To my dearest Annie,
Tomorrow, we shall launch an attack on the capital city of Kelle. The Lecarrian soldiers are trained better than we expected, but the Terrawinians are awfully undertrained. Their men drop down on the ground like flies, and they only make up one-fifth of our total forces combined. With our current state, I believe that this battle with Lecarre shall be fair and square.
Gilbert is alive and well, and he is feasting on a roast pheasant as we speak. He hunted it down himself, and he is very proud of it, Annie.
If tomorrow's battle ends in our favour, I shall return to you as soon as I can. If otherwise, it might take some more time. But you do not have to worry Annie, as I've promised to you that I would return, and I never break my promises. I shall not write out my will here or give you instructions of what to do in case I am killed, as I do not plan to do so. I shall return to you, and I shall put the crown on your head, Annie. For now, please be careful, and beware of the king. Our soldiers had cursed him to hell and back, and they are now loyal to me. I am afraid that he might have heard about this, and I am afraid that he might vent his frustration on you. So please, Annie, be safe.
Yours forever,
Edmund de Chauvelot
Little did he know, I was already on the king's bad side. No matter what I did to prevent it, it eventually happened. My father did his best to salvage my standing, but he alone was unable to save me. I received multiple letters from the king, saying that he would treat me well if I broke off with Edmund and entered his harem. I ignored those, and the offers gradually became more and more tempting.
He said that if Queen Jane's child turned out to be a girl, he would divorce her and marry me instead. He said that I would be Queen of Phoenicia, and I would not need to wait for Edmund. I was disgusted by his gestures, but I was lucky to be of noble blood. Otherwise, I would have long been forced into the king's bed.
Queen Jane was now seven months pregnant. It was too early for her to enter confinement, and it appeared that she now felt well enough to walk around the palace. I had to escort her wherever she went and ensure that there were no pebbles lying in her path. I had received the King's latest letter just a few hours, and I did not have the opportunity to dispose of it yet. I clenched it tightly in my wrists, and I transferred all my disdain of Queen Jane onto the crumpled parchment.
At the moment, Queen Jane was serenely standing in the palace gardens, but her steely blue eyes were still darting around wildly, as if a bear would suddenly jump out of the rose bushes and pounce on her. She then turned towards me and saw the bits of parchment showing between my clenched fingers.
"What are you holding, Lady Winterbourne?" she asked suspiciously, and she held out her hand as if she were expecting me to hand it to her.
"It is nothing of importance, Your Majesty," I responded, but she did not seem to be satisfied.
"Give it to me," she demanded, but I swiftly shook my head. Even though King Edward's infidelity was not entirely foreign to her, having to witness it with her own eyes would be traumatising nonetheless, and I did not want to jeopardise her child's life just to satisfy her suspicions. That child's life was mine as well.
Her face had turned sickeningly red, and she reached out and roughly snatched it from me. I could not stop her, as touching the queen without her consent was a crime in itself and refusing her was an even bigger one. I could only helplessly watch as she spread open the crumpled parchment and read its contents. This letter from King Edward was remarkably more disgusting than the other ones, and I wondered how such an abhorrent person who only thinks of intercourse and alcohol could be allowed to make decisions for the entire kingdom.
My sweet Lady Winterbourne,
I believe that the past few days were far from pleasant for you, am I correct? Why wait for Cindertrappe to return, and even if he does, it is not certain that he will ever ascend the throne. If you marry me, you would not have to lift a finger for the rest of your life, and after I divorce my queen, I shall make you queen. Queen Anne Winterbourne. You will bear my children, my heirs, and become the mother of a dynasty!
You are smart, Lady Winterbourne. You can either live a happy, fulfilling life with me, or spend a lifetime waiting for Cindertrappe to return.
Yours forever,
Edward de Chauvelot
King of Phoenicia
Queen Jane let out a sharp gasp as she let the letter fall down on the ground, and she turned around to glare at me, her eyes as sharp as daggers.
"You whore! Have you been sleeping with my husband during your fiancé's absence? How dirty you are! You must've been sleeping with him too, haven't you? No wonder why you serve me so faithfully now, it's like you're preparing a sheep for slaughter, and I am that sheep!" she shrieked maniacally and waddled towards me, clutching handfuls of my hair and tugging them harshly.
Despite the pain that I felt, I did my best to keep my calm, and I civilly asked her to release me. My indifference made her seem even more insane than she actually was, and the passing maids quickly rushed to aid me and pull her away.
"How dare you touch me, lowly slaves?" she shouted indignantly. "I am the Queen of this kingdom, and all of you deserve to be at my feet! Especially you, Winterbourne whore! I will be the Queen until the day I die, do you hear that?!"
Soft murmurs echoed among the maids, and this sudden outburst has consolidated the rumours that Queen Jane has gone insane. Suddenly, she let out a loud gasp, and she breathed in sharply. I watched as the madwoman collapse on the ground, and the white muslin gown she wore had turned red.
"Help me!" she grunted. "I'm in pain!"
The maids in the garden only watched in fear, all of them afraid to go and touch the mentally unsound queen. Queen Jane was already rolling on the ground, causing the green grass to be stained a ghastly red, and the smell was undoubtedly atrocious.
Her pain and suffering amused me, but I couldn't just lay back and watch delightfully. As her lady-in-waiting, if anything were to happen to her, I would be the one who pays the price. So, I called the maids over and we carried her back to her chambers and I summoned a midwife.
She had gone into labour two months early, and at such an early stage, it was highly unlikely for the baby to survive. Since I was an unmarried lady, I was not required inside the birthing chamber, so I quietly slipped out from the suffocating room.
I could hear Queen Jane screaming at the top of her lungs as she tossed and turned, and the maids were running as fast as they could to retrieve hot water and herbal remedies. It was five hours after Queen Jane went into labour that the king finally arrived, and he didn't seem to be concerned at all about his new wife.
"Has the baby been born?" he asked nonchalantly, and I shook my head in response. He smirked and raised a hand to stroke my cheek. "If it is a girl, then she will be divorced. And I shall marry you, Lady Winterbourne."
His greasy fingers barely touched my skin before another piercing scream echoed from the chambers, and he retreated away with a sour face.
"I shall take my leave. It is very loud in here," he said while leaving with his entourage. I noticed that not once did he ask about Queen Jane's wellbeing, and realised what an awful husband he must be.
Queen Jane remained in labour for two whole days, and on the third day, the long-awaited child was finally born. It was a boy, just as she had hoped, but since the prince was born early, he was extremely small and sickly.
The king was pleased by his new heir but frustrated at the fact that he had no reason to divorce his queen now. Furthermore, the invasion of Kelle was a success, and Edmund would soon return to the capital. When I heard of that news, I felt as if a heavy burden was lifted from my shoulders, and I happily counted the days that he would return.
I took out my ink and parchment to write to him, but then I heard a knock on the door of my chambers. Confused, I went to open it. On the other side of the door I saw several guards, along with Queen Jane's best friend, Baroness Abigail Nettle standing proudly at the front.
"Arrest this harlot!" she shouted, and the guards quickly rushed into my room and grabbed me by my arms.
"What is this?" I yelled out, confused. "I have done nothing wrong!"
"You have caused the queen to go into early labour by angering her! What if she and the prince had not survived? What would a foolish little girl like you do?" she exclaimed loudly, and I was so shocked that I did not put up a fight as the guards dragged me to the dungeons.
Both my father and Edmund do not know of my predicament, and now I am entirely at the King's mercy. The dungeons were cold and dank, and it made me realise how easily life can change. Just a few months ago I drove Madam Lakely to suicide, and now I am trapped inside the dungeons myself.
I laid my back against the wall in an attempt to make myself comfortable to no avail, and then I heard my stomach grumble. I had not eaten for an entire day, and by the looks of it, I would not be given food for several days.
"Lady Winterbourne!" I heard someone hiss, and I saw a frail blonde girl standing outside my cell, and looped between her arm was a basket full of food.
"Princess Cecily," I said warily and slowly made my way to her. "You shouldn't be here."
She passed me some warm bread rolls covered in cloth, and said, "Neither should you, Lady Anne. I heard that cousin has entered Phoenicia this evening, and he would soon reach the capital. You must stay strong, Lady Anne."
"Edmund is coming back soon?" I asked, and Princess Cecily nodded hastily.
"The Queen will not get away with this. She will pay for what she has done to you," she murmured.
I found her lack of compassion towards her stepmother quite odd, so I asked, "But she is your lady mother, is she not? Why are you siding with me?"
Princess Cecily shook her head and said, "She was never my mother, and she never will be. I know of Cousin Edmund's ambitions for the throne, Lady Anne, and I cannot wait for the day that Cousin Edmund does become king. Perhaps later, I would be treated better than I am treated now."
She smiled sweetly at me, and for the first time in a few months, someone actually showed kindness towards me.
"Your Highness, do you fancy my brother?" I suddenly asked, and I watched as Princess Cecily's cheeks became vividly red.
"Lord Gilbert is very kind, Lady Anne. And his eyes are very beautiful," she murmured shyly while looking down at her feet.
I grinned, as I found her infatuation quite adorable. "When he returns, I will make sure that he comes to visit you, Your Highness. My brother has a lovely voice, in case if you didn't know."
Princess Cecily's pale blue eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed, "Really? Then I'd be very glad to hear him sing!"
I chuckled, as only I knew that Gilbert's voice could only be compared to that of a dying chicken. Although, it would be very amusing to watch. Of course, that would only happen if I was not executed before they returned.
Hi! If you liked this story, try checking out my other story, which is set in the early 1700s, Catarina and The Prince !