Majesty Castle

Rather than coming back home after the wedding, Brian took Simone to the forte to spend their wedding night without interruption and without the inevitable confrontation with Matthew that they were both expecting. Yet two weeks passed since their wedding day and Matthew hadn’t said a word. In fact he hadn’t spoken to Simone at all since the morning she came to his room to see Allegra just before she left for the wedding.

Although Allegra was happy for Simone, she understood why her husband was so upset and as a wife should, she supported his decision without question. Not once did she dare tell him he was being foolish, nor did she try and change his mind. She never suggested that he should try and talk to his sister and she never once told him she didn’t want to hear it when he would start to talk to her about the situation. She only listed and provided support when he needed it. For that he admired her more and more.

Brian, on the other hand, was no worse for wear. He just took the whole situation in stride figuring that Matthew would come around eventually. It was affecting Simone with every day that passed. She would put on a happy face for Brian, but when she was alone, she was completely miserable.

“He won’t even look at me,” Simone was whining to Johnny about her little dilemma with her brother as she had done practically every day since she married.

“Simone?”

“Yes?” She said looking up at Johnny who looked like he was deep in thought.

“I’ve listened to you go on and on about this for a while now. Can I tell you something that maybe you haven’t considered?”

“Sure,” she nodded.

Johnny walked over and sat down beside her on the bench. He watched as the ducks glided by in the lake thinking about how to word what he wanted to say without hurting her feelings.

“Remember when you were little and we wouldn’t let you play with us?”

“Yeah,” she laughed lightly.

“Well, remember who it was that would take you fishing the next day so you wouldn’t feel left out?”

Simone smiled at the memory. “Matthew.”

“Yeah,” Johnny nodded. “Remember when Brian introduced you to his girlfriend and you cried like a baby?”

“I was a baby! I was only 5!”

“Yes, but remember who comforted you?”

“Matthew did.”

“Yes. Remember when Rosalie said you couldn’t stay up past your bedtime? Who was it that would sneak you out of bed and let you have cookies and milk with him in the kitchen?”

Simone lowered her head. “Matthew.”

Johnny looked over at her and squeezed her hand. “Remember when you found out that Rosalie and Jon weren’t your parents?”

Simone just nodded in response.

“Brian took you to the forte because Matthew asked him to do it. And Brian also fought with Matthew about you going to find your parents on your own. Matthew convinced him that it was your decision. Matthew was also the one who paid for the carriage and all of your other expenses.”

Simone looked over at him and shook her head. “Brian was the one who gave me the money.”

“No, Matthew gave you the money by way of Brian.”

“Why didn’t he tell me any of this?”

Johnny focused his eyes on a swan trying to nudge a baby duck towards the water. “Because he knew you were confused and upset and that as much as you didn’t want to admit it, Brian made you feel better. So he did all he could think of to try and make you happy. He gave you Brian.”

Simone laughed. “That’s nice of you to say, Johnny, but Matthew kind of hates Brian right now so I find that hard to believe.”

This time it was Johnny who laughed. “Listen, I haven’t been Matthew’s biggest fan lately and I am no one to be singing his praises, but I am not lying. Since you were a little brat you always had that little girl crush on Brian. Brian could always put a smile on your face as a kid. I think Matthew’s intentions were good, but I don’t think he realized that it wasn’t just some crush you had on Brian. I don’t think he realized that you were in love with Brian and vice versa.”

“What’s the point of this?” Simone asked.

Johnny laughed again. “The point of this is what you are missing. No matter how old you were or what you were dealing with there was always one person who never turned their back on you. There was always that one person who was always there for you. There was also that one person who stood up and said that you’ll always be his sister no matter what some stupid piece of paper says. Remember that person?”

Simone looked ashamed. “Matthew.”

“Yeah,” Johnny nodded. “And what did you do? You ran off and got married without even telling him. The mistake you made was not telling him about you and Brian at all. He may not have been thrilled about the idea, but do you really think he would deny you happiness after all you’ve been through?”

Simone’s lip was quivering while she was on the verge of breaking down. It wasn’t Johnny’s intention to make her feel bad, but someone had to enlighten her as to where the fault laid.

“Well, I’m gonna leave you to think. I don’t want to keep Jeanetta waiting.”

When Johnny got up and left, Simone hid her face in her hands and cried. She owed her brother a huge apology.

**********

In the two weeks since the wedding, Allegra’s condition had continued to improve. The doctor came and took the stitches out of her head and took off some of her bandages. He told her that she could return to eating solid foods as a regular part of her diet, but still had to stay off her feet due to her ankle. The pain wasn’t as bad, but she did still have quite a bit of it. In a private moment with Matthew, the doctor reminded him once again that he would have to give Allegra an internal exam very soon. Faced with no choice, Matthew could no longer delay telling his wife about their baby.

Allegra was just finishing up her lunch when Matthew walked over to the bed and took the tray off her lap. After setting it down on the end table he sat on the edge of the bed facing her. “Feel ok?”

“Restless, I guess. I wish I could go outside. I’m sick of this bed.”

“I could take you after dinner. I don’t see why you can’t sit in the garden for a little while.”

Allegra perked up instantly and smiled happily. “ I would love that!”

It made Matthew sick to his stomach to have to steal her moment of happiness and break her heart.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” She asked. “You haven’t gone anywhere much yourself lately.”

He gave her a weak smile. “I don’t want to be anywhere, but here with you.”

Allegra smiled, but Matthew turned his eyes away from her. “Is something wrong?”

Matthew blew out a long breath and moved forward so he was sitting closer to her. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Your sister again?”

“No.”

“Ok, well what is it?”

His eyes met hers and he leaned forward and kissed her head. That little gesture from him was making her very nervous.

“It’s about your accident. There is something that you haven’t been told yet. I asked the doctor not to say anything because I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

“I’m getting better aren’t I?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Faster than we expected even.”

“Then why do you look so sad?”

Matthew pressed his fist to his lips and closed his eyes. “The doctor needs to examine you more thoroughly.”

The sound of his voice made her nervous. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with me?” She started to panic.

“Nothing’s wrong with you. He needs to do an internal exam to make sure that you’re healing after the loss.”

Allegra turned her eyes away from him and shook her head. “What are you trying to tell me?” She asked in a shakey voice.

“There was a baby,” he whispered to choked up to find his voice. She didn’t say anything. “You were pregnant and when the accident happened, it caused you to lose our baby.”

Allegra looked straight ahead unable to look at her husband. The tears fell from her eyes one after the other.

“Please say something,” he said as his own tears began to fall.

She didn’t say a word. Allegra turned over on her side facing the wall with her back to Matthew. “Allegra?”

“I just want to be alone,” she whispered.

At this point he wasn’t going to tell her that she wouldn’t be able to have any more children. Instead, he would silently hope for a miracle. He wasn’t going to push her into letting him comfort her. As her husband, understood fully that she needed some time alone to process the news. He got up off the bed and left her there in their room by herself.

Matthew found Peter and asked that he keep guard outside his bedroom door for a little while. Peter didn’t hesitate to agree.

With the bedroom carefully guarded, Matthew made his way down the stairs. He had no idea where he was going and each step he took was heavy. The image of Allegra lying there in tears made him ache deep inside. He took the last step just as Simone was walking in to the foyer from the kitchen.

“Matthew!” She called out his name and he froze in his tracks as she ran straight towards him and threw her arms around his waist.

His breath caught in his throat and he could no longer control what he was feeling. Matthew put his arms around his sister and cried. His emotions overwhelmed him as his legs lost all feeling and slowly he slid to the ground taking Simone with him.

“Matthew?”

Not a word came out of his mouth. Matthew hid his face in the crook of Simone’s neck and cried. He cried for Allegra and he cried for their baby. He just cried.