Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 265: Violet: The Trouble With You

"You know what the trouble is with women like you?" Leo began answering a question that Violet had never asked. "You spend all your time worrying about avoiding the things you think are wrong or sinful. You’re also so busy judging others’ actions that you forget to truly live."

"I see. And what do you suggest I do so that I’m truly living?" she replied. Her tone was one she never thought she’d use with royalty. Yet she was past caring what the insufferable boor of a man thought of her. "Start romping with a stable hand or two in some dark corner?"

"If that’s what you want, then yes."

"Well, it’s not what I want!" Violet replied hotly. "Firstly, it’s a sin, regardless of what you may think. Secondly, it’s very different for girls. A man might be able to get away with that sort of incident, but a girl can’t. Her reputation would be completely ruined if word got out."

"Even if she’d had the honour of being with not just any man, but the Crown Prince of Islia himself?"

"Even after an honour as great as that one, Your Grace." she squeezed out between gritted teeth. "Though I suppose worrying about your reputation is less important when you’re only a maid. But what you describe is not a risk a noble lady can take."

The prince shrugged. "That’s not strictly true. I know that because I’ve bedded plenty of noble ladies before."

Oh, my lord. Was there no limit to the man’s arrogance? "I’m sure you have. Those ladies were fools to take the risk and those who were discovered, suffered the consequences. Just go ask Kathryn Danner." Violet snapped, without thinking.

Leo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh? And what do you know about what happened between Lady Kathryn and I?"

Too late, Violet realised her terrible mistake. Backtracking desperately before the prince’s probing stare, she hurriedly said, "I, uh, overheard her boasting once that you’d tumbled her. I guess Her Majesty must’ve heard about it as well, because she demoted her. Lady Kathryn went from being one of the favourites to being mostly ignored by the queen and most of the other ladies."

Leo snorted. "Do you really put that much stock on what a group of snobby young ladies think of you, and whether they want to be your friend?"

"No." she admitted. "But it’s not a very enjoyable way to go about your day, when everyone treats you like a leper."

"Yes, but you realise that you just assumed Kathryn was telling the truth? You believe her, but she could’ve just been lying when she said she’d been with me."

"It doesn’t matter what I believe, Your Grace." Violet said stubbornly, refusing to fall into his trap and admit she’d seen what had taken place with her own eyes. "What matters is what the queen believes."

Leo bent his head to whisper in her ear as they danced. To an observer, the interaction would’ve looked almost intimate. Violet felt herself break out in a cold sweat.

"You spoke with such confidence about what Lady Kathryn allegedly did, it made me wonder if you hadn’t actually seen it for yourself." he purred. "That couldn’t be true though, could it? That you saw her and I together?"

"Of course not! How would I know where you sneak around with your women?" Violet whispered, swallowing nervously.

"Well, you know one of the places now, don’t you? The storage room from earlier today."

"That was purely by chance!" she said defensively. "I was only at that end of the castle because Her Majesty asked me to run an errand for her and visit the jeweller’s workshop!"

"But if that’s all you were doing, there would’ve been no reason for you to veer off the main corridor." Leo’s teeth were brilliant white as he grinned down at her. "How did you end up in a storeroom within another storeroom?"

Silence.

"It wasn’t because you were snooping around, was it? Because you like discovering other people’s hidden business and potentially holding it over their heads? Surely it isn’t that, my dear lady?"

Violet felt her throat closing up. All she could do was shake her head to deny his words, even though they were the truth. Her instincts told her that despite not saying it outright, the prince knew - he just knew - she’d spied on him and Kathryn that night in the garden.

Prince Leo smiled at her again and she had to admit, he was very handsome. The look in his eyes however, was cool. "I’d be very careful where you lurk within the castle, Lady Violet. There’s a whole other life that happens at this court, one far more interesting than chaste dances and doing goddamn embroidery all day."

She nodded, as if heeding his advice.

"Besides, if you make it your business to know everyone else’s secrets, then your own secrets will eventually come to light."

"I have nothing to hide." Violet said pertly.

"Oh, I don’t really don’t believe that." Leo spun her in time to the music, then drew her closer again so his breath could tickle the shell of her ear. "We all have things about us that we don’t want to reveal to others."

The song finally ended and Violet gave a perfunctory bow of thanks to the prince, then hurried back to her table. As soon as she sat down, her face burning, the other ladies pounced on her like vultures on carrion.

"Lady Violet. What was His Grace whispering in your ear?" one of them asked slyly.

"Nothing that should concern you." Violet replied stonily. Despite her awkward conversation with the prince, she hadn’t missed the envious, catty looks on her companions’ faces. She was happy enough to torment them with the idea she might have caught Leo’s fancy.

Even if there was nothing further from the truth and he’d been whispering veiled threats to her.

"That’s not what it looked like to us. The way he held you looked almost romantic. If it had been anyone but you, Lady Violet, I’d think His Grace was actually quite smitten." Maisie was clearly determined to land a blow.

Violet gave her a flat look, ignoring the giggles from the other ladies. "Hmm. I didn’t know you were familiar with what romance looks like. You’ve always struck me as the kind of woman that men don’t spend too long with."

Maisie’s face reddened with rage. "No one gets the better of me! Especially not a stuck up pauper-"

"Vy!" Ilse’s sweet voice interrupted the budding quarrel. "Her Majesty wishes to retire now and requires our assistance. We must go."

Violet nodded serenely and stood from her seat to face her sister. Ilse’s expression was dark with worry.

To reassure her, Violet linked her arm through her sister’s as the two of them walked away from a sputtering Maise and towards the high table.

"Are you alright, Vy? It seemed like the other girls were making things difficult for you."

Violet half smiled. "No more difficult than I was making things for a few of them. You don’t need to worry about me."

"Lady Maisie looked like she was about to start breathing fire." Ilse sighed. "You really need to stop provoking them all."

"Did you ever think they might be provoking me? What makes you assume that I started it?"

Ilse gave her a knowing stare. "Because you like needling people and after a lifetime of practice, you’re very good at it. So stop pretending otherwise."

Violet opened her mouth to defend herself but ended up giving the other half of her a rueful smile. What would be the point?

"Were they being nosy about you dancing with Prince Leo?" Ilse finally asked.

"You saw us?"

"Of course. Everyone watches the heir to the throne. He looked like he was flirting with you." Ilse smirked. "Or he was trying to at least, despite you looking like you wanted to flee the hall. You should try and relax more, Vy, and actually enjoy getting attention from such an important man." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Violet frowned uncomfortably. "I can’t say I really enjoy his attention."

"Why not? He’s terribly handsome, a good dancer, actually has a sense of humour."

"I suppose, yes..."

"He’s charming too. And despite what others might say, I actually think the prince is a clever soul." Ilse continued.

Would she describe the prince as clever, Violet asked herself? Or more like very observant and cunning? Either way, she thought it was probably best to avoid the man. She didn’t like how some of the assumptions he made about her, were frighteningly accurate.

As the two sisters trailed Queen Celia back to her apartments and listened to their mistress complain about her aching head and tiredness, Violet determined that from now on, she’d stay well away from the eldest prince. She had no use for a man who seemed to know her almost as well as she knew herself.