“I apologize that the dresses we prepared for you are lacking, I will have that remedied at once.”


    Hermandine shivered at the voice, it was the same soothing tone that had comforted her after her restless trek through the barren field. She glanced up, instead of the soldier she expected, a woman with a pair of soft green eyes sat at the head of the table. Her hair was long, a deep auburn color and fixed at the back of her nape in a low ponytail that draped over her shoulder.


    Hermandine found herself with a hardened stare fixed on the woman''s muscles flexing underneath the thin silk button down she wore. It was a black piece of cloth that left little to the imagination, left with a few buttons undone at the top. Her gaze made it to the top of the table before she realized where she was staring.


    "Ah, um, yes." She said, quickly remembering herself and looking away with a hard gulp. She pinched herself in the crook of her elbow. Hard.


    Before she could say another word though the food was placed, tray after tray in the center of the table. Lids were removed, steaming creeping up from every dish. The smells were otherworldly and Hermandine found herself drooling. She swallowed hard, casting another glance at her host. The woman was smiling, and looking at her lips, Hermandine noticed something she hadn''t before. A large pale scar ran across her broad smile diagonally. Hermandine forced herself to look away.


    "I hope you enjoy, My Lady." If Hermandine weren''t so busy forcing herself to take micro portions, she would''ve corrected the other woman. But she needed to keep her appearances. It was bad enough the dress didn''t fit, she couldn''t let herself look greedy by gobbling down food like she''d never eaten a thing in her life.


    She ate slowly and agonizingly, everything was so delicious and comforting. Food had always been a solace she was not allowed to indulge in, though she had done it in secret many a times. She blinked back tears as the desserts were served, chocolate cookies with shiny white icing, fudge brownies with sprinklings of sugar. The cake almost fell apart as the maid cut it and served her a piece. The glazing dripped down the side of the white cake, pooling on the porcelain ware beneath it. She didn''t want to be rude and she looked between the maid and her host who continued to smile gently at her.


    She hesitantly cut a small bit of cake, hand trembling as she brought it to her mouth. She sunk back into the deep cushioned chair as the cake melted on her tongue. She hadn''t had the delicacy that was sugar in years, long before her family''s wealth was seized. Her mother thought cutting it out would help her to dress slimmer. When she finally opened her eyes, there were several stares that watched her every move and shoulders sagged around her in relief. She flushed with embarrassment, both in part from the stares and the fact that she knew the flush clashed with her skin tone, making her a dreadful sight, as the other ladies had said. She had inherited her mothers skin, though her mother had done all sorts of treatments and lotions to achieve a pale, powdery skin tone, so she wouldn''t admit that Hermandine''s skin favored her in any way.


    None of the wait staff said a word, and the woman still sat with a smile, but this time the smile seemed mischievous, hidden behind a scarred hand. Hermandine fixated on the hand, though twisted with scars and raised muscles, the nails were short and painted a light blue. She found herself laughing behind an open hand.


    How cute.


    She thought to herself. She busied herself finishing the piece of cake and she had barely forked the last mouthful to her lips when her host sprung up from her chair. Her strides were long, her legs muscles rippling under the tight pants that her lovely shirt was loosely tucked into. As she approached, Hermandine scurried from her seat as well, falling into a curtsy, head tucked low.


    A hand gripped hers from where it was delicately pinching the edge of her skirts, Hermandine followed the arm with her gaze up to the woman’s face and it was frowned with worry.


    “We are within the same status, my apologizes, you don’t need to do that.” She seemed upset, but Hermandine just nodded. “I’m Duke Picard. But you can call me Louisa.” At the name Hermandine bristled, she remembered that duke being a man, a man who her family had owed a large sum of money to.


    “Hermandine AuClair. Thank you, Your Grace but we do not hold the same status anymore.” Louisa looked puzzled but said nothing more on the matter, offering her arm as escort.Stolen story; please report.


    “I’d like to know more about you.” She said gently after Hermandine had placed a hand on her elbow. “My garden has a wide selection of roses, I heard that you are fond of them.” Hermandine thought back to her rose garden at home, she had adored them and it was where she had spent most of her time. She wasn’t sure how Louisa had known that but she eagerly followed the woman, excited to revisit a comfort of her lost home.


    It was a shorter walk than Hermandine expected, just down two halls and out of a set of wide glass doors. She audibly gasped at the rows and rows of roses, while at home she had three colors she adored, Louisa had at the very least a dozen colors that littered the garden in a beautiful rainbow.


    “One of the first things I did when I took over was hire a talented gardener. He’s done an excellent job at bringing new life to this place.” Louisa was confident in Hermandine’s eyes, pulling her to several beds that hadn’t been planted with new flowers just yet and stopping to read each embellished sign that marked who the flower was planted for and little facts about each bud as though she wasn’t the one who had marked where each should be planted. She had even named a few of the flowers herself, giving them names that meant a lot to her, like the name of her mother and her grandmother. She had told Hermandine that she was raised as a peasant, in a small home with her mother and her grandmother. The had a small garden and her mother sold flowers in the local square. Her grandmother was wise and spoke with an air of confidence. She had much experience to share, Louisa beamed, she seemed to be someone the woman cherished. Hermandine watched the taller woman perk up as she spoke of her grandmother. She wore a dopish grin that Hermandine found endearing, the words that Louisa spoke began to drown into the background as if she was lost in a trance.


    She found herself fixated on the way Louisa''s lips curled with a smile, stretching the pale scar with every word. She watched as the Duke waved her hands about when she talked.


    "My lady?" Hermandine blinked out of her stupor, finding Louisa''s gaze on her with a worried expression knitting her brows.


    "Yes, sorry." She gripped her hands together, intertwining them tightly. "I just got a bit lost in thought."


    A smile returned to the Duke’s face quickly, "That''s quite alright, my lady." She fell back into step with Hermandine, "You must be wondering why you''re here." She said finally and Hermandine clenched her jaw.


    "Yes," She said slowly, "Not that I am not grateful!" She added quickly, "I am just not sure why you''d take in a fallen noble''s daughter."


    "That''s fair," Louisa mused, offering her hand to Hermandine once again. The other woman took it gratefully, realizing that the Duke had a habit of running her thumb over the back of her hand, and it was quite comforting. "Your father told me he had his payment ready and sent me to the middle of the desert, little did I know what he meant by payment. I am sorry he did that to you," she stopped to brush a stray wavy strand of hair from Hermandine''s face. "You are welcome to stay here, you will not be forced to do anything you don''t wish to do."


    She felt tears welling up in her eyes and quickly turned her face away, her father had offered her up as collateral, that''s what he gained from abandoning her in the desert. Of all the excuses and theories she had come up with, this was one she hadn''t thought of or even considered that her father would resort to.


    "It''s quite alright, I''m sure it wasn''t his plan." Louisa opened her mouth to speak but shut it quickly, instead bringing Hermandine’s hand to her mouth to plant a gentle kiss on the back of it.


    "What colors do you like?" She asked finally and Hermandine blinked away her forming tears, taken a bit aback by the sudden question.


    "Pink?" She offered quietly, " I like blue too. Why do you ask?"


    Louisa gave her a grin, "I am going to have a few dresses made for you."


    Hermandine shook her head, "The one you gave me is already enough, I couldn''t ask for more, I don''t look good in pinks or blues anyways." She readied herself for Louisa to agree and offer black, like her mother had before. Black was slimming, and even though it was usually reserved for mourning, her mother had all of her dresses made in black.


    Instead the Duke fell to her knees, gripping Hermandine’s hand a little tighter.


    "I don''t mean any insult but that''s nonsense." Hermandine looked at her face, full of sincerity and compassion. "I am only afraid that nothing will be lovely enough to adorn you, as everything would pale in comparison to your beauty." Hermandine flushed for the second time that day, she covered her face with her free hand, shrinking back from the attention being showered onto her. "Can I call you by your name?"


    "Your Grace, I understand that you must be polite to guests but there is no reason to treat me special." Louisa shook her head, rising back to her feet and leaning in closer to Hermandine’s face, causing her face to burn more.


    "But you are," she tittered, a gentle smile on her face, it reached her eyes and Hermandine found herself dizzy again, swimming in her gaze. "Was that a yes to my question, my lady?"


    "Um, yes. That''s okay." She said softly, avoiding the duke''s gaze.


    "Thank you, Hermandine." The sound of her name rolling off of Louisa''s tongue sent shivers down her back, prickling the hair on the back of her neck and she could feel her face burn now. "Allow me to escort you back in, you must still be tired. I''d like to get your measurements before you tuck in for the night though." Hermandine nodded and trailed behind her as she guided them through the garden and the intricate halls of the manor. They arrived back at her door and Louisa left with the promise to be back shortly to measure Hermandine herself. Marie knocked and let herself in shortly after the Duke took her leave.