A Second man for her

"What kind of work do you have in the neighbouring kingdom?" Charlotte asked. She was suddenly interested because Zoe's words came to her head. Zoe had told her that Édouard had gone to the wars before. Was he again heading to a war?

"I have an urgent work to finish," Édouard stated. 

"At least, tell me before you leave. Do you expect me to not even know what work my husband has if someone asks me?" She mumbled and averted her gaze from him.

She bit her tongue, realising what she had just said, while he ended up smiling. She called him her husband, and that was a great step in his eyes. She had started to acknowledge their relationship. 

"An important work related to the kingdom. It is confidential. Father and a few others have knowledge of it," Édouard clarified her a little. 

"Oh." Charlotte decided to sleep and slightly moved away from him. "I am sleepy. Goodnight," she said when Édouard told her not to lie. 

She tilted her head and beamed at him. "Talk with me more. You will miss me when I'm away," Édouard said. 

"I won't," Charlotte said with a confident tone. 

"Umm... But I will miss you," Édouard took her hand in his and fiddled with her fingers. 

"There is no need to miss me," Charlotte told him and pulled her hand back, but he didn't let it go from his grip. 

"Why? Give me a reason not to miss you," Édouard demanded. 

"He knows that I don't feel anything for him. Even if he is my husband, it is merely in front of the world. In reality, he can never be in my heart. He knows this well," Charlotte stated.

"What if something happens to me when I am away? Will your answer be the same? Will you ignore my presence? Will you not feel anything for me?" He asked her. 

Charlotte didn't answer that and asked her if he would let her sleep.

He loosened his grip on her hand when she moved away from him. She lay down on the bed with her back facing him. She closed her eyes while he remained seated at his place for some time. 

Édouard knew he wouldn't be able to sleep well tonight. He watched Charlotte sleeping, and after some time, he left the bedroom. He was frustrated at himself because he found no way to get into Charlotte's heart. 

He went out and decided to stay on the balcony for some time. He wanted to contemplate where he was wrong. His past, where he let Mathieu do whatever he wanted to, or his present, where he stopped himself from not telling Charlotte about his feelings. 

He rested his hands on the white balustrade before him and looked at the night sky. It was a new-moon night. He sighed when a hand rested on his shoulder. 

"Rainard," Édouard spoke, and tilted his head to look at him. Rainard lowered his hand and stood next to him. 

"Why isn't the Duke asleep at this hour?" Rainard asked. "Is it because the Duchess pushed him away?" He glanced at him. 

"It has been only two days since Charlotte and I got married. I think I am too desperate to get her attention. Mathieu died a month ago, and I forced her to marry me. Is that the reason she is still cold to me or is it because I never treated Mathieu as my brother?" Édouard expressed his thoughts. 

Rainard knew Édouard from his childhood days. He knew how much his friend had suffered from his childhood. He lacked his father's love and always watched his mother suffer because of the mistresses that his father had. 

As he grew up, he only faced problems. 

He was now lacking the love that he needed from his wife. 

"I told the Duke not to marry her. She is too into her late husband. Zoe informed me how the Duchess asked her if you had any women in your life. She should be happy that you stepped forward to marry her and requested the King for it, else she would be on guillotine after Mathieu died," Rainard said in anger. He could not see Édouard in more trouble when his life was already messed up. 

"Rainard, it is my fault. I let Mathieu have her. I should not have taken him lightly. I can understand that for her, I am a second man for her," he asserted and let out a frustrated sigh. 

"I never understood His Excellency. He is blaming himself for no reason. The Duchess is at fault. Shouldn't she be the one thankful to the Duke?" Rainard lost his temper again. "If there had been any woman at her place, she would have thanked you a thousand times for saving her life and giving her a new life. It is not too late, Your Excellency. You can lead a happy life if you take her out of your life," he advised Édouard. 

"You should leave, Rainard. Your advice is making me furious," Édouard said. "Because you are my friend, so I don't want to lose you," he affirmed. 

Rainard complied with Édouard's order and left the balcony. 

Charlotte hid behind the pillar as Rainard walked away. She made sure that he would not see her. She was shocked to learn that Édouard had feelings for her for a long time. But she was puzzled to learn why Édouard said that he took Mathieu lightly. 

She realized that she was being too harsh on Édouard. He was a nice man. She would not deny this fact. He was extremely cautious around her and would give her everything that she needed. She fiddled her fingers as she reached the bedroom, thinking of all sorts of things. 

"So, the King also wanted to make me die," Charlotte murmured. She thought that the royalty didn't blame her for her former husband's death, but she was wrong. "Édouard indeed deserves a better woman than me," she mumbled when the sound of footsteps fell on her ears. 

She ran to the bed and quickly covered herself with the blanket. She tightly closed her eyes when she heard the door was closed. Minutes passed and she wondered if she should turn to Édouard. Finally, she turned to face Édouard and opened her eyes. He was seated on the mattress, instead of lying down. Before he could find that she was awake, she shut her eyes, but she moved closer to him.