Good Scary

"Good evening, My Lady."

"What a lovely dress, Duchess."

"It's a wonderful ball, Your Grace."

I hold a gentle and polite, yet vague smile fixed on my face as the attendees greet me one after another. I know they're only here because the imperials will be attending. No one visits the castle of the 'Midnight Duke' otherwise. They're all too scared of his reputation.

"Aaa-" I hear a woman's voice start to shriek, but it's quickly cut short. A glance reveals that a man - her husband, presumably - covered her mouth. Her gaze is still fixed on the object of her terror, and I don't even have to look to know that she's staring at my husband.

I turn toward the grand staircase. Grand Duke Aleckis Inverren is, as always, a terrifying figure to behold - broad-shouldered and tall, with long hair and a near-permanent scowl on a face with too many scars for the so-called 'polite society' of the nobles - but after five years of marriage, I'm no longer intimidated by his appearance. Instead, I smile broadly (by popular convention, a little too broadly, but whatever) and glide to the base of the stairs. I lift one side of my dress and place my other hand on my chest, inclining my head without bowing or curtsying. He is my husband, after all.

He descends the staircase and dips his head to me in return, offering me his escort. I take his arm with another smile, much more genuine than before. I always feel a little guilty to enjoy it, but watching the crowd of central nobles trembling with fear at the mere sight of him is just too amusing. I mean, he's never even attacked them or anything, but they know he's strong and that's enough to scare them.

The doors open again and the herald announces the entrance of His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress, alongside two of the princes and the eldest princess. We bow as is expected, and they greet us amicably despite that the Emperor is the reason for all of the negative rumors to begin with. (He doesn't like that Aleckis is more successful and has more honors to his name.) After the customary greetings and obligatory small talk have been fulfilled, the Emperor declares the start of the ball, and everyone scatters.

Having been estranged from high society since well before my marriage, I have no circle or clique to join up with, and am prepared to spend the entire ball as arm candy to soften my husband's impression. Before I can attach myself to him, however, I notice Princess Imelda standing alone, looking lost. I hesitate. Even so far removed from the gossip circles, I have still heard the rumors about her having social difficulties lately. I consider my options and decide that my husband can survive without me for a night.

Stepping forward, I say, "Lydia Inverren greets Her Highness Imelda." I bite the inside of my lip, unsure of what to say next. I've never done well with starting a conversation.

To my surprise, she lights up. "Good evening, Duchess. I don't believe we've had the chance to meet before. You host a wonderful ball."

I offer her a modest smile. "Thank you, Your Highness. I'm sure it's nothing compared to the capital; after all, there's so rarely such a large gathering here."

She tilts her head. "Does the duke not permit you to hold large functions?"

I'm still debating my answer when her face goes pale and I feel a large presence behind me. Turning, I find Aleckis standing there with three glasses of wine. I simply blink at him when he holds out two of them. "For your conversation," is all he says.

My next smile is so bright that his customary solemnity nearly breaks. "Thank you." He nods and steps away, and I return my attention to the princess. "It seems my husband wishes to offer us both refreshments. Will you drink with me, Your Highness?"

She's still staring toward him with fear in her expression. I simply wait. After a moment, her gaze slides back to me and she nods mutely. I pass her a glass, and she takes a longer drink than I would've expected. I restrain myself to a regular sip, bemused by my new acquaintance. Once she's settled herself, she leans in slightly and asks quietly, "How are you not terrified by him?"

I stare at her for a long moment. "Why should I be?"

"Well, he's -- he's the 'Midnight Duke', isn't he? The duke who can kill monsters with his bare hands, who rules his territory with an iron fist, who drove nearly all of the vassals and lower nobles out of his territory, who not even the Imperial family can easily offend? I mean, even looking at him is frightening, and his aura is so dark I feel like it sucks all of the light out of the room..."

I shake my head. "I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding. My husband is strong, yes, and has a powerful appearance and skills. Last I checked, though, he usually uses a sword on monsters, and our citizens have a standard of living higher than nearly anywhere else in the Empire." She's staring at me in disbelief. "He didn't drive off the vassals, either. Most left of their own accord after the recent monster surges. The rest were tired of living in the extreme cold with constant danger hanging over their heads, so he sent them elsewhere to rest."

She gapes at me. "That's -- then what about the rumors of servants beaten black and blue, or that he takes a new mistress each month, or that you're being held against your will? Surely such a terrifying man would be extremely uncomfortable to live with."

I sigh inwardly. I don't think she heard any of my rebuttals, so this time, I make certain my voice is easy to hear and my pronunciation is clear. "Let me tell you clearly. I do not fear my husband in the slightest. He may have his faults, but he has never abused me, neglected me, treated me poorly, allowed the servants to treat me poorly, nor even spoken harshly to me. The one and only time he prevented me from doing something was out of concern for my safety. He isn't the monster you think he is. He just doesn't want anyone hurt." My gaze is so intensely focused on her that for a moment I don't realize that the entire room has fallen silent.

I force myself not to blush as I wait for her response. "How do you have such faith in him to defend him so? Was your marriage a love match after all, despite all of the rumors?"

I really want to leave the conversation and all of the eyes on me, but I also know that if I run away from this now, I will never have another chance. "I will not claim to know what motivated His Grace to marry me. Nor will I claim our marriage to have been one of romance. I will, however, say this. I respect him. Not in the way of a subordinate to a lord, but from one human being to another. He is strong, he is kind, he is surprisingly gentle... and he is ruthless when threatened. I also hold great affection for him, love match or not." I lean in toward her. "I can say all of that with complete honesty. Can you?" I step away, knowing she can say none of the above in regards to her fiancé.

As I turn to leave, however, I find myself arrested by the expression in Aleckis' eyes. The intensity and vulnerability I see there cause me to blush and become painfully aware that I just told not only the princess, but rather the entire imperial court how much I care about him. His expression holds no rebuke, though, just pure pride.

As I approach him, I see that pride morph into something else, and shiver slightly.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tonight will be fun.