Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 127: Changes (1)
Ophelia parted from Dante when they returned inside the castle and headed towards the knights’ quarters to carry out her plan. There were changes that Ophelia needed to make, even though many of the servants and knights would not like them.
It would all be in Dante’s best interest.
Ophelia peered into the knight’s quarters, searching for the one person who could help her.
"Lady Hastings."
"Lady Hastings," Ophelia heard the guards greet her as she had been caught.
"Good evening to all of you. Might you do me a small favour and bring Thomas, my guard, to me?" Ophelia asked, hoping the two men before her would do it. "I’ll be waiting here."
"We can take you inside."
Ophelia smiled. "I do not think Lord Hastings would be happy to know I am at the knight’s quarters without my guard. If you could please bring Thomas here, I would greatly appreciate it. I don’t want to disturb the other men."
Ophelia felt relieved when the two men walked away. She imagined what the quarters were and how they wouldn’t be suited for a lady. It was this, along with many of the knights not liking her, that Ophelia didn’t want to walk into their den.
Ophelia remained in the hallway, and not long after, Thomas came running.
"Lady Hastings!" Thomas called as he ran to Ophelia.
"No, no," Ophelia tried to hush Thomas. She didn’t want to gather more attention, but it was too late. "I should have sent a maid to find you."
"Maids aren’t allowed to come this far unless the knights are out of their quarters. Lord Hastings says it is because we get too distracted when the maids are near. He wouldn’t be pleased to know that you are here. Was I to guard you?" Thomas asked, starting to panic.
Thomas couldn’t think of anyone telling him that he needed to guard Ophelia. He was only told that Ophelia would be resting in her chamber and then would accompany Dante out of the castle.
"Oh my," Ophelia said, covering her mouth. "You are awfully cute."
"W-What?"
"What?"
Ophelia frowned, surprised by the voice behind her. "Are you stalking me, Lord Hastings?" She asked, refusing to turn around.
"I came here to speak to the knights who will be roaming the town in the morning, and to my surprise, my wife is here. Didn’t you have some plan you needed to carry out?" Dante asked, coming to a stop behind Ophelia.
"I did have a plan, and it involves your knights. I was about to get Thomas to help me when you arrived. You can be on your way," Ophelia said, shooing Dante. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
Dante looked above Ophelia to Thomas.
Thomas shrank under Dante’s gaze.
What had he done now?
"You shouldn’t call Thomas cute, Ophelia. He doesn’t like it. Knights are meant to be feared, not seen as cute," said Dante.
Ophelia turned around to face Dante. "Then, it is a word I should never use for you."
"It is different for me. As your husband, these words can be said to me, and I will not be upset. You must be careful how you speak to other men," said Dante.
Ophelia placed her hands on her hips. "Is that for Thomas’s sake or yours?"
"For Thomas, of course. I am only thinking of my knight’s best interest as I always do," Dante answered.
"Thomas," Ophelia said, looking at the man in question. "Did you dislike it when I said you were cute?"
"With all due respect, I would rather not answer," Thomas responded. He avoided meeting Dante’s gaze.
Thomas wished he had made a bet with the knights about Dante falling in love with Ophelia. He would have had plenty to eat.
"That means no. He doesn’t want to answer because he doesn’t want to upset you. Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Dante. I suggest you carry on with your duties while I speak to Thomas," Ophelia said.
"I must know what business my wife has near the knight’s quarters. Since when have you become so comfortable being around them without me?" Dante asked, needing to keep an eye on Ophelia.
"Since now. I find it hard to believe that you are not stalking me. If you weren’t, you would have carried on with your business. Thomas, we mustn’t disturb my husband, so we must go elsewhere to speak," Ophelia said, looking Dante dead in the eye.
"If I may," Thomas requested.
"No!" Dante and Ophelia responded.
"I mean no, sweet soul," Ophelia said in a calmer tone.
"You are doing this to upset me, aren’t you?" Dante noticed.
"I wasn’t doing it at first, but it got amusing the second time around. Thomas, I want to speak to my husband alone, but don’t go too far. I still need you. Now, can you tell me why you are here?" Ophelia questioned Dante.
"I should be asking you that question. When you said you had a plan for dinner, I didn’t think it involved my knights. Are you plotting to use my army, or is there something more at play here?"
"I wanted them to lift the tables they have here and carry them to the dining hall. I enjoyed it when we all ate dinner together in the capital, and I noticed the knights enjoyed it as well. The dining hall is too big for just you and me to use. Are you against welcoming them?" Ophelia asked, but she didn’t need Dante to agree.
Ophelia already had her mind made up.
"Do as you want. I know a day will come when you get tired of their loud chatter. I can tell them to move the tables-"
"No," Ophelia interjected. "I want Thomas to help me, and I want it to be known that it was my idea. I must start finding ways to grow closer to the knights. They are the ones who defend the castle, so I must get to know them."
"Meat and rum are the fastest ways to get to their hearts. I allow them to have a bit of rum after a long trip, but not too much this time since we must get back into training them," said Dante.
"Have you thought of welcoming their families to the castle for dinner? I understand not wanting anyone inside to be looking around, but it would be a good way to be close to the people who live on your land. Perhaps a festival where you go out of the castle would be wonderful," Ophelia suggested.
It would calm the town’s fears about war, and surely they would enjoy seeing Dante’s face.
"I will consider it," Dante replied.
