{Eleanora's P.O.V}
I woke up with a splitting headache. I forced myself out of bed for the room was dark and I was all alone in the big and dark room. My legs felt numb at first, allowing me to fall to the floor I'mmediately I rose from the bed. I groaned in pain for the impact of the fall was quite painful. I managed to stand up, putting my hands on the bed and helping myself up. I'mmediately I stood up straight again, I fell. Something had pricked me. It was dark so I couldn't even see what pricked me but I could feel the sharp pain shooting up my legs.
I managed to get to the curtains by leaping and holding the iron bannister which was placed on the bed side, holding the chairs and couch for support for I wasn't a fan of the dark.
I opened the curtains and not the windows because all I needed was the light and the not so bright moon rays fell into the room.
Curious about what pricked my leg to make it so painful, I leaned back to see what pricked me.
On the floor, laid broken pieces of a tea cup. At first, I was quite confused.
What on Earth was a broken cup doing in my room?
Then, I suddenly remembered. Mary gave me a cup of tea before I fell into unconsciousness. I'm guessing the cup fell from my hand and she didn't even bother to clear it up.
That wasn't even a problem. The problem was: Why would Mary Tamper with my tea?!
I sat on the bed, near the broken pieces. Resting my elbows on my laps and putting my hair filled head into my hands, the splitting headache started again just when I thought it was gone.
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was on the bedstand on the other side of the bed. I raised my head before allowing my fingers to rake through my Long brown curly bangs, feeling how coarse it was, I ruffled it the more.
Just then, the door opened and in came Mary. She actually didn't see me sitting up on the bed for the room was quite large and dark. I saw how she tiptoed to the side of my room, where my phone rang and pick up the phone.
I was curious to know what she was up to so I said nothing and watched silently as she picked the call.
"Hello, who am I speaking with?" She asked the other person on the phone.
The person on the other side wasn't audible enough for me to hear but then Mary replied "Okay, thanks for the information. Her highness is recuperating. I'll tell her tomorrow". She replied before hanging up.
Then she tiptoed towards the bed, where I was sitting. It took her a while to recognize the fact that I was awake all the while and sitting up in bed, for in fear, she screamed and fell on her side, to where the broken cup pieces were.
Then I stretched my hand out to put on the lamp beside the bed so she could see clearly what was around her.
"Your...your...your highness". She stammered as she struggled to her feet, her hand bleeding a little.
"Who called?" I asked her, her scared face so visible in the not so bright room.
"Your highness, how are you feeling now?" She asked, diverting my attention.
"I'm asking you, Mary. Who called just now?... Does the person not have name or are you trying to divert my attention?!" I asked her, more worried than angry at this strange behavior she was playing out for me.
"No...No. Your highness, I-"
"Who called?!"
"Ameed. Ameed called". She replied, I could see her bleeding hands trembling already.
"What did he say?" I asked her, more curious to know why he was calling my phone.
"He said Master would be coming home late today". She replied, her hands still trembling.
I looked at her from head to toe as she was still trembling.
"So why are you trembling?" I asked her.
"Nothing, your highness. I just got a little scared". She replied.
"You're lying, Mary".
"Your highness" she said in a pained voice like I didn't trust her. But the fact is every point pertaining to her was questionable.
Speaking of questionable points, I asked her,
"What did you put in my tea?" I asked her.
"Sleeping pills, your highness".
"Why?"
"You've been mentally, emotionally and physically stressed. If I had told you to rest, you wouldn't listen to me, that's why I took the initiative". She replied me.
"And the fact that you tiptoed across the room?"
"I didn't want to disturb your highness sleep. I honestly didn't know you were awake".
"So what about this broken pieces on the floor?"
" I honestly didn't know anything about the pieces, your highness. I'd have cleared it away if I knew". She replied.
"Mary, it's been long since I scolded you. I believe that you're old enough to know what should be done and what shouldn't be done. You've been with me since I could remember and so these things shouldn't be a problem. Don't you know you're too matured to be scolded?!... I shouldn't tell you before you check round for things that can harm me and clear it away. I woke up, and in the bid to go open the windows for myself, stepped on these pieces". I complained even though I wasn't done yet, she bent down to look at my bleeding feet.
"Let me help you patch this up, your highness"
"NEVERMIND!" I yelled angrily, kicking her away from my feet.
"Pack these pieces away from here and leave my sight" I ordered, before I did something to her out of anger.
"I'm sorry, your highness. Do forgive me". She apologized but I didn't reply her. I wasn't in the mood at all to even talk to her.
I watched as she packed the pieces with her hands and left the room. It wasn't so long she left that Ciara entered.
She entered with a tray in one of her hands, using the other hand to put on the light of the chandelier so that it could illuminate the room.
In shock, she stepped back when she saw me.
"What?! Do I look like a ghost?!" I asked her angrily. I was already irritated.
"Your highness! Your feet!" Ciara said in shock. Her dark brown eyes were in horror as she dropped the tray on the floor and ran over to my side.
"Why is it bleeding?" She asked me, her hands to her mouth.
"I don't know. Why don't you ask the feet?" I replied irritatedly.
She held my bleeding feet and took an handkie which she had kept in her bosom, squatting and keeping my two feet on her laps.
She cleaned my feet with her handkie until it was over soaked with blood.
"Does it hurt you, princess?" She asked me.
"Not really". I replied simply.
"That's strange. The cut is deep, your highness. And you must stay in bed throughout the night at least. So that the wound won't get worse". Ciara replied.
I sighed as she dropped my feet on the bed gently and walked to the bathroom to get some water in a bowl to wipe the blood on the floor.
I looked out the big glass windows and saw the crescent shaped moon.
The moon's already out. Where is my husband?
Just then, Ciara walked out of the bathroom with a little metal bowl in her hands.
"What's the time, Ciara?" I asked her.
"This is five minutes past ten, in the evening, your highness". She replied.
"10:05?... Where's this man?" I couldn't help but mutter to myself.
"I didn't hear your order, your highness".
"Get me my phone, Ciara". I ordered her and she sprang into action. In less than ten minutes, she was back holding my phone.
While she cleaned up the blood on the floor, I called my husband.
"The number you're calling is switched off. To send an-" I hung up when I heard what the other end was saying.
"Okay, princess. I'll be downstairs. If you need anything, just call me". She told me before she left the room with the metal bowl filled with bloody water.
I called my husband's second phone but he didn't answer his call. I called again but it rang and still didn't pick his call.
Worry plugged into my heart and I decided to go downstairs to wait for him at the fountain side.
I stood up but the pain that shot up from my leg made me sit on the bed. I had forgotten that my feet were injured.
But at the same time I couldn't just sit down for nothing. I had to make sure my husband was okay.
I stubbornly stood to my feet again. I stood still for a minute, gritting my teeth and fisting the bed in pain. When the pain subsided just a little bit, I walked towards the door, little by little, balling my hands into fists as I leaped unintentionally because of the pain.
Little by little, I got to the door and walked out. Holding the walls little by little, I got to the stairway, holding the bannisters, I took each step with care. The pain meant nothing when compared to what I wanted to do at all costs.
Ciara, Mary, Kalia, Lucas and even Ameed were nowhere to be found. The only person I found at the entrance of the mansion was Lorenzo.
"Lorenzo!" I called him while trying to endure the pain that still flowed within my feet. He turned around and looked at me. Then he walked up to my side and held my left hand, as he helped me to the entrance. Using the walls as support on my right hand side and Lorenzo's hand as support on my left hand side, walking became a little easier for me.
When I got to the entrance, I sat down on the stairs with Lorenzo's help as I waited for my husband to come home.
"Your highness, the weather is cold. Winter is fast approaching, why don't you sit down inside?" I heard Lorenzo say.
I shaked my head. " I'll be fine, Loren. Besides, it wasn't long before I woke up. I just want to get some fresh air and at the same time, wait for your master. You can go inside. Don't worry about me". I told him.
There was a little silence before I felt a jacket being placed on my shoulders. I looked over my shoulders only to see Lorenzo's face, his hands on my shoulders were he just dropped the jackets.
"To keep you from the cold, your highness. Since you insisted on staying here". He said before taking his hands off my shoulders.
"Thank you, Loren. It means a lot". I told him and he nodded before standing at the position he was before.
_________________________✍️
I looked at my phone's screen and the time was 12:14 a.m. The jacket Lorenzo gave me couldn't protect me from the cold anymore. My feet were freezing, my hands freezing and the snow was already dropping little by little.
"Princess, wouldn't you go in?... Master would soon be home. When he's home, I'll let you know" He said, trying to persuade me but I stubbornly refused and decided to wait for as long as it could take.
Just then, a car rolled into the compound, round the fountain and in front of the stairway. It was Dure's Lamborghini.
I stood up immediately and ran to the drivers side and opened the door only to be met with a strange face.
"Good morning, Princess". Greg Henia said as he got out of the car.
"Greg! What are you doing here and where's my husband?" I asked him, surprised that he was the one coming out of the car instead of my husband.
"I brought him home after the bar attendant told me he was drunk in one of the bars hanging around Lokai". He replied as he closed the car door of the car and walked round the car to the passengers side.
I followed closely, stepping on the cold floor with my injured feet to see if my husband was truly with him as he had told me.
Greg opened the door to the passengers side and indeed, my husband was there. His blazer was hanging on the chair, his bow tie was nowhere to be found, his hair was a complete mess and his shirts were three buttons down. Dure groaned, his Adam apple moving up and down his throat.
Lorenzo came forward and threw Dure's left arm round his shoulders as he helped Dure out of the car.
I was about to follow Lorenzo in to make sure that Dure was taken good care of but Greg held my hand back while Lorenzo helped my husband inside.
"Nora, you're leaping". Greg stated his observation.
"I accidentally injured my feet but I'll be fine". I told him.
"When did you get injured?" He asked me
"Just this evening".
"Is Dure treating you well?"
"Yes. He's treating me with all the love and attention a woman can ever ask for".
"If Dure ever maltreats you, Do tell me, alright?" He said with so much concern on his face and I smiled.
"Thanks for your concern". I replied.
"Let me help you in". He said as he offered his arm for me to hold to give me a little comfort while working.
"Thanks" I replied as I took his arm and he helped me into the mansion, up the stairs to my matrimonial room.