The next day as the sun light seeped through the window

  Teresa stretched in her bed sighing as she shook off sleep, as she spent some time on dressing for the day

  She'd walk the halls of her estate her footsteps tapping the wood floor

  As she neared the dining hall she heard laughter as she paused by the door, before cracking it to look inside

  Her brother Philip sat with his wife Thedora, and the Duke

  “ Then, i finally get back to a nearby town and guess who's there my horse acting as of it didn't runoff and left me in the middle of nowhere” the Duke laughed recounting a story

  Philip laughed as well “ oh sir, I imagine you must have been quite cross with him, what did you do with em”

  “ Aah well, let's say he didn't get anymore treats for a minute, aah but he was a good horse dragged me out of mud once when i got stuck while in France” the Duke said

  The Duke noticed the door cracked and chuckled “ aah seems we woke your sister, I do hope we weren't to loud my lady” he joked

  Teresa entered fully smiling” oh no my lord though it does seem I've been missing some riveting tales “

  “ Oh just recounting some more funnier incidents, such as once being stranded in the woods because my horse got spooked by a rabbit” the Duke said standing.

  Teresa chuckled “ well I do hate to leave you two without entertainment but do you mind if I steal the Duke from you “ she said

  Philip gave a joking sigh “ I suppose I must allow ot sister, though me and Thedora may waste away from boredom if you take him “

  Thedora pinched Phillip giving him a look as he rubbed his arm “No you go take him dear, I will make sure your brother behaves himself”

  After the Duke and Tersa left the room

  Philip and Thedora looked at each other “So they are certainly getting friendly" Thedora said leaning back

  “Yes, I’ve never seen sister like this” philip said looking back at the door

  “Well, we best leave them be then” Thedora said knowingly

  The Duke and Tersa walked the halls of her estate talking both in stride with the others steps, the tap of their shoes like a marching army

  “I must thank you again for allowing me to stay, especially after coming so late in the night, I hope I didn’t frighten your maid to much” he joked

  “Oh, they’ve seen worse, I assure you, if you ever meet Robert you’ll understand what I mean” she sighed

  The Duke looked over at her in thought “Hmm, I can imagine, though your brother Phlip is quite a character in his own right, grand commander of Dort” he said

  Tersa rolled her eyes “If he put as much time into his tales as he did well anything else he might have that title”

  “Well, its always good to have a jester in the family, especially for their unflinching matriarch"

  Tersa chuckled “Well, if the wise lord of mosion is saying this then it must be true” she teased

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  “ You know I am curious my lady how have kept your house so put together no offense of course but your brothers least from description could care less if Dort burned down “ he asked

  “ Well, my father was…a interesting man but he did teach me enough, and well thankfully I was able to salvage a few relationships he burned to keep us afloat until a big boom hit and it made it possible for me to actually be a Duchess rather than trying to fix a sinking ship” she said chuckling

  “ My turn, I am curious sir have you ever had children if you don't mind me asking “ she asked curious

  He chuckled” oh bold aren't we, heh well never of my blood but I did have a son once…Paul…. brave lad, even at 9 years old he was wiser than his years….” The Duke looked down “ Heh I think he would have beat that plague of he was a little older “ he said quietly as he looked up clearing his throat

  Teresa could see it was a painful subject and touched his arm for a moment in comfort” I'm sure any son of yours was as brave as a king “ she said

  They moved to lighter conversation

  “You know, Tersa I am curious, and I ask you forgive me if this is forward, but outside of this business you and I are in, what intrest you?” He said pausing to gauge her reaction, a slight nerovusness that she be offended at the question

  Tersa as well paused, it was curious, no one had ever really asked her that, it was always politics and money

  “Well, I have taken up well, if we are being forwards, I'll show you” she turned in front of him looking at him “If that is not to offensive…..Jakob” she said

  The Duke face went from its concern smile to intrigued “ well I suppose I can put away my standards for you my lady” he joked chuckling as he followed her

  Going up to her room as she looked through her desk the Duke looked around it was rather plain stone, a gree ln covered bed four posted, a desk right by the window for light a fireplace, wardrobe the likes

  “ Since the Germans started up with that printing press business well, I made a small investment to have a press set up in Dort, it course used for more official business but also a private one of mine” she plopped a small stack of papers on her desk

  The Duke walked over looking

  It read “ Drifting down the river Rhine “ by T.M.R

  “ Tmr?” He asked as he started looking through it

  It was a story she was working on an epic of sorts

  “ Well I don't think many will appreciate a woman publishing even if it's well this” she gestured looking at the Duke as he read

  “ I.. put out a few smaller ones as well, and some obvious pamphlets to our cause, politics is never done” she sighed

  He looked up “ hmm well I'll have to get my hands on some of these, and put forth for a early copy on this” he said as he straightened up

  She was a touch flattered she hasn't really told anyone about her private hobby

  “ Well ill.ill.have to keep you to that sir” she smiled

  The Duke chuckled

  “ Well you are a fascinating woman a duchess, a writer, fighting Habsburgs, and keeping your brothers in line next your going to tell me you have Excalibur in your cellar” he joked

  Teresa laughed” oh please look who's talking, sir longevity “ she teased as she sat on the bed the Duke stood

  Teresa looked down for a moment as she finished laughing before looking up

  “ What's it like, living forever?” She asked

  He paused a moment as he looked at her and sighed “truthfully, i think I rather be dead if we're being plain with each other “ he said simply as he looked down

  Teresa looked at him the lines in his face behind the face of youth, was a tiredness

  One she had known, though perhaps greater

  “ You know, I remember when my father was dying in his bed, I was the only one there

  Every one else was off doing something

  It was just me and him, truthfully I have had my issues with him, I hated him, and I loved him. I kept it all together and he still treated me like some mistake I suppose

  But when he was dying in bed, I was relieved, because I didn't kill him, that perhaps it was Best to let this be the ironic end. A man and his daughter who despise.” She looked down trying to think what the point was

  “ My brother's left me, to deal with everything, when I was 17, and many times I kept hearing him, my father, and many times I wanted to believe him, but I just kept going, heh, i suppose that's what we are, were just to busy to do it” she said simply

  The Duke looked down as he tapped his leg

  “ You know….. when I was thrown into the water in Rotterdam, i just sank like a stone and I was happy it happening.. I was relieved…but as i closed my eyes I saw something and it made me for the first time, the first time since my son Paul…want to truly keep going “ he looked up at her he didn't have to say what it was

  The look he gave said it, more than words

  Teresa softly smiled “ hmm then I am glad I didn't listen to my father “ she said softly

  He walked over slightly standing in front of her, she stood as well looking at him just silently

  “ Knock.. knock …knock.. my lady, your brother Robert has arrived “ a servant said through the door

  The two stepped back both turning away slightly Red

  “ Alright, thank you Beatrice, tell him I'll be right down “ Teresa answer

  After the sound of steps retreated

  Teresa looked at him” well we…we best go see him then..”

  The Duke nodded as they exited

  Though as Teresa looked back at him once more

  “ Well talk more later tonight, perhaps more on less formal affairs “ she said softly

  The Duke smiled “ yes, that be nice “