Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 360: Mistrust

Chapter 360: Mistrust

Talia for the next few days stayed in home and secretly arranged for the Investiture. There was a lot to be done and most of the works were properly delegated.

The Solarium Crafts – a generational crafts shop that was famous for their work regarding royalty and nobility was commissioned for the robe. They know the traditions better than the nobles themselves regarding the ceremonies and the current owner who is also a designer of the shop – Mr. Kinsley, tried to discourage Talia from doing the embroidery.

"With just two months for the celebration, it would require ten people working sixteen hours per day for fifteen days to finish the embroidery of the robe and other apparels for the Investiture of Marquees. I don’t think Your Highness is made for such brutal workload. That’s what us people are for." He wasn’t even trying to be polite.

Talia smiled and made a call to her grandpa. "Grandpa, I am planning on staying with the designers of Solarium Crafts until I finish the embroidery. What do you think?"

She heard the loud gasps of the other staff in the shop. Surely they wouldn’t want her to stay with them. They were nervous just by her presence for some reason and if she stays any longer, they seemed like they all will have a heart attack.

As she expected, Mr. Kinsley received a call from her grandpa and glaring at her, he walked in his office room to take the call. Talia walked around the place and looked at all the pictures of the robes and dresses designed by the shop for centuries with awe. And there were a couple of dresses that were made there and the embroidery done made her feel like an amateur.

No wonder this guy acts this prideful! His works are really good!

"I can only allow you to embroider the crest of Ashwood and I will add it in the final creation only if I find it on par with my work. Otherwise, I will throw it away. You may know how to embroider a kerchief and think you are a prodigy, but your skills are nothing here. You will have to..." Mr. Kinsley went on and Talia agreed to his terms to learn under him for a couple of days before starting to work on the crest.

"What are you doing in the house all day? You look exhausted," Arthur kissed her forehead on the fourth day since she started working on the embroidery.

"I think I leaped without looking, Fred. I am worthless," she buried her head in his chest and took a good whiff of his scent. She wanted to cry. She didn’t know embroidery is this tough.

Maybe I am a Princess suited to just spend money...

She thought of giving up. But then she thought of everything Fred has done for her and her resolve strengthened once more.

I can do it! It is just a crest!

"What is that you did?" Arthur patted her back. These past few days, she’s been acting weird.

She asked for a separate bedroom and then she started leaving home early and arriving late for a couple of days. The next couple of days, he was told that she locked herself in "her bedroom" the entire day and even ate the meals in her room. He is so busy these days as he had to look at the second quarter results and he is coming home late. But she looks terrible than him.

"I’m training myself to run a marathon and my back hurts." Talia lied through her teeth as usual.

"Liar," Arthur mumbled. Like he’d believe she is doing any sort of physical training.

"Are you taking your medications properly?" Talia decided to change the subject and looked at his face. Her heart clenched seeing his tired face. "How is your headache these days? Is it getting better or should we see another doctor? I heard in Balstone there is a doctor who specialises in migraines and we can get second opinion from him." She kissed him as she felt like doing it.

"My headaches are gone. I think the medications are working. Although I am very busy these days, I don’t get headaches. So don’t worry, my sweet Iris," he kissed her forehead.

He was telling the truth. Ever since the blast, his headaches have greatly reduced and in the past few days, he is not getting any headaches. Maybe the doctor was wrong to say he needed surgery. Maybe just the pills were enough to heal him.

"I’m glad it worked," Talia started to breath evenly as she felt really tired. Arthur spooned her and fell asleep too.

These few days the news in Esteria was about the reunion they attended and after meeting Talia in person, the alumni of their school only had good things to say. Everyone was allowed to post one picture of her in their social media according to the NDA they signed and the way Talia was mentioned in the posts, shifter her favourability positively to a large extent.

There weren’t pictures of them together in the reunion since they specifically stayed part to mingle with everyone and it worked out well. He was really glad she is accepted well in Esteria too.

But judging by Prince Lambert’s call, the nobles in Rosandale weren’t pleased with her "meddling" in their long standing customs and so for safety purposes, he asked to keep her in Esteria for a little longer.

Well, I can keep her here forever if she wants!

Wondering what Lambert meant when he asked him to brush up his violin playing skills, he fell asleep.

A week passed after Talia met with Mr. Kinsley and like a nervous student submitting her assignment to the strictest professor in the college campus, Talia submitted her finished work.

"You really did it all by hand?" he was surprised. "You’re oddly meticulous for a filthy rich Princess." He mumbled.

"Is this on par with your works?" Talia asked and sighed in relief when he nodded. An intern in the shop explained to her how this is the highest praise that would come out of Mr. Kinsley’s mouth and Talia was overjoyed her efforts paid off.

Of course I am a genius and a prodigy in everything I do!

The world should bow at my feet!

After finishing that tedious task, Talia felt very bored to stay idle. So in the afternoon, like a dutiful wife, she packed lunch for Arthur and went to the company.

She was informed that Arthur was in a meeting and Talia decided to wait in his office until he finishes the meeting and have lunch with him.

"Your Highness, pardon me I didn’t realise you’re here," Arthur’s new assistant entered with a stack of printouts.

"Never mind me, Ms. Parker." Talia got up and helped her with the printouts.

"I heard Mr. Sinclair is in a meeting and why are you taking printouts and not with him in the meeting?" Talia enquired.

Don’t the interns usually are responsible for printouts? And if Fred didn’t bring his assistant to the meeting, what kind of meeting is he attending?

"That..." Peggy gulped. "Mr. Sinclair attends his meeting alone," she said and her eyes misted a bit.

Talia had some inkling that Fred didn’t trust his assistant much and tires to do everything himself, but to keep her from attending meetings... Isn’t he going far?

Idiot! She must feel worthless with her boss not trusting her.

"Can I speak freely, Your Highness?" Peggy asked and Talia nodded and asked her to sit beside her.

Peggy then explained how her mother worked in the secretarial department of Northern Star and how her grandpa bought her a house out of nowhere and how much she as a little child wanted to work in Northern Star when she grew up.

"I gave my all and worked overtime to be where I am today. Even my fiancé is one of a loyalist of Northern Star. Our families arranged our marriage and I was glad he loved to work in Northern Star as much as I do and that’s why I agreed for the marriage."

Peggy went on and Talia was surprised to learn there are people with such strong loyalty to the company.

"I don’t know why Mr. Sinclair doesn’t like my work and keeps me at a distance. I am nowhere as good as Mr. McAllister was, but I learnt from his for years. I think I can operate at ninety percentage capacity as Mr. McAllister. I don’t deserve to be shunned like this. My will to come to work is weakened and this has never happened to me in the past twelve years I am working here..." Peggy started to cry. "Perhaps it is because I am a woman Mr. Sinclair thinks I won’t be good for the-"

"Whoa! Arthur is not such a person!" Talia cut her off. This accusation is very dangerous and can cause severe PR damage. Arthur is not a person who discriminates someone based on gender.

But Peggy who is loyal and wants to help in the development of the company is pushed to think this way because of his mistrust.

Peggy stood up wiping her face, stunned. For a moment there she forgot who she is talking to and blabbered nonsense.

"You being a woman is not his problem, but you not being Jordan McAllister is his problem." Talia smiled and promised that she’d talk to Arthur about it and Peggy left happily.