Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 264: Violet: In Dark Corners

Violet glided wordlessly back into Queen Celia’s presence chamber and handed over the velvet jewel box.

The queen opened it and looked at the contents, nodding in silent approval. Setting the box aside as if it contained a mere trinket, she then gestured that Violet could take her usual spot on the floor and join the ladies with their embroidery.

Violet sat down on the plush carpet between Ilse and some insipid young girl with black braids and crooked teeth who’d only arrived at court the week before. She picked up her embroidery needle and continued her stitching.

She hated embroidery with a passion but she couldn’t go against her mistress’s wishes. She did her best to look cheerful as she punched the needle through over and over.

At her side, Ilse gently nudged her with her elbow and aimed a quick, concerned look at her. Violet gave a tiny shake of her head. She knew she’d have to answer her twin’s questions at some stage.

For the moment though, she needed to focus on the monotonous neatness of her stitches. The queen was a perfectionist and known for her needlework. She also wasn’t above asking a lady to unpick and redo a section of the cloth if she didn’t think the quality was good enough.

With each pull of needle and silk, Violet prayed that Prince Leo wouldn’t show up for one of his unexpected visits. She wondered how many times the shameless man had decided to grace his precious mama’s room right after he’d finished tumbling some random woman.

- - -

"What happened earlier this afternoon, Vy?" Ilse was straight to the point as soon as the sisters were back in their bedchamber.

"What makes you think something happened?"

"You came back to the queen’s rooms looking shaken." Ilse said. "And before you ask, no I don’t think anyone else would’ve noticed. I just know you too well."

"One of the jewellers had hurt himself when I arrived at the workshop." Violet quickly blurted. "He’d cut his hand open with one of his tools. I felt queasy when I saw all the blood."

"Oh. Yuck." Ilse gave her a sympathetic glance. "That would’ve made me feel faint too."

Sitting on the bed while Ilse brushed out and re tied her braids, Violet asked herself why she didn’t feel comfortable sharing the truth of what she’d seen with her sister. It would definitely be one way to turn Ilse off Leo, the next time the rouge tried to charm her.

Violet realised, though, it was for the same reason that she didn’t tell anyone about what she saw in the garden during the Banquet of Love.

She didn’t want to be known as the girl that was always lurking in corners. The one always peering at others and learning their grubby secrets.

The girl who could only exist at the fringes of court life because no one wanted to invite her to the centre. She refused to play that role.

Besides, the quickest way for a secret to lose its value is to share it. For that reason, every crumb of information she discovered, Violet intended to guard jealously until she found the best use for it.

And that included keeping the knowledge from her overly honest and tender hearted twin.

- - -

Dinner in the banquet hall that night ended up being nothing but mortifying. Violet followed Queen Celia in, along with the other ladies. She took her usual seat so that she could play the role she was so familiar with now - the one of a docile, biddable noblewoman.

When she looked up towards the high table in boredom, Violet ended up locking eyes with someone.

Prince Leo.

Violet felt a finger of ice running down her back. Mouth suddenly dry with panic, she tried to tear her gaze away but couldn’t. Meanwhile, the prince’s pale blue eyes bored into her.

Then, Leo simply smiled. He held her horrified stare as he flashed Violet the most arrogant, smug grin imaginable.

Violet felt her face contort in shock. She couldn’t believe it. Not only was the man not the least bit embarrassed at having been caught rutting with a maid, he seemed to find it funny!

She could feel her face growing hot and knew she must’ve turned a fiery red. Meanwhile, Prince Leo’s smile widened as he clearly enjoyed her discomfort. It was only a voice at Violet’s side that finally forced her to look away from the chuckling prince.

"I heard Her Majesty say to your sister that she could feel one of her migraines coming, so she’ll likely need help from the two of you to retire early tonight." Maisie Setterten said. "Tell me, Lady Violet. How does it feel to be the least liked even amongst a set of twins?"

Violet gave Maisie a brief, uninterested glance before her eyes were drawn back to the prince. "Well, I can’t know for sure, but I suspect it’s not as painful as being demoted by a queen because she suspects you’re a loose woman."

Maisie hissed angrily and then followed the direction of Violet’s gaze. When she realised Violet was locked in a stare with a laughing Prince Leo, she gasped in disbelief.

Violet finally looked down at her plate and took a bite of salad as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She was happy to leave the other girl jealously wondering what kind of connection she had with the prince.

Violet watched listlessly as the platters of food were eventually retired by the servants and the musicians began to play. She was nibbling on a sugared plum as she watched Prince Leo approach Ilse for a dance.

Nothing too out of the ordinary there.

What was completely out of the ordinary was when the prince returned to the ladies’ table and asked Violet for a dance.

The only one more shocked than the ladies-in-waiting was Violet herself. She simply stared, goggle eyed at the prince.

Leo smirked. "How long are you going to sit there and keep me waiting for an answer, Lady Violet? I must say, I’m not accustomed to such a delay."

"I think we both know you never lack for female company, my lord." Violet replied sourly.

Leo smiled widely, no doubt knowing exactly what she was referring to. He held out his hand to her. "I hope that always happens to be true. Join me, then."

Violet stood up reluctantly and barely placed her hand in his. She saw the other ladies at the table roll their eyes and exchange looks. They obviously thought she was acting hard to get to be coquettish, but nothing was further from the truth.

She just didn’t want to be forced to make polite conversation with a man she’d caught in the most intimate act possible. Was that so much to ask?

Violet placed her hand very lightly on the prince’s shoulder as he began to move her around in time to the romantic sounding ballad. She kept her gaze firmly on his shoulder.

"It’s the height of rudeness to not look your partner in the eye. Did your dance tutor never teach you that, Lady Violet?"

She pressed her lips together into a line. No point telling the prince that there had been no money for dance lessons in Orravalo. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Are you going to give me the silent treatment forever?" he badgered her.

"Well, I can’t really think of anything to talk about with you, Your Grace." Violet muttered.

"Oh, really? I can think of one or two things." Leo’s voice was more than a little cocky.

She resisted the temptation to glare at him. "I don’t understand how you’re the sinner in this situation, yet I’m the one that seems most embarrassed."

"So you think me a sinner?"

"You don’t?" Violet retorted, then remembered who she was speaking to. "Your Grace." she added lamely.

Leo laughed with gusto. "I didn’t realise you were so unadventurous, my lady."

"Disapproving because I caught you doing...that...with a servant doesn’t make me unadventurous!"

"What was I doing, Lady Violet?" Leo goaded.

"You know..."

"I certainly do." he replied. "But I want to hear you say it. Consider it a commend from the next King of Islia."

If he were anyone else, she’d slap his smug, laughing face. She felt her own face heating up. "Fine, then. You were...fornicating with a maid. Is that what you wanted to hear me say?"

"Yes. Now I want you to explain why you think that makes me a sinner." Leo said. "Since it seems you consider yourself an authority on the subject."

Violet was tempted to just walk away and end such an odious conversation with such an odious man, royal title be damned. As if he sensed she was thinking of running off, Leo tightened his grip on her.

"If you’re unfamiliar with the definition of sin, my lord, I suggest you ask your chaplain to explain it to you." she said frostily.

Far from being chastised, the prince kept laughing.