20 Distance

Dione watched the Duke leave, her heart still racing from their intense exchange. She hadn't expected him to acquiesce so easily, and she couldn't deny the thrill of asserting herself in the face of his imposing presence.

As the door closed, she leaned back against the pillows, feeling a mix of emotions. The Duke's unexpected protectiveness and his insistence on punishing Sir Caleb had surprised her. It was clear that he took his role as her future husband seriously, even if their engagement was largely political.

With a sigh, Dione turned her thoughts to the larger issue at hand—the Marquess and the potential fallout from the tea party incident. She needed to find a way to regain control of the situation and protect her reputation.

But for now, she couldn't help but savor the small victory in her conversation with the Duke. It was a glimpse of the power she could wield in their partnership, and she intended to use it wisely.

With all the noise gone, Dione settled back into the bed intending to rest but as the saying goes, rest is for the wicked. Her door opened once again, Marianne's head peeking through the small opening.

"Ah, Your Highness…Sir Ezra is here." Her voice wavered with uncertainty as if she did not know how the Princess would react to the news. 

As Dione's personal maidservant, she was not unaware of the feelings that her lady harbored towards her knight. Though now, Dione was engaged to marry Duke Devland, by the will of the Gods themselves no less. She felt it would be a bit inappropriate for them to remain so close but as a simple maid, she had no right to object.

Dione's face immediately lit up, a small smile gracing her lips.

Without needing even a word from the Princess, Marianne allowed Ezra to step inside the bedchamber, closing the door behind her. Though she was a bit worried, she understood Dione's character well. As long as she was tied to the Duke, she would not be so selfish as to pursue her first love.

Furthermore, Ezra had taken it upon himself to distance himself from Dione. He would have a hundred different excuses but Marianne knew best that those were all just coverups. Even when the Emperor himself piled him with work so that he would constantly be away from Dione, he would still somehow show up by her side.

These past few days, not even the slight of his shadow could be seen.

Ezra, however, was conflicted. Guilt and anger churned within him as he gazed at Dione's pale countenance. How could such a terrible incident have occurred when he was absent? How could the Duke, her so-called fiancé, have allowed it to happen?

"How are you feeling, Your Highness?"

"It's just us, Ezra. You don't have to be so formal with me."

The knight paused, hesitation evident in his voice as he spoke slowly as if he were still trying to come to terms with his own decision, "I think this is for the best."

The smile on Dione's face instantly dimmed.

  "I see." She answered softly, her eyes dropping down to her hands. With his clear distance in addressing her by her title, her demeanor visibly shifted.

Their conversation circled the unspoken truth: Ezra's withdrawal from her life. He had grown distant, and Dione hadn't known how to bridge the gap, still grappling with her emotions over marrying another man.

She hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Ezra after the ball because of how busy he had suddenly gotten. She did not particularly mind the space because a part of her still did not know how to face her first love with the reality that she would soon be marrying another man.

But a part of her also desperately wanted to see him.

With the sheer amount of incidents and changes that had occurred over the past few days, something in her craved the normalcy that came in the form of her loyal knight and childhood best friend.

As much as it pained him, Ezra pretended that he did not notice the change in her demeanor. He walked to her bedside and placed down the contents in his hands that she had just now taken note of.

"They're medicinal teas. They're said to be soothing and strengthen the body, Mother helped pick them out for me. Remember to incorporate them into your tea times." He explained when he felt her questioning gaze.

"Ah, Viscountess Fallon? That makes sense, please pay her my thanks. How is she doing recently?" At the mention of Ezra's mother, Dione felt a bit of the awkwardness she felt wash away. 

Viscountess Fallon had been great friends with her own mother and that resulted in her viewing her as almost a second mother. When her mother died years ago, their bond had only strengthened.

"Recently…" Ezra's voice was soft, almost as if he were contemplating whether or not to continue speaking. Eventually, he decided that there was no need to hide this from her considering that she would find out sooner or later. "She hasn't been doing too well. The doctors have no clue what's wrong with her but she's been bedridden for the past two weeks."

Dione's eyes widened in disbelief. "Two weeks?! Why didn't you tell me?"

"She didn't want me to. You have your own problems to worry about."

"That doesn't mean anything! How could you not tell me regardless? I would have dropped everything to be there!"

"Thank you for the concern, Your Highness, I will be sure to relay your well wishes to my family." Ezra's voice was firm as if there were no room for discussion. His statement immediately cut off any relations between them, as if she were just a stranger saying empty prayers.

His meaning was clear: Do not get involved any further.

Dione couldn't believe the coldness she sensed from the man she deeply cared for. "I understand the need for distance given our circumstances, but are you truly going to be this cold?"

Instead of answering her, Ezra posed a question of his own, one that resonated deeply: "Will you truly marry the Duke? Is that your only choice?"

Dione's silence spoke volumes, and Ezra's smile was tinged with bitterness as he acknowledged their reality. "Then, for us, this path is for the best. A master and her knight—nothing more."

"Ha. Isn't that what we've always been?" Even though the retort was instant, the words were actually quite difficult for her to say.

Wasn't it her fault that they had never been more? At times, she still wonders how differently the night would have gone had she really confessed to him back then.

Ezra studies Dione's face which is turned away from him, purposefully avoiding eye contact. At this moment, she cannot even bear to look at him.

"I suppose so," he answers, his heart twisting in his chest. "Regardless, I did not come here to speak about any of those things. Because of my mother's condition, I would like to request time off to tend to her. Do you plan on getting into any more trouble in my absence?"

Dione dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand, her emotions still turbulent. "That's fine; tend to your family. I'll be departing for the North with the Duke in about a week, so you won't have to deal with me much longer."

"Isn't that a bit too soon?"

"I don't think that's any of your concern, Sir Ezra." There was a slight edge in her voice.

Ezra bit the inside of his cheek, acknowledging the fairness of her response. Perhaps he deserved her sharpness, as he was the one who had insisted on distancing himself. Still, it didn't diminish the pain he felt.

"You're right. My apologies, Your Highness." Ezra dipped his head in a small bow of apology, cleverly hiding the slight gleam in his eye.

Unbeknownst to Princess Dione, he had come to terms with a plan in his head that he would set in motion a week from now. 

Please forgive me, Dione. He whispered softly in his heart. This is for your happiness.