The coronation was spectacular. William looked regal in his crimson doublet. He went simple on overall adornment, making sure our mother's crown, though altered to fit him, was the centerpiece of his appearance.
The hall was crowded as many came to see the new King. In my eyes, he will always be my playful, charming yet stubborn older brother. On the other hand, I was ungraciously run in to, pushed around and tripped over in the crowd, as if my person, let alone my title, were utterly invisible. Any other day I would be horribly offended, but not today. After my maids' harsh words earlier, my mind could not forget the fact that I was only tolerated at court, but not liked.
The few I would really call friends, though mainly my siblings or Ivy, blended into the crowd. I secretly hoped Ivy was correct, and that young Henry did want to dance.
The bugles blared across the long hall, signaling the beginning of the post coronation festivities. Tables of gourmet food lined either side of the hall, while the middle was reserved for dancing. A quartet of musicians sat in the overhang, looking down upon on the gathering and awaiting the new King's nod to strike the first note.
The crowd parted and I watched my brother glide to the middle of the dance floor. He bowed graciously towards the musicians in the balcony and they shifted into their playing positions. He turned, searching the crowd for, I assume, Ivy. She and I had briefly separated in the long hall, and I'd been actively searching for her when my brother made his entrance.
The crowd parted, bowing slightly as was customary the King passed. Indeed, he stopped in front of Ivy. With a small nod of his head he extended his hand in offering to Ivy. Obviously, she accepted his hand, curtseying gracefully at the same time.
"My, my, the crowd will accept one daughter of their former Captain as their possible future Queen, but not another. How fical."
I glanced at my younger sister, Mary. She had quietly appeared next to me, watching our brother's first royal dance as King. Though three years my junior, she was acutely aware of her surroundings, observing every little detail.
"Since when did you believe all the idle gossip, Mary?"
"Since I was old enough to really look at you when you and Ivy were together." She said nonchalantly.
I grabbed my sister by the arm and not-so-gently pulled her away from the dancing area.
"You will hold your tongue, Mary. You do no good by spreading such hurtful lies," she raised her eyebrows at me. "This is our brothers' night. Please do no ruin it."
"Whatever appeases you, sister. At least someone does not mind your invisible scandal." She nodded towards someone behind me as she lightly walked away.
A great huff of air escaped my lips as I tried to regain my composure and turned back toward the scene behind me. As Mary had indicated, someone was intently watching me.
I smiled and nodded in Henry's direction before wading my way gently through the sea of colors, sounds and smells. As easily as the sky changes color with the varying sun angle, the fabrics draping the various nobles ebbed from reds to golds and blues. The tapestries, made especially for William's coronation, shimmered iridescently as the candlelight flickered off their images.
So as not to seem too eager, I stopped briefly for a quick sip of wine. The musicians had changed their tune, and other couples were now flooding the floor to dance alongside my brother and Ivy.
A small breeze fluttered by my gown and the scent of orange caressed my nose as a soft voice whispered in my ear.
"May I have this dance, Princess?" Henry smiled at me, extending his elbow to entice me out on the dance floor.
"I would love to, Henry, thank you." I placed my hand in the crook of his arm, and allowed him to sweep me onto the dance floor.
I danced the evening hours away, mostly with Henry, but once with my brother. For that one moment I felt important, for I was dancing with a King. With Henry, I felt special, and allowed the warmth of his hands on my waist and his sweet whispers in my ear, to consume me.
"Excuse me, your Highness."
Henry and I stopped dancing. One of the Royal Guard was standing a short distance away, bowing his head, waiting to be acknowledged. "Yes," I squinted, trying to remember his name, "Matthew, am I right? What is it?"
"Yes, your Highness. I apologize for interrupting, but there is a man at the front gate, asking to speak with you and the Lady Ivy."
"Can this not wait until the morning?" Henry asked, a bit agitated. I gently placed my hand on his arm.
"Yes, Matthew, can this not wait? We are in the middle of festivities." Matthew looked sheepishly at me.
"We told him you were occupied, but he insisted it was an emergency."
"What a brute." Henry stated. "Who is asking to speak with the Princess?"
Matthew looked around distractedly, as if checking to see who was close by. He took a few steps closer to us, and leaned in to whisper, "Sir Eric, the former Captain."
Henry looked shocked, but I remembered seeing the Captain at my most recent visit to see my mother. Panic began to fill my body, and I gripped Henry's shirt. Mother.
"I must find Ivy. We have to see what he needs. If something has happened to Momma..." Scanning the room, I found Ivy tucked along the wall. Weaving around other dancing couples, I tried to not knock anyone over. Henry was close on my heels, gently calling my name.
Ivy glanced up at me as I approached, and her face visibly darkened as she saw my worried expression. "Sara, what ..."
"Your father is at the front gate." I cut her question off quickly. "He is asking to speak with both us. He says it is an emergency." Ivy nodded, setting her drink down.
"Henry, we will be back shortly." I tried to smile genuinely at him, apologizing for running off so quickly. He smiled shyly back, and watched us as we walked over to Matthew, the Royal Guard, and followed him out of the hall.
Following Matthew to the front gate, I could see the Captain pacing, his boots covered in mud. He was visibly upset.
"Good Gods, Ivy, what took you so long?" He gestured to his daughter, nearly knocking us over as he rushed over to meet us.
"Nice to see you too, father." She placed her hands on her hips, a smirk playing across her face. Only Ivy could get away with humor in a tense situation.
"Ivy, Princess, you must come to the cottage now. One of you go fetch the midwife. We must make haste." He was shaking, and his words were rushed.
"A midwife? I am confused. Is my mother alright?" His gazed pierced through me, and bent over placing his head in his hands.
"Aye, please go find her. It is too early for the babe to come, too early." He looked at us, obviously distraught. Ivy nodded, and headed back towards the castle.
I stared dumbfounded at the Captain. Baby. My mother was with child? But I had only seen her four months ago. But he said it was too early?
"The babe should not be here for another month. Your mother didn't want to worry you."
The silence between us was deafening. I probably looked like a fish opening and closing my mouth as I did, but I could not find the right words.
Ivy came running back towards the front gate, the midwife right behind her.
"It's too early. Being her fifth bairn, the babe may just slide on out." The midwife stated firmly.
"Why do you think I'm here, Edith? We must make haste!"
Staying silent, Ivy and I followed the Captain and midwife over to his wagon. I looked down at my beautiful dress, and then back up towards the hay-strewn wagon.
Sighing dramatically, for my mind was still trying to process that my mother was having a baby, I heaved myself up on the back of the wagon. Ivy gripped my hand tightly, shrugging her shoulders in surrender to this situation.
My mind wandered during the ensuing ride that I did not even realize we reached the little cottage. I startled when a deep groan emanated from inside. I was the last one inside by the time I extricated myself from the wagon. I ran back to my mother's room, finding the midwife already standing at the end of the bed with her sleeves rolled up, poised as if to catch a baby immediately. My mother groaned again, and I watched as the Captain gently bent over, brushing her hair from her face and whispering in her ear.
Even with the agony of childbirth, a smile lit up her face as she turned to see me. Pain erased the smile as she groaned again, violently gripping the Captain's hand.
"Everyone out, it is about time to meet this wee little one." Edith, the midwife, shouted.
"No, no, no, Eric stays." My mother cried, reaching for him as if he was already moving toward the door.
"Shhh, shhh, I'm here, Snow. I'm not leaving."
Ivy and I hurried out of the room, closing the door swiftly behind us. We stared at each other, realizing the consequences of what was happening.
"I guess we will have a new sibling shortly." No sooner had the words left Ivy's mouth then the cry of a newborn echoed in the night. I think we both wept in shock.
The time seemed to slow before the Captain emerged from the room, carrying a small bundle in his arms. The smile on his face was indescribable.
"Come, meet your sister." He smiled up at us. "This is Elizabeth Grace." The small bundle squirmed in his arms at the mention of her name. I walked up to him, outstretching my arms in a silent invitation. He gently passed Elizabeth to me, and I admired the little girl in my arms. I looked back up to the Captain, and tears were in his eyes.
"You can not know the joy I feel having all my daughters together." He placed an arm around my shoulder, and beckoned Ivy over to us, placing the other around her. My eyebrows raised as his words sunk in. Were the rumors around court actually true? "Let your mother rest tonight. I'm sure she'd like to talk to you more in the morning. Let me show you both to the guest room. I should be able to find something for you all to wear instead of those fancy things." He chuckled, pointing at our fancy dresses, which look even more ridiculously fancy when immersed inside the simple cottage.
We followed him back to the room, and I reluctantly passed my sleeping sister back into his arms. "I will see you both in the morning. I must get Elizabeth back to her Mama, she will need to eat soon."
"Father?" Ivy asked, speaking for the first time in awhile.
"Yes?"
"Congratulations." She whispered, before adding, "I've missed you." Sadness was clearly written across his face at her words.
"I've missed you too. We must talk tomorrow. It's been too long." Ivy nodded. He bid us good night, and gently closed the door.
"You knew he was staying here? Why did you not tell me?" The words were out of my mouth before I realized I had said them. My feelings were hurt. She knew of his involvement with my mother. She ultimately knew what that meant about me too.
"I was told to not tell you. Your mother wanted to do that, and besides Sara, it is not like I talk to my father all the time. I had no idea about the baby." She sighed, the bed sinking under light weight.
"I must sleep on this. I cannot think on it anymore tonight." I changed as quickly as I could out of my dress, and huddled against Ivy under the covers.
Sleep would elude me for most of the night, thinking back not only over the events, but also the Captain's words. My daughters. It was as my maid said, I am nothing.
The cries of a newborn woke me periodically throughout the night. By the time the morning sun filtered in through the window, I was exhausted. I could hear steps outside my door, and I assumed it was the Captain moving around, and not my mother. Sliding out of bed so as not to wake Ivy, I crept to the door and stepped into the larger living room. The Captain was gently walking back and forth, baby Elizabeth asleep in his arms. He stopped and looked up when I closed the door behind me.
"Good morning, Sara. I hope, under the circumstances, you slept well?" I nodded, unsure I could speak coherently to this man, whom just hours ago called me his daughter. "Your mother is awake, if you'd like to speak with her."
I smiled briefly, following him over to the bedroom door and slipping inside. My mother looked exhausted, but amazingly better than last night. She smiled warmly as I entered.
"Oh, Sara, I have much to tell you don't I?" She gently patted the space next to her on the bed. Quickly, I walked over and sat next to her, grasping her hand in mine.
"Momma, I am so confused. Please tell me everything. But I must first say, my new sister is beautiful."
"She definitely is beautiful. She looks so much like you did as a baby." She grasped my hand tightly. "Will you stay for awhile, I would like to tell you my story, and really your story too."
"I have all the time in the world, Momma." A small knock on the door brought the Captain and baby Elizabeth into the room.
"She's a wee bit hungry, Snow." On cue, Elizabeth let out a small cry and waved a small fist.
"Thank you." He gently kissed my mother's forehead after placing Elizabeth in her arms. "Please stay, Eric."
"I will, after I bring you all some breakfast."
My mother adjusted Elizabeth in her arms so she could nurse easily. "Well, Sara, where should I begin?"
"The beginning?" I suggested.
"You know the beginning, at least my beginning. How about your beginning?" I nodded, the anxiety building in me as I had waited a long time to hear this story.
"Well, Sara, it all began shortly after Williams birth."
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