Status: hiatus
Love, and Other Torture Devices
Emergency
"Lady Almira," one of the nightly chamber maids whispers.
She doesn't move, "what?"
"You've recieved a letter."
Slowly turning around, Almira pulls the semi-sheer bed curtain open and looks at the woman. "Who is it from?"
Holding a folded paper in her hands, the woman shrugs.
"Would you light a few candles for me, please?"
"Of course, Lady Almira."
Leaning back into her pillows, Almira waits until she can somewhat clearly see the design of the wax seal before carefully opening the letter. Her eyes scan the letter quickly before she drops the paper, leaning toward the edge of the bed. “Go and get Cassandra for me. Tell her it’s urgent!”
She nods, “of course.”
“It’s quite late, Almira,” Cassandra comments, walking into the dimly lit room just a few minutes later.
“Close that door and come here,” Almira demands, straightening up again.
Cassandra follows the young woman’s orders, “what is so urgent—"
Almira shoves the piece of paper at Cassandra, “read this and you tell me what is urgent.”
Taking the paper, Cassandra moves so she can get some candle light to read the letter. A moment later, her jaw drops but she continues to read. “Oh my… this isn’t good at all.”
“Tell me something I don’t know, Cassandra.”
“You shouldn’t have accepted that gift. It sent the wrong message, Almira.”
Shaking her head, Almira scrunches her nose. “Right now is not the appropriate time to be scolding me, Cassandra. Help me figure out what to do.”
“I don’t know what to do!” Cassandra tosses the letter onto the young woman’s bed. “You can’t exactly just walk up to the King of Latovia and tell him you didn’t mean to send him the message that you did by accepting his gift. That’s not how things work – that’s how you get exiled or, even worse, killed.”
Almira shakes her head, “he wouldn’t kill me.”
“The second he knew that your affections for him were nonexistent he would not hesitate to have you arrested. And maybe you should consider listening to me this time, Almira. Last time did not exactly work out in your favor,” Cassandra points at the letter.
Almira’s eyes narrow, “don’t talk to me like that, Cassandra.”
“Well,” Cassandra shrugs, “you are digging yourself deeper in a hole here, Almira. If you are not cautious, you may not live to see the throne. Does that not concern you?”
“You know what?” Almira quickly climbs out of her bed, quickly snatching up her house robe. “You’re no help, Cassandra. I’m going to find someone that will help me.”
The lady-in-waiting nods, “oh, and who is that, exactly?”
“I’ll figure it out,” Almira growls, snatching the letter off of her bed after tying the waist of her robe. “Good night, Lady Cassandra.”
“Edmund,” Almira shakes his shoulder roughly. “Wake up!”
Slowly opening his eyes, Edmund blinks. “What?”
“Wake up,” she demands, shoving his shoulder once again. “This is a bit of an emergency.”
“Why are so many candles lit? I’m trying to sleep.”
“In your study? You do have sleeping quarters.”
He shrugs, “I’ve been busy.”
“You’ve sobered up a bit.”
Edmund nods slowly, “what’s the emergency, Almira?”
Not saying a word, she lays the piece of paper down on the already covered desk.
The prince slowly picks the piece of paper up, reading the handwritten letter.
Almira watches her fiancé’s nostrils flare as his lips nearly disappear into a straight line.
The piece of parchment crunches in his fist as he slowly stands up, walking around the desk and grabbing Almira’s wrist.
“Where are we going?”
“We are not going anywhere,” Edmund flings the door open. “I’m taking you somewhere and that’s where you’ll stay until I say otherwise.”
She swallows heavily as she is nearly forced to run, just to keep up with Edmund’s long, brisk strides.
“James!” Edmund calls out when he sees his Page walking further down in the corridor. “Go to my study and put out the candles.”
“Where are you going?” James smirks, turning to watch the rushing couple.
Edmund barks over his shoulder, “just do it, James!”
Almira quickly looks away from the prince’s smirking companion, back to the prince himself. “Where are you taking me?”
He stops in front of a door, quickly pushing it open and pulling her inside the dimly lit room.
“Prince Edmund,” a man bows. “And... Lady Almira.”
“You are to stay here with her until the guards arrive, understood? Keep her comfortable and safe.”
The Gentleman of the Bedchamber nods quickly, before glancing at Almira, and back at Edmund, “yes, sir.”
Almira turns to Edmund, “you cannot leave me here.”
“You are to stay here until I come and get you, understood?”
She glares at Edmund’s finger, pointing right at her face. Speaking through clenched teeth, she shakes her head. “Fine.”
She doesn't move, "what?"
"You've recieved a letter."
Slowly turning around, Almira pulls the semi-sheer bed curtain open and looks at the woman. "Who is it from?"
Holding a folded paper in her hands, the woman shrugs.
"Would you light a few candles for me, please?"
"Of course, Lady Almira."
Leaning back into her pillows, Almira waits until she can somewhat clearly see the design of the wax seal before carefully opening the letter. Her eyes scan the letter quickly before she drops the paper, leaning toward the edge of the bed. “Go and get Cassandra for me. Tell her it’s urgent!”
She nods, “of course.”
“It’s quite late, Almira,” Cassandra comments, walking into the dimly lit room just a few minutes later.
“Close that door and come here,” Almira demands, straightening up again.
Cassandra follows the young woman’s orders, “what is so urgent—"
Almira shoves the piece of paper at Cassandra, “read this and you tell me what is urgent.”
Taking the paper, Cassandra moves so she can get some candle light to read the letter. A moment later, her jaw drops but she continues to read. “Oh my… this isn’t good at all.”
“Tell me something I don’t know, Cassandra.”
“You shouldn’t have accepted that gift. It sent the wrong message, Almira.”
Shaking her head, Almira scrunches her nose. “Right now is not the appropriate time to be scolding me, Cassandra. Help me figure out what to do.”
“I don’t know what to do!” Cassandra tosses the letter onto the young woman’s bed. “You can’t exactly just walk up to the King of Latovia and tell him you didn’t mean to send him the message that you did by accepting his gift. That’s not how things work – that’s how you get exiled or, even worse, killed.”
Almira shakes her head, “he wouldn’t kill me.”
“The second he knew that your affections for him were nonexistent he would not hesitate to have you arrested. And maybe you should consider listening to me this time, Almira. Last time did not exactly work out in your favor,” Cassandra points at the letter.
Almira’s eyes narrow, “don’t talk to me like that, Cassandra.”
“Well,” Cassandra shrugs, “you are digging yourself deeper in a hole here, Almira. If you are not cautious, you may not live to see the throne. Does that not concern you?”
“You know what?” Almira quickly climbs out of her bed, quickly snatching up her house robe. “You’re no help, Cassandra. I’m going to find someone that will help me.”
The lady-in-waiting nods, “oh, and who is that, exactly?”
“I’ll figure it out,” Almira growls, snatching the letter off of her bed after tying the waist of her robe. “Good night, Lady Cassandra.”
“Edmund,” Almira shakes his shoulder roughly. “Wake up!”
Slowly opening his eyes, Edmund blinks. “What?”
“Wake up,” she demands, shoving his shoulder once again. “This is a bit of an emergency.”
“Why are so many candles lit? I’m trying to sleep.”
“In your study? You do have sleeping quarters.”
He shrugs, “I’ve been busy.”
“You’ve sobered up a bit.”
Edmund nods slowly, “what’s the emergency, Almira?”
Not saying a word, she lays the piece of paper down on the already covered desk.
The prince slowly picks the piece of paper up, reading the handwritten letter.
Almira watches her fiancé’s nostrils flare as his lips nearly disappear into a straight line.
The piece of parchment crunches in his fist as he slowly stands up, walking around the desk and grabbing Almira’s wrist.
“Where are we going?”
“We are not going anywhere,” Edmund flings the door open. “I’m taking you somewhere and that’s where you’ll stay until I say otherwise.”
She swallows heavily as she is nearly forced to run, just to keep up with Edmund’s long, brisk strides.
“James!” Edmund calls out when he sees his Page walking further down in the corridor. “Go to my study and put out the candles.”
“Where are you going?” James smirks, turning to watch the rushing couple.
Edmund barks over his shoulder, “just do it, James!”
Almira quickly looks away from the prince’s smirking companion, back to the prince himself. “Where are you taking me?”
He stops in front of a door, quickly pushing it open and pulling her inside the dimly lit room.
“Prince Edmund,” a man bows. “And... Lady Almira.”
“You are to stay here with her until the guards arrive, understood? Keep her comfortable and safe.”
The Gentleman of the Bedchamber nods quickly, before glancing at Almira, and back at Edmund, “yes, sir.”
Almira turns to Edmund, “you cannot leave me here.”
“You are to stay here until I come and get you, understood?”
She glares at Edmund’s finger, pointing right at her face. Speaking through clenched teeth, she shakes her head. “Fine.”
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