The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Roman peeked through the narrow gap between the heavy double doors of his parents’ bedchamber, but the expansive room was entirely vacant.

Stepping inside, he looked around the quiet space, his brow furrowing. ”Where did they go?”

He let out a small yawn, noticing that the duvet still lay tossed across the unmade mattress. His sleep had broken far too early, and he had come with the sole intention of crawling into bed beside his mother for a little while longer.

Pouting his lips in disappointment, he turned on his heel and hurried downstairs to find the palace staff, but the grand corridors remained eerily quiet, as though the entire household were still asleep.

”Young Master, what are you doing wandering about?” a maid asked, having only just risen to begin her morning duties.

”I am looking for my parents. They are not in their chamber,” Roman said, his voice trembling. A sudden, frightening dread settled in his chest, and hot tears began to prick at the corners of his eyes.

”Really?” The maid frowned, finding their absence at such an hour strange indeed.

”Yes. I am scared. Did they leave me?” Roman murmured, the first of the tears finally spilling over his cheeks.

A frightening story he had heard at school flashed vividly in his mind, one where his classmates spoke of a young girl whose parents had vanished into thin air one morning, never to return.

”No, Young Master. Do not harbor such thoughts,” the maid replied quickly, kneeling down to comfort him. ”I am certain they have simply gone for an early stroll. Come, let me take you back to your quarters.”

”No. We must search for them. If they went out, they must be somewhere on the grounds,” Roman insisted, refusing to budge. Unable to deny the distraught young heir, the maid relented and escorted him out into the fresh morning air.

The manicured lawns were entirely empty. They circled the perimeter of the villa, but found no sign of the Duke and Duchess anywhere.

”They are gone. I didn’t see my father’s motorcar,” Roman cried, his tiny lips quivering. Tears poured down his cheeks in earnest now, and the maid grew thoroughly distressed at the sight of the young lord in such a state.

She dropped to her knees, clasping her hands together in front of him. ”Young Master, please do not weep. I am certain they are nearby. Why on earth would they ever leave you behind? They must be somewhere around the grounds.”

But Roman’s cries only grew more intense. Overwhelmed by fear, he turned and ran back inside the villa. ”Uncle Maurice! Uncle Maurice!” he wailed, his voice echoing off the high stone walls.

The maid hurried after him, realizing she needed immediate assistance. Leaving the boy safely in the main hall for a fleeting moment, she rushed to summon the Duke’s bodyguard.

Shortly after, she returned with Maurice, who instantly panicked upon seeing the young master crying so profusely.

”Roman, what happened?” Maurice asked urgently, dropping to his knees and grasping the young master’s arms to steady him.

”Mama, Father... they left me. They aren’t in the palace. They aren’t outside either,” Roman said, sobbing heavily as he pressed his tiny fists against his eyes to wipe away the tears.

”What? Who said such a thing?” Maurice was utterly shocked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

”I didn’t find them in their chamber. And at school... a girl...” Roman choked on his words, his chest heaving, when the distinct sound of a carriage drawing up outside cut through the grand hall.

Maurice lifted his gaze toward the massive entrance doors just as they swung open. The Duke and Duchess walked in, their hands intimately joined.

”Roman! Baby, why are you crying?” Eilika instantly pulled her hand away from Damian’s grasp, her expression shifting from post-morning bliss to pure alarm. Damian looked just as bewildered as she was.

Eilika rushed forward, dropping to her knees on the polished floor just as Roman ran blindly toward her.

”Mama!” his tiny voice wailed. He threw his arms around her neck, clinging to her with all his might. ”I—I thought you both left me,” he sobbed against her shoulder, his little frame shaking.

”Shhhh...” Eilika cooed softly, rocking him gently against her chest. She patted his trembling back while caressing his soft hair. ”Mama is right here for you. I am not going anywhere.”

Damian closed the distance between them and knelt down on the floor beside his wife, his large hand moving to rest securely on Roman’s head.

”Why are you crying so intensely? Hm? What happened to distress you so?” Damian asked, his authoritative tone naturally softening as he looked at his distraught son.

Eilika tilted her head slightly, catching her husband’s eye and giving him a small, warning gesture to stop questioning the boy for the moment.

Damian fell silent, simply keeping his comforting hand on his son’s head. After several long minutes of gentle rocking, Roman’s sobs gradually subsided, though he kept stifling small, ragged hiccups against his mother’s shoulder.

Gently pulling back just enough to look at him, Eilika cupped his tiny, tear-stained cheeks between her palms. ”Do not cry anymore, my sweet boy. It breaks my heart to see you do so,” she stated softly, brushing away the remaining dampness with her thumbs.

”We had not gone far,” Damian finally explained, his tone gentle yet firm. ”I simply took your mother to the nearby hot spring for an early bath. What could possibly make you think we would leave you behind?”

”I heard it from my classmates at school... they said a girl was left behind by her parents,” Roman mumbled, his small voice cracking again. ”I—I went to your room thinking I could sleep beside Mama for a little while longer. But I couldn’t find you both. Anywhere.”

With that, he buried his face right back into his mother’s neck. Eilika shifted her hold and lifted his small weight into her arms, standing up smoothly. His chin rested heavily on her shoulder as she began to carry him toward the grand staircase.

”You entertained such a foolish, wrong thought in your head, Roman,” Eilika told him softly as she walked upstairs, her hand tracing soothing circles on his back. ”You are our entire world. We knew you were fast asleep and didn’t wish to disturb you, which is why we didn’t bring you along. Next time, we won’t do anything of the sort.”

Down in the main hall, the maid took a hesitant step forward. ”Your Grace, Young Master Roman even ran outside into the morning chill to search for you. He looked quite terrified.”

”I must agree, Your Grace,” Maurice added gravely, looking up at the departing Duchess and the Duke who still stood nearby. ”In all my time working by your side, I have never seen Roman frightened to this extent before.”

”I will speak with him,” Damian said quietly to Maurice before turning to follow them upstairs.

When he reached the threshold of the bedchamber, he found Roman sitting on the edge of the mattress, slowly sipping from a glass of water that Eilika held for him. The young master lowered the glass, wiping his damp lips with the back of his hand.

”Roman, you must not believe all the idle gossip you hear from your classmates at school,” Eilika stated gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. ”You thoroughly frightened both of us. Your father merely wanted to surprise me this morning, which is why he took me out so early while you were still resting.”

”A surprise?” Roman asked, lifting his large, curious eyes to look directly into hers.

”Yes. He had been planning it for us. Do you not want your father to make me happy?” Eilika asked him, a tender smile returning to her face.

”Yes, I do,” Roman replied softly, his small shoulders dropping as the lingering tension left his body. ”I do not know why I allowed myself to think such terrible things.”

”I will never leave you, my love. I have promised to remain right by your side until I grow old,” Eilika said, caressing his hair once again.

”Grow old?” Roman murmured, his brow furrowing in disapproval at the thought. ”I do not want my mama to grow old. She must stay forever young.”

Eilika laughed softly at his sweet comment, the remaining heavy mood lifting entirely. She wrapped her arms around him once more, pulling him close and peppering his face with affectionate kisses until a small, genuine giggle finally escaped him.

”I am so sorry, Mama. For scaring you like this,” Roman mumbled, leaning his head back against her shoulder. ”I have no idea what suddenly came over me, but I was just so terrified.”

”It is quite alright, my love. You are only a child, and your mind simply wandered to a frightening place,” Eilika stated, pulling back slightly to give him a reassuring, warm smile. ”I do not blame you at all.”