Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 324: Violet: As You Sow

"Sire, with the greatest of respect, that past was different. Back then, it was a pair of silly maidens fighting over the same man." Violet deliberately kept her voice soft, her eyes downcast. "I never dreamed I’d fall pregnant and when I did, I was so terrified I vowed never to return to court. And though I gained much in the end, I also lost a great deal. I have to live the rest of my days without my other half at my side."

Violet’s eyes unexpectedly filled with genuine tears. Dammit, the loss of Ilse still hurt after all these years. The pain of it would still sometimes hit her when she least expected it, like a knife suddenly twisting in her ribs.

She took a breath and looked at the king and queen briefly before continuing.

"I can’t defend my actions back then except to say that they belonged to a girl that never considered consequences. Whereas now, Sancia knows exactly what she’s doing. I also don’t agree with my sister’s actions because of the age."

"Age?" the king repeated.

"When my sister and I fought for Leo’s attention, Sire, he was a grown man who understood the risks of his actions. We weren’t his first dalliances either." Violet gave Leo a quick, apologetic look. "I’m sorry husband, but it’s the truth."

"Apology accepted." Leo mumbled faintly, scratching his nape and looking uncomfortable. The queen frowned her disapproval at him.

"But William and Tom are just boys. Silly, malleable boys who are too immature to think things through. Why do you think Sancia targeted them? As a mother myself now, I’d be heartbroken if this happened to one of my young sons."

Violet looked up and saw the queen’s eyes were glazing with tears again. Hope trilled in her chest that she might escape this disaster unscathed.

"Alright, alright." King Edward sighed, sounding tired. "Your words are appreciated but they don’t help us much. William is still a target and if I don’t make an example of him, your family will accuse him of seducing an innocent virgin - a duke’s daughter! - and me of turning a blind eye to it. The nobility will see it as an insult. They’ll see it as a failure to be willing to protect their daughters. I can’t afford to have that kind of resentment brewing."

"No noble will ever send his daughter to serve the court again, for fear she might be sullied by a member of the very family that rules over them." Queen Celia added sadly.

Violet almost laughed out loud at that. Was the queen really that naive? Most noblemen would be delighted to send their daughters to court and have them seduce a prince, if it meant high rewards. The Islian court was known for its promiscuity.

Still, she knew it was all about public perception, not necessarily the truth.

"The baby might not be William’s." Violet said.

"If it’s not, then it’s Tom’s." snapped the king. "That’s no better!"

"It might not be Tom’s either."

The king and queen gaped at her. "Are you...are you saying...?"

"I’m saying that when I asked Sancia if she’d lain with anyone else, she denied it. But I could tell she was lying."

"But neither Tom nor William mentioned the possibility of another man..." The queen’s face crumpled. "Why wouldn’t they tell us? Perhaps they didn’t know about it?"

"Or perhaps it’s another boy in their circle of friends. Someone they’re trying to be loyal to because they care about them." Violet shrugged. "Which is admirable but-"

"Who the fuck cares about being admirable at this point?" King Edward finally exploded in rage. "I’m here racking my mind trying to save these lads’ necks and they’re still trying to cover for someone? How fucking stupid can these children be?"

"Husband." the queen murmured, looking alarmed.

Even Leo seemed to freeze when he saw how enraged his father was. He started backing slowly towards a wall but that small movement caught the king’s sharp eye.

"Leo!" King Edward roared, jabbing his finger. "Go fetch that cousin of yours, since he’s the one in the gravest trouble at present! Drag him here because I intend to find out right now who else lay with the slut! I’ll beat the knowledge out of him if I have to!"

The next moment, the Crown Prince of Islia had bolted and was running out of the room and down the corridor like a common page on an errand.

Queen Celia looked at her husband in anguish. "Edward, you cannot beat him. Please."

"Then he’d better open his pretty mouth and tell me the truth. And if I can’t beat it out of William, I’ll beat it out of Tom!"

"Edward, no! I’m begging you!"

Violet wrapped her arms around herself defensively, trying not to shake. The king was practically foaming at the mouth like a rabid beast.

A few moments later, Leo returned with a very pale William in tow. He shoved the young prince further into the presence chamber, muttering, "It’s as I was just saying, cousin. You must the truth. We have to know everything if we’re to have any hope of protecting you."

William stepped forward reluctantly, then bowed. When he rose, everyone could see his face was stricken with terror.

Violet remembered running into him in the gallery only two days previously. He’d been a merry young man then, cocooned within his spoiled existence and without a care in the world.

What an abrupt change.

"How many times did you lay with that ch-, with Lady Sancia Thierre?" King Edward lashed out.

"Uh, twice, Sire." William was shaking on his feet.

"How about Tom? Do you know how many times he did it?"

"H-h-he told me it w-was once, Sire."

"And who else of your friends do you know also romped with her?" King Edward’s stare was ferocious.

At that question, William’s face flushed and he looked down at his feet.

"My dear boy-" Queen Celia started to reach her arm out in a gesture of comfort but the king stopped her with a bellow.

"Don’t fucking coddle him, wife! Coddling these soft little children won’t get them out of this mess!" The king took a slow, menacing step towards his nephew. "Tell me the truth, boy. You’re well past the point where you can afford to worry about anyone but yourself. Give me the names of anyone else you know, or your future will be even more of a disaster than it is already."

William looked up at the king for a moment and his handsome young face looked like it might crumple. He then hung his head in defeat and spoke very softly. "I only know of one other time. It was with Francis."

"Francis who? Speak up, boy!" the king shouted. "Shyness won’t save you now. You should’ve thought of that instead of being so determined to dip your cock!"

"Francis Lowell." William said in a slightly louder voice, his expression pained.

"Lowell...you mean Lord Gabriel’s boy." the king mused. "His son struck me as the steadiest of your group. How disappointing to find out he shares your stupidity."

"Uncle, please don’t punish Francis for this." William begged, sounding on the verge of tears. "He’s the best of souls. Everyone loves him."

The king gave him a thoroughly disgusted look. "Well, one of you is going to be stuck taking the fall for this! And Lady Sancia will never admit to bedding the Lowell boy. Not when there’s a royal fortune at stake. The little vixen’s determined to lay the blame at your feet. So unless your friend is willing to shoulder the blame and challenge her word, there’s nothing I can do for you!"

William closed his eyes and tipped his head back in defeat.

Violet slipped out of the king’s chamber, unable to hear anymore. The anger bubbling inside her was about to spill over.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fucking fair that she’d be blamed for her sister’s sins. None of this had been her idea. Yet both sides - the Devons and the Thierres - were against her. Hadn’t she been punished enough?

Violet’s feet carried her to the guest chambers in the palace’s eastern wing.

She pushed through the doors of the room assigned to her parents, before a guard could even announce her arrival. Inside she found Sancia sitting in a chair while Lady Thierre braided her hair. Both women looked up at Violet coolly.

Sancia cocked her head with a little smile, not bothering to bow. "Good day, sister. What a pleasant surprise. We weren’t expecting a visit from you."

"You need to stop what you’re doing, Sancia. Right now! You have no idea how furious Their Majesties are with you!" Violet’s voice cracked, much to her dismay.

Sancia’s smile widened. "We both know I can’t do that."

"I’m trying to warn you! Even if you marry the prince, you’ll never be welcomed into that family, can you not understand that? They will make your life miserable, especially the queen! She’s a vengeful woman and she holds grudges for years."

"Maybe I’ll retire from court, then." Sancia yawned. "My future husband owns many beautiful manor houses. Perhaps I’ll go live the life of a pampered country lady and avoid the fat angry queen entirely."

Last Thierre finished the last of the braids and gave Violet a sly, sideways look. "I urged you to remain loyal to your family, daughter. But you refused to listen. Now you must reconcile yourself to being on the losing side."