DITOEFTV react to

Chapter 33

— XXXI

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[άγνωστη απειλή]

An unknown threat

    'Well that is not unsettling' thought Penelope and Reynold with a blank face. Emily was worried something might happen to her lady. The Duke was also worried and hoped that the Emperor could protect his daughter. Derrick just sat there unfazed or bother [because his a —]

EMPEROR'S PALACE

NEXT MORNING

    Everyone wondered if Penelope/she stayed there the whole night or did she go back to her room. Penelope had a feeling she stayed there and was about to witness something embarrassing.

WOKEN BY SLEEPY HUMMING — Penelope keeps still, amusedly listening to the unknown tune that the Emperor hummed, his arms snaked around her frame still, keeping her close.

    Penelope and Reynold were stunned at the scene wondering if he was hit by some curse or something, but said nothing. Emily found the Emperor's action romantic.

Last night left a lot of questions in her mind; whether it was the sudden desperation that the man had shown, or the meaningful words that indicated he knew more than she had thought him to.

She never expected much from the marriage; Penelope was no wide-eyed fool. She had long given up on such flights of fantasy. Besides, having not received love ever in any form that wasn't broken — she didn't believe herself to be capable of it either. Not in a way that was perfect, anyway.

    The Duke and Reynold look down a bit, knowing they were part of the reason she suffers. Derrick just sat there with no ounce of guilt or anything, thinking he has done nothing wrong and just being dramatic.

But what lay between them wasn't love either, was it? — she often mused : what is it that they had? — and for an unknown reason she found herself unwilling to find the answer. It would simply complicate things, something she did not have the nerve to deal with just now.

Uncoiling his arms away from her, she slipped out of the bed without a noise, walking over to the mirror that hung on the wall. Her night robe was crumpled, but not unpresentable — thankfully. Hands rise to fix the hair that had been undone (once again) by him the night prior, her eyes caught the right of a small picture that sat on the table right beneath.

   Penelope wondered if that was the picture Athanasia found of her father's ex-fiance. Emily wonders if her mistress lost her purity or not, hoping that she would see little young masters soon. The Duke hoped to see grandchildren soon, since his son's were apparently useless for that. Reynold and Derrick suddenly felt insulted for some reason but shrugged it off.

Elegant frame of gold, the picture was dark in contrast. It was of a woman — not more than sixteen — with chestnut hair and forest green eyes. She had a coquettish manner of smiling, which was oddly sly on her otherwise angelic face.

    'It is that picture,' thought Penelope wondering how she was going to react to that or how Claude would react to her finding it. They others were confused on why there was a picture of another woman in the Emperor's chambers.

Penelope picked the picture up to examine it closely — the small cursive engraved on the bottom of the edge that said 'Penelope Judith'.

    Everyone except Penelope was surprised to see that the girl in the picture had the same name as Penelope.

Gasp — quiet sound escaped past her lips at the sudden sensation of someone else's breath on her neck — strong arms encircled her waist from behind, trapping her.