Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 266: Violet: Woodland Creatures

17 June, 1348. Magdaline Castle, Islia.

The events to commemorate Prince Leo’s birthday had been the favourite conversation topic of the courtiers for weeks. He was turning one and twenty, a significant milestone. His doting mother was determined to celebrate for the entire day and night.

The king seemed less enthusiastic but probably knew better that to challenge his wife on the matter. Only a fool would try to get between a mama and her favourite boy, Violet pondered sulkily as she remembered her own mother’s nonstop fawning over Abel.

Then again, she had to grudgingly admit that despite her favouritism for her eldest, Queen Celia was a warm and loving mother to all of her sons, and they all seemed to adore her in return. She was especially soft on the two youngest boys, who were constantly creating mayhem.

Violet had no patience for the two grubby faced, energetic little princes and hated when they’d get to spend entire afternoons in the queen’s chambers. They always reminded her of her of Sancia, with their romps and idiotic childish talk. Why was the queen so fond of them, especially when one of the boys wasn’t even her own child?

The queen had arranged for an extravagant jousting tournament to be held in Leo’s honour for his birthday, followed by a woodland themed costume ball in the evening.

Violet had been in despair since the moment she’d heard the events announced. The Thierre girls barely had the essentials at court - simple dresses and no jewellery. Certainly no gold whatsoever. How exactly were they supposed to pay for elaborate costumes?

Not attending the ball was out of the question. So was requesting more funds from their father.

When Violet had voiced her concerns with her sister, Ilse hadn’t seemed too phased. "We’ll figure something out so don’t worry, Vy. Even if we can’t get costumes, we’ll still be attending and that’s the most important thing. Not everyone may even be wearing costumes."

There were times Violet felt like slapping her simpleton twin’s face.

Now, the day had finally arrived and as Violet suspected, nothing had been figured out at all. She stood behind the queen’s chair on the sidelines of the jousting arena, in a line with all the other ladies-in-waiting. Above and around them, a beautiful pavilion of rose silk billowed gently in the breeze.

The blessed costume ball was only a matter of hours away and she was still no closer to a solution. Violet was in a dark mood.

Of course, everyone around her was in high spirits. The excited chatter of her fellow ladies felt like metal being grated in her ear. As Violet glanced enviously at their jewels and beautiful circlets studded with seed pearls and gems, she knew that none of them would have had trouble arranging for costumes to be made.

They were the daughters of the cream of Islian society. The Thierre sisters were nothing but pale imitations, clamouring for a place where they simply didn’t belong.

A boisterous roar from the crowd grabbed Violet’s attention. Looking over at the jousting grounds, she saw Prince Leo appear atop an enormous black stallion, clad entirely in gleaming armour. The crowd cheered their approval and several ladies closest to the edge of the grounds began throwing flower blossoms on the dirt before him as he led his steed around at a slow canter.

The arrogant bastard must’ve known the eyes of the entire court were upon him.

Leo suddenly pulled up in front of his mother’s tent, chin lifted proudly. Violet rolled her eyes and sighed quietly to herself in irritation. All the other ladies, however, began to flit about in excitement. The prince bent his head over his mother’s hand. Queen Celia placed her other hand lightly on top of his silvery helmet and murmured a blessing.

The prince withdrew slightly from the pavilion and his pale eyes raked the cluster of young women that were swooning over his every move. The next moment, his gaze locked in on Ilse.

"A favour for the joust if you please, Lady Ilse?" Leo extended his hand out to her, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet.

Violet’s jaw dropped at his audacity. It dropped even more when she saw her twin’s simpering response.

Flushing pink and smiling self consciously, Ilse looked down at herself. After a moment, she quickly untied the sash knotted under the bodice of her cream coloured dress.

"Ilse, no!" Violet whispered sharply. But her warning was ignored.

Ilse didn’t even turn her head. Instead, she held out the length of pale silk to the prince, who took it and folded it neatly under his breastplate. Leo then nodded his thanks and lowered the visor to his helmet.

Violet waited until he’d cantered away before spinning around to face her twin. "What do you think you’re doing?" she whispered.

Ilse looked at her as if she feared Violet were slow. "He asked me for a favour and I gave one to him. You don’t turn down a jousting knight’s request. It’s called simple chivalry."

Violet scowled.

Ilse furrowed her brow. "What are you so worried about? Is it because I gave away a sash and we don’t have a replacement?"

Yes, that was part of it. Ilse’s cream gown didn’t sit quite as perfectly without a sash cinching it under the bust. But it was about more than just a length of silk.

"You need to stay away from that man." Violet said under her breath. "We both do."

"Really? Why’s that?"

"Because he’s...sly. And self absorbed. And..." Violet struggled to put into words what made her so uncomfortable about the prince. "I just don’t think he’s a good man to be around. He can’t be trusted."

"Well, that doesn’t say much because you don’t think anybody can be trusted." Ilse replied flippantly.

"That’s not true at all! I’m merely cautious."

"Which is fine. But I don’t want to go through my days staring at everyone with suspicion. I’m different to you. To me, what you’re doing is simply sucking all the joy out of life." Ilse caught the eye of the prince on the field, who raised his hand to her in a brief gesture. She smiled and waved back, then turned to her twin.

"You be as suspicious as you like, Vy. But I’m not going to live like that, assuming anyone I cross paths with has an ulterior motive. So you be you and I’ll be me."

But they do have an ulterior motive, Violet wanted to shout in her sister’s face! Instead, she lowered her voice even further, to the merest hint of a whisper.

"You being you is what I fear the most, Ilse. Because you know what it forces me to do?"

"What?"

"It forces me to worry about you as well as myself! You’re putting the responsibility of maintaining both of our good names, solely on my shoulders and that isn’t fair!" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Ilse glanced at her for a long moment. There was a cold little gleam in her usually doe eyed stare. "Then, don’t."

"What?"

"Don’t worry about me and what I’m supposed to be doing or not doing, according to you. Worry only about yourself and let me be."

Violet shook her head in disbelief. "How am I supposed to do that? I’m your sister!"

"Yes, my sister. Not my guardian or my mother! I’m your age, not Sancia’s. So trust me to make my own decisions and forge a path on my own terms."

Violet swallowed anxiously, not liking the hard edge in Ilse’s voice. Was this still her gentle, biddable twin? "Why are you saying all this?"

When Ilse’s eyes finally met hers again, the cold gleam was gone. Her voice was sweet again. "Because I need you to treat me as an equal, Vy. Not like a scandal waiting to happen. I know that your actions come from a good place. But you can’t control everyone around you. So you have to stop trying to suffocate me."

"Suffocating you? Is that what you think I’m doing?"

"Perhaps not intentionally." Ilse shrugged. "But it’s how you’ve made me feel and I need it to stop."

The crowd roared in excitement as the jousters met in a fierce clash of metal and wood. Both girls were forced to join in the polite applause, forcing their whispered exchange to end.

Violet repeated her sister’s words over and over again in her mind, barely paying attention to the noisy joust. When had Ilse grown such an iron spine? Was court life already changing her?

The thought of letting Ilse wander around doing as she pleased and making independent choices, made her chest tighten with cold terror.

Why don’t you just admit it, Violet, the little voice in her head asked? Admit why you really fear will happen if you stop trying to dominate your sister. Do you fear she’ll sink?

Or worse, that she’ll soar high without you?