Capture My Heart

Chapter Twenty-Three

I love uni holidays and all the free time it gives me to write!
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Xx Divine Romance
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Adryrwen, truth be told, was a rather beautiful and quaint place. Suzanna could not complain that the scenery was dull or that the people there were raucous. It was quieter than the life she had grown up with at the castle. If not for the threat lying over her head, she probably would have been enjoying her stay at the duchy.

Caden was not altogether awful - in fact, he left her to herself most of the time. She had only been here two days, though. On both days she had been expected to dine with him for every meal - an awkward, tense situation. There were certain rooms she was not allowed in - guards would stop her if she came too close. Though she was the princess, the guards were clearly loyal to Caden - or perhaps they still thought he was Wilson, Suzanna was yet to figure that out.

Suzanna planned to try and explore more today - perhaps find clues as to whether Wilson was still alive, or maybe see if she could find Sarah.

For now, though, she had a breakfast to attend.

She walked through the halls of the duchy, well aware that the eyes of the guards were following her every move. Suzanna shuddered, hastening her steps.

The dining hall was simplistically decorated, but the few embellishments around boasted of the wealth of the Duke. Suzanna ran her hand against the frame of a painting as she entered, briefly wondering whether Wilson would ever see his home again.

She moved her gaze to meet the eyes of Caden who was standing by her chair, ready to help her sit as he always did. His strange behaviour of fluctuating between acting like a gentleman, then acting like a villain made her head feel all tangled. Trying to match his different moods was proving very difficult.

Hoping he was in a good mood this morning and would not use any more threats, Suzanna smiled at him, accepting her seat. Caden squeezed her shoulders. Suzanna's heart hurt as she thought about how Samuel would feel seeing her and Caden together. She missed him terribly. Caden had not mentioned Samuel's name since his original threat. For now, she hoped it meant that Samuel had escaped his trap.

"How are you this morning, my dear?" Caden asked, taking his place at the table. Suzanna was getting better at hiding her reaction whenever he called her 'my dear' or 'my love'.

"Well rested," Suzanna replied. And it was true. She might be practically a prisoner trapped inside, but she could not say that the duchy did not have comfortable beds. Caden smiled at her and said little as he began to eat. "I wondered," Suzanna began, taking a chance, "what your plans for the day are?"

Caden hesitated eating and stared at her. "Why do you ask?"

Suzanna gripped the skirt of her dress tightly. Perhaps she had asked the wrong thing. "No reason," she responded innocently.

"People do not ask questions without intentions."

"I thought it would be nice to go on a ride together. I would like to go outside," she said, thinking quickly.

Caden tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully. "Perhaps later this afternoon, if time allows it. I have business in the town."

Suzanna knew better than to ask what business he was referring to, although she was sure it was nothing good. She gave him a delicate smile, then focused her efforts on trying to swallow a chunk of pastry. At least now she knew Caden would probably be gone during the morning. She could try to investigate more in his absence.

Although avoiding the notice of the guards would be difficult.

Caden eventually finished eating. Suzanna had finished much earlier, unable to swallow much more than a few bites. Caden eyed her plate but did not say anything - after all, he would surely not try to force her to eat.