IV - Heartache
Georgiana awoke the next morning to the sound of rain. She had tossed and turned all night, resulting in a rough night's sleep. Whenever she had felt herself drifting off, Benjamin's bloodied and broken back flashed before her eyes jolting her awake. The image had scorched the backs of her eyes and her mind replayed the sound of the whip hitting raw flesh over and over.
She rolled over in bed and tried to concentrate on the howling of the wind against the castle walls. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and listened.
There was a faint knock on the door before it clicked and swung open. Georgiana opened her eyes and peered at the figure across the room.
"You look terrible, Your Highness."
Georgiana sighed and settled her head back down on the pillow, "Good morning to you too, Kat."
"Forgive me, Your Highness. Have your ladies maids greeted you this morning?" Kat asked stepping closer to the bed.
"Yes but I sent them away." Georgiana said miserably. Sensing her unusual mood, Kat hurried to the side of the bed and laid a gentle hand on the Princesses forehead.
"Are you unwell, Your Highness? Should I send for a doctor?" Kat went on inspecting her as she asked each question. Georgiana shook her head and threw an arm over her face.
"I'm quite well, just miserable, if that can be considered an illness."
Kat grew quiet at her statement so Georgiana removed the arm off her face and turned to look at her Lady. "Don't look so worried, Kat. We all have our down days."
"Is it because of what happened to you friend, Your Highness?"
"Partly, yes." Georgiana said.
"What is the other part?"
Georgiana sat up in bed and threw the sheets off her, "It doesn't matter. Why don't I get ready for the day and then we can both go down to the kitchen and see what Evelin has prepared for us for breakfast?"
"Sounds lovely, Your Highness. Shall I ask the other Ladies to join us?" Kat asked as Georgiana slipped out of bed and made her way over to the changing screen.
"Yes, I didn't see them for all of yesterday."
"I'll go and inform them, Your Highness and then I will come back and help you to get dressed." Georgiana nodded and offered her friend a kind smile before she disappeared behind the changing screen.
When the door clicked shut behind Kat, Georgiana found her mind flooded once more with bloody images and her stomach felt heavy with worry. She wondered how Benjamin was, if Abigail would join them for breakfast or would she still be with Benjamin. She also worried about what her brother was keeping from her. What was Francis keeping from her? There was definitely something they weren't telling her.
As her mind spun with questions almost making her dizzy, she washed her face and changed out of her nightdress and into one of her gowns. She chose a dark purple gown with intricate gold embellishments that covered the corset and trailed down the skirt.
She was sat at her dressing table when there was a knock on her door. "Come in." She called and resumed plaiting her hair when Kat entered the room followed by another girl. The girl was wearing a pale blue dress that flowed over her body like a cascade of water. Her auburn hair was twisted neatly into an elegant bun on the back of her neck. Georgiana watched her in the mirror as she glided into the room, nose poised in the air as she looked around the room distastefully. If it was up to her, Amara wouldn't be one of her Ladies. She had only become one of her Ladies because her mother was a Countess and a friend of the Queen's.
When their eyes finally met in the mirror, Amara sighed and opened her arms, "Your Highness, how are you this morning? I heard what happened yesterday afternoon." Georgiana tensed as Amara walked over to her and placed her arms around her shoulders in a ghost of an embrace.
"I'm fine, Lady Amara." Georgiana shrugged off the embrace in which Amara was more than relieved to take a step back and resume her stubborn stance. Georgiana rolled her eyes at her usual behaviour and turned to address Kat, "Kat, will Bess be joining us?"
"Yes, Your Highness. She is already in the small dining room helping to organise the table."
Georgiana smiled and tied off the end of her plait before she stood from the dressing table. "All ready. Let's go and join Bess in the dining room."
They walked in silence along the corridors and down the flights of stairs. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but Georgiana still didn't feel like talking about new silks or books they had read just yet.
Her mind was still whirring with questions when her brother and Francis turned around the corner at the end of the corridor. Alex stopped suddenly at the sight of her and Francis's eyes widened before he looked sideways at his friend. Beside her, Amara gasped and placed a hand over her mouth in shock.
"Alexander, what happened?" She gasped earning a scowl from Georgiana. Amara's cheeks flushed red and she bowed her head. "Forgive me, Your Highness."
Georgiana looked back at Alex to see what Amara had been so shocked at. Taking a step closer she looked him up and down before her gaze settled on his face. Under his right eye there was a purple crescent shaped mark.
"Alex?" Georgiana whispered. She took another step forwards and then another quickening her pace as she neared him. When they were just an arm's reach away from each other she stopped and looked him in the eye.
"What happened?" She whispered, scanning the rest of his face for any more damage. The skin on his cheek looked pink and agitated. Alex's gaze flickered from her face to behind her and he cleared his throat. Georgiana turned to look over her shoulder, "Leave us." She said to her Lady's in waiting before turning back around to her brother.
"Yes, Your Highness." Kat said.
"But-" Amara started but with another scowl from Georgiana and a push from Kat, she curtsied before trailing after Kat down the corridor.
"What happened? Who did this?" Georgiana said reaching out to caress the bruise, Alex flinched under her fingertips. "Sorry."
"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry about." Alex said lifting her hand away from his face, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I do, everything is my fault. I was the one who asked Abigail to run away with me. I asked Benjamin to risk his job and life to help me. I am the one who should have been whipped in the courtyard yesterday, not him."
Francis visibly tensed at her last statement.
"Don't ever say that again." Alex said firmly.
"But it's true. Benjamin got punished because of me and I bet you ten shillings that that bruise was meant for me too."
Alex swallowed and avoided her gaze, silently confirming her thoughts.
"I knew you were keeping something from me. Father did that didn't he? He hit you."
"It's fine, Gee."
"No it's not. I should get punished for my actions not those around me."
"Remember when Elizabeth was born, I promised that I would never let him hurt you." He placed his hands on her shoulders before continuing, "I meant it; I'll protect you even if it means that I have to take the punishment." He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She breathed in his familiar scent and relaxed in his arms.
"You knew, yesterday when you told me to stay in my room for the rest of the night. You knew he would find out about me trying to stop the whipping." She said pulling away from his chest.
"I could only hope he wouldn't know about you trying to interfere. Of course he had already been informed of my part in stopping it and helping Benjamin get to a physician safely."
"Does he know I tried to stop it?" She asked biting her lip nervously.
"He didn't give anything away. As soon as I entered the dining room his fist collided with my face."
"I'm so sorry." Georgiana said running a hand down the side of her face.
"I've already told you there is nothing to be sorry for. I will always protect you and if that means protecting your friends too then I will." Alex said pressing his lips to her forehead.
Georgiana gave him a wide smile, "You're the best older brother a girl could ask for."
"And you're the most annoying younger sister. Try and stay out of trouble...at least for a couple of days." He said with a smirk.
"I make no promises."
Alex chuckled and began to walk off down the corridor.
"I'm sorry for not telling you." Francis said drawing Georgiana's attention to him.
"It was for the best. Knowing me I would have stormed out of my room and got myself in even deeper trouble, so thank you." She said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"That sounds about right." He smiled at her before heading off in the same direction Alex had gone.
***
When Georgiana entered the small dining room, which was only used on rare occasions, she found herself greeted with a wonderful sight. Bess had been hard at work, the table was covered with a variety of delicious food and drinks and there were bunches of flowers on every surface.
"What's all of this?" Georgiana exclaimed from the doorway. Bess rushed over to her, her blonde hair plaited and twisted into a low bun with a few pieces left out to frame her face. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from rushing about.
"Surprise, Your Highness. I thought you'd like something to brighten up the day. It's so miserable out, the rain hasn't stopped falling. I had to go out early this morning to pick the flowers; I wore my longest cape so that I didn't get wet." Georgiana gently patted her on the shoulder and she slowly trailed off. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I just wanted everything to be perfect."
"It is perfect and very thoughtful, thank you, Bess." Bess' smile lit up the room. She ushered Georgiana toward the head of the table and pulled out a chair for her.
"Where are the servants?" Georgiana asked curiously.
"I thought we could serve ourselves today, so that we could talk just us Ladies without getting interrupted." Bess giggled.
"Excellent idea," Georgiana praised, "Who has a story to tell?" She asked raising an eyebrow, looking at each of her Ladies in turn.
Kat smiled, "I caught one of the servants in the kitchen storage room yesterday and she wasn't alone."
The girls irrupted in a fit of giggles.
"Who was it?" Georgiana asked.
"Who was she with?" Bess giggled.
"I can't say, I've been sworn to secrecy." Kat pressed a finger to her lips.
"It was you wasn't it!" Bess exclaimed, "You're the kitchen kisser!"
"Am not!" Kat shouted. "I would never!"
Georgiana watched with a huge grin on her face as the two of them fought back and forth.
"Why is Abigail not joining us?" Amara said a hand placed under her chin as she looked across the table with a bored expression.
Georgiana froze and then slowly put down her knife and fork, their eyes meeting over the table. Amara's emotionless face twitched slightly with amusement. Blink and you'd miss it.
"We don't need to talk about that now, Amara." Kat said firmly.
"Why? Where is she? She should be joining Her Highness for breakfast. It's one of our duties."
"Abigail is busy, Amara. Georgiana...Her Highness has allowed her the day off." Bess stuttered the smile on her face appeared strained.
"A day off! I hope she isn't unwell...or hurt?" Amara said keeping her gaze locked with Georgiana.
Georgiana knew she was testing her. Oh, how she liked to test her and push her buttons.
"She is neither. Lady Abigail is a dear friend and I have relieved her of her duties for today." Georgiana replied calmly picking up her knife and fork again to resume eating.
"Then I'd like to be excused of my duties today too, excuse me." Amara stood abruptly from the table at the same time the doors to the dining room opened and Queen Clarissa entered the room.
"Sit down, foolish girl." She said gliding over to the table, "And don't disrespect my daughter like that."
Amara curtsied lower than Georgiana had ever seen her curtsy before. She bowed her head, "My apologies, Your Majesty." She walked back to the table and sat down.
"It's not me who you should be apologising to." Clarissa said and walked around the table to where her daughter sat. She perched on the arm of Georgiana's chair and picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth.
"My apologises, Your Highness." Amara said a sheepish look on her face. Georgiana could see right through her act and she was sure her mother could too.
"How have you been, Lady Elizabeth?" Clarissa asked, pulling out a seat next to Bess.
"I'm very well, Your Majesty." Bess replied offering the Queen some fresh squeezed orange juice.
Georgiana smiled to herself at the informal breakfast they were having. She chose to ignore the stare that was burning her skin from across the table.
***
After breakfast Queen Clarissa left and the Ladies busied themselves with their duties. Georgiana retired to her chambers already exhausted by the events at breakfast.
She was stood by the window watching the rain pour down, thinking about Abigail and Benjamin, when there was a knock on her door. She called for them to enter and turned around to be greeted by her father's Royal Guard, Ackley.
"Ackley, what a pleasure." She said as he took a couple of steps into the room.
"The King has summoned you to the throne room. You are to follow me, Your Highness." Ackley stated, turning immediately and left the room. Georgiana stared at where he had been standing for a split second before following in his footsteps.
What did he want now?
When they entered the throne room, Georgiana's gaze locked on her brother who was stood in front of the two thrones, both occupied by their parents. She gave her younger sister, Elizabeth a small smile before coming to a stop beside Alex.
"As you are well aware, Georgiana's birthday is quickly approaching us," the King started, "In celebration for it I have decided to hold a ball."
Queen Clarissa clapped her hands in excitement, "Oh, how wonderful dear!"
"But not just any ball. Yes, there will be guests from all over coming to stay with us but this celebration is for something else as well as Georgiana's birthday. It will also be when she announces her engagement."
Georgiana felt the blood drain from her face. She looked between her parents, shock was written across her mother's face and her father's was as still and controlled as ever.
Beside her she could faintly hear Alex protesting, demanding to know who she was supposedly engaged to. She didn't bother with common courtesies as she turned on her heel and walked out of the throne room without a single glance back.
Only when the doors closed behind her did she run.
***
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