Darius placed his folded arms behind his neck, and he whistled as he walked home. It would take until around nightfall before he got to the castle. He didn’t mind. The day had been long, but it ended with Serena’s smile, and that made the distance easier.
He smelt faintly of her; crushed pine needles clung to his cloak. A grin spread across his face at the memory of her rushing to give a side hug. That side hug, brief, a little awkward, definitely rushed, still had his heart doing somersaults. It had taken every shred of self-control not to reach out and pull her into a real embrace. But he’d take what he could get.
The path was quiet, and he got to the castle with no interruptions. He headed straight for his room and took off his clothes.
The bath was a short one, he hardly took long baths. Darius washed himself relatively fast and never did anything extra; a waste of time. He wiped the water off his body with a nearby towel, his mind drifting to his father’s former garment master- Herbie.
Darius remembered small fingers gripping colored thread, Herbie’s patient hands guiding his, chuckling softly as he explained the artistry of seams and cuts. Back then, the man had been bright-eyed, sharp-witted- eccentric, yes, but always kind. An honorary uncle, in many ways.
It pained him to see the man like that, but he always rejected his help. The letter Darius sent never received a reply. There was a woman he had hired to befriend the old man, and it had been successful. Darius used her to monitor the man.
His father’s death and the nature of it had almost made him lose his mind. Darius sighed, hung the towel on the rack, and slipped into casual clothes.
He stared at his damp hair in the mirror and tossed it to the side. He was due for a haircut. A knock at the door snapped his attention back to the present.
"Come in," he called, voice firm.
The handle turned, and in stepped a figure he hadn’t expected to see so soon- Livia. Her auburn hair was twisted in a simple bun.
Darius’ eyes scrunched up; she almost never visited unannounced. She usually sent a letter detailing what she had been doing and then, finally, if she was going to come visit.
He lowered her hand slowly and smiled. "Livia... is something the matter?"
Of course something would be afoot if she appeared out of the blue . He could think of few situations that could bring her to visit him on such short notice... unless there had been a death, but that was unlikely.
"Darius," she greeted, closing the door gently behind her.
Darius walked off to the side and pulled out a seat for her, but she raised her hand, declining. She exhaled and looked at him with pained eyes.
"It’s the rogue," she said, voice tight.
Darius raised a brow and raised his hands, then lowered them. He had been with Serena for the whole day, unless she had left the manor but the time between when he dropped her off and now was too short. Besides, if Livia was out of town, she would not have been aware of where Serena was.
"What about Serena?" he asked evenly, folding his arms across his chest.
Livia shook her head and laughed. It was devoid of amusement. She pulled out her hair and looked at the ceiling.
"Look at what she’s doing to you..." Livia said finally.
Darius blinked. "What exactly is she doing to me?"
Livia’s jaw clenched. Her nostrils flared slightly, and she took a half-step forward.
"You’ve been out all day in Longdale with that rogue," she hissed.
Darius’ lips parted in surprise. If Livia had been in the area, he would have smelt her instantly. She was unfortunately one of those wolves that had a strong scent, it was hard for her to sneak around. It was the reason why she could not become a soldier.
"You couldn’t have known," Darius said.
Livia scoffed, folding her arms across her chest with an arrogant tilt of her chin. "You underestimate me."
Darius looked her up and down. Livia was smart, but he needed an explanation. "So you got someone to ?"
She shrugged one shoulder, eyes gleaming in the dim candlelight. "So you don’t deny you were out all day with her."
"No," Darius replied coolly, "and yes, I was."
Livia paced around before she stopped and stared at him, shaking her head.
"What is going on with you, Darius?" she snapped.
"Do not raise your voice at me," Darius said in a low tone.
She laughed and stepped forward."Or what?" she hissed. "You’ll plunge a sword through my heart like you did="
Livia licked her lips and stepped back. She had made her point, she’d struck the nerve she’d been aiming for. She thought he was growing soft because of Serena.
"You of all people should know," she said more softly now, her voice lined with warning, "that you’re making a mistake that will cost you your life."
Darius swallowed. His arms dropped limply to his sides, and he turned his gaze away, jaw tightening. Her words scraped against old wounds, pricking at the places he hadn’t allowed to heal.
"What is this really about?" he asked, his voice quieter now. "You never told me what happened between you two."
"I hate her," Livia breathed, her face tightening as she leaned forward. "After everything, I don’t understand why you’re going ahead with this."
Darius met her gaze head-on this time. "You want to know why?" His voice rose, heated. "Because she is my mate."
"I know but... Darius..." she looked at the ground before looking up. "You know what happened to your father... you’re the only one I have left."
"I am not my father," Darius said solemnly. He didn’t even believe his own words, they sounded hollow in his ears.
"I know, and I’m sorry," Livia said, taking a deep breath. "But you are acting impulsively. Please, listen to your head." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
Darius folded his lips and sat on his desk, looking out his windows. The night sky was dotted with numerous stars.
He wasn’t his father. But the ghost of the man walked beside him every day. The same blood pumped through his veins. The same name sat on his shoulders like a weight. And despite everything, he hadn’t escaped the shadow.
Livia walked over to him and touched his arm, then rubbed his back. "You know better..." she whispered.
Darius closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
He wished she was wrong.