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Wulfric was panting by the time he reached Anna’s chambers, only to find that she was not there. Her maid, Joana, was however, and she told him, that Anna was out riding. He walked aimlessly around the courtyard, waiting for her to get back.
They were so close now. All he had to do know was tell her, that the entire thing with Katarina had been a misunderstanding and that she in fact did not even want to marry him, and then he could propose again. He hoped they would be somewhere private, because even though he was keen to show how much he loved her, he still felt that it would be a bit embarrassing to go down on one knee in front of everyone in the courtyard.
It felt like his heart skipped a beat when Anna finally passed through the gate on her dark brown horse. She was followed by a groom but was thankfully otherwise alone. Wulfric hurried over and helped her dismount the horse.
“Lord Rosenkranz,” she said in a strained voice. “Is there anything that I can do for you?”
“Yes, very much,” Wulfric said and could not help but smile. It felt like his stomach was flipping over when he looked at her face and remembered that she loved him. That she loved him just as much as he loved her. It was all he could do to not simply kiss her right there in front of everyone.
“Well, what is it then?” Anna said and started to walk towards the castle.
“I’d like to speak to you alone, Anna,” he said.
She stopped and sent him a puzzled look, then walked on.
“There’s no reason to do that,” she said. “We can talk here.”
They entered the grand hall and she started walking up the stairs.
“Fine,” Wulfric said, “I have talked to Lord Löwensbeck, well more like talked to Lady Löwensbeck and Lady Katarina... any way, I’m not going to marry her. Lady Katarina, that is, not Lady Löwensbeck. Well, it should be obvious given that she is already married, and...”
He was babbling. Did happiness do this to a person? He had not been this happy before, it might actually be what happened to people.
Anna had stopped walking and Wulfric stopped on the step behind her looking intently at her profile. Surely, she would turn around to him now and say that everything was a mistake. That she did not want to marry Lewinus. She might even throw herself into his arms right there on the steps. Wulfric should probably be prepared so that he did not lose his footing when it happened. He repositioned his feet slightly on the steps.
She started walking again though and did not say anything before she reached the upstairs landing.
“I’m very pleased that everything worked out for you, Lord Rosenkranz,” she said without facing him. “Now, if you will excuse me, I’d like to go change.”
She started walking down the hall to her room. Wulfric quickly caught up with her, grabbed her arm and spun her around towards him. She did not meet his eyes.
“Anna,” he said and paused, hoping that it would make her look up at him. It didn’t. “Anna, surely, this changes everything. I don’t have to marry Lady Katarina, you don’t have to marry Lewinus.”
Anna looked up at him briefly, then looked at his hand, that was still holding her arm. Wulfric immediately let go of her. She looked back at him with an expression in her eyes that he was not able to read.
“No, you’re wrong. I still have to marry Lewinus,” she turned around and started walking again.
“But Anna,” Wulfric said again and started walking after her. “You can’t mean that.”
She did not say anything for several moments then she spun around on her own accord.
“Leave me alone, Wulfric,” she said, tears starting to run from her eyes. “I’ve told you no and I mean it.”
She turned around again and ran towards her room and slammed the door behind her. This time Wulfric did not follow.
***
Anna ran through her main room to the bedroom and threw herself on the bed. She could not remember having cried this uncontrollably since Valdemar died. Her whole body was shaking, and she clung to her pillow, pressing it towards her face as if it would make her stop crying – or perhaps simply suffocate her and she would not be this miserable anymore.
He was not going to marry Katarina. Somehow, he had found a way out of it. He could have been hers. They could have been happy together. Truly happy. It would be a different kind of happiness, than she had experienced with Valdemar, since it was a different kind of love as well, but it would have been just as deep. Just as fulfilling.
The thought only made her cry even more. When she was finally able to calm down, she had lost all track of time. She rolled onto her back looking at the grey light outside feeling exhausted. She had to do it. For Wulfric’s sake she had to marry Lewinus.