Illogical

Cleaning was indeed a huge stress reliever for Harper. Thankfully, all of the supplies for the three rooms had been stored in one of the washrooms' closets, allowing him to steer clear of Matilda. He dusted everything first, not wanting to spread the pesky dirt about as he put things in their rightful places. He took care of his room first, being sure to make the bed appropriately, fluff the pillows and fold and put anyway any loose linens of clothing. 


Next, he took care of the sitting room. The bookshelves Rule had pressed against the far wall took a good while to dust, but Harper was glad to have something to keep his focus. When the bookshelves were finally clean to his liking, he swept the floor and took care of a few other simple things in the room. 


With two rooms done, Harper now stood before Rule's. He hadn't specifically gotten permission to enter it, but at the same time, Rule had said that he would serve as his maid, and only his. Yet I am to be his friend during this event, and valet, too. 


Deciding that he had reason enough to enter, Harper took a deep breath and stepped inside of the dark room. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but a crisp, clean space was not it. Rule seemed far more the disorganized out of the odd duo that he and Arthur made up. Yet, his room was nearly spotless. 


With a shrug, Harper grabbed the broom and swept up the bedroom and washroom, then wiped down the small amount of dust that had settled about. Deciding that the room could use a bit of air, too, he walked over to the large bay window and pushed it open. A faint chill sent a shiver down his spine as cool air rushed inside. 


Fall will be here soon. He noted as he took in a deep breath, then blew it out with a content smile. He'd needed this time alone to calm his nerves. 


"Who are you and what are you doing in his master's chambers!" 


The yelled words made Harper jump as he spun around. He knew who'd be there, as her voice was quite hard to forget, as well as her unkind actions. He wondered, however, what Matilda was doing in such a place. 


"I am to help lord Rule during the event tomorrow evening." He stated, doing his best to stay standing tall with his chin up. He'd be lying if he said she didn't intimidate him, but he knew that Rule would favor his word due to her previous actions against him. 


The woman's eyes narrowed as she took in what he was wearing. "And why is it that you are wearing that attire when the event is tomorrow?" 


Harper bit back a scowl. She had no right to question him. Being directly beneath Rule in the household technically made him of higher rank, but he couldn't find the courage in him to tell her that. She would likely not accept his words, anyways, for that matter. 


"He requested that I try on the outfit, then sent me up here to clean things up. I simply forgot to change back out of it." He stated, then added. "And what, may I ask, are you doing in his chambers?" 


The woman straightened her shoulders and turned her nose up at him. "As a matter of fact, you may not ask. It seems that you are finished with your current task, so come along. I have need of you in the cellar." 


That sounds delightful. 


Knowing that if he followed her, he'd likely end up dirtying his current outfit far worse than simply cleaning a few rooms, of which he'd been told that he was to maintain until the end of the event, Harper slowly shook his head. "I do apologize, but I must decline. Lord Rule gave me strict orders to clean up his chambers, and I do not believe that I am quite finished. If I do complete my tasks before he returns, I will seek him out for my next duty." 


And him alone. He added in his mind for reassurance. 


"Why you insolent little git! I am the head maid in this house, and you will do as I say!"  


Forcing himself not to step back, Harper folded his shaking hands behind his back and narrowed his eyes on the woman. For the second time, she wasn't dressed in any sort of maid uniform. She had on a dark red dress draped in lace and frills. There was definitely make up upon her face, too. 


"Why were you here again, ma'am?" He asked, curious what she could possibly want in Rule's chambers, dressed as she was, without him being present. 


She growled something under her breath, then turned on her heels to stalk out of the room. The sound of actual heeled shoes clicked on the floor until she stepped onto the carpet leading out of the room. Harper followed her until the doorway to Rule's bedroom, then watched her stalk out. She looked like she was about to slam the door shut when she stopped abruptly, clearly needing to exert some effort to slow the door to a stop. 


"My lord, how has your day been so far?" She asked as she leaned back slightly, lifting her bosom up higher than was necessary for good posture. 


Could she truly be trying...


"Quite well, madam. How are you? Was there something you needed in my chambers?" He asked, making her fidget slightly. 


Harper couldn't hide the grin that crept onto his face at the accusatory tone the man slipped into his question. He couldn't see Rule, but the man's strong voice carried easily into the rooms. 


"I had just noticed little Hari entering them and came to see if she needed any assistance." 


Assistance? I had been cleaning for quite some time. 


"You mean to tell me that she had just returned to my rooms recently?" He asked, a hint of accusation in his tone. 


Matilda nodded quickly. "Yes sir. It could have not been but ten or fifteen minutes prior to your current arrival." She said, making Harper roll his eyes. 


"Very well. You are dismissed." Rule said before walking past her and into the room. When he noticed him standing by the doorway, his expression immediately changed to one of hesitance. 


When Arthur followed him in a moment later and shut the door, Harper's own expression fell and he hunched against the door frame. He wasn't interested in being around the lords, yet he had no right to excuse himself this time. 


He followed the men with his eyes until Arthur dropped into a large plush chair. Rule had taken the other one nearby, leaving only standing room for Harper unless he wished to cross the room to the other set of chairs. He decided against it. 


"Listen, Hari." Arthur began, making Harper's brow crease with worry. 


"Oh don't give me that look. I apologize. I was very rude to you when I arrived earlier and it was uncalled for. I was just... I thought that Rule had finally gotten you to admit that you're a boy..." 


When he didn't continue, Rule stepped in. "And he gets extremely mad when I figure things out before him, cause I never do!" He ended, laughing for only a moment before forcing himself to return to his serious expression. 


"So, we just wanted to apologize. I should have told him that I was going to have you dressed differently before the ball, and I should have told you that he was to be joining us." 


His previous frustration and worry slowly began to decrease. The two lords were watching him, worry in their own soft eyes. They think I might not forgive them. For once, Harper actually felt like he could say that he was mad at them and not have to worry about being reprimanded. It was somewhat of a shock, honestly.  


Granted, he'd been upset enough to tell them before, especially when they were messing with him about his gender, but he'd always made sure that his tone wasn't serious. 


Biting his lip, he awkwardly crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his weight against the doorjamb. Meeting first Arthur's eyes, then Rules', Harper licked his lips and straightened his back. 


"I'm mad at both of you right now and I don't want to speak to either of you. I will consider your apologies, but for the moment, please leave me be." He stated with as much determination he could muster, before turning and shutting himself in the room behind him. 


His entire body was shaking with nerves as he leaned against the closed door and tried to keep his breathing steady. He'd never said such a thing to anyone, let alone two dukes! He completely expected them to shove open the door and punish him, but when the silence continued for several minutes, he managed to sigh out a shaky breath. 


That's the moment he realized that he'd gone into Rule's room and not his own. And now what am I supposed to do. He waited several more minutes before deciding that the lords truly would leave him be, at least for a short time. 


He needed something to keep himself busy and ward off the stress of the situation he was in, though, so he did what he always did when needing to calm himself; cleaned. Sure, he'd gone over the room, but he'd just done the normal day to day things. He now grabbed a bucket and filled it with some of the water from Rule's washbasin, then began scrubbing the beautiful floors. 


His rooms had looked so clean already, but now I see that his flooring just hides dirt incredibly well. Hari thought to himself as he worked. The main room took almost an hour to complete, then he moved to the bathroom. 


Thankfully, the tub was kept up quite well, but the floor, once again, was quite dirty once he began to wash it. After what had to be at least another thirty minutes or so, he left the dirty water by the door in the bathroom to be disposed of by a maid and put away the rest of the items he'd used. Once that was done, he made sure that he was presentable. The knees of his trousers were a bit dirty, but after a quick brush off, they looked passable.


They're going to be mad. 


He hoped not, but he'd heard them talking through the door several times as he'd worked. The barrier had mumbled their words to be undecipherable, but Hari knew that he deserved a reprimand for his behavior. 


Licking his dried lips, he grasped the doorknob and awkwardly pulled it open. He wanted to walk out with his head held high and take whatever discipline they felt he deserved, but he couldn't find the strength to lift his eyes to theirs as he walked to one of the cushioned chairs in the room that made up the other set, against the wall to the right of wear the two sat, and climbed in after slipping his shoes off. He hoped that he could just disappear into the seat, or that both lords might just ignore his presence, or even give him something else to do. Unfortunately, he was never quite that lucky. 


"Hari." Rule questioned, finally making Harper lift his eyes. 


He couldn't read Rule's, which bothered him. The man rarely hid the way he was feeling, but he seemed quite indifferent at that moment. 


Harper hunched back into the chair he sat in and grabbed one of his feet he'd brought up. "Yes sir." He whispered, dropping his gaze, having only managed to hold Rule's for a few moments. 


"What is it that you want?" Rule asked, making Harper jerk his head up from surprise. 


He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it and tried again. "I... What do I want, my lord?" He didn't understand. Should he have wanted something? Should he have expected something to come out of this strained situation? 


The two lords frowned and glanced at each other before Arthur leaned back in his seat, resting one ankle on the opposite knee. "There must be something you want. We both acted without any regard to how it affected you and it was inappropriate... surely you want some sort of offering to compensate for the mishap?" He asked, drawing Harper's own lips into a confused frown. 


Do they not realize that they are asking a maid if she would like recompense for actions that in no measure of the imagination warranted it?   


"I apologize, my lords... but I cannot think of anything I would like." He said finally, hoping that his response would end the awkward conversation. Lords should never have to offer anything to a maid or butler for simply making them upset. 


Rule leaned forward, his brows risen slightly. "Are you certain you don't wish to receive anything? Jewels, new clothing, money...?" 


Harper fidgeted in his seat at the mention of the items. He could never afford jewelry or new clothing, but that didn't mean that he needed such things now. He was grateful for exactly what he had and he believed in earning his money, not taking it from two men who had made a mistake that honestly had caused him nothing but a short bout of stress. 


Shaking his head, Harper sat up straighter and offered a small smile. "No, thank you my lord, for offering, but I am content with what I have. Your apologies were all I had hoped for, and I had gotten them both." 


 Rule's frown slowly turned upward as he stood and walked over to stand before where Harper sat. His stomach twisted with a hint of worry, but when Rule knelt before him, his mind jumped to shock. 


"What are you doing, my lord!" He half-shouted, clamping his hands over his mouth as he realized how loud he'd yelled. 


Instead of reprimanding him, Rule just chuckled and reached forward. Before Harper could figure out his intent, he was nearly falling out of the seat from being tickled. 


"Don't think I forgot about this, little Hari. While I dislike that maid that always hovers about you, she has come in handy for some things." He teased as he continued his attentions. It didn't take long for Harper to fall from the chair, and Rule easily followed him down to the carpet, refusing to let up until Harper ran out of breath. 


It took him several long moments to regain his awareness once Rule had finally stopped, but when he did, he couldn't manage to hold back the blush that flushed his already darkened cheeks. "I like that color on you, little Hari." Rule mused from where leaned over him on his hands and knees, his body easily taking up most of Harper's field of vision. 


Unable to respond, Harper felt like sinking down into the carpet, but he knew that the possibility of such a thing happening was close to nil. So, when Arthur took a seat on the carpet beside where Rule was, Harper sent him a pleading look. 


"Why can't I have that look, Hari?" Rule asked, his voice growing deeper as his eyes tried to meet Harper's nervously-darting ones. "Do you not wish to receive some sort of appreciative gesture from us? We do so believe that you deserve more than a simple apology." 


Harper's chest rose and fell at twice its normal pace as it tried to keep up with his frantic heartbeat. He had no idea how to respond in a polite manner, and quite frankly, his mind was not functional all too well at that moment, so what came out of his mouth was completely without filter. 


"I'm am sorry, my lord, b-but I am hopefully not being m-mistaken as one of y-your whores you sometimes bring about due to you possibly consuming drink while d-downstairs?"


Rule had been leaning even closer as he'd spoken, but the moment Harper finished what he'd intended to say, he froze. Their lips were mere inches from each other, but when the lord finally registered what Harper had said, he gave a rather ungentlemanly snort, then fell off to the side between Harper and the padded chair, guffawing far louder than Harper thought ever necessary. 


He hadn't meant to be funny in the least, but when he sat up and realized that Arthur, whom he'd never heard truly laugh, was also doing so quite heartily, Harper decided not to stress about his response to Rule. He hadn't been lying, anyways. The man did tend to have women on his arm when he visited less than sober, but Harper had never paid them too much mind and they always seemed to leave early... mainly when Rule came out of the affects of the alcohol. 


"She got you good, my lord." Arthur mused, having stopped his laughter far easier than Rule was managing. 


Harper watched Rule until he finally settled, his eyes closed as he regained his breath. "I hadn't laughed like that in quite some time." He panted before opening his eyes, their gazes meeting with much less worry. 


"What do you say about going down for dinner a bit early and sneaking our fill of the good stuff before the guests arrive for their meal, little Hari?"


Harper couldn't hide the grin Rule's words brought to his lips. The man drove him mad, along with Arthur, at times, but he always knew how to fix things in the end. 


"I suppose I shall accept that as my apology gift from the two of you." 


Rule jumped to his feet, offering him a hand that he gladly took. 


"Deal." The two lords said in unison, before they headed down to the dining hall together. 

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