Valerian Empire

“You must be Mr. Weaver. We would like to see the dresses you have,” Elliot stated sizing up the man with his calculative eyes as he spoke.

“And for whom would that be?” the man asked and Elliot turned towards Katie, “Please, sit down and I’ll show things you might like,” he said waving his hand towards the wooden stool.

Elliot went through the dresses that had been stacked in a corner while Katie sat down on the stool.

In the beginning, Katie was careful as she spoke to Mr. Weaver but as he explained the designs and colors passionately she felt the man had a good heart and was instead misunderstood by the town folks.

His hands looked worn out and she wondered if he was the only man left in his family. It saddened her.

Elliot had picked a white dress for her to try. It looked like a wedding dress and knowing that she couldn’t get an opportunity like this again she went to try it on. She had seen how the reputable shops treated people with no money. Forget trying on the dress, seeing one in such close proximity could be achieved only in dreams. The old man was good enough to let her try on even though her clothes indicated that she was no duke or counts daughter.

Stepping out wearing the bridal dress, Katie looked at Elliot as she clutched both her hands nervously. The old smiled his dull eyes looked like it took a life of its own seeing her.

“How do I look?” she asked Elliot.

“Absolutely stunning. I am so proud to be your guardian even if Sylvia says otherwise,” he said dramatically wiping his non-existing tears from his eyes.

“Thank you, Elliot,” Katie smiled as she turned around to look at herself for one last time in the mirror before getting back to her regular clothes.

As she changed, she could hear Elliot and Mr. Weaver conversing.

“Let me pack this one,” the man said going to get the papers to bind it in securely, “What is it?” Mr. Weaver asked seeing Katie pulled Elliot’s sleeve shaking her head.

“We’re sorry but we were here to only see the collections you had. We will be back for the dress some other time,” Katie apologized sincerely.

“Oh…” the old man responded, “If it’s the price, we can negotiate,” he offered.

“Alright we’ll buy it,” Elliot said pulling out a bag of coins.

“But Elliot-” Katie protested to only be cut off by her Elliot.

“It’s not going to go waste-” he said and Katie interrupted him.

“Who’s wearing that dress?”

“You.”

“For whose wedding?”

“Your future wedding of course,” he replied in a matter of fact tone.

“So who is paying for it?”

“You,” he answered making her smile before he realized what he said.

“That’s right. Here,” she said taking the coins she had carried with her and giving back Elliot his bag of coins who took it unwillingly with few grumbles making her smile. He did pamper her like a child.

In the end she ended up spending money for the dress.

Once Mr. Weaver packed the dress, they left the shop to get something to eat before heading back to the mansion. Going to her room, Katie kept the dress in the closet, carrying Areo in her arms as the cat had been sitting in front of her room.

She knocked Alexander’s room to get no response and entered the room to refill the water and clean his room. His room was much tidier when it came to the guestrooms and it made her work easy. Picking up the shirt that was on the floor and one’s that needed to be washed she walked towards the bathroom to see if there was more to be picked.

Pushing the door open she stopped in her tracks with the view that greeted in front of her. She felt the air knock out of her lungs.

The Valerian Lord was in the bath with his naked back facing her. Being the Lord, his bath was huge with two statues of lions that poured water from its mouth and right now he stood under one of them. She looked in awe seeing his muscles flexed as he went to washed. It was a sight to hold.

The Lord had good amount of muscles on his body, broad shoulders that narrowed to his waist. She wanted to trace her fingers tips over the ridges of his muscles and the thought made her blush.

When he moved back she could see the water dripping down from his hair. She felt her lower abdomen clench as her eyes followed his movements. Steam hovered over the surface of water covering his lower half of the body. He made her feel things she hadn’t felt in her life, there were emotions that were new and she didn’t know how to deal with it.

Her hand clutched the door tightly when he turned around, his eyes closed, dragging his hair back with both his hands.

A sigh left her lips and his eyes suddenly opened to look straight at her. She felt her head spin due to the adrenaline rush of being caught.

“Planning to take a bath?” she heard him question.

“I-I’m sorry. I came for…” words were failing her as she tried to speak. Say something! She tried remembering why she entered the bath, “…the clothes.”

“Did you take it?” she nodded and saw him raise his brow asking silently what was she still doing standing there.

“Oh! E-excuse me!” she said getting out and shutting the door close.