To Be Saved - Hiatus

3 - Furniture Request

"What do you mean I'm not allowed to make adjustments to my room?" Asa asked, standing at the other end of Hira's desk.

"It's not that you're not allowed any adjustments, but the ones you requested can not be done." Hira responded as she kept looking at the papers piled on her desk.

"It's the room I will be staying in, I believe I'm allowed to do whatever I want with it."

Hira put her pen down, sighing "I said nothing when you asked to remove all decorations from the room, and if you asked for different furniture, or even dying the room I would have said yes. What you asked for though is out of the question!".

"I just asked to hammer the windows locked and the chairs to the ground, is that so hard?" Asa responded in frustration, his hands slamming the desk.

"It's weird!" Hira shouted as she stood "people will talk about how the duchess locked the prince's room and pinned his chairs to the ground! I already know they will talk about how you have no decorations in your room and there's no need to make it weirder."

Hira was furious. To begin with, she was drowning in paperwork due to the snowstorm from a few days ago that did so much damage to the city. She barely had time to sleep, and yet she still had to prepare for the coming of the prince. Meeting him yesterday, she thought even if she didn't like him, they at least started on good grounds.. yet here they are fighting over furniture.

She didn't like that he refused any of the servants of house Nordenkav to assist him in daily tasks like waking him up, showering, dressing and others. The only person he allowed near was his personal servant he brought with his. It's like he's saying they are not up to his standards, and is giving a chance to all the people out there to talk and mock the Duchy of Nakard.

After that, he requested for all decorations to be removed, yet another request that will reflect badly on the duchy. Yet vases, paintings, and other stuff were all removed from his room. Then he asked to hammer the windows so they can not be opened, and to pin the chairs to the ground???? He was definitely doing this on purpose!

"I swear to you that if you granted this request of mine I shall never ask anything else of you, I will even live quietly and never bother you... just, grant it." Asa plead. Hira couldn't tell what expression he had as he was looking down.

"I would rather you ask for other things that are more reasonable than granting this request... I will not grant it." She responded as she sat back on her chair.

The office was quite for a moment before Asa pulled back "I hope you have a good day." He said, and turned to leave, slamming the door behind him.

A second later, the door opened and Aislinn peeked inside. She locked eyes with Larden who was standing there suffocating. The two of them had an eye conversation before Hira interrupted them "you either come in or leave, stop hanging your head there."

Aislinn giggled in a silly manner before she opened the door properly and came in. She had a plate with a cup of tea and some snacks with her "I just came to deliver you some snacks." As she stepped into the office.

"And i'm guessing you stood there for nealy half an hour as a coincidence?" Hira asked.

"Ah.. you noticed?".

"If I hadn't noticed that much of an obvious sneaking around I wouldn't have survived in the battlefield, dear sister." Hira was still slumped on her chair, eyes closed.

A moment of silence as Larden started signing to Aislinn who hurriedly came closer. She left the food on the desk and went near her sister, trying to give her a massage.

"What do you want?" Hira asked, and Aislinn giggled awkwardly "what do you mean? I just wanna give my tired sister a massage to help her...".

"My eyes may be closed but I can still sense both you and Larden fidgeting around." Hira stated, she let out a deep sigh before demanding "so what is it?".

Aislinn glanced at Larden, who in exchange looked as anxious. She sighed "you see sister, me and Larden...".

"Ahem!!". Larden let out a sound with a panicked face don't drag me into this!

"Me. Just me.." Aislinn corrected, but obviously only idiots won't realize that was a lie.

"Yeah so?" Hira went along with her.

"Why don't you just accept the prince's request?" The moment Aislinn finished her sentence, Hira's eyes were wide open. Instinctively, Aislinn pulled her hands away.

"Get out, both of you get out!".

- - -

Both Aislinn and Larden stood outside the office's door. It was quite for a second before Larden blurted "I told you we shouldn't get involved!".

"Oh don't be a coward now! We have to help them." Aislinn responded as she rolled her eyes and walked away.

Larden rushed after her "My lady, no matter what happens the Duchess will always forgive you... but not me!".

"Don't worry, my sister is not that cruel." Aislinn has a big smile on her face as she said confidently, and Larden couldn't help but think it's because she has never met the cruel version of Hira.