longer at the library but at my room getting me ready for sleep. I had been thinking about i all day and hadn't payed attention to much.

"Yes?"

"I said sir Felix will be here first thing tomorrow to take us to the capital." She tells me and she brushes my hair.

"Alright i see" i smile at her and she give me a half of a smile and continues to brush my hair.

The next day we left and after a couple of day of traveling we finally had arrived to the capital.