Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 327: Violet: Messy Business

Violet had no choice but to send maids back into the Thierre’s guest bedchamber. Someone needed to strip the bed and dispose of the ruined bedclothes. There was also the thankless task of scrubbing Sancia’s blood from the rug.

She knew, she just knew that the minute the maids came back out of the room, word of the miscarriage would be spreading through every corner of the palace like a wildfire.

Her servants wouldn’t be able to help themselves, no matter how much she ordered them to keep their mouths shut. Such scandalous news about the second lady in the land’s unmarried sister would always be delicious gossip. And once word reached the king and queen...

They’d celebrate the outcome. Not publicly, of course. But privately, they’d rejoice at narrowly avoiding having to accept another Thierre girl with her non-existent dowry into the royal family.

Reaching her apartments, Violet dragged herself slowly into the bedchamber and found Leo slumped in the window seat, staring into space and with a goblet in his hand.

"Where have you been this whole time?" Leo’s eyes were slightly bloodshot.

Violet rubbed her own tired eyes as she leaned a shoulder against one of the bedposts. "It’s a very long story, husband. What did I miss when I left the king’s chamber?"

"More yelling, arguing, crying. Mother is devastated, as you know. Father is racking his brains to think of a crime he can charge your father with. You know, just to buy a bit of time before he has to agree to a farce of a wedding."

Violet huffed a laugh. "Good luck to him. The only crimes I can see were committed are the stupidity of two young people. And I don’t believe stupidity or lust are punishable by law. How has William taken all this?"

"Not too well. Poor little bastard looked like he was going to be sick to his stomach when he realised he’s been left with only one real option to correct his fuck up. Credit to him though, he didn’t break down." Leo took a gulp from his goblet. "Tom on the other hand, would’ve blubbered like an infant."

Violet took a deep breath. "Well, you can tell the poor little bastard Will that he doesn’t have to worry about any of that now. Sancia has just miscarried."

"What the fuck?" Leo leaped out of his seat so quickly, red wine sloshed over the edge of his cup and onto his tunic. He ignored it. "When? Are you sure?"

"I’m sure. It all happened before my eyes. I’ve been with Sancia all this time, in Mother and Father’s guest chamber." Violet sank onto their soft bed, wishing she could erase the images of all the clotted blood from her mind. "One moment she was fine and the next, she was bleeding uncontrollably."

"Take me to her right now! I need to see proof. I want Sancia herself to tell me what happened!"

"Absolutely not. Unless you want to face a young girl who nearly just bled to death and watch the maids clean up a bed soaked in blood, I suggest you don’t go in there, Leo." she replied sharply. "Miscarriage is a messy business."

Leo turned green and almost gagged, like she knew he would. There was no way he’d dare insist on talking to her sister now.

In a gentler voice, Violet said, "I suggest you ask Tession to explain everything to His Majesty. The old man was at Sancia’s bedside as well. He was the one who looked after her and gave her remedies, may have even saved her life. He saw everything I did."

"Wait. If Sancia survived all this though," Leo’s brow creased, "is there any chance her child did too?"

"No. None whatsoever."

"How can you be so sure?"

Because the endless gushing of blood on that bed was staggering and will haunt my dreams for a very long time, Violet thought. To her husband though, she merely said, "A woman just knows. Trust me on this, Leo. Sancia’s baby is gone."

Leo didn’t push her for more details. Instead, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and started heading for the door.

Violet knew her husband would be in a hurry to drag the healer in front of the king and queen. She couldn’t blame him. It had to be done.

Still, she thought the relieved, satisfied look on his face was in rather poor taste.

Leo pulled the bedchamber door open but turned to look back at Violet over his shoulder. "Why do you look so gloomy, wife? The whole ugly matter is now settled. Isn’t this what we wanted?" He looked genuinely puzzled.

"Husband, I’ve just had to watch my sister miscarry and come close to death. Her reputation is in tatters. I’ve had to be reminded again of what a heartless creature my mother is and how little she loves me." Violet closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at him again, her throat tightening. "Yes, this is a solution to the mess William and Tom created. But a girl’s name has been sullied and an innocent life has been lost. So forgive me if I feel less than exultant after seeing the whole sorry saga."

Leo nodded and didn’t press her. With a sympathetic glance, he left and closed the door quietly behind him.

Violet let herself fall back against the plush mattress, not sure exactly what to feel.

- - -

Two days later, Lord and Lady Thierre left court with their younger daughter. They departed without a single word of explanation to anyone.

Violet only knew that Sancia was well enough to rise from her bed, because Tession had been checking on the young woman’s recovery. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

She’d refused to see her family again. She couldn’t. Not if she wanted the king and queen to still see her as an ally.

Violet suspected even if Sancia had been bed bound, their parents would’ve still dragged her to her feet and forced her home. What was the point in remaining at court? What use would a daughter with a tarnished name be to them?

Sancia’s name was indeed tarnished beyond measure. Her miscarriage was the main topic of gleeful conversation amongst the courtiers. Everyone was speculating on who the father of her unfortunate babe might’ve been, with most guesses being either Princes Leo or Rufus. A few brave souls suggested it might be King Edward himself.

Violet wondered what would become of her reckless, misguided sister now.

Would their parents would try to marry her off to some insignificant man, or just let her live out a quiet life in their duchy as an unwanted spinster? Both sounded like miserable choices.

- - -

Another Christmas and then New Year’s Day were soon upon them. Violet used the celebrations to help distract herself from all that had happened, as hard as it was.

It helped that Leo gifted her an enormous gold brooch before his parents, as a token of his thanks for her loyalty. She pinned it every day to her bodice and held her head high as she swept through the palace, staring down every single courtier. There were often sideways glances at her but no disrespectful words ever reached her ears.

Eventually, a new scandal erupted at court as it always did. Talk about Sancia began to die down.

And then one rainy morning, as if the past wanted the chance to wrap its claws around her throat one more time, Violet was confronted with a sealed letter left on her bed. She recognised her mother’s distinctive strong handwriting, right away.

29 December, 1354

Daughter

The very first word made Violet smile bitterly. So now she was good enough again to be called daughter? She remembered telling Leo that if Sancia’s plots failed, her parents would be forced to turn to their only useful daughter for help.

Her parents’ predictability was laughable.

She continued reading at her slow pace, struggling with a few words.

It has been a cold, bitter winter season so far and will only likely grow worse. I regret to have to tell you that the whole unfortunate business with Sancia has shattered your father’s nerves. He’s quite despondent.

Abel, at least, is in robust health. However, we fear his own prospects may also have been diminished by Sancia’s shame and the thought of it breaks my motherly heart. How is he ever to find a prestigious bride when the taint of scandal hangs over our heads and our house like a dark cloud?

Sancia has taken the veil and now resides in Savarent Abbey. She has many years left of life to pray for the salvation of her own soul. I dare say she’ll need them.

At that, Violet’s frame started to tremble from shock, making the letter in her hand crackle slightly. Sancia had been forced to take the veil?

That would’ve been Mother’s brilliant idea, Violet was sure.

But it wasn’t fair.

For all her faults, Sancia was only seventeen summers old. Was imprisonment in a nunnery for the rest of her days, really a fit punishment? Hadn’t the girl’s greatest mistake been to listen to her parents and allow herself to become their obedient instrument?

Given your good fortune and the fact that your exalted royal position remains unchanged, your father and I are turning to you for help. We think it only fair and reasonable that with the immense riches at your fingertips-

Violet stopped reading and threw the letter into the fire in disgust. The flames devoured it immediately.