With much impatience and urgency, Hastings rode on Wisp in a sprint towards the palace ground. The letter, secured in his front coat pocket. His pulse was racing sporadically from the adrenaline.
Everything around him was a blur until he reached the front gates. Without uttering a word, The guards allowed entry of their commander and bowed in respect at his direction as he sped past them. Questions they dare not ask swarmed their minds.
A few moments passed by and Ambrose was heel-and-toeing through the dark corridors, heading towards the dimly lit kitchen they now designated as a meeting area.
He opened the door with such force.
"By the heavens above! Iris! Knock first at least!"
Cecily was sitting at the counter with her hand over her now startled heart with a half eaten vanilla cake in front of her.
"Apologize your stubbornness, but I have come with a letter of confidential information regarding the queen."
""Then please pass it to me." she held her hand out.
"My, do they teach the royals nothing in the subject of mannerism?" he taunted.
"Oh dear Ambrose, would you be a dear and allow a lowly woman such as myself to read through the letter you have brought?" She played along.
"Better, and yes," he chuckled, "You may, your highness."
He slid the letter across the counter towards the princess and sat down as she opened the folder paper and brought it close to her face to thoroughly absorb all the information written down.
While reading, her face became distorted with disgust and unsettlement. Feeling the tug on her taut heartstrings from the traumatic events recorded. Her pity and remorse for the unknown child whom this letter was addressed to and whom Phillip is infatuated with.
"Ambrose darling, this is just... atrocious." Those were the only words she dared utter at that moment. Still processing the content of it.
"It is, I had the same reaction that you are experiencing right now. However, think about it, this may be a ticket to eradicate this arranged marriage between you and Phillip." He lifted his hands above the table to emphasize the point he is making.
"Since it was requested by the Queen herself, we can reveal her true colors to everyone, then her word holds no substance." Hastings tried to reason.
Cecily thought about his plan for a moment. The letter clearly exposes the queen of her wicked and cruel behaviors, however, this still was an event from long ago with nothing to consider as evidence other than this. Perhaps Lorelei could testify as a witness but Cecily didn't want to risk the queen knowing of her existence and attempt something before. Who knows what she is capable of now that she has access to many luxuries.
However, despite all of the possibilities that may become obstacles along the way. Cecily and Hastings couldn't deny the fact that they would slightly enjoy the queen being exposed as a liar and a murderer.
"And what if she denies all the allegations?"
"Then we must hope that they will be able to see through her facade."
She grabbed a large cut of the cake she had been eating and ate it absentmindedly. Visualizing how this were to occur and what the results could be, or the worst case scenarios that may appear.
"How would we tell Phillip of this? He is her son after all. This type of information could ruin his relationship with the wretched woman and as much as I would love to see her beg on her wrinkled knees, this will affect him greatly too."
"...We must tell him, he has the right to know."
*****
Silence, Utter and complete silence. Phillip sat solemnly on the side of his bed while looking at the snow covered mountains and plains. Wishing he would be able to see Lorelei once more, even if it was just when his eyes shut.
His greatest fear at this moment was if he were to close his eyes and begin a dream, he would not remember each detail of her beautiful face. How she scrunched up his nose whenever she focused, or how her eyes lit up at every conversation they had. He wanted to have the memory of her ingrained in her brain.
"Phillip! My dear child, why are you sitting there?You look like a toddler who lost his favorite toy." The queen entered his bedchambers accompanied by Sir Nicolas and two ladies in waiting.
He rose to his feet and bowed towards his mother, putting on his expressionless mask in front of them. "Hello Mother, are you well?"
"Of course I am! You are about to become king and wed a beautiful and mannered princess. Unlike that poor excuse of a girl you took a small interest in, Lottie was it?"
Every nerve in Phillip's body tensed, how could she know of her? "I do not know who you speak of mother."
The Queen snorted and said, "Oh, do come off it my son, I am not an idiot."
His facade began to falter. "Oh really, I couldn't tell."
In a blind of an eye, His mother strode towards Phillip and backhanded him across the face. Her magnificent rings covered in gems slashed his cheek and blood started to surface from his face. Gasps erupted from the bystanders but none spoke up. How could you? She was the Queen.
"All of you, leave us at once." The mother warned.
"Yes your majesty."
The large doors closed and now it was just Phillip and The Queen.
"You ungrateful little boy, You dare make a mockery of me in front of my subjects?" she was fuming.
Phillip said nothing, without showing pain, he brushed his finger tips against his wounded cheek and examined his blood.
"What happened to that bravery you showed moments before?"
Nothing.
"If you weren't the heir to the King's throne I would have discarded you long ago." She leans in closer to his ear so only Phillip would hear her words. "And trust me when I say, I could do that with no remorse."
And with that, Her Majesty left the room. And a distraught Phillip alone in the antagonizing silence.
He wanted to scream and cry, he wanted to rush to his desk and swipe it clean but he knew it would not do him any good. He must keep his facade perfect.
"Phillip! We have something important to show you!" Cecily and Hastings barged into his room without any idea of what had transpired just moments ago.
"Phillip? Are you okay?"
With some hesitation, He turned towards his friends. Displaying multiple gash wounds with fresh blood and a single tear threatening to fall.
Cecily gasped, "What happened to you? Better yet, who did this to you? Don't worry, just give us the name and our trusty Hastings will take care of it."
Hastings pounded his fists together, "I can make it look like an accident."
This caused Phillip to give off a half hearted smile, "How would you ever punish the Queen?"
Pity glossed on both of their faces.
"Your own mother did this to you? Oh Phillip..." Cecily embraced him in a hug, patting his back softly to comfort him while Hastings went into the bathroom to find anything to clean his cuts with.
Cecily lets go, "Why did she hit you?"
"Does she ever need a reason? I just said something disrespectful to her."
"She probably deserved it." Hastings murmured.
Phillip's eyes widened when he had just remembered something. "Cecily, Ambrose, She knows about Lorelei. What if she plans to hurt her? Or take her away from me forever?"
"Phillip, I just came back from Lorelei's" Ambrose interjected.
"Is she okay?"
"Yes she is completely fine, a bit distraught from your disappearance but other than that, she is completely normal."
He let out a relieved exhale. "What was it you wanted to see me for?"
"Oh right! Hastings here has been such a great help and found something that could easily shift the outcome of our supposed marriage."
Ambrose took out the letter from his side pocket and handed it to Phillip. As The prince read through each sentence written, his face shifted from concentration to shock. The contents were appalling to him but not outrageous.
"I'm sorry if this is too much of a shock to you but we believed that this is something you needed to know." Hastings adamantly nodded, agreeing with the princess.
"No, no. I'm fine. It is certainly a shock for sure, but I wouldn't put it past her."
Ambrose understood what he meant however, Cecily never saw how his mother truly acted behind closed doors or a sweet act.
"But Phillip, this is your mother. If you want to destroy everything she has as a Queen then that is your choice but she is the woman who birthed you." She tried to reason. Although from what she had seen today, she doubted her own words.
"I don't give a damn what happens to that poor excuse of a mother anymore. This is our ticket to freedom and I intend to use it to its fullest potential."
The three sat in silence until Hastings commented, "Well, let the games begin."
_____________________________
Hello my precious reader!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Hidden Lavender, things are finally starting to get interesting.
I wanted to pop by and check up on all of you beautiful people. I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and if you don't celebrate Christmas, then I hope you have a pleasant evening and an exciting few days left in this year.
-M