Chapter 409: Live For Yourself, Be Happy

Chapter 408: Live For Yourself, Be Happy

Lyria’s POV

I frowned at his question, searching my memory for the particular evening he meant.

"I-I am not certain..." I began.

Then I stopped.

"I d-do," I said with wide eyes. "I r-remember."

A gentle smile touched his lips.

And, for reasons I could not quite explain, it made me suddenly conscious of how near he was.

He turned towards Bridget and Brayden.

"Would you be so kind as to indulge us with a few moments of privacy?"

Bridget’s eyes narrowed immediately.

"Privacy, Your Grace?" She was extremely suspicious. "What precisely do you intend to accomplish with these few moments?"

Brayden reached for her cloak before she could continue.

"Come, Bridget."

She turned towards him in disbelief.

"Come where?"

"Anywhere that is not here."

He gave her a look which plainly suggested that he had no intention of entertaining further questions.

"We shall grant His Grace the privacy he has so courteously requested."

Bridget stared at him.

"You are a traitor." She said but he ignored her as he gently guided her away.

I watched them go before turning back towards Duke Thorncrest.

We were alone.

The night air was cool against my skin. Lanterns burned at intervals along the street, their golden light spilling across the wet cobblestones.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Duke Thorncrest reached for my hand.

His fingers closed around mine, and his thumb passed gently over my knuckles.

"I must confess," he said, "I find it rather charming that you have never quite understood what was meant by that remark."

I lifted my gaze to his.

There was amusement in his eyes, though it was subdued.

He sighed softly.

"Although I suppose I ought not to tease you upon the matter."

"I-I am beginning to s-suspect you asked f-for privacy merely to c-confuse me."

A faint smile appeared.

"Then I fear I have succeeded rather admirably."

I frowned at him and his smile faded into something more thoughtful.

"However...I believe I owe you an explanation of sorts. I shall admit something which I have, until now, found considerably easier to leave unsaid."

His thumb moved once over the back of my hand.

"I should like to be more than your friend too."

I frowned at that. I...this was not what I had been expecting.

"Do not look so alarmed." He said. "Though I must admit, rather than giving you the answer to what you asked, I should rather prefer that you discover what I mean in your own time."

"Then you ought n-not to have mentioned it." I told him.

"That," he admitted, "is an entirely reasonable objection."

He was silent for a moment.

"After our conversation in the tavern..." His voice quietened. "I have given considerable thought to what was said. And I quite agree with Helen as I said before."

"Every burden placed upon your shoulders must not necessarily be carried by you. Not every difficulty requires your intervention, Your Highness. Not every problem requires you to be the one who steps forward. And not every person who asks something of you is entitled to receive it. You need not carry everyone."

I swallowed and he squeezed my hand lightly.

"Permit someone else to shoulder a portion of it."

"W-who?"

His lips curved at that.

"I had rather hoped you might allow me to volunteer. I shall do everything I can for you."

"The Crown may presently believe it possesses the advantage," he said. "Very well."

There was a faint, almost amused edge to his voice.

"Let them retain that conviction. But I have no intention of making promises which circumstances may render impossible to keep. Whatever influence I possess, whatever protection lies within my power to offer, whatever unpleasantness I may spare you, I shall use it."

My chest felt strangely warm at his words.

"You need not throw yourself before every difficulty merely because you believe it is your responsibility to resolve it. If there is something which must be dealt with, allow me to deal with it. If there is someone who must be confronted, allow me to stand before them. You need not always be the person standing in front."

"I a-appreciate your c-concern." I told him.

He was quiet for a while and then spoke up again.

"I fear my concern extends somewhat beyond mere courtesy."

This was something else I did not understand.

"I d-do not understand." I said. "Do t-tell, what d-do you mean by t-that?"

For a moment, he said nothing.

His expression suggested that he had come dangerously close to saying something he had not intended to reveal.

Then he smiled faintly.

"I mean precisely what I said."

It was an answer.

And yet somehow it was not.

He continued before I could question him further.

"I am no great war hero, Your Highness. I cannot promise that I shall ride gallantly into every battle and emerge victorious merely because you happen to require rescuing."

His mouth curved into a smile.

"Though I should hope never to acquire such an absurd reputation."

His expression became serious again.

"But I can help you. So I am offering you every assistance I can reasonably provide. Make use of me. Permit me to be of use to you."

"I should much rather see you occupied with matters worthy of you. I would rather see you learning from Julian. I would rather see you being judge over some ridiculous tavern contest. I would rather hear you laugh without first glancing around to determine who might be listening."

"Or, perhaps, I should say..." He said. "I would rather see you behave as though you are free to be happy."

He drew a slow breath.

"Helen said that you ought to live for yourself. I believe she was right. And if there are matters which must be attended to while you do so, allow me to attend to them. For I should very much like to see that happiness I saw today, remain."