Cecilia Howard- The Rose of The Duke

Chapter 28

Cecilia POV 2 months later
I adored having my children at court. My eldest, Rose, was intelligent and precocious, my baby daughter Lily was playful and giggly, and my son Henry, Lily's older twin, was strong and loved his little sister Lily very much. My middle daughter, Anne, however, was exactly like Anne Boleyn once was, charming, intelligent, and witty, despite her young age. Her eyes were exactly like Anne's, beautiful and dark. Charles' favourite daughter was Lily, he disliked Anne because she looked like the first Anne, and he was still holding a grudge towards Rose because of the views on women I had taught her. Charles always showed some kind of pride because of Rose's intelligence, but was hard on her, pressuring her to work harder. I adored all of my children.
One day, I was sitting on the sofa in my chambers, my arm around Rose, whilst Anne sat at a desk, recently turned 2, so Charles had instructed Rose's tutor to begin tutoring Anne, and the tutor sat next to her, teaching her. My youngest children sat on the floor, Henry kicking a ball, Lily playing with a doll. Rose had been told to translate a Greek passage into English, and I was guiding her along.
I personally felt that children shouldn't begin tutoring until they were 4, like I had. I had been tutored amazingly well, like I was a princess, although I had enough royal blood in my veins to be one. I was fluent in English, Latin, German, Italian, Greek and French. I was extremely well educated. So was Charles, he had been tutored alongside the King. We agreed on one thing, we wanted our daughter to be educated as well as we had. Charles walked into the room.
"Hello, darling." He said to me.
"Hello." I said stiffly. Rolling my eyes, I tightly held my daughter.
"Ah, there's my boy." Charles exclaimed, picking up Henry and whirling him around before planting him on the floor. Lily held her arms out to Charles and he picked her up.
"And there's my little girl!" Charles said warmly, holding her close, peppering the top of her head with kisses.
"Look, doll." She giggled, shaking the doll in Charles' face.
"Ah such a pretty dolly, sweetheart. Such a beauty, just like you, my little lady." Charles sat down with Lily on his lap, Rose and Anne looking on jealously as they hadn't even been acknowledged. Lily perched there, giggling.
"How are my daughters school work going?" He asked the tutor, twirling a couple of strands of Lily's hair around his large fingers. He beckoned me over to him with his other hand and I let go of my Rose, kissing the top of her head. I went and sat next to him and he put his arm around me.
"Both of your daughters are remarkably intelligent. They are progressing extremely well." Charles nodded approvingly.
"Well done, my daughters." He told them. "What time is it?"
"11pm, Charles."
"Time for you children to go to bed." He said.
"Oh let them stay awake, husband." I pleaded.
"No. Bed, now, children." Charles got up and kissed Rose on her forehead, then Anne, then Henry, and then kissed Lily, hugging her tightly.
"Night my darlings." I said, opening my arms, and they all burrowed into me, relieved  that their mother treated them all equally, unlike their father. They filed out of the room and I walked over to my wardrobe and put on a cloak. I had plans to meet with my cousin George, my cousin Catherine the Queen, and my father.
"No, don't you dare." He snapped, walking over to me and grabbing my wrists aggressively.
"I can do as I please." I hissed. He laughed.
"You'll soon find you're entirely wrong about that."
Cecilia's Father POV
I sat at the table, with my nephew George Howard, and my niece Catherine the Queen.
"Catherine you are disorderly. Queens should not behave as you do. Wild."I chastised her.
"What? Like your daughter is?" She hissed. I lifted up arm and roughly grabbed her chin.
"My daughter is not wild. And do not disrespect me like that. I am the head of this family, you do as I tell you."
"Isn't Cecilia meant to be here?" George interjected.
"Yes.. indeed she is. I will go see what's holding her up. Stay here." I commanded. I went to her chambers, and stood outside the door, listening. I heard a faint scream and I immediately pushed the door open. The sight that met my eyes was horrible to see. My daughter was draped over the bed, sobbing and begging, as that monster- her husband- hit her repeatedly. Lying beside him were a belt and a whip, both stained with blood which, evidenced by the stripes on her back, I knew to be my little girls.
"Papa.. help me." She screamed. I came closer.
"What the hell are you doing to my daughter?" I said quietly, I had never felt more angry.
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