Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 394: Growing Distant Or...?

Chapter 394: Growing Distant Or...?

"If I leave for a week, who would take care of you?" Talia asked worried.

"Look at you getting all worried for me...I can take care of myself, sweet Iris." Arthur rubbed her back.

She might never say it, but he knew she is tired. Her eyes looked dull and lifeless and her skin has gotten worse. She really needs some rest.

"But you still feel pain when you look down and-"

"I have a lot of help. And taking three more days won’t make much of a difference." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Talia looked at him in the eye and said nothing. He seemed honest and other than believing him, what other choice does she have?

It is true he has others who’d help him. I probably look tired and he might not want me beside him all the time like a clingy leech.

"Okay then," she tried to smile, but she was too tired to smile.

Arthur then held her cheek and rested his forehead on her shoulders.

"Iris, I know I wouldn’t have gotten through this without your help. It was harder than I anticipated. When I woke up, my head felt like it was getting rammed by a ramrod. I wanted to remove my head and run away to get rid of the pain. I know it seems funny when I think about it now, but at that time, I felt like death would be pleasant. But the moment I saw you, I knew I’d be fine. And even after that... I gave you a lot of troubles, right? I don’t think even my mother would’ve taken care of me like you did."

"What are you saying, Fred? Of course I will look after you! I am your girlfriend!" she hugged him.

"Still my girlfriend?" he asked and Talia froze.

"What do you mean? I don’t remember us breaking up. Of course, I am your girlfriend."

She looked him in his eye and he smiled. It seemed like he expected something else from her, but she said the wrong answer.

"You want to ask me something?" she asked. She was too tired and she couldn’t think about anything anymore.

Just tell me what is in your heart, Fred! Why do you ask if I am still your girlfriend?

"No, let’s go for a walk," he smiled and turned to leave.

He had already heard from Mr. Knouf that she has the ring and he was checking her finger often if she’s wearing the ring, but she is not wearing it either.

She has got the ring, she is not wearing it and she is not returning it either. She is always with him and yet she seems distant. She sleeps as much as he does and eats as usual, but she looks tired.

And more importantly she is not kissing him, not even a slight peck on the lips and she doesn’t say that she loves him anymore. When he says that he loves her, she’d give the sweetest smile and will say, ’I know’.

He is not going to doubt her love for him. Without love, she wouldn’t be doing this much for him.

Has she developed depression once more? But she seems fine. Or is she pretending to be fine?

Thinking this much gave him headaches. He had asked her plenty of times if she is okay and every time she said she’s fine and asked him not to worry.

She must be tired like she says, right? If it is something else, she would have told me.

I am thinking too much! She’s the same as always.

Arthur decided to not dwell on it. But he did call Cordelia and asked her to accompany Talia to some massage spa so that she can relax a bit.

Talia before leaving for Rosandale made sure Arthur is well looked after in her absence. She even hired a night nurse (male) to watch over him while he sleeps. Arthur had to agree to her requests although he found it excessive.

Talia found she’s very tired upon reaching her place and she plopped on the bed without even changing. She didn’t know how, but she fell asleep immediately and didn’t even wake up for dinner and only woke up when it was already morning.

How am I able to sleep this well here?

She wondered as she stretched herself. She felt light and her head didn’t hurt either.

She went on with her day as she had to go to the dress fitting for her dresses for the investiture of the Duke of Luxxenshire. She didn’t know why she had to buy new dresses for every ceremony, but she was told that it would be expected of her.

On her way back, she found her favourite cafe with the best parfaits and she craved for them and visited it. She knew her security personnel won’t like her sudden change of plans, but she felt hungry after a long time and she didn’t want to lose this moment.

She was brought in through the back door and she enjoyed her parfait and coffee. Of course she let the staff take a selfie under the condition that they post it only on the next day. The cafe staff were exhilarated and agreed to her request.

"We need to buy more ingredients and prepare for a lot of customers."

"Our cafe is going to become more famous. We’ll be the cafe a Royal visited – a Royal cafe!"

"I got to see Princess Talia.. She’s a lot prettier in person!"

Talia could hear the whispers of the staff and was overjoyed.

When she was returning to her car, she noticed the Duchess of Trenton sitting in the cafe at the opposite side, with her daughter talking in a serious manner. Lady Penelope noticed Talia and became stunned as their eyes met.

Talia pretended to not see her and walked to her car. As her car started moving, she saw Lady Penelope running out through her peripheral vision. She tried to cross the road and get to Talia, but Talia’s car moved away leaving her stunned on the pavement.

So what is that family planning now?

Talia leaned on the seat. She could guess the Duke of Trenton might try something during the Investiture.

Ah, please don’t plan a murder attempt on me. It is getting kind of boring.

She smirked. As she started thinking about these issues, she felt home. She felt like her life has returned to normal; like how it was used to be.

That evening, Cordelia invited her to her place since she had arranged for a ’Royal Treatment’. As the Queen Consort, she was able to bring the best spa treatments to her home and she wanted Talia to join her.

Talia didn’t refuse and after the hours long massage, facial, pedicure, and hair treatment, she felt relaxed. That night she stayed in Louis’ place and she had a very peaceful rest.

Back at the Oakley Castle, Arthur lying on the bed, checked his phone if Talia had called. He had fallen asleep and wondered if she had called him. Last time he called her, she was having a facial and he couldn’t talk to her. She said she’d call again, but he fell asleep without him knowing.

He sighed seeing there were no missed calls from her. He didn’t understand if it was a sigh of relief or a sigh of sadness.

He checked the history and they had talked for a whole five minutes the entire day.

Is she distancing herself from me?

But then he realised she had sent a text.

[Fred, I had a very relaxing treatment and I decided to stay in Louis’ place tonight. It became really late when the spa treatments were finished. I knew you’d be sleeping and so I am sending you a text.

I hope you’re reading this in the morning. If you’re reading this at night, get off your phone immediately. It is not good for you to stare at the phone for long. Remember the doctor’s advice to avoid using your phone?

Sleep!

Good night and sweet dreams. (Dream a lot about me!)

Speak to you in the morning, Freddy bear. *heart emoji* *Kiss emoji*]

Arthur chuckled as he locked the phone and kept the phone far away from him.

What was I thinking! She was worried that the radiation is not good for me and that’s why she didn’t speak to me for long!

My sweet Iris... I love you.

-----

The day of the Investiture came and the ceremony that was short went pretty well as planned. The Duke of Trenton and the Duchess stayed away from Talia and Talia preferred it that way.

A lot of the nobles came to her and asked her about the health of Arthur. Talia answered them politely. His surgery had hit the headlines and the whole world knew about it. Talia had asked the PR of Northern Star to release an article that talks about Arthur’s surgery from his own words.

In these ages where transparency is greatly appreciated, Arthur’s successful recovery from a brain surgery would give hope to many who are scared about surgeries.

Talia spent some time with Celine and she was literally glowing.

"You did it, didn’t you?" Talia whispered in her ears and watched her blush.

"That’s all we’ve been doing these days," she whispered back and Talia was happy for Celine.

Celine had to push Walter to sleep with her.

Before that, every time the mood was right, Walter would hold back at the last moment. This made Celine frustrated and as the assertive woman she is, she talked to Walter about it.

Walter explained his fear that with her past trauma, he might trigger some bad memories making her feel threatened by his advancements. He feared that she might doubt his love as just lust.

But when she carefully explained that she wants to do it with him although she is fearful of what might be in store for her, he understood her. They progressed slowly and one day, it just happened.

Talia tried to find Jolene but that woman acted like a slippery eel, unable to get a hold of. She noticed Lambert’s eyes wandering off to a particular side and she found Jolene.

Talia remembered everything that happened around Jolene and Lambert and she connected the dots. Both said around the same time that they were in a ’FWB’ relationship, both were classmates, Jolene has a private business, and Lambert asked for Jolene’s number.

Don’t tell me the woman Lambert loved is Jolene! So Jolene loves Lambert too? Jolene joined with me for Lambert? How did I miss all the signs?