"Holy Mary, Mother of God!" Livia quickly scooped the sheet tighter around herself, nearly strangling herself with it in the process. "I don’t get why you keep doing that."

"Listen... I know that you are hoping for another man," he said. He bit his lip before saying more. "I know that," he continued. "I know your heart is already looking down a road I may never be standing on."

Livia looked away. Richard forced himself to keep speaking, because if he stopped now, he would hide behind another joke and lose the moment.

"I am not asking you to forget him. I am not asking you to choose me either. I just hope," he said "even if it is useless, that when the time comes, you would think about me. Just a little."

Livia had no response. Words failed her. If she found Henry today, would she even go back to him as a woman to be kept? Before, the answer would have been simple. Henry would find her, and she would run to him. He would take her away, protect her.

But now? Now she had begun to pick up pieces of her life with her own hands. She had work. Wages.

"I made a friend today..." Livia started, "I think."

"That’s nice..."

"Lady Bella... the king’s favourite." Livia smiled.

Richard closed his eyes. "Oh, fuck me," he sighed.

Livia frowned. "What?"

"No. Nothing." He waved a hand and turned away slightly. "Just... nothing."

The world was not merely cruel; it was creative. It had decided to start tying fates together to fuck with him.

Livia adjusted the sheet around herself and sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly looking very small inside all the fabric. "My point is I want to try out new things. I want to make my own decisions. I want to pick friends based on my own judgement, not because I do not have any other options."

He saw the way she held herself, the seriousness of her eyes.

"Last time didn’t work out so well," she said, with a small, bitter smile. "My so-called friend pushed me off the roof."

Richard’s jaw tightened. He had not forgotten, and he doubted he ever would.

"I chose badly," Livia continued. "Or perhaps I did not choose at all. Jane was simply there. She was familiar. We lived under the same roof. So maybe if I see Henry again..." Livia said, "maybe it will be the same. Maybe it will be different. But I have a choice now."

He forced himself to breathe normally. "Do you love him?"

Livia looked down at her hands. "I don’t know."

"If he truly loves you, would you choose him, no matter what?" Richard asked.

"If I find that I do love him too," she said slowly, "yes."

Richard nodded. She saw the wound pass through his face. "How long do you plan on waiting for him before moving on with your life?"

"I don’t know." She looked down at her hands. "I don’t have all the answers." Livia inhaled. "But I would like to follow my heart, Your Grace." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Do you think that someday your heart will lead you to me if Henry never shows up?"

"I..." she stuttered.

The answer would not come. Part of her had begun to wonder the same thing, and she did not yet trust herself enough to touch that thought.

Richard saw her struggle and immediately stepped back. "Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’m sorry. I do not want to pressure you."

Livia swallowed, grateful and sad all at once. "Thank you, Your Grace. For everything."

Richard nodded, then turned toward the door. "When you are done, you’ll come out for dinner?"

"Sure..." Her stomach chose that moment to remind her it had been neglected. "I am famished. All I had was tea and biscuits all day."

"You should have breakfast before you leave," Richard advised.

"I was too nervous," Livia admitted.

That morning, she had sat before a tray of bread, fruit, and eggs and managed nothing but two frightened sips of tea. Her stomach had been too busy tying itself into knots to consider food.

"I kept thinking I would say the wrong thing, or forget my name. But I had no reason to be. They are good people."

"I’m glad," Richard said. He had worried too. He had imagined a dozen ways the day could go wrong. Someone might recognise her. The Cresswells might ask too many questions.

Instead, Livia had come back glowing. Richard gave a small nod and turned toward the door again.

"Wait..." Livia said.

He stopped.

"Why were you afraid?"

"What?" He turned to her again.

"Earlier, you said only when you thought you were going to lose me did you realise that you..."

"Oh..." he said quickly, cutting her off before she could say the words back to him.

Love. He had said it. Like a reckless idiot. Like a boy.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Uh... I don’t know why I said that, really."

Livia knew he was lying. "Okay...". Her eyes told him she did not believe a single word.

He turned at once. "I’ll see you at dinner....And wear something less distracting."

The pillow hit him squarely at the back of the head before he made it out the door. He chuckled and walked out.

Once the door closed behind him, he stopped in the hallway and took a deep breath. He placed his forehead against the wall and shut his eyes.

He was going to tell her. Not tonight. Not yet. Not when he had no chance at all. Not when Henry had the upper hand without even being present. Henry had met her first, shown her kindness first, given her hope first. In Livia’s mind, Henry was honourable, gentle, and good, not that she was wrong.

He on the other hand had only managed to make a fool of himself since he met her, while Henry had been nothing but honourable.

Well, mostly honourable.

(100 power stones!!! Yay Plus its the weekend people! Lets bring it!)