Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 294: Violet: Chaste Good Manners

"Go on then, sister!" Ilse’s voice rose as she glared at her twin. "Go and tell Her Majesty what you did! How you broke my heart by laying with the man I loved. Tell her what a shameless whore you’ve been, just because you wanted to hurt me by taking what was mine!"

More horrified gasps filled the room. Violet could see the fascination, mixed with morbid delight, on the faces of the ladies-in-waiting. They’d know right away what man Ilse was talking about.

How could they not? For weeks, Ilse and Leo had been the most admired, most envied young couple at court. Now everyone would know Ilse was accusing her own sister of acting the wanton with the prince.

"Girls!" the queen screamed as she heaved herself out of her armchair and waddled over to them, face red with outrage. "This is the most despicable behaviour! You must explain yourselves at once!"

"Tell her, Violet! Surely you’re not embarrassed by your own actions, are you?" Ilse shouted just as loudly. "Surely you’re congratulating yourself for being so clever and breaking my heart!"

"If you’d just listen to me, I can explain-"

"Explain what? That you deliberately seduced the prince because you knew I adored him? That you couldn’t bear the thought of me actually being happy, so you preferred to burn everything down around us instead?"

"Leo?" Queen Celia’s face turned ashen as she whispered the name of her precious boy.

Ilse made her voice gentle again when she faced the queen, not bothering to wipe the tears that had started rolling down her face. "I’m sorry you had to find out this way, Your Grace. I know how much you love your eldest son. I love him too. But I’ve just discovered that all this time he’s been treating me so kindly, he’s been lying with my own sister."

Queen Celia stared at Violet in horror. "Why did you tell Lady Ilse such a beastly lie?"

"It’s not a lie, Your Grace." Ilse spoke up before Violet could, her head shaking. "I just spoke to His Highness and he confessed everything. He and Violet have been secretly meeting for weeks so they could sin together. He begged me for forgiveness but I’m sure you’ll understand why I can never forgive him."

"He would’ve just done more of the same if you had forgiven him!" Violet replied angrily. She could feel herself starting to sweat from the humiliation. "If not with me, than with someone else. Lord knows I’ve run into him fornicating with many other castle women - right down to the maids! - in the months we’ve been here! I told you to stay away from him, that he couldn’t be trusted. But like a lovesick fool, you refused to listen! Now you want to be angry with me because I finally convinced you of the truth? You should be thanking me instead-"

Ilse slapped her again, this time with a force that sent Violet staggering to the side and falling to one knee. "Thank you? You want me to thank you for your jealousy? You never did this for me, Violet. You did it for you! Everything you ever do is only for you."

Someone in the room screamed. Violet quickly scrambled to her feet again and looked around, aghast, at the audience surrounding her.

Queen Celia bellowed for her guards to enter the presence chamber.

- - -

Violet couldn’t remember much about how her and Ilse ended up back in their bedchamber. She knew that at some point she’d been grabbed by the elbow by one of the queen’s guards and bundled out of the royal apartments, the same as her sister.

She’d barely been able to think above the noise of her own sobbing, the sting of her face and Ilse’s voice, which continued shouting and insulting her for the entire way.

Once the door to their bedchamber had been pushed open by a guard, both sisters were roughly shoved inside and the door slammed shut.

Violet tripped on her hem as she was shoved and ended up stumbling to the floor. Palms pressed against the stone floor, she looked up at her sister for help. But Ilse swept past her as if she wasn’t even there.

Violet remained on the floor, trying to catch her breath. Her throat was raw from crying and her ear still ringing from Ilse’s blows. She continued to sob and sniffle but garnered no reaction.

Who the hell was the woman in the room with her? What had become of her sweet natured, docile sister?

A knock eventually shattered the sickening silence between the girls. Violet looked at her sister but Ilse was standing by the bed and looking up at the window, as if completely deaf to the knocking. After a few moments, Violet pushed herself up to her feet and moved towards the door.

A skinny, grey haired steward stood in the corridor, holding a sheet of parchment in one hand. He visibly shrank back when he saw Violet at the door with her blotchy, tear stained face.

"What?" she snarled, all traces of ladylike manners gone.

The man straightened his posture in an attempt at dignity. "I bring a message from Her Majesty to the Thierre ladies."

As much as Violet wanted to shut the door hard on the man’s face, she knew she couldn’t afford to land herself in even more trouble. So she stood back ever so slightly, allowing the steward to look into the bedchamber and see that Ilse was inside.

"Are the two of you Ladies Ilse and Violet Thierre, daughters of Duke Henry Thierre of Orravalo?"

Violet groaned in frustration at the pompous little servant. "Of course we are! You know very well that we are! So kindly deliver your message and leave us!"

The steward looked stunned for a moment at her harsh tone before he brought the parchment to his face and began to read out loud.

Due to the grave displeasure of Her Majesty, Queen Celia Devon of Islia, the Thierre sisters have both been relieved of their duties as royal ladies-in-waiting.

They are commanded to return home to their parents, the esteemed Duke and Duchess of Orravalo. It is hoped this return to the loving authority of their parents, will allow the sisters to reflect upon their recent sinful and unladylike words and actions. It will also provide them with ample time to pray for forgiveness. Their removal from court will endure for as long as Her Majesty sees fit.

The gracious Queen and her court will pray for the souls of Ladies Ilse and Violet, that they may find their way back to grace, humility and chaste good manners.

A carriage has been arranged to return the sisters to their home, due to the generosity of Her Majesty. The carriage shall depart from this palace early in the morning on the twenty fourth day of October.

A message will also be sent to the Duke and Duchess of their daughters’ imminent return.

Until their departure, the Ladies Ilse and Violet are prohibited from leaving their assigned room. All their needs will be met by stewards and maids.

When the steward finished reading, he simply stared at the sisters as if they were both piles of rotting fish. Ilse ignored him. Violet just stared back at him rudely. As if she cared about what an insignificant little man thought of her, when her world had already collapsed.

Finally, he gave an awkward bow and hurried away.

Violet slammed the shut the door and looked at Ilse, who had opened her clothes chest. She began rearranging the garments inside in silence, not a trace of sorrow on her face.

Violet expected Ilse to be devastated by her banishment from the court she loved so much, but her lovely face had no expression at all. "Do you need any help packing, sister?" she asked very softly.

Surely there was nothing left for them to do but work together to prepare for a nightmarish homecoming?

"No. I need nothing from you and likely won’t ever again. So there’s no need for you to speak to me." Ilse’s voice was as hollow as her stare. She continued calmly sorting clothes.

"Ilse, just talk to me. Please! We’re kin and can fix this. I need you-"

"Speak to me again and I won’t hesitate to slap you down to the floor."

Violet shut her mouth and slowly sat on the bed, unnerved by the harsh words. Surely Ilse hadn’t meant that?

Violet was her twin, her flesh and blood. Leo was the man she claimed to love. Was she really capable of pushing them both out of her life and her heart like she was claiming?

What had Ilse yelled at her early that morning - something about how if Violet couldn’t win a game, she always did her damndest to ruin it for everyone?

I think we’ve both lost the game now, Violet told herself sadly.