Majesty Castle

“You ok? Want to sit down for a little while?”

“Yes, please,” Fawn answered and followed her husband as he led her over to a chair by the window.

“Can I get you anything?”

“Some cold water would be nice, thank you.”

“You got it,” Zacky winked and kissed the top of her head. When he walked away to go get her the water. Fawn closed her eyes and put her hand on her stomach. The nagging ache that she was experiencing every so often was really starting to worry her.

“Well, if it isn’t the expectant mother.”

Fawn straightened in her chair as best as she could in her condition and glared at Rosalie. “Kindly leave me alone.”

“So polite you are,” Rosalie laughed. “Polite, stupid and blind now that I think about it. Oh and let us not forget desperate. What is it about Zacky that keeps you here?”

“I asked you to leave me alone.” She clutched her stomach again and the pain was showing all over her face.

“Something wrong? Is the little brat about to rear its ugly head?”

“I think my daughter in law asked you to leave her alone, Rosalie.”

Rosalie turned around to face Glenn who had Pippa at his side. “There’s nothing wrong with my hearing, Glenn. I’d just as soon ignore her request. This is my home and I can move about it as I please.”

Pippa stepped in front of Rosalie and got right in her face. “If you don’t leave that child alone, I’m going to fling you around your precious home like a damn boomerang.”

Rosalie laughed right in Pippa’s face. “Need I remind you that you are the hired help and I can have your job for this?”

“Oh that’s where you’re wrong you ugly tramp. I am not the hired help anymore! What I am is fixin’ to put a big ol’ hurt on that fucked up face of yours.”

Glenn couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. Rosalie was standing there with her mouth wide open with shock. “Move along, Rosalie before I let Pippa make good on her word.”

In a huff, Rosalie walked away. Pippa put her hand on Fawn’s shoulder. “Come on, child. Let’s get you to the study where you can lie down. Glenn, could you have Rupert go and fetch the doc? You’re about to meet your grandchild.”

“I’m on it.” Pippa led Fawn out of the ballroom and Glenn took off in the direction of the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” Zacky stopped his father and stood there with the glass of ice water that he went and got for fawn.

“Fawn is in labor. Pippa took her into the study to lie down. Bring her the water and then go and find some clean linens and bring them to Pippa.”

Zacky hurried off to the study while Glenn went to find Rupert. The one thing that Zacky didn’t want for Fawn was for her to give birth at Majesty Castle. Yet, it was as if the castle itself was intent on creating misery.

**********

“Mad at me?”

Simone shook her head and rested it on Brian’s shoulder while he held her up on the dance floor. He knew she was tired because of what she had been doing to her body and he told himself that he would try and be understanding from now on while she got better.

“Why don’t we get something to snack on? I’m kind of hungry,” he said and led her over to a table laden with finger foods. “Ha! I found the perfect thing to perk you up. Close your eyes.”

Simone shook her head, but did as he asked and closed her eyes. “Now, open your mouth.”

When she opened her mouth, he placed a cold chocolate covered strawberry at her lips. She bit into it and laughed when she opened her eyes. “You’re never going to let me live that night down are you?”

“Nope! Second best night of my life remember?”

“I remember,” she nodded and finished her strawberry.

“Want some more?”

“No, I think I want something else.” She looked over the table and he stood behind her with his arms around her waist.

“Oooh how about the chocolate cake?”

“No, I don’t feel like cake. Besides, we’ll probably have birthday cake later for Matthew.”

He kissed her shoulder and turned his head to the side so he could see her face. “Well what do you feel like?”
“I don’t see it here,” she shrugged.

“What is it?”

“Milk and cookies. I haven’t had it since I was little.”

Brian laughed and took her by the hand. “I think we can find milk and cookies.” He walked her into the kitchen and lifted her up to set her down on the counter. Simone watched him walk over to the cabinet and take out two glasses and bring them back to the counter. He then went and got the milk and filled the glasses.

“Now, I know Pippa has some cookies here somewhere. She always keeps a fresh batch around because frankly, you’re brother eats like a pig.”

Simone laughed and Brian turned around at the sound of her laughter and smiled at her for no reason other than it made him happy to hear her laugh. “Aha! I spy a cookie jar!”

Brian grabbed the cookie jar and set it down on the counter. Simone watched as he took the lid off the jar. “Well, look what we have here. Chocolate chip cookies!”

Simone smiled and took one from his hand. Brian picked up both glasses of milk and handed her one. “Thank you.”

When she dunked her cookie in her milk, Brian practically gagged. “What are you doing?”

“Dunking.”

“No! That is soooooo wrong.”

“Why?”

“Because,” he shrugged. “It gets crumbs in the milk and sometimes the cookie falls apart and in to the milk and milk is not mean to be chewed. You drink it!” Simone laughed and dunked her cookie again. “You’re evil!”

They ate cookies and drank their milk and Brian never once made her feel like she was being forced to eat. “Sim?”

“Yeah?” she said looking up from dunking her cookie.

“You have a milk moustache.”

She laughed and Brian decided to kiss off her milk moustache. “Are you having fun, baby?”

“Yeah,”

“Do you want to go back inside?”

She nodded. “I like this with you, but I guess we should go back to the ball.”

“Well, how about we start our own tradition when we leave here and have a milk and cookie night every week?”

“OK!” Simone was excited and leapt into his arms so he could help her down off the counter. “But you have to try the dunk!”

“Let’s not get crazy now.”

They turned to leave the kitchen and Rosalie was standing there disgusted by there little display. “Keep that up and you’ll be as fat as the cow that made the milk.”

Brian took Simone by the hand and walked over to Rosalie. “Keep THAT up and you’ll be as dead as a fucking door nail.” He took his wife and led her around Rosalie through the kitchen door and back out to the ballroom.

*************

Peter stood at the bar and ordered a drink. Colette knew the man who stood less than a foot away from her was the love of her life. Through her masque she let her eyes look at his profile. He was just as beautiful as she remembered him to be, but she wondered if he would remember her at all.

“Need a refill?”

Colette turned her face towards his direction. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I was asking if you wanted another drink. Your glass is almost empty.”

Colette kept her eyes lowered so that he couldn’t see them. “I’m not much of a drinker, but I suppose one more couldn’t hurt.”

“Another for the Lady,” he told the bartender.

Peter set the drink down in front of her and Colette was having trouble keeping her composure. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He turned and faced the dance floor leaning his back against the bar. When he caught sight of James he laughed into his drink and turned to grab a napkin off the bar to wipe his face.

“Is something funny?”

“Sorry,” he laughed again. “Was just laughing at the string bean over there. My son never ceases to amaze me.” Peter was finding it hard to keep a straight face watching James try and dance with himself. His legs seemed to go one way and his arms and head went another.

“Oh my, he certainly has a unique style.”

“To say the least,” Peter agreed. Colette watched her son amazed at how he had turned out. Her heart swelled with love for him and there was nothing more that she wanted to do than to run over to him and hug him.

“Do you have children?” he asked looking down at her hands to see if she was wearing a wedding ring.

Colette looked down into her drink and shook her head. “I had a son once.”

Peter looked mortified. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up a bad memory.”

“It’s ok. I think I’m going to go get some air.”

She set her drink down on the bar and Peter watched her walk away while he felt like the biggest jerk in the world. “Way to go Peter, your first attempt at trying to pick up a girl and you fuck up in the worst way possible,” he told himself and ordered another drink.

********

“Matthew my ankle hurts.”

“Ok lets go sit,” he lifted her up off the dance floor and brought her over to a sofa so she could rest her ankle.

“You don’t have to carry me everywhere.”

“I like carrying you every where. Do you want a drink?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I want to be coherent when I kiss you at midnight for your birthday.”

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. “What’s the matter?”

“Fawn is in labor,” she sighed. “I’m happy for them, I really am,” she said choking back tears.

Matthew battled with his own emotions. “Our time will come, Allegra. I promise.”

“I know,” she nodded. “I just didn’t think it would be this hard.”

He hugged her and let her lean on him for support. Inside it was killing him, but he did his best to be strong for his wife.

“NO CRYING ALLOWED!” James bellowed from behind Matthew. Allegra looked up at him and laughed.

“That’s right, I’m talking to you lil lady. NO crying. Now keep that smile on your face or I will be back. I mean it, you don’t want none of this!” He motioned his hands all over his body in some freaky dance move and walked away.

Allegra hid her face in Matthew’s shoulder and started to laugh hard. “I love him.”

“I love him too, Matthew said laughing along with his wife.

“I can not wait to give you your birthday present.”

“What is it?” Matthew’s eyes widened with suspense.

“I can’t give it to you now, it isn’t your birthday yet!”

“Oh man!” He pouted like a little boy and from across the room, James shot him a warning look that sent Matthew and Allegra into fits of laughter again.