Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 322: Violet: Cleave to Me

6 December, 1354. Westerhaven Palace, Islia

The moment she saw her husband storm into their presence chamber that morning, his face dark with temper, Violet knew.

It had happened.

The dam had finally cracked and the torrent was finally upon them.

So now she had to steal herself and face the consequences. She took a deep breath.

Her ladies-in-waiting, who had been quietly embroidering in a circle, all looked at each other in terror. Leo’s explosive anger was well known.

He glanced at them and then jerked his head in the door’s direction. "All of you. Get out now."

The ladies scattered and fled for the doors in a flurry of bows and rustling skirts. Violet watched, wishing she could join them.

"How much do you know about the fucking disaster your sister has allegedly gotten herself involved in?" Leo snarled as soon as the last lady had left the room and he’d slammed the doors shut.

"Sancia told me a few days ago that she’s with child. I wasn’t sure whether to believe her or not. But given she’s gone and told our parents, I assume she’s telling the truth." she replied calmly, remaining in her seat.

"She’s claiming it’s my cousin’s!"

"Yes, she told me it could be William’s child. Then again, she admitted there’s a chance it’s actually Tom’s. There’s also a chance her baby was fathered by another one of the youths in that group and it’s not a Devon child at all."

Leo’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What? Are you telling me that your sister has worked her way through every boy in that circle of friends? You’re accusing her of being a whore?"

"Well, I don’t know if she lay with all of them. But if she says her child is William’s, it’s because she believes she has the most to gain from him." Violet said. "It could be Tom’s but Sancia clearly sees that as a less attractive option. And she’ll never admit to bedding anyone else because a prince is far more enticing than a mere nobleman’s son."

"That lying bitch! Your parents had an audience with Father just after breakfast...oh. Oh, I see." Realisation dawned on Leo’s face. "That’s why they’re at court, isn’t it? Not because they give a fuck about you or baby Eve."

"Indeed."

"Why are you not angry about that?"

"It’s what I learned to expect a long time ago. My parents have never been interested in their daughters beyond the wealth they can bring. And since they know they can’t wrangle anything more from me..." Violet said, emotionless. "For now, Sancia is their beloved who can do no wrong. But if this gamble doesn’t work out, you watch how quickly they’ll discard her. She’s too stupid to see that, though."

Leo began to pace the room in frustration. "But if she really is with child, then she’s going to get away with this! If she can pin this mess on either Will or Tom and begs for marriage, Father is backed into a corner! Fuck...fuck!"

Violet watched him pace without trying to stop him. She knew once ignited, Leo’s rage had to be allowed to burn until it faded on its own.

He turned to face her and roared. "Why the hell didn’t you warn me earlier?"

"Sancia only told me a few days ago and when I told her I wasn’t going go intervene for her before the king, she was furious. I warned her not to get our parents involved but she’d already sent a note to inform them while I was still in confinement. And my parents clearly knew I wouldn’t approve because they asked you for permission to come here, not me."

Violet emphasised the word confinement. Before everyone leapt at her throat, they’d do well to remember that during the last couple of months, her entire focus had been confinement, birth and recovery. How was she supposed to keep track of her sister’s movements during that time?

Leo pulled at handfuls of his own hair, eyes wild and red. "Cunning little bitch...and what were these stupid boys thinking?"

"My guess is they weren’t thinking at all. And they’re hardly boys anymore."

"Yes they are!" Leo’s face was turning as red as his eyes. "They’re what...thirteen, fourteen summers old? Barely more than children themselves!"

"Leo, it’s sweet that you’re protective of them. But you have to admit, that’s obviously old enough to father a baby. Those silly youths tried to act beyond their years and maturity, without thinking of how it might go wrong." Violet said. "How angry was the king when my parents told him?"

Leo’s glare told her everything. "And it’s not just Father, though his rage is plenty. Mother is also utterly beside herself."

Violet rolled her eyes inwardly. Of course the queen was unhappy. She’d always resented Violet for trapping her precious Leo into marriage. To have the same thing happen to one of her younger boys - and even worse, with a daughter from the same grasping family - would devastate her.

"The only way William and Tom can possibly escape is if they deny having ever touched my sister. They have to push the blame onto another youth’s shoulders." Violet said finally.

Leo stopped his furious pacing to look at her. "You mean have one of their friends take the fall for them?"

"Yes. Then despite what my sister says, it’s her word against theirs."

"But then, that poor bastard gets stuck marrying Sancia instead!"

"Yes. But at least she can’t then claim her child is a Devon. She can’t get her hands on the king’s wealth. Isn’t that what we really care about here?"

Her husband blanched. "That crop of boys has been inseparable since they were babes in arms. I don’t know if either Will or Tom would be willing to betray a friend that way."

"I didn’t say mine was a good solution." she replied, a little snappish. "I’m trying to help find a way out for those silly lads but there’s not a lot to work with. Any solution we come up with, won’t be a very elegant one."

Leo gave a shuddering sigh. "Perhaps that’s the only way forward, ugly as it may be. I’ll try to slip an urgent message to both lads, telling them to lie through their teeth and deny ever touching the slut."

"Why would you send a message?" Violet asked. "Run over to see them now and tell them it’s what they have to do." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Leo looked at her as if she were slow. "You think Father’s just letting them go about their day as if nothing has happened? The minute your family opened their mouths, Father ordered both boys be confined to their rooms until they’re summoned for questioning. I expect he’ll be speaking to both of them shortly."

"Maybe His Majesty should take a moment to calm his rage a bit before he does. So that he doesn’t lunge at each boy like a lion on the attack and terrify them." Violet mumbled.

Leo shook his head. "Quite the opposite. Father uses his anger as a weapon when he wants to enforce his way. He’s determined to find out the truth and if he has to reduce each boy to a puddle of tears to find it, he will. He’s done it before plenty of times, trust me."

"Then I don’t fancy either Tom or William’s odds of holding their ground and lying to the king’s face, do you?"

"No." Leo said in a hollow voice. "Not at all but it’s their only way forward." He started striding for the door.

"Wait!" she called out.

"What? I have to go and try to get word to them both." Leo’s hand was on the door.

"Tell the boys," Violet swallowed a lump in her throat at the thought of what she was going to offer. "Tell them I’ll help as much as I can. That if they insist without crumbling that they never lay with Sancia, I’ll speak to the king on their behalf. I’ll tell your father that I know Sancia has lain with at least one of the noble boys in their circle, perhaps more."

Leo’s eyes widened at he stared at her. "You’d do that? You’re willing to go against your own kin like that?"

"I am. But William and Tom need to stick to their stories. It won’t succeed otherwise."

"Thank you, wife. That is very - well, thank you." Leo looked genuinely appreciative.

"I do this because I cleave to you as my husband. Because I’m loyal to the Crown of Islia above all others, even above my flesh and blood." Violet gave him a piercing look. "I hope you’ll remember my loyalty when the time comes and you cleave to me just as faithfully."

The two exchanged a long look of mutual understanding and Leo nodded. "You have my word, wife. I won’t forget this. I realise by doing this, your own family will likely disown you."

Violet gave him a tiny, wry smile. "Oh, don’t worry about that. They probably won’t disown me completely. If their plots with Sancia don’t succeed, they’ll still be coming at me for money in the future. Trust me, we haven’t heard the last of my greedy parents."

Despite the tension, Leo gave a short laugh, then hurried out the door. She could hear his footsteps echoing as he tore down the corridor, to see if the help offered by the two of them might be enough to save a pair of stupid youths.