The Dragon Prince's Bride
Chapter 179. Woman over work

Chapter 179: 179. Woman over work

"" Hakan, at least allow me the luxury of a warm bath. I have just arrived, old man. It was a long trip and thanks to a certain someone it was extended so I believe I deserve at least a bath before you submerge me into work."" Barak said as he sat in his study and before him on the huge oak table were a mountain of documents to attend to.

Hakan, the fine old man with neatly trimmed gray hair had somehow separated him from his dear wife and Barak had no idea how he ended up sitting where he was seated, but somehow, Hakan had done it and with a deadpan expression too.

""Your Highness—"" The old man paused as Barak shook his head, ""I mean, Your Grace, you strictly forbade me from sending work from Fortia to the capital. Now, of course I can work on things myself, but there are matters that need your attention. It would have been more had I not taken care of some.""

"I understand your point, and I am not complaining about that. All I am saying is I just arrived and would like to at least bathe first."

""I assure you, Your Grace, your bath is being drawn as we speak. So instead of wasting precious time waiting for your bath to be ready, use it wisely by sorting through your work."" He was a persistent man, Barak knew this.

For as long as Barak had known Hakan, he had always looked that old. Barak could not remember the man looking any younger. He had no idea how old the man was because he refused to tell.

Hakan was old, but he was not shakable. Barak had never been able to disobey the man for some reason. It felt like disobeying his grandfather, it was as though he was compelled to obey him and that was probably why he was now seated in front of a desk with papers higher than his head even though he was wondering what his dear wife was up to.

""Fine, but I shall not spend my entire night in this study doing work."" He finally gave in, taking of his coat which he had not even been allowed to take off before he was seated in the chair.

"" I will have a maid bring some you cinnamon tea." Barak looked at the expression on the man’s face, and any normal person would not see any change, but he could tell the man was smiling. The corners of his eyes were slightly shifted, his ear stood andthe corners his lips were slightly raised. Only someone who had known the man for a long time would know that that was his smiling face.

""Why are you smiling?"" Barak asked as he looked over the pile of documents, scanning for the one to start with.

""Am I?"" The man asked in turn.

""You are."" Barak nodded, finally picking one paper to start with.

"" If you say so, Your Highness. Ah, I mean, Your Grace."" He said and turned to walk away.

"" You did not answer my question."" Barak said and the man halted and turned to look at the young Duke again, "" Why are you smiling? Are you that happy to dump so much work on me?"" Barak asked, flipping through pages.

""That is one thing."" The man nodded, ""But it is nice to see you trying to skip work for the sake of a woman for once."" Hakan said.

"" What are you talking about?"" Barak asked with a serious face but Hakan did not miss his reddened ears.

""It used to be the other way around, you skipped women for the sake of work. But I see the duchess has done a remarkable work on you. Indeed a woman in a man’s life is very important."" Hakan said and Barak scoffed.

""Tis not that. I was not trying to—""

"" I will have the cinnamon tea sent in no time."" Hakan interrupted whatever lie Barak was about to try and tell.

""Wait Hakan, listen to me. Tis just that she can be a little bit of trouble if no one is watching and—" He kept on shouting excuses but the elderly man paid him no attention and just walked out of the room but as he was about to close the door behind him, Barak called out to him again...

""Hakan!"" Hakan paused for a moment, ""What is she doing?""

""Surely she is doing something, Your Grace."" Were the only words Hakan said before walking out and closing the door behind him, leaving Barak to face his work.

...

Neriah on the other hand was having quite thee time of her life receiving thee attention that the maids were giving her.

""Indeed, Tis as the rumors said,"" They discussed within themselves in low whispers, using the Tragonian language. They probably thought she could not speak or understand them since she had not said a single word in Tragonian since she arrived in the Fredah estate.

The head maid had naturally spoken Avelians with her, concluding by herself that she might not understand thee language. Her Avelians was a little rusty, but Neriah could understand it. When Barak had tried to put the head maid out of her misery by informing her that Neriah could speak and understand Trago, she had secretly stopped him from telling.

And this was the reason why. She expected them to talk and they did not disappoint her. They were talking nonstop about her and so far nothing had been offensive.

"" Aye, I thought it must have been exaggerated as most rumors are, but Tis just how I have heard."" As soon as they had arrived, two maids had been assigned to her, Adara and Nelo. They were the one’s who were helping her with her bath while some other maids picked out her dress for the night. They were the ones whispering about her.

""Indeed, I heard she looked just like the goddess of the Avelians with her long hair as red as flames, eyes as green as the fresh leave on a tree, skin as fair and smooth as the most precious silk... Indeed she is a beautiful woman."" She blushed at those words as the maid Adara helped her get out of the tub while Nelo brought a cloth to wrap her wet body.

""Beauty is an understatement. No wonder His Highness was mesmerized by her at first sight. I thought the rumors about his Highness falling for an Elven princess at first sight was absurd, but I being a woman would fall in love with her too.""

""Are there such rumors?""

"" Aye, have you not heard about them? That the prince fell head over heels for thee elven princess at first sight. They say it was a fated meeting and—" The maid who had been explaining suddenly paused as the voice of the person who had asked her the question suddenly sounded very unfamiliar to her. And she realized it was not the voice of the person she was discussing with.

Slowly, her head turned around and her eyes and mouth opened wide as she saw Neriah standing outside the bathroom door with a cloth around her slightly wet body and another around her hair.

The maid who had spoken was not the only one with the shocked expression. The other maids were the same. All their eyes were on Neriah who obviously had just spoken in Tragonian smoothly.

""W_what are you doing?! O_on your knees!"" Her fellow gossip maid who was already on the ground urged her friend. The woman instantly fell to her knees.

"" Forgive us Your Highness, we have acted foolishly!"" They begged and Neriah almost laughed.

""W_we did not know you c_could understand Tragonian."" They explained.

""At least you have not insulted me in any manner yet."" Neriah shrugged, "" Is that not so? Or did they say anything insulting?"" She turned and asked Adara and Nelo who stood behind her but it was obviously a rhetoric question so they kept quite.

""Rise to your feet,"" She said and both ladies stared at themselves warily, ""Come on, on your feet."" Neriah said again and both ladies rose to their feet reluctantly. "" Now, tell me about that rumor that says my husband fell for me at first sight. How does the rumor go?""

Again, both ladies looked at themselves warily and then they looked at Adara and Nelo who stilk stood behind Neriah, giving the other maids hand and mouth signals, trying to tell them not to do it!!

"" Go on, I am the one asking, I will not punish you for it."" She assured them. "" But I will if you do not talk."" She threatened and instantly their mouths opened.

After hearing their explanation, Neriah’s blush only increased she decided to have some fun with the slightly twisted story that had reached the ears of these people.

"" Indeed, my husband was smitten by me at first sight."" She said as her hair was being brushed. "" But the details of the rumors were slightly altered. Would you like to hear the real story?"" She was going to add and subtract some details.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.