Earning the Love of a Princess

Violet ignored her mother. She had nothing left to say to that heartless woman. Instead, she looked squarely at Sancia. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Sister, I’m telling you this for your own good. I know you think forcing through a marriage to the prince will solve everything. But let me tell you, it’s not that easy. There are problems that wealth can never solve, no matter how much of it you have." Violet swallowed thickly.

Her younger sister looked at her as if she was speaking blasphemy. And Violet understood the doubt, she truly did.

How can gold not solve any problem, right?

"You’ll spend your life as an outsider within the royal family, with the king and queen’s enmity hanging over you. It will take you years - and I mean years - to win even a little respect from the Devons, let alone from the court." Violet smiled with bitterness. "Is that the life you want? To be a walking pariah with no one you can really confide in?"

The faintest flicker of doubt crossed Sancia’s eyes before it was quickly chased away. "I’ll have my husband to defend me."

"You won’t." Violet shook her head impatiently. "You truly think a boy that you bully into marriage, will defend you against his family and his people? I’ve seen William myself, sister. He’s desperate to avoid marrying you."

Sancia’s eyes flashed at the perceived insult. "Does he now think he’s too good for me or something? He was plenty eager when I lay with him!"

Violet struggled not to roll her eyes. "Any man will take the opportunity to rut. But if you force this marriage through, don’t you think he’ll resent you? I know right now he’s only a scared, foolish boy but he’ll eventually grow into a man. An angry man who’ll blame you for all that went wrong in his life and who’ll also happen to be your lord and master under law. You think he’ll care one bit about your happiness?"

Sancia’s eyes began flicking restlessly between her mother and her elder sister. It was the sign of a small crack forming in her confident facade.

Lady Thierre saw her younger daughter’s hesitation and quickly patted her shoulder in reassurance. "My dear girl. Don’t listen to a bitter woman like Violet. She’s just jealous because she hates the thought of you receiving all that you deserve."

"Don’t you mean receiving what you think you deserve, Mother?" Violet glared at the older woman, then swung her eyes toward Sancia again, pleading.

"Please listen to me. You can’t let yourself be lead astray by Mother’s words. She’s only interested in getting wealthy off your back, it’s not that she cares about you. The moment you’re married, you’ll only ever hear from her again when she needs you to clear her debts. We daughters mean nothing to our parents, beyond the financial."

"You’ve always been such a spiteful child, Violet." Lady Thierre shook her head. "Why are you so threatened by the bond I share with Sancia? Is it because I love her more than you?"

That made Violet laugh long and hard. "Love, Mother? Is that what you call it? Because if that’s the case, then I hope no one else ever loves me like you. I remember you used to show me the exact same love for the first few months of my marriage. It was nothing but a stream of non stop letters, asking for gold! Never asking how I was. Never enquiring about how I fared in childbed. It was always about you and what you needed. That’s what love is to you."

"You left your family to suffer, despite your fortune!" Lady Thierre shouted. "You never wanted to help us!"

"Because I told you, it was never my fortune to share! It was Leo’s!" Violet shouted back, enjoying the sweet relief of finally being able to truly raise her voice at her mother. "And we did help you in the beginning, many times! But my husband’s no fool when it comes to coin. Why would he continue sending you gold over and over when you’d just keep squandering it? Why should we pay because Father and you only know how to live beyond your means?"

Violet managed to lower her voice as she looked at her sister again. "Sancia, I’m being honest. You’re being used. According to our parents, I made the mistake of marrying a grown man who was incapable of being manipulated by our kin for his wealth. And even then, their behaviour put an enormous strain on our relationship. Imagine how much harder they’ll try to push a boy like William. It’ll ruin any small chance at happiness the two of you might have together."

Sancia looked up at her and for a long moment, Violet thought she might’ve finally heard her, truly heard her.

But then, the younger girl’s eyes clouded over again with her own greed and ambition. "There’s nothing to be done for it, sister. I’m already with child. Once word gets out, I have to wed someone or my name will be ruined." Sancia shrugged. "So if I have to wed anyway, it may as well be to the stupid rich child. That way, I still have time to manipulate him into a useful husband."

Violet felt her belly sink to her feet at the cold reality in Sancia’s words. It was the truth - she had to marry someone to salvage her reputation. And quickly, before her belly began to curve too noticeably.

Lady Thierre patted Sancia’s shoulder again approvingly and then stepped out from behind the chair. Brushing past Violet, she started rifling through several gowns laid out on the bed.

Sancia stood up from her chair, stretched her arms above her head lazily and yawned. "Thank you for stopping by, sister. It has been pleasant to chat again but I think I’ll take a rest now. I’m going to have a few busy days ahead of me. But don’t worry, I’m sure the two of us will be seeing plenty of each other in the future." Sancia whirled around to deliberately give Violet her back, as if she were a queen dismissing a pauper.

Violet blinked at the sight. Her eyes had to be deceiving her.

"Oh lord, Sancia. Your dress." she whispered in shock.

Sancia threw a dirty look over her shoulder at her sister. "Yes, yes, it’s not as fancy as yours. I already know that, Violet! Just give me a little time and my clothes will be every bit as expensive as yours!"

"N-no, it’s not that. It’s the back of your skirt." Violet stammered. "I think you’re bleeding."

Sancia craned her neck to look and gasped sharply when she saw a bright red stain on her yellow skirt.

Lady Thierre winced but then collected herself. "A spot of bleeding can happen sometimes. It’s likely nothing to worry about."

Sancia quickly lifted her skirt and chemise to reveal up to her knees. Suddenly, she doubled over and cried out as one hand clutched her belly.

Violet could see blood as it started trickling down her pale calves.

"Mother! Help! What’s happening to me?" Sancia cried out.

Violet tried to speak but though she moved her lips, no sound came out. She could only rasp in fright as she locked eyes with Sancia.

Sancia gave a tortured grunt, still bent over and clutching her middle. "Mother?" she gasped out again.

"Oh lord, Sancia." Lady Thierre groaned and shook her head as if deeply disappointed by a naughty child. "What have you gone and done now?"

"What do you mean? I haven’t...haven’t done - oh no...h-help me. It hurts! What is this?" Tears began welling up in Sancia’s eyes. Whether they were tears of pain or fear, Violet wasn’t sure.

Lady Thierre’s expression had suddenly become completely blank when she looked at her younger daughter. The facade of a doting mother had simply fallen away, revealing her true nature. She then began striding towards the bedchamber door.

"Mother?" Sancia squeaked, still doubled over in pain.

Violet’s tongue was finally able to move. "Where the hell are you going?" she hissed out.

Her mother’s face was like granite. "If she’s going to lose the child, there’s nothing I can do for her."

"So, what? You’re just going to leave her here to bleed?" Violet wondered why she found herself shocked by such callousness.

"No! I’m not losing my baby!" Sancia screamed. "Don’t say such a thing!"

"If you set foot outside this room, Mother, I’ll have you arrested and imprisoned!" Cold fury changed Violet’s voice into one even she didn’t recognise.

Lady Thierre stopped and looked back at her. "You can’t do that to me."

"I can and I will, if you don’t stay here and look after your daughter! Act like a goddamn mother, for once in your heartless life!" Violet yelled. "Guards! Guards!"

Two guards dressed in the standard red and black livery swung the door open and stepped inside when they heard Violet’s shouts. Both recoiled when they saw Sancia whimpering in the middle of the room, now crouched over a growing pool of blood on the rug.

"One of you! Lift her into the bed at once!" Violet barked out.

"No, wait! The dresses..." Lady Thierre protested as she pointed to the gowns she’d left spread across the bed.

Violet nearly slapped her mother’s selfish face. Instead, she strode towards the bed and with a rough sweep of her hand, sent the gowns crumpling to the floor. "There! Your precious gowns are safe. It’s reassuring to see where your priorities lie, Mother."