“I know that we have met, but I wanted to introduce myself again now that Raphael and I are married. Please, feel free to call me Milan—although I understand if that makes you uncomfortable,” he added as he saw a few of them gape. “I want to thank you for your service. I am sure we will get along well, but please feel free to share any grievances with me.”
At the last sentence, Orson huffed, looking positively outraged. Milan tamped down a smile.
“Forgive me. What I meant was that I am sure that Orson would be happy to hear them and pass them onto me or Lord Raphael.”
Orson looked slightly mollified, but couldn’t seem to help but say, “I’m sure there will be no complaints.”
“Well, just in case.” There was an awkward pause, but the servants looked like they had warmed to Milan somewhat. “Well…that was all, really. I’ll stop distracting you now.”
With that, the staff bowed and returned to their duties, except for Melissa, who stayed for a while longer as Milan shared his planned schedule with her. It was only when they finished that he noticed the cook, an Alpha called Ingrid, had come back. She was a portly woman with fair skin and blonde hair streaked with grey. There was a motherly air about her, which was only confirmed when she held out a delicious looking pastry.
“Do not skip breakfast, My Lord.”
Milan looked at the offering for a moment before a smile took over his face. He took it from her hands and bit into the buttery, flaky treat.
“As delicious as any of your other creations, Ingrid.”
“You’re going to make me blush,” she replied cheekily before shooing Melissa away and returning to the kitchen.
Milan took another bite of the pastry. Perhaps he would have some allies in the manor after all.
*********
Milan could not help the delighted smile that took over his face as he mounted Saturnus. He waved at the stable boy that had helped him get her ready before trotting away.
It was frigidly cold, at least to Milan’s sensibilities, but the air was still and the sky bright. A perfect day for an adventure.
Milan took his time on his ride into town. The land really was beautiful, lush with green even so deep into autumn. He was interested in seeing what would happen to the crops in winter. He’d heard of snow but had never experienced it and didn’t know how any plant would survive the earth being covered in ice.
Milan’s exposed face was almost frozen as he arrived, even as the rest of his body felt overwarm under the furs he had donned. He dismounted and left Saturnus at the resting stables on the edge of town, not wanting to make a spectacle of himself with such a fine steed. Still, it hardly seemed to matter—people still gaped rather rudely at him. Milan did not know if it was the colour of his skin—a rare, although not unique sight—or if people knew who he was by description, but he kept his head high, not avoiding people’s eyes as he nodded and smiled at them.
His first stop was a quaint shop with an old sign proclaiming, Eggs! Milk! Flour! Inside, there was a collection of local, staple fare arranged neatly on shelves.
“Hello there.” He smiled at the woman, a tall, dark-haired Omega behind the counter.
“Oh, hello.”
“I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Milan Pryor, Lord Raphael’s husband.”
“Oh! Of course, Lord Pryor. My name is Emma, how may I help you?” she replied, straightening at once and looking bewildered at having him in her shop.
“Oh, I am just visiting the town for the first time and wanted to make my face familiar. Is business good?”
“Yes, My Lord, very good. I am lucky that the cows still produce during winter, so I will be able to keep up with the demand.”
“How fortunate. You are well supplied, then?”
“Yes, very! I hope it stays steady.”
Milan tilted his head slightly at her unsure tone. “Is there any reason to think it would not?”
At once, Emma blushed. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean—”
“It’s all right,” Milan laughed, holding a hand up. “Please, speak frankly. I enjoy it.”
“Oh. Um…I only referred to the expansion of the train track through the fields, and how that will affect the farms. It cuts through the irrigation system that goes downhill, so…”
“That’s a very good point. I’ll make sure to bring it up with my husband.”
Emma looked mortified. “No, I didn’t—”
“I need not name you, please don’t worry. Anyway, it’s better if we all work together.” Milan winked.
“Ah…well…yes,” she replied, seeming stupefied but somewhat pleased.
He left the shop with a cheery goodbye and some cheese and explored the centre of the town in much the same way. He would go into shops, introducing himself and obtaining the shopkeepers’ names in return. They would be polite and stiff at first, but Milan would coo over the fares or ask after people’s children if he saw signs that they had any, and people seemed to warm towards him with amazing ease.
Perhaps this place was not so different from home after all.
He ended his self-guided tour at a stunning ribbon shop. It was split into Omega and Alpha sections, making Milan roll his eyes internally, but the shopkeeper was bright and friendly as he admired the goods.
“These are lovely,” Milan said, lifting a delicate ribbon, an almost see-through blue. “My sisters would love this one. I’d be delighted to purchase some.”
“Of course! How many? Are they Omegas?”
“Two, and one is, yes. The other is an Alpha, but she’d like it just as much. She’s a delicate soul.”
“Oh, well…of course. These two?”
“Please.”
“Let me package them for you.”
Milan thanked her, making sure he had his purse with him—he’d made sure to arrive with his own funds and was now thanking himself for the foresight.
He turned to look back at the Alpha that had been watching his exchange with the shopkeeper curiously. She was beautiful, looking around Raphael’s age, with stunning red hair and skin like porcelain. She was wearing a form-fitting suit—quite daring for a woman, although perhaps not so much for an Alpha.
Milan smiled and nodded at her, and that seemed to be the opening she had been waiting for as she walked over to him.
“Hello. I must introduce myself—I am Katarina Rosewood. I believe my manor rests close to yours—you are the new lord, yes?”
“I suppose I am,” he said, returning her cheeky smile. They looked at each other for a moment, Katarina’s smile growing.
“I have the sudden sensation that we will be great friends.”
“Well, I am flattered as well as impressed that you can tell such a thing with one look.”
“I have a very good nose for these things. You and your husband must come and have tea at my manor. I will send an invitation.”
“I will extend the invitation to my husband, but even if he is too busy, I would be delighted to attend.” He would certainly not turn down the possibility of making a friend.
Katarina’s eyes widened slightly before she grinned delightedly. “How scandalous!” she said gleefully.
Milan raised his eyebrows. “I am a wedded Omega. Surely it is not that scandalous.”
“Oh, dear. You have much to learn about these parts. Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in.”
Milan couldn’t help but laugh, mischievousness rising within him. “Wonderful. I always love to know which rules I’m breaking. It makes it much more fun.”
Katarina cackled. “Oh, yes. Very good friends indeed.”
Milan snorted, even as his heart raced with happiness.
There was hope for him yet.
**********
Milan arrived at Ledford Manor in great spirits. He brushed Saturnus down before entering through the mudroom near the kitchen, taking one of the servants by surprise.
“Excuse me, do you know where Lord Raphael is at the moment?” Milan asked.
“Uh…yes, I believe he is in the study.”
“Alone?”
“I think so.”
“Thank you.”
Buoyed by the great day, he strode up to Raphael’s study, its location familiar from when they met with the accountant. Milan knocked perfunctorily before entering. Raphael was seated at the large desk and looked up as the door opened. He took in Milan’s riding clothes with a slow look.
“I heard you went to town,” Raphael said.
Milan smiled, refusing to remember the night of their wedding. Raphael was part of his life, his bonded, and he needed to forge at least some kind of amicable relationship with him.
Still, that did not mean Milan could hold off his sarcasm.
“How sweet of you to notice, Husband,” he said, earning himself a frown from Raphael. “As you know, I am seen as lord of this land too now, and I won’t shirk the responsibility.”
Raphael’s frown deepened. Milan’s smile grew.
“I came to tell you that I expect you at dinner. We can talk about my trip then.”
“I—”
“Please do not be late. I am quite ravenous after the long ride.” Milan neared only to clasp Raphael’s hand in his own. This, more than anything else, seemed to silence him, although they both knew it was not a sign of affection, but a necessity for the bond to remain healthy and not harm Milan.
“See you at dinner, then,” Milan said. He was still smiling when he shut the door behind him.
**********
Milan was glad to see Raphael already seated at the dinner table when he made it downstairs after resting and freshening up. He had fully intended to track Raphael down if he’d been absent, although Milan would have at least attempted to be more diplomatic than last time.
Milan thanked the server as the food was placed on the table, serving himself eagerly.
“How was your day?” Milan asked, patting his lips daintily with a napkin after making some possibly obscene noises at the taste of the warm stew. He had not lied when he said he was hungry.
“Fine,” Raphael replied, not even looking up from his plate.
“Yes?” Milan left a pause so that Raphael could elaborate, but Raphael only nodded.
Milan pressed his lips together, tamping down his irritation. Usually, he was tolerant of long silences. Coming from a loud and boisterous family, there had always been someone else to make enough noise for all of them in the background. This stubborn act of Raphael’s however, caused a desperate impulse to fill the void between them.
“My day was good also,” Milan declared, proceeding to talk at length about all he had done, going into detail more to annoy his husband than anything else. Raphael, however, did not interrupt and even seemed to be listening as he reacted to the shopkeeper’s comment about the train tracks.
“I didn’t know the villagers were worrying about that,” Raphael interrupted.
“Did you know it was happening?”
“Of course I knew it was happening. I’m corresponding with the regency to try and redirect the train tracks.”
“Oh, well, you should tell the villagers. In fact, I can do it.”
Raphael’s expression darkened. “You—”
“It’s not a problem.” Seeing as Raphael was already in a sour mood, he decided to proceed with more bad news. “I also made a new acquaintance. Katarina Rosewood—she said she would send an invitation for tea.”
Raphael glared at his plate like a child. “I’m busy.”
“I understand. It’s not an issue—I can go alone.”
Unsurprisingly, Raphael’s countenance darkened further.
“Or do you wish to spend some time together?” Milan said despite knowing he was poking an uneasy beast. Anger was better than being ignored.
“You can go,” Raphael grunted.
Milan huffed. “I was not asking for your permission. I was informing you.”
“Then go.”
“I shall.”
The rest of the dinner passed in silence. Milan stood without ceremony when he finished his plate. “I think I’ll retire now.”
Milan stretched just enough to grab Raphael’s hand briefly. Raphael twitched, almost pulling away, but Milan held on, exasperated that Raphael would be so childish as to make this necessity more of a chore than it was.
“Goodnight, then,” Milan said. Raphael did not respond.
Milan took a deep breath as he arrived at his room. He would not let the dinner ruin his day, even if it had left a bitter taste in his mouth.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Milan was eating breakfast alone when he realised he hadn’t gotten a full tour of what was now supposedly his home. Instead of calling Orson or one of the servants to guide him, he took it upon himself to explore.
The manor, although stuffily decorated, really was beautiful. The great hall, fit for grand balls, was one of his favourite rooms. It was structured like the entry hall, only much larger—cavernous and empty but full of possibilities. The gleaming marble floors, the chandeliers that hung from the high ceiling, the balcony that curved around the room…it was enchanting.
Instead of entertaining, he could see his future children filling the room with laughter and joy on days too cold or wet to spend outside. Perhaps he could purchase soft furnishings or even some creative invention in order to make it a fantastical playing ground. He had no idea if Raphael would approve, although he would probably be too busy to notice.
Milan went up one of the two staircases that flanked the room, leading to the balconies that let him peer down at the room. At the end of the hall, there was an open sitting room with a number of couches and tables. Milan could imagine people lounging there at a party, laughing and drinking and playing cards.
He could not imagine Raphael ever hosting such a thing.
It was through a door on the right that Milan found what he hadn’t even known he was looking for.
The library.
Shelves upon shelves stacked with books, going deep into the long room. Wide windows let the light stream in, large, rectangular tables placed perpendicular to the wall so that one could turn their head to look out at the sky.
“Oh, I should have married this room instead. I bet you’re a much better conversationalist than my actual husband.” Milan brushed away the bitterness that rose and set to exploring the room. What should have taken mere minutes lasted an hour as Milan perused the different, clearly-labelled sections.
There was a whole world within the room: stories of travel filled with detailed maps, technical manuals of engineering and mechanics corroborated by diagrams, curious books of research both human and animal, accounts of other lives lived long ago. Then, there were the shelves filled with fiction. He could only read a few words, look at the title, the cover, before moving on, but Milan saw fanciful stories filled with strange creatures, myths about ruling spirits he knew nothing about, adventures and dangers that would take him away. There was even an impressively extensive collection of poetry—romantic poetry, no less.
Milan started by sitting in one of the stuffed, comfortable chairs in the reading section, but soon moved to the table, taking a few books with him. When not even that provided enough space, he sprawled on the floor, surrounded by books. Milan was quite adept at concentrating on one task at a time, but he was not able to stop himself from going from book to book. He was spoilt for choice and couldn’t seem to help collecting more, even as he made sure to learn how to shelve them in the correct space.
It was, therefore, a great surprise when he suddenly saw Raphael looming in the doorway.
“Husband!” Milan burst out, not being able to contain the residual happiness at having spent so much time with books.
Raphael, who, as always, did not look particularly glad to see him, took a step back as if Milan’s uncharacteristically joyful greeting was an assault on his person. Milan wrinkled his nose but did not let it defeat him.
“I found our library.”
“Our?�
� Raphael grumbled.
Milan resisted rolling his eyes. “We are married. We share all things.”
Raphael only scowled in response, immediately dampening the excitement that had taken a hold of Milan all day. Milan had been steadfastly trying to think of these rooms as his rooms, this manor as his manor, these lands as his lands, these people as his people, but perhaps it was fruitless. Perhaps his husband would always make sure he didn’t belong.
Milan shook himself. There was no point in such morose thoughts. “Pardon my presumptuousness. I found your library. I must commend you on your collection, for it is quite extraordinary,” Milan said sincerely.
Raphael frowned. “It’s dinner time.”
Milan’s surprise overshadowed his reaction to Raphael’s rudeness. He looked around. It was pitch-black through the windows, the glass reflecting the library. Milan did have a faint recollection of someone coming in and lighting the candles, as well as the sconces humming to life.
“Oh. Have I been here all day? I haven’t even eaten lunch,” he exclaimed as he saw an untouched platter of sandwiches. Raphael did not look happy at the wasted food.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they aren’t spoiled,” Milan assured him as he stood up. Sudden dizziness made him sway for a moment before he steadied himself. Raphael had taken a few steps closer but kept his distance when it appeared Milan was fine.
“Well, I definitely need dinner,” Milan joked. “Let me just grab a few books. Let’s see…”
Milan had no idea what to take to his rooms. He grabbed the large tome on mechanics he had been reading…but then again, he might want something more fanciful before bed. He grabbed a fiction book. Also, however, a book about agriculture…
“There is no need to take so many,” Raphael admonished.
Milan’s grip on the stack of books tightened protectively as he looked aghast at Raphael. “But I want them.”
“They’ll be here in the morning, Milan.”
Milan grumbled. “All right, one. No two—just two, I promise!”
He took the selected books to his room before going downstairs for dinner. After Raphael gave his usual answer of “Fine,” to questions about his day, Milan took it upon himself to fill the silence with curiosities he had learnt throughout the day. Again, Raphael did not interact, but he seemed to at least tolerate Milan’s chatter.
Honeythorn: Alpha/Omega Page 6