Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 278: Violet: Strangers Side by Side

16 August, 1348. Magdaline Castle, Islia.

The tentative bond that had been budding again between the Thierre girls, like a fragile plant, had been savagely cut down and crushed to dust since that day. The day Violet had discovered Ilse hiding with Prince Leo and had accused her of being nothing more than another one of his strumpets.

Ilse hadn’t forgiven or forgotten that comment.

The sister who as a child would always apologise first after a quarrel - even if she’d been in the right - because she hated conflict, now refused to forgive and forget.

Though to be perfectly fair, for Ilse to even consider forgiveness it would’ve taken Violet to actually apologise and show remorse first.

And that was never, ever going to happen. Violet didn’t regret a single thing she’d said that afternoon. She’d simply spoken the truth and Ilse hadn’t wanted to hear it. She was only sorry she hadn’t been more forceful when trying to knock some sense into her twin’s stubborn skull.

One of the problems created by Ilse’s foolish behaviour though, was that it was proving to be extremely awkward sharing your days and duties with someone you were barely on speaking terms with.

Sharing a bedchamber with such a person was next to unbearable.

As the days passed, Queen Celia noticed the estrangement between the sisters. She said nothing about it however, simply observing with quiet shrewdness. The ladies-in-waiting were far more open about wanting to know the reasons behind it. Violet would often catch several of them observing Ilse and her, eyes flicking between them as if watching a ball during a game of royal tennis.

Violet refused to give a single word of explanation. To her great relief, Ilse appeared to take the same approach.

Having said that, Violet was sure Ilse would’ve said something to Prince Leo about their quarrel. She didn’t consider him to be an intelligent man but even he would’ve noticed the frostiness between the twins.

He still continued to engage with Violet on a fairly regular basis, a smile here and a comment there. But she could feel him somewhat pulling away from her. The more he turned his focus from Violet, the more besotted he seemed to become with Ilse.

And that was the other problem created by your sister acting the whore with a man, Violet supposed. Said man was always going to gravitate towards the girl who was already spreading her legs for him, wasn’t he?

Violet’s quips and clever words on their own, were never going to be a match for what Prince Leo was now getting from Ilse, were they? After much thought at night, while lying in bed next to the sister who only ever turned her back to her now, Violet came to a conclusion.

She could either continue unchanged and simply flirt with the prince, waiting until his infatuation with Ilse inevitably faded. She figured a man’s lust can only burns for a conquest for so long before he grows bored and needs a new challenge. However, this approach came with the risk of yet another woman catching Leo’s eye while Violet waited. At worst, he might discard both Thierre sisters to pursue something completely new.

Violet simply refused to let that happen. She’d already devoted too much time and effort for that. That meant she was really only left with one choice.

She needed to offer the prince the same as what he was already getting from her sister. Not only that, but she needed to do it better than Ilse. She’d pander to the man’s ego so much that he felt like the continent’s greatest hero whenever he was around Violet.

She could do that easily enough, couldn’t she? It couldn’t be hard at all, given a simple girl like Ilse was managing it.

- - -

Violet laced up her own gown as she watched Ilse brushing out her hair from the corner of her eye. She was fortunate that Islian fashions dictated ladies should braid and veil their hair. She didn’t even want to think about the unfair advantage Ilse would have if her fabulous hair was left unbound and uncovered.

The sisters never helped each other with their braids or gowns anymore. They never said anything beyond the absolutely necessary. They simply coexisted now, doing their duties in parallel while in a cloud of polite silence. As a result, Violet had become rather good at tugging and tying the laces at the back of her dresses.

She’d rather twist until her back and wrists ached than ask her sister for a hand.

Finishing her hair and stepping into silk slippers, Ilse gave Violet a cool look. "I’m ready to go. Are you?"

Violet nodded curtly in response and the two of them began walking towards the queen’s apartments. No other words passed between them until that evening when they were getting ready for dinner. Ilse briefly asked if Violet had seen her grey gauze veil. Violet shook her head and Ilse shrugged.

That night, Violet lay in bed next to the stranger who was her sister. She knew Ilse had to still be sneaking around with the prince. The way they danced together every night, eyes locked in a heated gaze, was a giveaway. So were the strolls the two would take in the gardens and the way they’d practice archery together at the butts, always smiling and talking.

The gifts that were appearing more and more regularly were the final insult, as far as Violet was concerned.

Besides the beautiful gold earrings that Ilse continued to wear every day, Violet’s sharp eyes noticed other things. A ring on Ilse’s smallest finger. A dainty bracelet made from gold links and seed pearls. A pretty circlet made from actual silver, not just silvery lace.

Ilse never gave a single word of explanation. One evening when she was fiddling with her bracelet, she caught Violet looking at it. With a cold, defiant glance, Ilse simply hid the bracelet under her sleeve and stared straight ahead.

That same night, Violet found herself looking at the ceiling with aching eyes and thinking about ripping that accursed bracelet apart. Link by link and pearl by pearl, in front of her sister’s hurt face.

Good heavens, had she always been so vengeful?

I have to be this way now, she argued with herself. I have no choice but to fight back, otherwise Ilse will take away what I’ve had to fight so hard for. If Mother and Father knew what was happening, even they’d see the sense in their cleverest daughter manipulating the prince, not the hopeless dreamer. Ilse has more of their love but I have their burning ambition.

I’m doing the right thing, the only thing available to anyone on my position. I am.

That night, her dreams were haunted by images of broken gold jewellery and pearls that tumbled to the floor like falling tears.

The next morning, Violet awoke and rose, only to find Ilse still in bed and riddled with pain from her monthly course.

That was something Violet was at least better than her sister at. Her courses had never caused her much trouble, whereas Ilse’s had always been not just painful but horribly irregular.

Unless Ilse had lied about that as well? Violet now found herself second guessing everything she once thought she knew about her sister.

She quickly washed and dressed herself for the day, pulling on the dusty blue gown she thought flattered her colouring the most. She could feel Ilse’s gaze boring into her. After finishing and covering her hair, Violet turned to face her.

"Do you have enough of the ginger root tea to drink for the day?" she asked in a clipped tone. "Or will you need me to ask one of the queen’s healers for more?"

"I have enough, thank you." Ilse’s voice was equally wooden. With a pained groan, she rose from the bed and grabbed the kettle always hanging over the fire. She poured the hot water into a mug and started steeping some of the tea leaves in it. Her face was taut with pain and her usually sparkling eyes were shadowed.

Violet bit her lip as hard as she could, refusing to feel pity. Ilse was always getting everything she wanted, so a couple of days every month of pain was a small price for her to have to pay.

It also provided Violet with the chance to find Prince Leo today, without having Ilse around to distract him. She needed to have an important little chat with the man.

Violet cast one last look at her twin, who was huddled on the bed and sipping from her mug. "I’ll let Her Majesty know that you’re unable to attend to your duties today."

Ilse nodded and Violet swept out of the room. There are golden opportunities out there today, she told herself with a bit of excitement. And they’re just waiting for me to seize them.