In French

Chapter Seventeen

    “Where are you headed?” I asked glancing at all the men that were congregating together in a boistrous clump. They certainly were not dressed for meetings or posturing in corridors.

    “On a hunting trip,” Philip informed me with a distracted smile. Raising my eyebrows intruiged I longed to go with him, to feel the fresh whip of air scatter my hair, to make my cheeks rosy, I just longed to share with his freedom. Philip patted his friend on the back, both of them sharing a quick joke before he turned to me like he had forgotten I was there. “With any luck I shall bring you back a nice stag.”

    Tilting my head to the side I smiled politely at him. “Please do, I shall see you when you return. Good luck,” I lent forward kissing him on the cheek, I turned meandering in the opposite direction. For the first hour of their departure I stayed hidden away from the prying eyes of my lady’s in waiting or the rest of the court and wrote some poetry. I was not particularly gifted at it but I found that it passed the time and forced me to work my brain. I wrote a letter to Katherine and then to Josepha and finally one to Madre and Padre and when I looked on the clock only two and a quarter hours had passed. Sighing I sealed the letters with the French monarchy emblem then went in search of someone to give them to.

    “Right away Your Highness.” The footman nodded as I handed them over and giving a brief command then bowed.

    “Thank you for your time,” I replied politely and walked away from him hoping to track down Senor Vargas so that I could spend the rest of my day with him seeing as Agate had wandered off doing some other business for the day. I knocked at his door but there was no reply. Feeling curious I slowly opened it poking my head inside but the room was dark and still. I closed it and lent against the wall beside the door. Three noblewomen with their arms linked sauntered by tilting their heads in my direction before whispering fanatically about my apparent idleness. I pursed my lips with words spinning around inside my head but I daren’t start an argument with them, it was far too much hassle than it was worth and for some reason my reputation with the courtiers was already tarnished enough.

    About half an hour later I tracked down Senor Vargas in one of the smaller libraries at a desk lent right over a novel. He didn’t even hear as I entered the room so I cleared my throat causing him to jump. “Pardon me,” I said with a nervous smile. “I did not intend on disturbing you,” I told him, holding my hands out in front of me and wringing them.

    “That is perfectly alright princess,” he smiled sweetly. “Can I get you a seat?”

    I sighed taking a seat heavily, my skirts frothing around me, my hoop dug in uncomfortably like sticks prodding my ribs and no amount of shuffling would alleviate the discomfort, I supposed that was the woes of high fashion. They were not designed for comfort. Still, while I sat there looking like the most delicious sugar coated cake I felt more sourness in my mouth than a thousand lemons. “I would rather stay out of everyone’s way, Agate’s gone, Comtesse DeGeneres is standing guard on my son’s door and I am not in the mood to battle with her today.” 

    He got to his feet and stood to the side of his desk, “I am awfully sorry to hear that princess. It is displeasing to hear you so down. Whatever can I do to aid you?”

    I tucked a fallen ringlet of hair behind my ear and blinked pushing the tears back so it would not ruin my makeup. I felt like a porcelain doll full of hairline fractures on the verge of smashing into great, unfixable shards. “Nothing, Senor, just stay in here with me until we hear the party return.”

    “But of course,” he nodded and strode across the room dragging a chair over to the desk. “Sit, princess and appear busy.” He gave a small friendly smile as he sat down and resumed his position over the book. I found his genuine affable nature exceedingly refreshing like a fresh breeze in a stiflingly hot room.