Rosalie
TEN
It was busier than normal in court with the arrival of new members of the Queen's household. She had lost a few women from her household due to their dismissals and had invited her new ones to court, and as per usual, it was the talk of all who were in attendance. They were to have a procession through court so that their faces could be seen before the Queen would officially welcome them into her household. It was not surprising, however, to find that a few men had asked for an audience with her. Most would have ties to one of the women and would enquire about joining her household or becoming part of her guard, and often she would take them as lesser members of her household, only occasionally would she accept one into her guard.
Though she had decided that her daughter did not need to be in attendance, the Queen changed her mind just as she was finishing her meal and had her summoned from her activities. Her daughter was already there when she entered the room and sat on her throne, displeased at the tedious task she had to face.
The princess stood silently by the side of the throne as the women entered the room, each one curtsying as they entered the Queen's presence. She watched as each one was greeted and accepted in the household, and found herself wishing to return to the needlework she had been enduring before her summons. Five women had been greeted before the Queen turned to her daughter, gesturing at the girl before her.
"This is Lord Beaumont's daughter. Her father's illness had prevented her from arriving earlier, for she is a member of your household, daughter," she said, beckoning the Beaumont girl forward.
The girl curtsied before them both then looked at the princess. "It is an honour to serve you, Your Highness."
"I welcome you to my household," the princess said, repeating the words she had heard spoken earlier. This allowed the girl to step towards her and stand behind her silently.
Though she wanted to leave, she knew she could not go until the Queen had dismissed her. So she endured the remaining formalities and hoped that after it was done she was would dismissed. She had barely touched the wine that was in her chamber and she was anxious to return to it.
As the Queen finished welcoming all her new ladies, she accepted the eight audience requests and the princess endured three men requesting to become part of the Queen's guard, each one intensifying her thirst for wine. Watching as the third man exited the room, she was about to request permission to leave when the fourth man strode in and made her words hitch in her throat.
"What can I do for you, sir?" the Queen asked.
The man knelt on one knee before her and bowed his head. "My queen, I am a loyal servant and rejoiced at the news of your daughter's return. I come to you now humbly and ask for the honour of laying my sword at the princess's feet and pledging my loyalty to her," he requested.
His words prompted the Queen to raise an eyebrow as she looked to her daughter who was staring at the kneeling man in shock. Her daughter already had protection; however, she didn't have any guards sworn into her sole protection. They had all been from the Queen's own guard as she'd seen no need to recruit any as the princess would not be leaving court any time soon, but now she acknowledged that perhaps it would be best to expand her household.
"The choice is yours, daughter," she said, motioning for her to speak.
"I accept you as my personal guard," the princess said, watching intently as the man rose to his feet, unsheathed his sword and laid it at her feet.
"I swear my loyalty to the Princess Rosalie, to be her ever faithful guard and protect her from any harm that may befall her," the man promised, rising to his feet. He sheathed his sword and stepped behind her, a few feet away from where Clarice Beaumont was stood dutifully.
There were four more men to receive and surprisingly, two of them also requested the privilege of serving the princess. Both were accepted and once that was done the Queen dismissed those in attendance and drew her closest adviser for a private conversation in the room behind the throne's platform. This allowed the princess to head briskly to her chamber and fill a goblet with wine, draining the contents before the doors to her chamber had been closed. She poured out some more and stood by the window, watching as the small water droplets hit the panels.
When the rain stopped falling she poured herself more wine and sat by her fire, ignoring her ladies as they welcomed Clarice Beaumont into her service and enlisted her help with their normal duties. She remained transfixed by the flames, only breaking her focus when she got one of her ladies to refill her goblet. The Queen had not requested her presence for her meal so she had no reason to leave her chamber; instead she ensured that she gave regular orders to her ladies so that none of them would feel inclined to report to the Queen about her abnormal behaviour.
Her evening meal was taken with her ladies and she utilised that time by questioning her new lady, drawing out personal information in an attempt to discover more about this girl. She found out that her father was ill but likely to be well before the turn of the season, she had a suitor back at her father's estate but preferred to enter into the princess's service than to marry, and she enjoyed spending time outside, so would be a likely companion for a stroll around the gardens.
As it grew dark, her ladies did their nightly duties and helped the princess get ready for bed before being dismissed. However, she kept Clarice behind and waited until her other ladies had left before speaking. "I need you to deliver a note to someone and it is imperative that no one else finds out about this," she said, pacing from one side of the bedchamber to the other.
"Of course, my lady," Clarice replied and took the folded parchment that was offered to her. She left the chamber and found the person she had been instructed to find. Pulling him to one side, she handed him the note and waited until he had read it before taking it from him and leaving. To her surprise, he accompanied her back to the chamber and she left him in the entrance when she entered the bedchamber.
The princess had been pacing the entire time she had been gone and stopped when she saw her lady. "Well?"
"He is here."
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, calming herself before reopening her eyes. "I must speak with him privately about a delicate situation. You need to remain in my chamber while I speak with him in here, for you will be able to ensure there is no impropriety. Whatever is asked of you, you are forbidden from mentioning this to anyone. You are my confidante, and I will keep you as my closest, therefore you will never speak of anything I ask of you to anyone. Not even your most trusted friend. Do you understand?" she instructed.
"Yes, my lady." With that, Clarice left the bedchamber and sent the man in, closing the doors and taking a seat on the chair closest to the room.
Upon seeing him in such close proximity, the girl raised a hand to her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. "You came," she whispered.
The man, the first to dedicate himself into her guard, gave her a smile. "I promised I would protect you," he said.
"I feared I would never see you again, that I would have to endure everything that is being forced onto me."
Stepping towards her, the man opened his arms and allowed the girl to step into them, resting her head on his chest. "I am here, do not worry. But I cannot take you from here, not yet, not if you do not wish to be brought back again."
She stepped back and looked at him angrily. "Why? They are suffocating me beneath these heavy dresses and constant rule, and that insufferable Prince Christian is adamant about making me his wife. I cannot stay here, not as this false princess where freedom is the length of the Queen's desire!"
Instead of replying, he just drew her back into his arms and they stood there for a little while longer. It was the first time she felt truly safe in such a long time.
Though she had decided that her daughter did not need to be in attendance, the Queen changed her mind just as she was finishing her meal and had her summoned from her activities. Her daughter was already there when she entered the room and sat on her throne, displeased at the tedious task she had to face.
The princess stood silently by the side of the throne as the women entered the room, each one curtsying as they entered the Queen's presence. She watched as each one was greeted and accepted in the household, and found herself wishing to return to the needlework she had been enduring before her summons. Five women had been greeted before the Queen turned to her daughter, gesturing at the girl before her.
"This is Lord Beaumont's daughter. Her father's illness had prevented her from arriving earlier, for she is a member of your household, daughter," she said, beckoning the Beaumont girl forward.
The girl curtsied before them both then looked at the princess. "It is an honour to serve you, Your Highness."
"I welcome you to my household," the princess said, repeating the words she had heard spoken earlier. This allowed the girl to step towards her and stand behind her silently.
Though she wanted to leave, she knew she could not go until the Queen had dismissed her. So she endured the remaining formalities and hoped that after it was done she was would dismissed. She had barely touched the wine that was in her chamber and she was anxious to return to it.
As the Queen finished welcoming all her new ladies, she accepted the eight audience requests and the princess endured three men requesting to become part of the Queen's guard, each one intensifying her thirst for wine. Watching as the third man exited the room, she was about to request permission to leave when the fourth man strode in and made her words hitch in her throat.
"What can I do for you, sir?" the Queen asked.
The man knelt on one knee before her and bowed his head. "My queen, I am a loyal servant and rejoiced at the news of your daughter's return. I come to you now humbly and ask for the honour of laying my sword at the princess's feet and pledging my loyalty to her," he requested.
His words prompted the Queen to raise an eyebrow as she looked to her daughter who was staring at the kneeling man in shock. Her daughter already had protection; however, she didn't have any guards sworn into her sole protection. They had all been from the Queen's own guard as she'd seen no need to recruit any as the princess would not be leaving court any time soon, but now she acknowledged that perhaps it would be best to expand her household.
"The choice is yours, daughter," she said, motioning for her to speak.
"I accept you as my personal guard," the princess said, watching intently as the man rose to his feet, unsheathed his sword and laid it at her feet.
"I swear my loyalty to the Princess Rosalie, to be her ever faithful guard and protect her from any harm that may befall her," the man promised, rising to his feet. He sheathed his sword and stepped behind her, a few feet away from where Clarice Beaumont was stood dutifully.
There were four more men to receive and surprisingly, two of them also requested the privilege of serving the princess. Both were accepted and once that was done the Queen dismissed those in attendance and drew her closest adviser for a private conversation in the room behind the throne's platform. This allowed the princess to head briskly to her chamber and fill a goblet with wine, draining the contents before the doors to her chamber had been closed. She poured out some more and stood by the window, watching as the small water droplets hit the panels.
When the rain stopped falling she poured herself more wine and sat by her fire, ignoring her ladies as they welcomed Clarice Beaumont into her service and enlisted her help with their normal duties. She remained transfixed by the flames, only breaking her focus when she got one of her ladies to refill her goblet. The Queen had not requested her presence for her meal so she had no reason to leave her chamber; instead she ensured that she gave regular orders to her ladies so that none of them would feel inclined to report to the Queen about her abnormal behaviour.
Her evening meal was taken with her ladies and she utilised that time by questioning her new lady, drawing out personal information in an attempt to discover more about this girl. She found out that her father was ill but likely to be well before the turn of the season, she had a suitor back at her father's estate but preferred to enter into the princess's service than to marry, and she enjoyed spending time outside, so would be a likely companion for a stroll around the gardens.
As it grew dark, her ladies did their nightly duties and helped the princess get ready for bed before being dismissed. However, she kept Clarice behind and waited until her other ladies had left before speaking. "I need you to deliver a note to someone and it is imperative that no one else finds out about this," she said, pacing from one side of the bedchamber to the other.
"Of course, my lady," Clarice replied and took the folded parchment that was offered to her. She left the chamber and found the person she had been instructed to find. Pulling him to one side, she handed him the note and waited until he had read it before taking it from him and leaving. To her surprise, he accompanied her back to the chamber and she left him in the entrance when she entered the bedchamber.
The princess had been pacing the entire time she had been gone and stopped when she saw her lady. "Well?"
"He is here."
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, calming herself before reopening her eyes. "I must speak with him privately about a delicate situation. You need to remain in my chamber while I speak with him in here, for you will be able to ensure there is no impropriety. Whatever is asked of you, you are forbidden from mentioning this to anyone. You are my confidante, and I will keep you as my closest, therefore you will never speak of anything I ask of you to anyone. Not even your most trusted friend. Do you understand?" she instructed.
"Yes, my lady." With that, Clarice left the bedchamber and sent the man in, closing the doors and taking a seat on the chair closest to the room.
Upon seeing him in such close proximity, the girl raised a hand to her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. "You came," she whispered.
The man, the first to dedicate himself into her guard, gave her a smile. "I promised I would protect you," he said.
"I feared I would never see you again, that I would have to endure everything that is being forced onto me."
Stepping towards her, the man opened his arms and allowed the girl to step into them, resting her head on his chest. "I am here, do not worry. But I cannot take you from here, not yet, not if you do not wish to be brought back again."
She stepped back and looked at him angrily. "Why? They are suffocating me beneath these heavy dresses and constant rule, and that insufferable Prince Christian is adamant about making me his wife. I cannot stay here, not as this false princess where freedom is the length of the Queen's desire!"
Instead of replying, he just drew her back into his arms and they stood there for a little while longer. It was the first time she felt truly safe in such a long time.