Status: Finished.
Unlawful
Act II, Scene I.
"Two hours!" James screamed throughout the servants quarters the next morning, bashing something against the bottom of a pot. James was one of Gerard's less-liked associates. But, he helped, in some mild way, Gerard keep his job, by getting him, and all the other workers up, every morning at four am.
Two hours, every morning, meant the cooks had two hours to have the breakfast platters ready and set up, and the cleaners had two hours to make sure that the whole palace was spotless, top to bottom, not a speck of dust lying where it should be not.
Gerard, well, he had an easy job. He stood by the doors, he opened and closed them, and he was payed the same as the cooks were. Which, in all honesty, was very little anyway. He didn't speak a word to the royals and they didn't speak to him - unless it was an insult. When he was feeling bold, he'd smile at Gabriella, though.
It'd been three wonderful and unbearably lonely weeks. He'd not felt such lust and want and hopelessness and seclusion in his whole life. He felt so amazed that he could have even met her, have her talk to him, but at the same time, he knew nothing could or would come of his want for the princess. It was forbidden, amongst other things. It wasn't going to happen.
That's where the loneliness came from. Oh, his heart ached for something more than he was, to be and to have. He wanted to be more himself and he wanted more. He wanted the princess and he would never deny it; to himself, at least. Other people were a different story.
He bathed quickly, in one of the many baths set up in the one big room, the water was chilling but that didn't matter, because he was going to be seeing her again in just a little bit. He smoothed his hair down and took his clothes from the line, where he'd left them to dry the night before, after washing them for a long while, making sure there was not a mark.
"Gerard!" Madam Marie called, as loud as the little woman could, rushing through the kitchen and down to where Gerard was, waving a brown piece of paper around. "Gerard, it is from your mother, my boy."
But before he could take it from her, a courtier stepped through the masses of peasants and took it from her hands. "I'm taking this." Gerard's mouth opened and closed like a fishes would, but no words came out. They always took their letters or their pay from the workers as punishment. Luckily Gerard had never done wrong, so it'd never happened, so he couldn't understand what he had done to get it taken.
"It appears, boy, that someone has seen you associating with Princess Gabriella. Standard procedure is to have you fired; sent back to the squalor you came from, but it appears the Queen has a soft spot for you. Next time, though, you might not be so lucky," he spat it vehemently. He stepped closer and bared his teeth. "I won't hesitate to have you killed."
Gerard gulped and nodded lightly, watching the courtier turn on his heel and walk away.
- - -
"Nelson," Gabriella's curiosity had peaked. "What is that?" Both their eyes wandered to the letter that he had tucked safely under his belt, 'Gerard' clearly printed on the front. "I mean..."
"Curiosity killed the cat, Gabriella, you remember that," the queen told her without delay, her voice not faltering. Why would Nelson have Gerard's letter? What had he done so wrong? He seemed like an honest boy; sweet too. Gabriella's heart fluttered at the thought of Gerard; his honey eyes, his perfect skin. Maybe she'd see him this morning...
She banished the thought from her head and focused back on her grapes and apple.
He's nothing.
Two hours, every morning, meant the cooks had two hours to have the breakfast platters ready and set up, and the cleaners had two hours to make sure that the whole palace was spotless, top to bottom, not a speck of dust lying where it should be not.
Gerard, well, he had an easy job. He stood by the doors, he opened and closed them, and he was payed the same as the cooks were. Which, in all honesty, was very little anyway. He didn't speak a word to the royals and they didn't speak to him - unless it was an insult. When he was feeling bold, he'd smile at Gabriella, though.
It'd been three wonderful and unbearably lonely weeks. He'd not felt such lust and want and hopelessness and seclusion in his whole life. He felt so amazed that he could have even met her, have her talk to him, but at the same time, he knew nothing could or would come of his want for the princess. It was forbidden, amongst other things. It wasn't going to happen.
That's where the loneliness came from. Oh, his heart ached for something more than he was, to be and to have. He wanted to be more himself and he wanted more. He wanted the princess and he would never deny it; to himself, at least. Other people were a different story.
He bathed quickly, in one of the many baths set up in the one big room, the water was chilling but that didn't matter, because he was going to be seeing her again in just a little bit. He smoothed his hair down and took his clothes from the line, where he'd left them to dry the night before, after washing them for a long while, making sure there was not a mark.
"Gerard!" Madam Marie called, as loud as the little woman could, rushing through the kitchen and down to where Gerard was, waving a brown piece of paper around. "Gerard, it is from your mother, my boy."
But before he could take it from her, a courtier stepped through the masses of peasants and took it from her hands. "I'm taking this." Gerard's mouth opened and closed like a fishes would, but no words came out. They always took their letters or their pay from the workers as punishment. Luckily Gerard had never done wrong, so it'd never happened, so he couldn't understand what he had done to get it taken.
"It appears, boy, that someone has seen you associating with Princess Gabriella. Standard procedure is to have you fired; sent back to the squalor you came from, but it appears the Queen has a soft spot for you. Next time, though, you might not be so lucky," he spat it vehemently. He stepped closer and bared his teeth. "I won't hesitate to have you killed."
Gerard gulped and nodded lightly, watching the courtier turn on his heel and walk away.
- - -
"Nelson," Gabriella's curiosity had peaked. "What is that?" Both their eyes wandered to the letter that he had tucked safely under his belt, 'Gerard' clearly printed on the front. "I mean..."
"Curiosity killed the cat, Gabriella, you remember that," the queen told her without delay, her voice not faltering. Why would Nelson have Gerard's letter? What had he done so wrong? He seemed like an honest boy; sweet too. Gabriella's heart fluttered at the thought of Gerard; his honey eyes, his perfect skin. Maybe she'd see him this morning...
She banished the thought from her head and focused back on her grapes and apple.
He's nothing.