Game of Courts. (#1 Nobles)

An Unfortunate Season

An Unfortunate Season

Chapter 11.

It was the voice of Jean De Bancalis Gaul.

"You know Jean, I could go a thousand years without hearing your voice."

"Shame we don't live that long." the white-haired French girl gazed upon her brother with the utmost contempt. "Scurry along now, François. I wish to speak with your sister alone."

Her brother looked at her, trapped between the urge that begged for Jean Gual to be obeyed and his hesitation at leaving her alone with the dangerous Ambassador's daughter. She laughed. Jean Gual's laugh had never been pleasant. It was a harbinger of all things evil. Sharp, grating, and revolting. "Please. I don't bite." she said, showing her teeth.

"Alright. I don't bite anymore. I swear." Jean lifted one hand up and the other was placed on her chest, an obvious mockery. François's face darkened, and Amanda handed him the now empty glass. "You can go." she pushed him slightly. The faster this conversation started, the faster it ended.

"That's it," Jean jeered. "Scurry along." her brother brushed past her, his shoulders making painful contact with Jean's. The blasted woman just let loose one of her terrible laughs.

"I'm in a good mood François, otherwise you would pay for that," she called at his retreating person. Amanda sighed again. The sound had the white haired woman's neck snap sharply to her. Her cold blue eyes glittering with nothing good. "You."

"What do you want, Jean?"

"You have forgotten how to address me properly it seems. Perhaps all that English air got sucked into that ineffective brain of yours?"

Amanda pushed away from the column she rested on, her skin itching once more. "If you've come to taunt me, I'd rather not hear it."

"Oh you will listen. When father informed me of this cursed invitation, I wanted to shuck it in the fire and be done with it. Then, I found that the wedding had your name in it. Interesting, I thought. I ensured father accepted the invite, I had to see for myself, the poor sod who had to put up with you for as long as you live. The English King! I considered rescuing the poor sod of course, out of the goodness of my heart, but then I saw who it was. I never did like the fellow so I say, to hell with the marriage."

"You survived the treacherous sea just to see the poor sod who is to be trapped with me?'' Amanda asked in part of disbelief and distrust. Nothing was ever that simple with Jean Gual, nothing. Not the way she looked, walked, spoke and certainly not the way she schemed.

"Don't be silly. I have a task for you."

Amanda closed her eyes, holding her body still, the last thing she needed was for Jean to see her compromised. "I barely just got introduced to the English court. The king's mother hates me and the king would have me shipped back to France the moment I take a misstep. This is the worst time and place to carry out one of your disgusting missions."

Amanda felt the air rustle then a cool hand was pressed against her forehead for a minute before being withdrawn. Her eyes snapped open, Jean Gual had not been an illusion after all, she stood in front of her, not a strand of the white hair had strayed, the frigid blue eyes were trained on her hardened.

"I shall accord your last words to be under the influence of the liquid you just drunk. Now listen," Jean's voice was even harder-and if possible, colder than her eyes, "-this is what you shall do for me."

*+*

The blasted ball was finally over and Amanda fell over herself in a rush to get to her room to remove her clothes. Every word out of Jean Gual's mouth made her skin crawl with the need to the cleaned. To wash away her words and the filth she would have to dreg for the ambassador's daughter. Thankfully, her maidservant and a steaming bath was waiting.