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He had been stuck, for almost three years, in the place of his death. No one went down the halls, no one visited him unless they wanted something... It was lonely. Incredibly lonely. Had he really been such an awful person while he was alive that literally no one came to mourn him? Not even his partners?
Sure, Valerius would stand at the end of his hall, or use the bath, or feed the pups and take them on walks, but he hadn’t gone in his room. He hadn’t visibly mourned the loss of his love... And it hurt. It hurt that no one had even tried to talk to him. Nadia was in a deep sleep, but people visited her. He had even sat on her bed. He had played with her hair, had even tried lifting the covers over her. She got so much attention..So why didn’t he?
Why should the Countess be held in a higher regard than him? They were equals. Count, Countess. Prince, princess. King, queen. They had been equal since marriage... So why did everyone seem relieved he was gone?
Maybe that’s why he started to haunt them.
Rowdy guests would come to stay, and he’d scare them away. He’d walk the halls, shake the door, beat on the wall, until they got scared. Once, just once, he wanted someone to stay, to not be scared away...He was lonely.
He had died of a plague that left him so ill it was hard to breathe, to function.. Hadn’t he suffered enough? Was this his penance?
To hunger but never eat? To thirst but never drink? To love but never touch?
It..Hurt.
He had been walking his corridor for a while now. He eventually just sat at the end of the hall, looking down the stairs at the servants bustling about, occasionally tripping one so his pups would have food.
This was his life now.. He’d always be stuck and no one would ever care for him. His dogs, if he’s lucky...But never another love.