The Prince and the Slave: Book Three

Chapter Twenty-One

She reached the large doors of the dining room, pausing and sighing quietly to herself, before nodding at the guard who quietly opened the door to let her through.

"Georgiana, I've explained to you enough times! Do I really have to go over it again?"

"No you certainly do not! I just happen to find it disgusting!"

"Well, to be honest, you're opinion is one of the least important to me right now!"

Abey stood awkwardly by the door. She had happened to have entered during one of William and Georgiana's usual meal-time arguments, only this seemed more heated than usual, Georgiana's cheeks flushing red as William gripped the table so hard his knuckles were pale white, his jaw clenched.

"You are the most-"

William looked up and noticed Abey, his face suddenly relaxing into a smile as he leapt to his feet and strode over to her, interrupting whatever retort Georgiana was about to make.

"Hello." He grinned at her. He felt he hadn't seen her in days, despite it only being a few hours, and couldn't feeling his heart speed up slightly every time he saw her again.

"Hello to you too" She grinned back, William gently pulling her closer and kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Urgh, what are you doing?!" Georgiana gagged.

"Kissing my beautiful wife. Is that a crime, Georgiana?" William asked sarcastically as he took hold of Abey's hand, leading her back to

the table where she sat between him and the Queen.

"Yes. When your wife happens to be someone like her!" Georgiana replied, the word 'wife' dripping with thinly veiled contempt.

"Now, now, calm down you two." The Queen said slowly as she saw William bristle with anger. "They always get so overexcited, don't you think?" She added conspiritively to Abey, making her smile. Since her husband's death, the Queen had warmed to Abey immensely, and Abey was surprised to find they had become somewhat like friends, or allies at the least.

"Mother, why are you talking to her like that? You know what she is!" Georgiana said, horrified at her Mother treating a slave as if it were one of her closest confidents.

"Yes, I do, dear. She is your brother's wife and therefore now a part of our family. You'd do well to remember that." The Queen said, the warning edge clear in her voice. "Besides, soon she will be more than just your brother's wife, you know this." She added, making Abey look at her carefully.

'Have they decided?' She wondered to herself, William smiling to see the slightly anxious, slightly anticipating look on her face while reaching to clasp her hand under the table.

"Well I for one will never accept it!" Georgiana announced haughtily. "Having someone like her as Queen. It's disgusting. All of it!" She spat.

Abey didn't react to Georgiana, instead turning to stare at William.

"They decided?" She breathed, not daring to hope too much.

"Yes, they decided." William grinned back, purposely pausing longer than was necessary, enjoying watching the impatience spread through Abey's features as she waited for the verdict. "They're accepting it- They're accepting you. You don't have to worry anymore." He gushed, his grin broadening as he saw relief flood her face.

"Thank God." She sighed happily, closing her eyes and feeling all the tension release from her body.

Abey had been certain that she would be tossed out onto the streets, never to be seen again, while William would be married to someone deemed more suitable for his wife, and he would forget about her completely.

'But now there's nothing to fear. It's over. They decided.' She smiled to herself, the worries of the past week falling away as William squeezed her hand.

"It's ludicrous!" Georgiana cried from across the table. "What in the world possessed them to agree to it all anyway?"

"A very well argued case on my part, and a small reminder of Father's blessing." He explained, focusing on Abey instead of his fuming sister opposite.

"So that means you will need to be present in our talks tomorrow, you need to learn our ways properly and how to handle yourself and the Kingdom before you're crowned." The Queen added briskly to her.

William watched as Abey's eyes glazed over, a slightly stunned expression on her face. It had only just registered in her mind that part of being married to the King meant you were also the Queen.

'Crowned? As the Queen? I can't, no, I'm-' Abey's increasingly panicked thoughts were interrupted by the screeching tones of

Georgiana's voice.

"No! This isn't right!" She raged, jumping up and sending her chair scraping out behind her. "He disappears without a trace for weeks on end, running off with some little whore who fancies herself as good as Royalty, tells no-one where he is, hides from you all while Father starts to fade before our eyes, then suddenly comes back and all is forgiven?!

What about when he was gone, hm?" She turned to the Queen, her eyes flashing, "Who was there the whole time? Me! When Princey-poo went off on his little adventure you didn't think he'd come back, so you were going to make me the heir. But when he comes riding back in with his tart in tow suddenly I'm forgotten at the bottom of the pile!

And now you're telling me that a SLAVE is going to be Queen." She sneered at Abey, wrinkling her nose at her in disgust as if she was something particularly nasty she found on the bottom of her shoe. "IT'S MONSTROUS!" She yelled before storming from the room, the doors slamming behind her.