Rosalie
THREE
Again the streets were filled with laughter and joy, and for the first time the joy was shared within the castle on top of the hill. The princess was back, returned after many years away and once again filling the Queen with love and happiness that no one had seen since the day she was taken. But though there was joy all around, all was not entirely well with the princess. She had been troublesome on the journey back, with Prince Christian having to seek a physician in one of the closest villages that was able to forcefully give her a concoction that put her to sleep. By the time they had returned to the castle, she was waking with the potential to cause more trouble which led to further sedation, as given by the royal physician.
So while the princess laid in her chamber asleep, the Queen sat on her throne with her court in attendance. Prince Christian was knelt at the foot of the platform, with his cousin knelt behind him. "You have returned my daughter, brought back my happiness and settled my succession crisis. How may I reward you, Your Highness?" she said, looking down at the man who was the only one to fulfil his word of bringing back her daughter.
"No reward is necessary, Your Majesty. The poor princess was living in ruins, any honourable man would have rescued her," he replied, looking down at the floor for a moment before raising his gaze back to the Queen. "However, I wish to ask something of you. In private, if you would permit it."
She studied him for a moment before giving a curt nod, rising from her throne, acknowledging the bowing court and swiftly moving to the room connected behind the platform. Prince Christian followed and after receiving a nod of confirmation, he shut the door behind them. "I believe I know what you are to ask, but for the sake of clarification, please do speak," the Queen said.
"I wish to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."
"As I expected," she said, giving a small sigh as she paced the room. "Do not take this wrong, but I do not believe she is ready to marry - not now, and not in the coming months. There is so much we do not know about her time away and so much she will need to be taught."
Prince Christian nodded, agreeing with what she said. He knew that a marriage could not occur before the turn of the year, but he wanted to have one agreed upon, a betrothal announced that would be fulfilled whenever the princess was declared of good health. Though he was not as old as some, he was past the age where he should have acquired a wife and an heir according to his father's traditions. Instead he had passed on all the women his mother had suggested, eventually making his father aware of his lack of willingness to find a wife.
A knock on the door drew them from talk. "Enter," the Queen called.
One of the servants on hand in the princess' chamber opened the door. "Your Majesty, the princess is awake."
Without another word, the Queen hastily left the room, following the servant down the halls that led to the furthest wing where the princess had her chamber. Prince Christian followed - having been nodded at by the Queen - and they entered the room to the sight of the princess sobbing. The Queen's heart dropped at the sound. "Leave us," she commanded, eyes sweeping over the servants and guards that were in the room. They filed out, the physician and his help following as well, as did Prince Christian. They congregated outside, awaiting the door to be reopened, but also on hand should her daughter become too frantic, a possibility she had been warned of several times.
She approached the bed and sat on the edge, making the princess raise her head from her knees. "Oh my darling Rosalie," the Queen whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek only for the girl to lean away. "All these years I had no knowledge of your whereabouts only to discover that you were living in ruins. Your father and I lost all hope of ever seeing you again as search after search yielded no trace of you."
The girl wiped her eyes with the sleeve of the nightgown a woman of the Queen's household had changed her into. "I have to go back," she said.
"You are safe now, my daughter," the Queen soothed, reaching out and successfully stroking her hair. "Whoever took you away cannot get to you here, that I promise. You have no need to fear."
The girl closed her eyes and buried her head back into her knees. It was just as she had been warned. They would not let her go back, instead chose to try and poison her against the place that had been her home for more years than she could count. This woman who claimed to be her mother was nothing to her, and as she tried to keep her fear down, she knew that as long as the woman had her in her castle she would not be allowed to return back home.
The Queen rose from the bed and called out, allowing the men to enter the room once more. The sound roused the girl and she looked up, her gaze settling on Prince Christian, whom she recognised. "I didn't need saving!" she shouted, pushing the furs off her legs and lunging for the prince. "Why couldn't you have listened?" Her tears started again, and as she began to hit him the guards moved forward, grasping her arms and wrestling her back to the bed as one of the physician's help went to his bag.
It pained the Queen to watch as her guards pinned her daughter down on the bed while the physician injected her with the liquid previously used to sedate her, but as she stopped fighting and her eyes drooped, she knew it was necessary. The guards let go of her limp body as the physician checked her pulse. After feeling it was steady, he turned to the Queen who then spoke. "Have you examined her?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. She is of good health," he confirmed.
She nodded. "Good," she said before looking at the men in the room. "Not a word of this to anyone. Am I clear?" Answers of "Yes, Your Majesty" came from each man. For although there was happiness about the princess returning, there were also rumours she might not be the girl everyone thought she was. Rumours were always circling court and the Queen was well aware of the ones that had potential to do harm, but this was one that had to be contained and disproved. Rumours about the legitimacy of a child were scandalous yet harmless, for they could always be proved to have been born of the claimed mother, but rumours about the princess being dead and this girl being someone the prince had taken forcefully from her home and brought to the castle to replace her were dangerous.
Prince Christian went to speak but was silenced when the Queen raised her hand. "I am aware we need to resume our previous talk; however, there are more important things at hand. The princess needs ladies and for suitable provision to be arranged, as do I have other duties that I must attend. But foremost, I must speak with my chancellor," she said, giving one last glance at her daughter before leaving the room.
So while the princess laid in her chamber asleep, the Queen sat on her throne with her court in attendance. Prince Christian was knelt at the foot of the platform, with his cousin knelt behind him. "You have returned my daughter, brought back my happiness and settled my succession crisis. How may I reward you, Your Highness?" she said, looking down at the man who was the only one to fulfil his word of bringing back her daughter.
"No reward is necessary, Your Majesty. The poor princess was living in ruins, any honourable man would have rescued her," he replied, looking down at the floor for a moment before raising his gaze back to the Queen. "However, I wish to ask something of you. In private, if you would permit it."
She studied him for a moment before giving a curt nod, rising from her throne, acknowledging the bowing court and swiftly moving to the room connected behind the platform. Prince Christian followed and after receiving a nod of confirmation, he shut the door behind them. "I believe I know what you are to ask, but for the sake of clarification, please do speak," the Queen said.
"I wish to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."
"As I expected," she said, giving a small sigh as she paced the room. "Do not take this wrong, but I do not believe she is ready to marry - not now, and not in the coming months. There is so much we do not know about her time away and so much she will need to be taught."
Prince Christian nodded, agreeing with what she said. He knew that a marriage could not occur before the turn of the year, but he wanted to have one agreed upon, a betrothal announced that would be fulfilled whenever the princess was declared of good health. Though he was not as old as some, he was past the age where he should have acquired a wife and an heir according to his father's traditions. Instead he had passed on all the women his mother had suggested, eventually making his father aware of his lack of willingness to find a wife.
A knock on the door drew them from talk. "Enter," the Queen called.
One of the servants on hand in the princess' chamber opened the door. "Your Majesty, the princess is awake."
Without another word, the Queen hastily left the room, following the servant down the halls that led to the furthest wing where the princess had her chamber. Prince Christian followed - having been nodded at by the Queen - and they entered the room to the sight of the princess sobbing. The Queen's heart dropped at the sound. "Leave us," she commanded, eyes sweeping over the servants and guards that were in the room. They filed out, the physician and his help following as well, as did Prince Christian. They congregated outside, awaiting the door to be reopened, but also on hand should her daughter become too frantic, a possibility she had been warned of several times.
She approached the bed and sat on the edge, making the princess raise her head from her knees. "Oh my darling Rosalie," the Queen whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek only for the girl to lean away. "All these years I had no knowledge of your whereabouts only to discover that you were living in ruins. Your father and I lost all hope of ever seeing you again as search after search yielded no trace of you."
The girl wiped her eyes with the sleeve of the nightgown a woman of the Queen's household had changed her into. "I have to go back," she said.
"You are safe now, my daughter," the Queen soothed, reaching out and successfully stroking her hair. "Whoever took you away cannot get to you here, that I promise. You have no need to fear."
The girl closed her eyes and buried her head back into her knees. It was just as she had been warned. They would not let her go back, instead chose to try and poison her against the place that had been her home for more years than she could count. This woman who claimed to be her mother was nothing to her, and as she tried to keep her fear down, she knew that as long as the woman had her in her castle she would not be allowed to return back home.
The Queen rose from the bed and called out, allowing the men to enter the room once more. The sound roused the girl and she looked up, her gaze settling on Prince Christian, whom she recognised. "I didn't need saving!" she shouted, pushing the furs off her legs and lunging for the prince. "Why couldn't you have listened?" Her tears started again, and as she began to hit him the guards moved forward, grasping her arms and wrestling her back to the bed as one of the physician's help went to his bag.
It pained the Queen to watch as her guards pinned her daughter down on the bed while the physician injected her with the liquid previously used to sedate her, but as she stopped fighting and her eyes drooped, she knew it was necessary. The guards let go of her limp body as the physician checked her pulse. After feeling it was steady, he turned to the Queen who then spoke. "Have you examined her?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. She is of good health," he confirmed.
She nodded. "Good," she said before looking at the men in the room. "Not a word of this to anyone. Am I clear?" Answers of "Yes, Your Majesty" came from each man. For although there was happiness about the princess returning, there were also rumours she might not be the girl everyone thought she was. Rumours were always circling court and the Queen was well aware of the ones that had potential to do harm, but this was one that had to be contained and disproved. Rumours about the legitimacy of a child were scandalous yet harmless, for they could always be proved to have been born of the claimed mother, but rumours about the princess being dead and this girl being someone the prince had taken forcefully from her home and brought to the castle to replace her were dangerous.
Prince Christian went to speak but was silenced when the Queen raised her hand. "I am aware we need to resume our previous talk; however, there are more important things at hand. The princess needs ladies and for suitable provision to be arranged, as do I have other duties that I must attend. But foremost, I must speak with my chancellor," she said, giving one last glance at her daughter before leaving the room.