Status: Finished.
Unlawful
Act II, Scene II.
She stepped, precautious, into Nelson's chamber, her eyes darting around to make sure that he, or anyone else, was no where in sight. After becoming satisfied that no one was, she tip-toed in, straight over to his nightstand, where the letter sat, leaning against the wall. She picked it up and darted straight out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Once she was safely back in the halls of the western wing of the palace, she stopped to catch her breath, her heart pounding hard in her chest. Never had she done something so daring. Stealing that letter was like disobeying the queen's orders, and no matter who you were, that almost always resulted in...death.
She quietly made her way downstairs, and just by the entrance to the throne room, was the door that went downstairs once again, to the servants quarters, a place she was never allowed, or ever dared, to go.
The door was creaky as she pushed it open, and one girl, who was hidden down at the bottom of the stairs, peeped up curiously, her eyes widening, before she scurried away, down deeper into the hole she, and the others, lived in. It was late at night, and to be honest, Gabriella didn't expect anyone to be awake.
Her steps were cautious, as if everything was riddled with disease, as she made her way down past the kitchen, past the bathing rooms, to the chambers, where all the hundred or so workers slept. Boys to the left, girls to the right, and if there was any fishy business, both workers involved would be killed on site. Last thing the palace wanted was another mouth to feed.
Gerard was easy to spot, even in the dim moon light flooding through the small windows, up where the walls met the roof. He was one of the only men with the perfect raven hair he had, with the pink lips, and brilliantly chiselled cheeks. His father must have been a master craftsman.
"Gerard," Gabriella whispered, bending down, shaking his shoulder. His nose twitched and he smiled a little, before turning his head away, frustrating Gabriella. She could be sleeping right now. "Gerard!" she said, louder, shaking him harder. This time his eyes fluttered open and his head moved up off the flat pillow a little, before he focussed on her.
"Princess?" he asked, his voice groggy, as he sat up and wiped his eyes, squinting to make sure it was her. She stood up straight and moved towards one of the lower windows, one right at the very end of the room, where the hill that the servants quarters were buried in, sloped down slightly, and the moon could flood in.
He stood up and followed her over to the window. "Here," she murmured, handing him the letter. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to read it, and then give it back, so I can put it back where I got it, otherwise-"
Gerard nodded and unfolded it, letting his eyes wander over his mothers' messy scrawl. It just said that the family was well and thanked him for the money he was sending them, which helped them eat. He smiled fondly at the picture his brother drew him, before folding it back up and handing it back, smiling at her. "Thank you."
"I did nothing," she waved him off and smiled. "Pardon my curiosity, but what did you do to have it taken from you?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment, looking up through the glass panes, to the stars, which were amazing tonight. "I talked to you, princess. I'm not supposed to." Gabriella gasped quietly and her eyes welled with tears, but before she could apologize, as it was partially her fault, he just smiled again. "I beg your pardon, but it was worth it."
"If I may be so bold," she murmured, tilting her chin upwards, to look him directly in the eye, both of which were glinting magnificently in the light from outside. She never really planned what to say next, so...
She kissed him.
Once she was safely back in the halls of the western wing of the palace, she stopped to catch her breath, her heart pounding hard in her chest. Never had she done something so daring. Stealing that letter was like disobeying the queen's orders, and no matter who you were, that almost always resulted in...death.
She quietly made her way downstairs, and just by the entrance to the throne room, was the door that went downstairs once again, to the servants quarters, a place she was never allowed, or ever dared, to go.
The door was creaky as she pushed it open, and one girl, who was hidden down at the bottom of the stairs, peeped up curiously, her eyes widening, before she scurried away, down deeper into the hole she, and the others, lived in. It was late at night, and to be honest, Gabriella didn't expect anyone to be awake.
Her steps were cautious, as if everything was riddled with disease, as she made her way down past the kitchen, past the bathing rooms, to the chambers, where all the hundred or so workers slept. Boys to the left, girls to the right, and if there was any fishy business, both workers involved would be killed on site. Last thing the palace wanted was another mouth to feed.
Gerard was easy to spot, even in the dim moon light flooding through the small windows, up where the walls met the roof. He was one of the only men with the perfect raven hair he had, with the pink lips, and brilliantly chiselled cheeks. His father must have been a master craftsman.
"Gerard," Gabriella whispered, bending down, shaking his shoulder. His nose twitched and he smiled a little, before turning his head away, frustrating Gabriella. She could be sleeping right now. "Gerard!" she said, louder, shaking him harder. This time his eyes fluttered open and his head moved up off the flat pillow a little, before he focussed on her.
"Princess?" he asked, his voice groggy, as he sat up and wiped his eyes, squinting to make sure it was her. She stood up straight and moved towards one of the lower windows, one right at the very end of the room, where the hill that the servants quarters were buried in, sloped down slightly, and the moon could flood in.
He stood up and followed her over to the window. "Here," she murmured, handing him the letter. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to read it, and then give it back, so I can put it back where I got it, otherwise-"
Gerard nodded and unfolded it, letting his eyes wander over his mothers' messy scrawl. It just said that the family was well and thanked him for the money he was sending them, which helped them eat. He smiled fondly at the picture his brother drew him, before folding it back up and handing it back, smiling at her. "Thank you."
"I did nothing," she waved him off and smiled. "Pardon my curiosity, but what did you do to have it taken from you?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment, looking up through the glass panes, to the stars, which were amazing tonight. "I talked to you, princess. I'm not supposed to." Gabriella gasped quietly and her eyes welled with tears, but before she could apologize, as it was partially her fault, he just smiled again. "I beg your pardon, but it was worth it."
"If I may be so bold," she murmured, tilting her chin upwards, to look him directly in the eye, both of which were glinting magnificently in the light from outside. She never really planned what to say next, so...
She kissed him.