The Knight's Mysterious Maid
Chapter 168: Future (2)

Chapter 168: Future (2)

Annalise didn’t see Beatrice as a person who liked to judge anyone. It could be that Beatrice might have changed when she was on the receiving end of being judged, but Annalise could only speak on what she saw now. The Beatrice before her was a kind woman.

"Thank you," Annalise said.

In a town full of so many people staring at you, picking apart every inch of you to look for a flaw, it was nice to know that someone like Beatrice existed here. Still, she was going to reject any food Rafael offered her the next time.

She had terrible luck and instead of Beatrice it could be Mavis walking in on her eating what was meant for Rafael. Mavis had to die at some point just like everyone else, but Annalise didn’t think the poor woman had to die from fainting at the sight of her eating Rafael’s food. She was not that cruel to wish that upon Mavis.

Annalise was holding on to hope that none of the knights would speak of challenging Rafael to a fight. If they talked about among themselves too much, it wouldn’t be long before it reached Mavis’s ears.

"I’m afraid I have to circle back around to ask you what you think of my son," Beatrice said, looking back down at River and Rafael who had decided it would be a good idea to fight against each other.

All they did was make her worry with the things they did. It was not as cute now as when Rafael was little and River would play fight with him. They fought now like they wanted to kill each other. It took all her strength not disrupt her conversation with Annalise and yell at the two of them to stop.

"Umm," Annalise started off, afraid to speak because of how angry Beatrice looked at her husband and son fighting. Annalsie enjoyed it, but she knew it wasn’t the same for Beatrice who would prefer that Rafael rest. "He is good to work for."

Annalise wondered if River and Rafael knew Beatrice would slowly blow up from the sight of them fighting each other, why did they pick the spot under the balcony they sat on to spar against each other. It was asking for trouble or maybe Rafael was doing this to get his mother angry and for his father to take her home.

He was far from the sweet, innocent man Beatrice painted him to be.

It was a hard task for Annalise to not linger on the two raising their swords at each other and showing that she enjoyed it. She was getting a good view of River Callahan fighting and it helped create a good idea of how the fight between him and her father went.

Not wanting the Rafael and River to stop so soon, Annalise said, "I hear the town will have many parties soon. Will you be holding one at your home? You already did one for Rafael’s return."

Beatrice looked away from the training grounds to Annalise. "I don’t host many parties in my home. I have no daughter to hold a party for, Rafael will think I am trying to get him to marry, and River likes to keep to himself. Inviting ladies into my home for a small gathering would only be a bother since they would ask about Rafael getting married, so no."

"I have been invited to a few balls so I won’t be sitting around bored while everyone dances their lives away. There is a family friend hosting a party soon so the three of us will travel outside of town for a few days. It is the only party I can get Rafael to attend without any complaints. As his maid, you will get to join us. I will make sure of it. You will need a dress."

Annalise didn’t see why she would need a dress when she knew that maids were to wear uniforms on nights when they were to accompany the family they worked for. She wanted to ask about it, but Beatrice looked much happier than she was a moment ago so for now, she kept her question to herself.

"I cannot stand to look at the two of them. Be a dear and walk with me," Beatrice said as she stood up to get away from having to look at her husband trying to kill her son. "I know it is something you cannot control unless you believe in the tales told by some of those strange doctors, but I recommend having many daughters as opposed to a son. The one I have stresses me out."

"I have not thought much about children, but having a girl would suit me most. If only she would not expect her mother to know a lot about dresses and other girly things. I am terrible at such things," Annalise replied.

"Then why a girl?" Beatrice asked, curious since when the women she spoke to mentioned a girl it was mostly because of having someone to dress up.

"I am a bit different from most young ladies and I have done things that some might doubt a girl could do. I wouldn’t mind having a daughter like I am to break expectations. Show that it is possible to keep up with men for certain things," Annalise answered.

She worked hard to show that she was worthy of taking her father’s position when he would step down. She kept up with the boys around her and earned their respect as a warrior. It would be great to see her have a daughter who did the same and achieved so much more.

This kingdom was wrong about women needing to sit around thinking about husbands and bearing children. There were so many things they could achieve if given the chance. That was why Annalise knew she would never fit in here before she made the journey. She could not pretend to be as this kingdom wanted her to be for too long.

Beatrice smiled as she too would like to see women being able to rival the men. It would have helped with her standing up to her brother. The moment she spoke up to one of the men in her family in the past, she saw the way everyone looked at her. The stares and small chatter to pressure you into acting as everyone wanted from you.

"I hope I will get to see what the daughter of Annalise Woods would be like. Promise you would bring her to see me if you are no longer working here in the manor," Beatrice said, holding out her hand for Annalise to make the deal.

She spoke of Rafael being a bit of a headache and causing her to be stressed out from time to time, but she would not mind a granddaughter doing that to her. What was important was her having a grandchild so she would accept all the stress in the world to have one.

Annalise knew it wasn’t a promise she could keep, but she could keep Beatrice happy if they shook hands so she did.

"Wonderful. I can hardly wait for when the time comes."

Annalise slowed down to watch Beatrice who seemed to be in the clouds, imagining a future that would not come any time soon or never. Just like Rafael, she was going to hold off on marriage for a little while and when she did have children she wouldn’t be here.

’Poor Beatrice,’ Annalise thought since Beatrice was going to be let down in the future.

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