VI
It's been three days, three days, since the accident. I've slept for three days, and just woke up a few minutes ago. My maid is hurrying to tell everybody that I'm alive and still as talkative as ever.
I lay in my bed, only now do I notice the softness of the sheets. It is keeping me warm and when I look out of the windows, it's storming outside. Rain is clattering against my window and you can hear the thunder.
I remember...
Edward.
No, no, no, he is going to take me back to Bourdeaux and will force me to marry him. For the longest time I've been hiding successfully from him and hoped that he would die in war.
"Your Majesty, the Duke of Bourdeaux, The Duke of Florega and The King." My maid announces before the three man set step in my chambers. I hear their boots clicking against the marmer floors.
I look up to them as they near my bed, the circle around the bed. James, rushing to my side and sitting on his knees to see me. Edward standing next to my brother looking intently at me and at last, The King, he is standing in front of a window looking out of it. I can see him looking at me through the reflection, when I meet his eyes he immediately shifts his gaze and stares into the French landscapes that are visible through my window.
"How are you feeling Victoria?" My brother asks me first, I give him a tired smile. I must look horrible, my hair as messy as ever. My face is swollen from sleep.
"I'm so glad you woke up, I was so scared that I would lose you." He said to me genuinely. I gave him a smile. I wouldn't know what I would do without my brother either.
Edward coughed on purpose to let everyone know that he is still here with us. This is one of the reasons I hate him so much, always the attention seeker. My brother gave him a look and stood up and moved to the King. They both shared a look which I couldn't know the meaning from.
"Victoria." Edward spoke firmly, I avoided his gaze and had it fixated on Isaac's firm posture, his shoulders are so broad, and he is around 5 inches taller than my brother and my brother is already tall.
"Would you mind leaving us?" Edward suddenly spoke towards James and The King. James turned around and looked at Edward, but eventually gave up and went to leave the room until he noticed that the King hadn't moved an inch.
"Your Majesty? I would like to talk to my fiance." Edward now spoke directly to The King. Isaac now turned to Edward and only now I noticed how pale Isaac is, his face seems tired and overworked.
"This is my castle and I would like it if you stopped bossing me around, you can have your words with your fiance, my presence won't change much." Edward was certainly shocked by Isaac's words and so was I. I can't realize that it bothers him so much that The King is still here, it makes me more comfortable, I never know what's going on in that head of his.
"Of course, Your Majesty." Edward said and walked back to my side. I felt Isaac's gaze on me through the reflection, I didn't mind, it gave me a bit comfort to know that there was someone watching out for me. I am still worried for him.
"Victoria?" Edward said my name once more, I quickly turned to his direction, I kept daydreaming about The King.
"What Edward?" I asked roughly, I hate him, and he knows that and now that the King is in our presence he will have to pretend not to be an abusive fiance.
"I missed you, I was very sad to hear that you didn't try to contact me at all." I scoffed at the words, I looked at him in displeasure.
"Don't play me Edward, we both know that you didn't miss me, probably the only time you thought about me was when you were broke or had another debt to pay, stop the games Edward, be real." I said to his face. By now Isaac must've realized that I don't want to marry him.
"We made a deal Victoria, I marry you and everything that belongs to you belongs to me, and everything that belongs to me belongs-"
"To me, yes, I know those rules very well. You made them quite clear. Except you almost don't have any belongings, you just want my money." I told him, his face changed into rage.
"I've heard rumors, you know, that you aren't loyal to me at all."
"There is a reason that they are called rumors, Edward." I almost shout, he is getting on my nerves.
"One way or another I will marry you." Edward says before he leaves my room, leaving me alone with The King who is still standing by the window.
A few moments of silence make their way to my room and it's uncomfortable. I know that he is watching me, but I just close my eyes to calm down. I would run after him if I could.
"Is that the man you are supposed to marry?" The King suddenly asks me. He turns around and I see his pale white face. I start to worry again. Why does he look so awful?
"Yes, yes he is."
"Why?" He asks. He stands so powerful in front of my bed, a true King.
"Why?" I ask, not understanding where this conversation is going.
"Why do you need to marry such a bastard?" His words both warm and cool my heart. I like that he sees what little he is of a man and I also hate it because now I'm starting to be scared to marry him.
"The same reason why you married The Queen." I say. I realized soon enough that that was very rude.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that, it was way out of line." I quickly apologize. He looks at me.
"It's alright, everybody who has a right mind knows that Charlotte and I didn't marry for love." He says, I can hear in his voice that it pains him, I know what it feels like to marry someone you hate, thank god I haven't married that jerk yet.
"My uncle owes a lot of money to the Florenga's around ten thousand ducats. He died without heirs and the closest relationship to my uncle were me and James. The easiest way to get rid of the debt is to marry one of the Florenga's, otherwise my brother will pay the price." I say, a tear falls from my face as I recall why I need to do this nonsense.
"How long do you have?" He asks calmly. He shows sympathy, I can hear it in his voice. I don't know if he's angry or anything, but his eyes turned a shade darker, if that's possible.
"Not long, till my 25th birthday, which is in four months."
"Four months is short." He says he takes a step closer to the end of the bed, I think he is so tall that if he lay down in my bed his feet would stick out.
"I'm aware."
"If you'd marry someone else in that period, will that break your engagement?" I shake my head at his words.
"Yes, it would break the engagement, but it would kill my brother." I say. I hear him exhale.
"Let's not speak of this anymore." I tell him, he raises his head from the ground to face my eyes. My gaze is fixated on the sheets.
"Well, I'm glad you are feeling better, or at least woke up, the entire castle was a bit shaken these past few days." He tells me, I raise my brows at the comment. Was everyone worried that I might die? God, if I'm going to die it won't be because of just a stupid acident like this.
"By the way, about the German protestants, I already made my own strategies on a paper if you'd like. I can show you them tomorrow or whenever it is fine for you." He says.
"I will come, now."
"What? Now? I think you should rest, Your Grace." The way he says my title has my heart in a twist. I nod and he is certainly surprised as I can see it from his reaction.
"No, I've rested enough, believe me. Could you hand me my robe?" I ask The King, he laughs at my recklessness, and walks to the chair where my robe rests. He hands it to me. I notice how big his hands are. My hand would fit perfectly in his.
"Here you go." He walks to the other side of the room, as I step out of my bed and put the robe over my nightgown. I tie it and put on my slippers. His back is still turned to me. Such a gentleman.
"I'm decent." I tell him, and he turns around, smiling when he sees me. I blush when he looks at me like that and we both make our way to his chambers, it's late in the evening and the halls are mostly abandoned. It's still storming outside.
We make our way to a hallway which seems some kind of familiar with me. Then I notice two doors. The gold doorknobs. The Royal chambers.
"Why aren't we going to the strategy room?" I ask him, he looks down on me and I need to stretch my neck to meet his gaze.
"Because the designs are in my room, I haven't had time to talk with the nobles about this idea." He speaks. I love the way he talks, so deep and sometimes his voice is a bit raspy which makes him even more attractive.
"Alright." I say as we stand in front of his chamber doors, the guards open the doors for us and we both walk in.
As soon as I step in the room, I notice how huge it is, it's perhaps twice my room and that it is already big. The King takes his fur coat off his broad shoulders and throws it perfectly on a chair. He takes off his golden crown and sets it down on his nightstand.
His bed is placed in front of the biggest windows and the balcony, his bureau is placed in the corner of the room, where papers are perfectly organized, he has a huge carpet in the middle of the room. It is so beautiful here, there are so many windows and the rain makes clattering sounds perhaps twice as much as in my room, the thunder is very visible here, I like it.
"Make yourself at home." He tells me, I smile at his words.
"You probably tell that to a lot of people." His head turns immediately in my direction at my statement. He seems hurt in a way.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asks, a frown is placed between his eyes as he stares directly into mine, he is starting to walk closer to me, until he stops at a few feet distance. He is still searching for the answer in my eyes. I didn't mean to-
"I- I mean that you tell everyone who comes here that they should feel at home and that there are probably a lot of people." I ramble, the way he is staring at me is very intimidating.
"You're the first one I told that to, I don't let people in my room, in my private space." He speaks. Still with the same look in his eyes he starts to get closer.
"Then why did you?-"
"Because of the papers." He said, and the sudden rush of excitement is gone. I thought that- Nevermind. He turned around and walked towards his bureau and I followed him obediently. I see wine standing on the corner of his table.
"Would you like some?"