My Corpse Husband

Ella walked into her bed chamber with light steps looking all the more bright and shining after her classes with Miss Panford. There was a constant smile on her face that even brightened up the staff’s mood. The maidservants and Lyndon couldn’t help but smile at the happy looking Lady.

“Lucy” She halted near the bed and looked back at Lucy.

“Yes, My Lady.” Lucy smiled back at Ella who was grinning at her.

“Call me Ella when there are just us, Lucy.” Ella chastised playfully, “What do you think should I do for the Lord?” Ella asked twisting the ends of the shawl with her hands while her face was painted deep red with the blush that adorned.

“I beg your pardon, Ella. I did not get you.” Lucy looked up to find Ella blushing like a new bride and there was also this tension that was clear in her eyes.

“Xander – I mean Lord Knight has done so much for me. He also arranged a tutor for me to learn something I always dreamt to learn. He is so sweet, Lucy.” Ella said in a faraway tone and Lucy chuckled when she looked at her sparkling eyes.

“Swooning at the Lord? Lord Knight is the least sweet person I have ever come across. He is not at all sweet and kind, Ella. Lord Knight is cruel.” Lucy put in, trying to hide her smile when she saw Ella gasp at what she said.

Lucy was so enjoying how Ella was reacting to what she said and she liked it. Ella didn’t like how her husband was spoken of and Lucy was happy to notice that.

“No, he is a very sweet person. He is strict only because he is a Lord and he has a lot of responsibilities on him.” Ella’s tone was serious and it had a tinge of affection in it for Xander. Lucy raised her eyebrow, amusement clear in her eyes.

Lucy did not expect an angry tone from Ella given Ella was a very loveable person who cannot raise her voice on anyone. Lucy was waiting to tell the Lord about the talk they had and she was certain that the Lord would be on the clouds.

“What does the Lord like to eat or like to do?” Ella turned to Lucy excitedly and clapped her hands with determination to prepare something good for Xander.

Lucy laughed at the lady and tapped her chin with her finger as if she was thinking.

“Let’s see, Lord Knight likes to eat meat a lot. He loves fried meat and beef soup.” Ella repeated what Lucy said trying to remember the details and looked at the sun slowly going down the horizon.

“Alright, Lucy, tell the cook to prepare the necessaries for beef soup and stir fried meat and tell her I would be making the dinner for everyone today.” Ella was energetic when a thought came to her mind. How would Xander react when he tastes her food? Would he compliment her? Would he be grateful for the efforts?

“Oh, when I said everyone, it means staff too. I will make the supper for the staff included. Now go inform Mrs. Jones.”

Just when she was about to tell Lucy how her Xander can be a very righteous husband and a very efficient Lord and how she would prepare a scrumptious food for her husband, words got stuck in her throat when she noticed a familiar person coming inside her chamber with a huge water tub followed by another maid with bottles of scented oil and variety of herbs.

“Miss Garrick?” Ella looked at Blythe in shock. Blythe looked up not meeting Ella’s eyes and just bowed her head in respect.

What was she doing here? Ella didn’t know Blythe was working in the castle. Why would a daughter of town head working in the castle as a service staff?

“My Lady, I am here to massage your legs. Please place your legs in the warm water.” Blythe forced politeness towards Ella and checked the temperature of water. If Ella even got a single scald on her skin then Blythe knew she would be in a very big trouble.

Blythe, by now, understood that the Lord was very particular about Ella and her wellbeing and something or someone endangered her, they would be tormented by the devil Lord until the person begs for a trouble-free death.

“No, Miss Garrick. Please don’t.” Ella was scared at the sudden change in Blythe and could only remember the way she tormented her all those years right from their childhood. Blythe was always a fortunate child to be born as a daughter to the town head and that only made her look down on Ella from the time when they were kids.

She never left a chance to belittle Ella and make a laugh out of her. Blythe threw Ella’s hard earned food many times and Ella and her family had to go hungry for several days.

Blythe cursed her, injured her and tried every possible way to break her.

“She was ordered to serve you, My Lady and she cannot defy the Lord’s order.” Lucy said in calm and controlled tone pulling Ella to the bed and gestured her to put her legs in the water tub. Ella hesitantly did so but she could not believe she was being served by Blythe.

She was scared that there was some hidden purpose to hurt her again. Lucy patted Ella’s shoulder lightly, reassuring her and left the room with the other made, leaving Blythe with Ella.

Blythe cleaned Ella’s feet and dried them with a soft towel. Taking hold of mix of oils, she slowly started kneading the calves.

“How come you are here?” Ella asked again once they were alone. She wanted to know this happened and why.

“Just because you are sitting there as Lady does not mean you can talk to me casually, Ella. You are still nothing but rubbish to me and you can never be a royal just because you married a Lord.” Blythe’s harsh words brought stream of tears. A sob came out from Ella’s mouth and asked Blythe to leave her alone for some time.

Why do everyone hate her? What for? She did not do anything bad to anyone then why people loathe her so much.

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Madonna could only smirk at the foolish town head for trying to learn about the Lord. She knew where it would end. Lord Knight was looking for an opportunity to bring down Knox on his knees and beg for his death.

“What was about him that I feel so unease about it? He… he isn’t ordinary. Is he?” He mumbled looking at down, deep in thoughts. He was looking at the ground mumbling something to himself and was lost deep in thoughts. He was still thinking about what happened from past few days.

He sent his daughter to the Knights castle in anticipation of getting her seduce the Lord and get her married to him so he could have a command over the entire region. But everything he planned turned out to be something completely unforeseen.

He was expecting to have Ella for a night filled with passion. He desired her from the day when she flowered into a beauty. And when the time came, the Lord had tasted her first. He was looking for a chance it have her later but damnation, Lord had to make her his Lady.

His daughter who was ought to be the Lady was now serving the wench as a maidservant.

How did the Lord do it? Why did he marry Ella when he had so many well bred ladies, if not Blythe. He could’ve gotten any lady to be by his side as his wife, then why a nobody like Ella. It was so abrupt.

Knox could not believe that Ella charmed him to take her as his wife just in a single night. Not a doubt that Ella was a blossomed beauty but to make a Lord marry her, no there was something else that was transmitted between the Lord and Ella.

“Then you need to find out why you feel that way, Knox. May be you should hunt for your answers.” Madonna gave a sly smile, provoking Knox to unearth the dark side of Lord Knight. She was getting excited to know how the Lord will deal with Knox when he comes to know about it.

Madonna couldn’t help but think of the way Lord would use to torment Knox. Knox deserved it. Years ago when he approached her for a remedy to get out of famine, she told them to get a young maiden married to a corpse. She never expected the town head and the town to murder the innocent Ella’s family only to force her to abide them.

“I wonder what the Lord would do when he comes to know that the famine that hit the town years ago was actually produced by you.” Madonna almost burst into laughter when she saw Knox’s face filled with shock and terror. His eyes went wide and mouth gaped at the mere thought of assuming the future.

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