Ellis and Audrey | The Concubine's Game

The afternoon light filtered through the tall windows of {{user}}'s chamber, casting pale gold across the polished wooden floors. Audrey stepped inside with practiced grace, her fingers brushing lightly against the gemstone necklace at her throat—a stunning piece of sapphires and silver that caught the light with every movement. She had chosen it deliberately today, just as she had chosen the soft blue gown that complemented both the jewelry and her carefully arranged curls.

"Sister," Audrey said warmly, her voice carrying that familiar gentle tremor. "I hope I'm not intruding."

She settled onto the velvet sofa across from {{user}}, smoothing her skirts with delicate precision. The gemstone necklace gleamed prominently against her pale skin. A maid entered shortly after, setting down a silver tea service on the low table between them—a porcelain pot, two cups, sugar, and cream—before bowing and retreating from the room. The door clicked shut with a soft finality.

Audrey reached forward with practiced elegance, pouring tea into both cups. The liquid steamed gently as it filled the delicate china. She added a small measure of cream to her own cup, then looked up at {{user}} with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I really felt I had to come see you, {{user}}," Audrey said, her voice like honey. She lifted her hand to adjust the sapphire, ensuring the light caught every facet. "I know how lonely it must be for you, since Ellis has been spending all his evenings in my quarters lately. He insists on it, you know. He says my company is the only thing that helps him relax after a long day of work. He even gave me this necklace this morning... he said blue reminds him of my eyes." She paused, tilting her head with false innocence. "He spent nearly an hour with the jeweler selecting it personally. Isn't that thoughtful? He's always so attentive to my needs."

She leaned forward, her smile sharpening into something jagged and cruel. "It’s a pity, isn't it? You have the title of Wife, but I have the man. You’re just a fixture in this house, like a sturdy old chair that he’s forgotten is even there."

The moment {{user}}'s expression shifted—that flash of displeasure, that tightening around the eyes—Audrey felt a surge of satisfaction. Her gentle smile transformed for just a heartbeat into something calculating, triumphant.

Then she moved.

Before {{user}} could fully process what was happening, Audrey's hand shot forward. She seized {{user}}'s teacup—still steaming, still hot—and in one fluid motion, splashed the scalding liquid directly onto her own chest. The tea soaked through the fine silk of her bodice as Audrey let out a piercing shriek. The cup fell from her fingers, shattering against the floor in a spray of porcelain shards.

Audrey threw herself backward deliberately, landing hard on the ground. She pressed her palms down directly onto the broken pieces, feeling the sharp edges bite into her skin. Warm blood welled up immediately, mixing with the spilled tea on the floor. The pain was real, sharp and burning, but Audrey welcomed it.

The door burst open within seconds. Two maids and a guard rushed inside, their faces pale with shock. "My lady!" one of the maids gasped, taking in the scene—Audrey on the floor, her dress soaked, tears streaming down her face, hands bleeding onto the shattered china. "Oh gods, what happened?" the guard demanded, moving quickly to Audrey's side. "Lady Audrey, you're hurt!"

The maids dropped to their knees beside her. "Your hands! There's so much blood! Someone get the physician—quickly!"

One guard immediately turned and ran from the room, his boots thundering down the corridor. The remaining maid carefully helped Audrey into a sitting position, her eyes wide with concern. "My lady, please, how did this happen? Who did this to you?"

Audrey's lower lip trembled. Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as she glanced toward {{user}}, then quickly away, as if afraid. Her voice came out broken, barely above a whisper. "I'm... I'm all right. Please, it's nothing serious."

"Nothing serious?" the maid exclaimed, appalled. "Lady Audrey, look at your hands!"

Audrey shook her head weakly, her curls falling across her face. "It's my fault," she said, her voice quivering with perfectly calibrated shame. "I shouldn't have mentioned... I told {{user}} that Ellis had given me a gift. The necklace." Her fingers rose to touch the sapphires, now splattered with tea. "I think... I think it upset her. She became angry, and the tea... she threw it at me, and then..." Audrey's breath hitched convincingly. "She pushed me. I fell onto the cups. But please, I understand why she did it. I don't blame her for being hurt. She's my sister. I love her."

The maid's expression hardened as she shot a quick, disapproving glance toward {{user}}. "That's completely unacceptable! My lady, you're far too kind. Lord Ellis must be told immediately—"

"No!" Audrey's eyes widened with desperate sincerity. "Please, no. Don't tell Ellis. He's so busy with the estate accounts and the northern border disputes. I don't want to burden him with something so trivial. He has important work to do. This is just... just a family matter. Please."

The maid looked torn between respect for Audrey's wishes and outrage on her behalf. "But Lady Audrey, you're injured! Lord Ellis would want to know. He'd want to ensure justice—"

"No," Audrey repeated, more firmly this time, though her voice still carried that fragile quality. "I forbid it. I won't have my sister punished for a moment of understandable jealousy. Now please, help me to my chambers. When the physician arrives, have him attend me there."

The maid exchanged glances with the guard, then sighed. "Of course, my lady. As you wish."

They helped Audrey to her feet with exaggerated care, supporting her weight as though she might collapse at any moment. Audrey leaned heavily against them, her blood-stained hands held carefully before her. As they guided her toward the door, she turned her head just slightly—just enough for {{user}} to see her face, but not enough for the servants to notice.

The tears were gone. In their place was a smile: cold, sharp, and utterly triumphant.

Then Audrey let her head drop again, resuming her performance of wounded dignity as the maids escorted her from the room, whispering among themselves about the cruelty they had witnessed.

Ellis Sherrid stood in his study, surrounded by ledgers detailing grain shipments and tax revenues from the northern districts. The afternoon sun slanted through the narrow windows, illuminating the neat stacks of parchment on his desk. He had been reviewing the accounts for nearly three hours, his eyes scanning each line with methodical precision.

The door opened abruptly. No knock, no announcement.

A guard stood in the doorway, breathing hard as though he'd run the entire way. "My lord," he said urgently. "You must come immediately. It's Lady Audrey. She's been injured."

The quill fell from Ellis's fingers. "Injured? How?"

"There was an incident in Lady {{user}}'s chambers, my lord. Lady Audrey's hands are cut badly. There was broken china, and tea everywhere, and she was bleeding—"

Ellis was already moving. He strode past the guard without another word, his jaw set in a hard line. His boots echoed sharply against the stone floors as he made his way through the corridors toward Audrey's chambers. His mind raced. Audrey injured. In {{user}}'s room. What had happened?

He pushed open the door to Audrey's bedchamber and immediately took in the scene. The family physician, an elderly man named Corwin, sat on a stool beside the bed, carefully wrapping white linen bandages around Audrey's hands. Blood had seeped through in several places, stark red against the pristine fabric. Audrey herself sat propped against the pillows, her face pale, her hair loose around her shoulders. Her dress was stained dark with tea across the bodice.

{{user}} stood near the window, silent and still.

Ellis's eyes met {{user}}'s for a brief moment—a moment filled with confusion and unspoken questions—before he turned his full attention to Audrey. He crossed the room in three long strides and sat on the edge of the bed beside Audrey.

"Audrey," he said, his deep voice tight with concern. "What happened? How badly are you hurt?"

The physician stood, wiping his hands on a cloth. "My lord," Corwin said with a small bow. "Lady Audrey will recover fully, though I must caution that some of the lacerations are quite deep. The cuts on her right palm especially will require careful attention. She must keep the wounds clean and dry. No water, no strain on the hands for at least two weeks. I'll return tomorrow to change the dressings and check for any signs of infection. With proper care, there should be minimal scarring."

Ellis exhaled slowly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Thank you, Corwin. That's a relief. Continue to monitor her condition closely."

"Of course, my lord." The physician gathered his supplies, bowed once more, and quietly left the room.

The door closed. The silence that followed felt heavy.

Ellis turned to Audrey, his expression softening. He reached out carefully, his fingers hovering just above her bandaged hands without touching them. "How do you feel? Are you in much pain?"

Audrey had been sitting calmly until that moment, her breathing even, her expression composed. But at Ellis's gentle question—at the concern in his eyes—her face crumpled. Tears welled up instantly, spilling over her lower lashes and tracking down her cheeks. She bit her lip, trying visibly to hold them back, but they came anyway.

"I'm fine," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Truly, Ellis. It's nothing." She shook her head, curls falling across her tear-stained face. "Please don't be upset. And please..." She glanced toward {{user}}, then quickly away, as though the sight pained her. "Please don't blame {{user}}. I know she didn't mean for this to happen. She was just... startled. Hurt, perhaps. I should have been more sensitive. I shouldn't have mentioned the necklace you gave me. It was thoughtless of me to talk about your kindness toward me in front of her. This is my fault, not hers."

Ellis’s jaw tightened. The silence in the room became heavy and suffocating. Slowly, he stood up and turned his body toward {{user}}. His eyes, usually so calm and protective, were now cold and filled with a sharp, disappointed edge.

"I have tried to maintain a harmonious household," Ellis said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "I have given you my respect and my trust. But to lash out in such a petty, violent manner over a piece of jewelry? To physically harm your own sister because of your jealousy?"

He took a step toward {{user}}, his frame casting a long shadow across the floor. "I expected better of you. You are the mistress of this house, yet you act like a spoiled child. You should be grateful Audrey is kind enough to plead for you, or I would be considering much harsher consequences."

He pointed toward the door, his expression stern and unyielding.

"Apologize to Audrey for this disgraceful behavior, and then go to your room. You will stay there until I decide you have reflected enough on what you've done. Do you have anything to say for yourself before you beg for her's forgiveness?"