~Not Edited~
An endless galaxy.
The only thing that circulated throughout Ella's unconscious state of mind, whirling in deep pools of ecstatic measure, as though relieving and pleasurable but was only suffocating and painstaking to endure. Ella wondered about in the vast opening of the millions of stars that surrounded her vision. She fought for no reason but understood well enough that she was in a different yet peculiar dimension that was away from the normal world she knew.
"Where am I?" Ella curiously asked herself when she finally noticed the strange difference.
With a mysterious reply that was only her conscious voice:
"You're contemplating whether to wake up or continue down critical misery and embarrassment."
"I don't understand. What did I do to deserve this? Why am I here?" Ella asks the mystery voice, obviously oblivious to the events that have occurred.
"You'll know soon. But be mindful Ella, don't make the same mistake twice. It'll only hurt you even more," The voice replied cautiously.
"What?" Ella said dumbfounded and unsure of what that meant.
"It's time to wake up now, Ella," The voice warned.
"Wait, what do you –"
But as soon as she said that, the endless galaxy fades away into complete darkness and slowly yet surely, faint voices began to enhance Ella's hearing and surrounding.
"Ella? Ella? Are you alright?" The petite voice sounded familiar.
Ella slowly fluttered her eyes open to meet three familiar faces hover above her with full anxiety and worriedness plastered across their expressions.
"Oh, Ella!" Freda exclaimed in relief seeing Ella conscious again, followed by Lizabeth and Delia who was also relieved too.
Suddenly it all came back to Ella. The plan, the dinner, the dance, and her unfortunate state.
What have I done? Ella internally interrogates herself shamefully.
"We were worried sick about you," She begins worriedly while Ella arises faintly, still a little bit dizzy. "The Duke was more worried than any of us. He came straight away from his meeting when he had heard what happened to you."
"The Duke was worried about me?" Ella asked curiously, wanting to know if she heard right or not.
Ella specifically recalled that the Duke had to leave early in the morning for a business meeting down in town which is why she found it strange that he was even worried to come as soon as possible when he had heard the news.
Which did get Ella thinking:
Wait, so who saved me if it weren't Amos?
"Yes. Indeed, he was. But you were fortunate enough to be saved. It's not every day that you find the future-duchess-to-be sweating herself to death, almost drown within a water fountain, and faint in shock for no particular reason," Lizabeth replied sarcastically but with a more worried tone.
"You should have been more careful Ella," Delia also joined in with the same worried tone and expression while Ella searched the room to realize that she was in her own chambers.
Ella was still in quite a shock with two things she wanted to certify;
One: Where was Amos and why was he worried?
Two: Who saved me if it weren't the Duke?
Before she tried to get out of her resting place to find out and certify these two things herself, she is immediately stopped by her three maids.
"It's best to rest, Ella," Lizabeth urges.
"The Duke has advised us for you not to go anywhere until to you are fully recovered and well enough," Freda informs.
"I'm well now," Ella reassures half-heartedly but determined to find the Duke and her savior.
"Ella, please. You should get some better rest," Delia pleads reassuringly.
"I'm feeling better and recovered now," Was all that Ella said as she jumps out of her bed quickly to get dressed in some proper clothes as she notes that she is only wearing her nightgown.
"Oh, by the way, how long have I've been unconscious?" Ella asks as she turns to meet the mysterious gazes of her maids who seem to be even more worried this time than the previous encounter.
"Well?" Ella urges as she notices their despicable silence.
"Almost two days," Freda finally answered.
Not only was Ella shocked but she wasn't feeling all too well about what was going to happen next. It only felt like hours when she had passed out, but now knowing the reality of her state she wasn't too sure whether to confront the Duke or not anymore.
"I'm sure that two days was a full recovery for me because I'm feeling a lot better now," Ella replies to prove her point in not getting any more rest when she had more rest than she has ever needed before, especially now.
However, Ella was also astounded at the fact that the wedding day was nearing sooner than she had anticipated which was not good at all.
"What are you going to do now?" Lizabeth asks while she and the two maids watch Ella prepare herself in haste.
She turned and looked at them before letting out a soft sigh and said:
"I'm going to the Duke."
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
His eyes trailed the vast display that lied beyond the glass windows as he leaned against his desk with a fixed and stern expression plastered across his chiseled face. He wasn't all too satisfied.
"How long until they arrive?" Amos questions irritably cold.
"Soon, your grace," The butler replies boldly as he stood behind him across from the desk with a good distance.
"How soon?" Amos specifies with the still same tone of voice.
"Three hours," The butler responds with a little bit of fear laced between his tones of voice.
With both of his arms and hands leaning on the desk for support on either side of his physique, Amos taps his index finger against the desk consistently paced whilst thinking historically about this matter. Finally, he releases himself from his stature and turns around to meet the butler's eyes.
"Make sure everything is finalized and prepared for when they arrive," Amos instructs boldly and void of emotion.
"Yes, your grace," The Butler says while bowing respectfully to his instructions and then taking his leave.
As the butler exits the room, he is met with Ella along the way.
"Ah, milady. Are you feeling alright?" The butler inquires assuredly.
"Yes, thank you. Is the Duke of his study?" Ella responds with the same tone.
"Yes," The butler replied as he gestures towards the room he had exited from.
"Thank you," Ella states gratefully as they part ways.
Nervous and anxious, Ella inhales and exhales deeply as she slowly makes her way towards her destination.
Exhaling deeply she notes quietly to herself as she finally arrives before the dooming doors that could possibly be the end of her pride once she opens them:
"I can do this. Just go in there and –"
And what? Apologize? Seek forgiveness? What happened to Ella Pearson who was fearless, bold, and strikingly fierce? A little voice in her mind lectures mindfully.
"She is not here right now," Was all that Ella said before she knocks three times on the door.
"Enter," The Duke responded nonchalantly.
Making her entrance, she walks wistfully towards the duke's desk to where he resided.
Amos doesn't look up at all to meet Ella's terrifying gaze as she stands before him in an awkward stance. He only continues to focus his attention towards the papers that are scattered about before him as if they were more important than Ella's conscious presence, which is most probably true.
Not knowing whether to take his avoidable focus as a good gesture or not, Ella urges herself otherwise to present her case unto him.
"I understand that you're impeccably busy right now considering your social and royal status as Duke of Westland," Ella begins efficiently bold. "But I need to say this now before I change my mind completely about coming to you press forwardly in the first place about the previous matter of my stubborn state," Ella confesses in haste without a doubt.
Taking one deep breath, Ella finally expresses herself.
"I'm –"
But before Ella could finish her wholehearted sentence, she is interrupted by the Duke's raise of hand as a symbol for her to obviously stop what she was going to express.
Finally, Amos looks up to meet Ella's cowering gaze whilst shooting venomous daggers right through her insecurity and oppression. Not too satisfied at all with his demanding glare, Ella cowers down in shame.
Aye, shame. No other than the Ella Nettie Pearson, she has subjected herself before the almighty and ferocious Duke, or so they say.
"I have more important business to attend to and you," Amos states coldly yet carefully. "Are impeding precious time that can be carefully monitored with appropriate yet relevant assets that are no more complicated then you being here, right at this moment," He concludes conspicuously harsh as he takes time in between to look back and forth from his important papers and Ella.
Ella only knits her eyebrows in confusion to his rather fierce statement and expression.
"For your level of understanding," Amos restates conveniently as he noted her confused expression. "Whatever you have to say, I wouldn't care less. From this moment onwards, the only time I'd want to see your face again is on the night before the wedding day. A deal will remain a deal, and until then I have nothing to do with you," He concludes as he gives Ella a blizzard-like gaze that has her blown completely away by the coldness he was clearly aiming directly at her.
Ella was, indeed, taken aback by the Duke's despicable coldness but now knowing that he definitely didn't worry nor care for her well-being, she was somewhat relieved. She was anxious and nervous to express her true feelings but now, she felt better knowing he didn't care less at all about how she felt, or so she thought.
Returning him with a half expression, she replies:
"As you wish, your grace," She regretfully addresses whilst half bowing to his previous statement as a way of expressing that she didn't mind at all what he had said.
"A deal will only remain a deal," Ella recites Amos's exact words with more fierce and a determined tone of voice. "And I am more than glad to oblige by this," She finally retorts, regaining back her usual boldness and strength, and forgetting the main reason why she was even there in the first place. Although, still revolted at how she had managed to oblige herself towards wealth, power, and nobility.
Making her leave from his contagious presence, Ella is oblivious to Amos's inner emotions which seemed to trail behind Ella with regrettable tension. However, for Ella, she was only glad that the Duke felt such way because it only made her worry less and involve herself with the Duke lesser than previous encounters especially with the three matters that revolted her despitefully.
But it was typically a misunderstanding, mystery feeling that sparked within the two not long after their intensifying encounter, which was only left to be a moment that never occurred at all.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"They are here, your grace," The butler announces to the Duke after entering into his study in haste.
"Is everything going as planned?" Amos questions as he continues to look out into the open display beyond his glass windows whilst turning his head sideways as soon the butler made known unto him the notice.
"Yes, your grace," The butler replies assuredly.
"Excellent," Amos responds relieved at the sound of that. "Make sure Ella is unbeknownst of their presence here at Westland until the engagement night," Amos instructs as he returns to gaze out into the vast display. "We want everything to go as planned," He finally states with his devilish smirk in tow.
"Yes, your grace," Was all the butler said as he bows yet respectfully before dismissing himself from the Duke's presence.
"The battle has just begun," Amos silently says victoriously in a venomous tone of voice.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Hello, my fellow reader!
Question(s): What are your thoughts?
Hopefully, this was a good and early chapter. A massive and endless gratitude expressed to everyone who is supporting my story, although I was MIA for quite a while. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! Also, I hope you like my new cover.
This is an early Xmas treat and is dedicated to @vanditas17!!
Your cowering coldness,
Miss Riah ❤