Rosalie
NINE
The new year arrived in a celebration of feasts and festivals. For the first time in many years, the Queen greeted the new year feeling content. All the troubles that she had greeted the previous year with had been resolved unexpectedly with help from a surprising ally. Before he had barged into her dining quarters, she had not been familiar with Prince Christian - of course, she knew of his father, but even then she never once entertained the thought of that family. Now, she owed her happiness to them.
Ten days into the new year, her daughter's presentation officially went ahead. The day the Queen feared had been lost forever had finally arrived, and despite knowing what it meant, she could not be happier. Now those who rejoiced at her lack of an heir would know that she did indeed have an heir and make her enemies weep at the knowledge that her kingdom would not be in disarray upon her death.
Several days after her daughter's presentation, Prince Christian returned. He had written before the festive season to apologise for not having returned and that his father had requested that he spend the season with him. The Queen had not been offended and had written back that he would be welcome to return after the season had finished if he so wished. As it turned out, he did wish to return, along with his cousin. His return was the first time the newly titled princess would be in attendance, and the Queen was keen for it to go successfully.
After the hypnosis, there had not been an episode or any unusual behaviour. Both the physician and herself believed that her daughter had been troubled by that memory, and that bringing it forth had ultimately cured her from her troubles. As a result, the Queen had offered the physician a position as her lead physician and the man had gracefully declined. He did not wish to only be bound to helping the Queen, and though he would help her again whenever she wished, he also wanted to be able to provide treatments for villagers and nomads whom he came across.
The day of Prince Christian's return, the Queen was alerted to his imminent arrival just before noon. She sent for her daughter and made her way to her throne room. As he was arriving at noon, she had commanded that her normal dining was to become a feast in honour of his return. As it was, she would never stop expressing her gratitude for him returning her daughter.
As she sat on her throne, she looked towards her adviser. "Where is my daughter?" she asked.
"She should be on her way, Your Majesty," he replied.
She drummed her fingers on the arm of her throne. "And what of Clarice Beaumont?"
"Her father's health is improving but she implores to stay by his bedside until the week's end."
"Very well," the Queen said. "Once Lord Beaumont has recovered, invite him to court. And Lady Beaumont. Though I would much rather hang that treasonous whore."
Her adviser gave a cough and moved closer to her. "Would you like me to enquire about her? Unofficially?"
She nodded. "As soon as you hear anything, I want to know. Subtly does it, Sir."
It was then that her daughter entered the room, her dress one that the Queen did not recall seeing before. She waited until the girl took her place standing on the other side of the throne before speaking. "I have not seen that dress before."
The girl looked down and brushed off her skirt. "Prince Christian gave it to me, just after we returned."
"And what are your thoughts of Prince Christian?"
Before she could reply, the man in question's arrival was announced and the Queen looked forward to see him stride through the doors along with this cousin. She noticed that his expression changed when he looked at her daughter. "Prince Christian, Lord Philip, we are pleased at your arrival. Your journey was comfortable, I presume?" she greeted, nodding at each man.
"Quite comfortable, Your Majesty," Prince Christian confirmed, bowing his head. "I am pleased to see that both Your Majesty and Your Highness are in pleasant health."
The Queen turned her head towards her daughter and gave her a look. She clasped her hands together and looked at the prince. "As are we for your health, Your Highness."
"Now, there is a feast prepared for your arrival. Shall we?"
They moved from the throne room to the hall where the feast had been set up and on the Queen's left sat her daughter, in the seat that had been vacant since her husband's passing, and on her right sat Prince Christian and his cousin. There was music and plenty of wine flowing amongst the tables, and from where the princess sat, she could see across the entire hall.
It was on the girl's second goblet of wine and after the Queen had excused herself to speak with her adviser that Prince Christian looked over at her. "You look lovely, my lady," he said, making her look towards him.
She took a sip of her wine. "Let us not pretend. I very much still despise you, sir."
"And yet you honour me by wearing my gift?"
"Oh, you gifted me this? I had forgot." She feigned shock and examined her cuff. "I suppose it does not matter who gifted me what. They are all mine, and I shall wear whatever I want without honouring any man."
The man on the other side of Prince Christian laughed and she looked at him. "I must say I have never met another woman with the same mannerisms as you, Your Highness," he quipped.
"Do not presume I like you either, Lord Philip. Though I assume you were merely following your cousin's directions, that does not excuse your participation in the invasion of my home." She finished her wine and signalled for her goblet to be refilled. It was not the food that held her attention whenever there was a feast, but rather the endless flow of wine. Her fondness for the beverage was not noticeable when there were many others who favoured it around.
Prince Christian quirked a smile. "What would the Queen say if she heard you speak such things?"
"Have you not heard? I have become the perfect daughter. Why, you just missed my presentation."
It was then that something caught her attention and she excused herself from the table, leaving the two men to watch as she disappeared into the bustling room, goblet in hand. Philip shook his head and picked up his own goblet. "I cannot fathom your desire to wed her," he commented.
"She is a princess."
"And you are a prince. You are not marrying for the title, and there are certainly other eligible ladies whom you could court. Why her?"
Prince Christian sat back in his chair and looked at his cousin. "I suppose we see her different?"
"That I shall not argue with."
"While you dislike her mannerisms, I find them intriguing. A memory from her time away from her home, I suppose. And you are correct, there are other eligible ladies. My mother was fond of Elisia Sutthis, daughter of Lord Sutthis, if you can recall him? And you introduced Petunia Wallsgrons to me, remember? But neither of those ladies - or any other - were ones--"
Philip cut him off. "Were ones you rescued. Yes, you will never let us forget that you rescued Princess Rosalie. It is mad that you wish to marry her solely for that reason - surely there must be something else that makes you desperate to seek the Queen's consent?"
"Perhaps. Nevertheless, I do not have that consent so I shall not divulge the reasoning to you, dear cousin. But I am certain I will obtain that consent, and one day she shall be my bride. I can only hope that it shall be soon."
Ten days into the new year, her daughter's presentation officially went ahead. The day the Queen feared had been lost forever had finally arrived, and despite knowing what it meant, she could not be happier. Now those who rejoiced at her lack of an heir would know that she did indeed have an heir and make her enemies weep at the knowledge that her kingdom would not be in disarray upon her death.
Several days after her daughter's presentation, Prince Christian returned. He had written before the festive season to apologise for not having returned and that his father had requested that he spend the season with him. The Queen had not been offended and had written back that he would be welcome to return after the season had finished if he so wished. As it turned out, he did wish to return, along with his cousin. His return was the first time the newly titled princess would be in attendance, and the Queen was keen for it to go successfully.
After the hypnosis, there had not been an episode or any unusual behaviour. Both the physician and herself believed that her daughter had been troubled by that memory, and that bringing it forth had ultimately cured her from her troubles. As a result, the Queen had offered the physician a position as her lead physician and the man had gracefully declined. He did not wish to only be bound to helping the Queen, and though he would help her again whenever she wished, he also wanted to be able to provide treatments for villagers and nomads whom he came across.
The day of Prince Christian's return, the Queen was alerted to his imminent arrival just before noon. She sent for her daughter and made her way to her throne room. As he was arriving at noon, she had commanded that her normal dining was to become a feast in honour of his return. As it was, she would never stop expressing her gratitude for him returning her daughter.
As she sat on her throne, she looked towards her adviser. "Where is my daughter?" she asked.
"She should be on her way, Your Majesty," he replied.
She drummed her fingers on the arm of her throne. "And what of Clarice Beaumont?"
"Her father's health is improving but she implores to stay by his bedside until the week's end."
"Very well," the Queen said. "Once Lord Beaumont has recovered, invite him to court. And Lady Beaumont. Though I would much rather hang that treasonous whore."
Her adviser gave a cough and moved closer to her. "Would you like me to enquire about her? Unofficially?"
She nodded. "As soon as you hear anything, I want to know. Subtly does it, Sir."
It was then that her daughter entered the room, her dress one that the Queen did not recall seeing before. She waited until the girl took her place standing on the other side of the throne before speaking. "I have not seen that dress before."
The girl looked down and brushed off her skirt. "Prince Christian gave it to me, just after we returned."
"And what are your thoughts of Prince Christian?"
Before she could reply, the man in question's arrival was announced and the Queen looked forward to see him stride through the doors along with this cousin. She noticed that his expression changed when he looked at her daughter. "Prince Christian, Lord Philip, we are pleased at your arrival. Your journey was comfortable, I presume?" she greeted, nodding at each man.
"Quite comfortable, Your Majesty," Prince Christian confirmed, bowing his head. "I am pleased to see that both Your Majesty and Your Highness are in pleasant health."
The Queen turned her head towards her daughter and gave her a look. She clasped her hands together and looked at the prince. "As are we for your health, Your Highness."
"Now, there is a feast prepared for your arrival. Shall we?"
They moved from the throne room to the hall where the feast had been set up and on the Queen's left sat her daughter, in the seat that had been vacant since her husband's passing, and on her right sat Prince Christian and his cousin. There was music and plenty of wine flowing amongst the tables, and from where the princess sat, she could see across the entire hall.
It was on the girl's second goblet of wine and after the Queen had excused herself to speak with her adviser that Prince Christian looked over at her. "You look lovely, my lady," he said, making her look towards him.
She took a sip of her wine. "Let us not pretend. I very much still despise you, sir."
"And yet you honour me by wearing my gift?"
"Oh, you gifted me this? I had forgot." She feigned shock and examined her cuff. "I suppose it does not matter who gifted me what. They are all mine, and I shall wear whatever I want without honouring any man."
The man on the other side of Prince Christian laughed and she looked at him. "I must say I have never met another woman with the same mannerisms as you, Your Highness," he quipped.
"Do not presume I like you either, Lord Philip. Though I assume you were merely following your cousin's directions, that does not excuse your participation in the invasion of my home." She finished her wine and signalled for her goblet to be refilled. It was not the food that held her attention whenever there was a feast, but rather the endless flow of wine. Her fondness for the beverage was not noticeable when there were many others who favoured it around.
Prince Christian quirked a smile. "What would the Queen say if she heard you speak such things?"
"Have you not heard? I have become the perfect daughter. Why, you just missed my presentation."
It was then that something caught her attention and she excused herself from the table, leaving the two men to watch as she disappeared into the bustling room, goblet in hand. Philip shook his head and picked up his own goblet. "I cannot fathom your desire to wed her," he commented.
"She is a princess."
"And you are a prince. You are not marrying for the title, and there are certainly other eligible ladies whom you could court. Why her?"
Prince Christian sat back in his chair and looked at his cousin. "I suppose we see her different?"
"That I shall not argue with."
"While you dislike her mannerisms, I find them intriguing. A memory from her time away from her home, I suppose. And you are correct, there are other eligible ladies. My mother was fond of Elisia Sutthis, daughter of Lord Sutthis, if you can recall him? And you introduced Petunia Wallsgrons to me, remember? But neither of those ladies - or any other - were ones--"
Philip cut him off. "Were ones you rescued. Yes, you will never let us forget that you rescued Princess Rosalie. It is mad that you wish to marry her solely for that reason - surely there must be something else that makes you desperate to seek the Queen's consent?"
"Perhaps. Nevertheless, I do not have that consent so I shall not divulge the reasoning to you, dear cousin. But I am certain I will obtain that consent, and one day she shall be my bride. I can only hope that it shall be soon."