History Legend Myth and Curse
Chapter Two: Princess Margaret
In her room, Princess Margaret was re-reading a letter she had received a few days late for her ninth name day. Her mother, the Queen of France wrote to her, telling her about her older sisters and the wonderful things that seemed to happening at court in France.
France.
The letter mentioned several family celebrations, French holiday celebrations, all things she would never take part in. She'd left France when she was two to meet her betrothed and live with his family as a ward. Unbeknownst to her, she was married soon after and now lives in her own keep away from English court. Instead of a betrothed ward, she was elevated to part of the English royal family, married to the heir. She couldn't remember anything about France. She couldn't remember the face of the mother who wrote her letters, she only knew her sisters and father by name, she couldn't remember the castle she was born in.
Often she felt trapped between two worlds, and that she didn't really belong in either. She'd been gone from France for so long, since she was so young that her mother country felt like a foreign place to her and yet she would never really be accepted as English. She loved visiting English Court to be around other noble girls her age, and to just see new people in general, but it always felt like an exhausting vacation. Most of the time she couldn't wait to get back to her private keep after a few weeks, the only place where she felt she was around people who truly cared about her, even if they saw her as a boss instead of family. They at least understood her as an individual.
Not that life in her personal keep was anything to brag about. The majority of days, she had few peers to talk to, the girls her age were children of servants and servants themselves in her keep. During her precious free time if they weren't working they could be fun to play games with, but usually the monotony of life at her keep was lonely. With only her governess and instructors to talk to on a regular basis she became adept at conversing with them about worldly affairs and about their own studies in the field of their tutorage.
At nine Princess Margaret could speak both English and French fluently, though her French was with an English accent these days. She was diligently working on her Latin and felt very confident with it, though she was told that few of her peers would also be able to read and write it. She knew full well that the King's daughters weren't picking it up.
She glanced down at her letter once more before carefully folding it up and placing it in the secret pocket of her dress. She wanted to take the letter with her to London for Prince Henry's arrival. Something of her own to treasure while in the King's Palace.
Prince Henry was travelling with Sir William Marshal, around the country and Europe from tournament to tournament. The Prince was squiring for the knight and learning about foreign politics with some other boys in his retinue. It was a strange way for the King to train his successor, but she was still learning English ways. The tournament in London was their next stop, it coincided with the beginning of spring and since the Prince was coming home for a few weeks, the Princess was expected to be there to show her support.
Princess Margaret was excited she was going to witness Prince Henry's first tournament. Of course, his first tournament was in London for the King to watch. It was simply for appearances that she was to attend as well, but she didn't let that diminish her excitement. He was going to participate against other boys in his age range sure, but nevertheless it was the first time he was allowed to compete.
She didn't really know Prince Henry very well. He grew up in his father's palace while she in her keep, but what she did remember of him whenever they were able to interact was always pleasant. He alone made her always feel completely welcome in his family. He alone stood up for her whenever other children were rude and adults weren't right on hand. Prince Henry alone seemed genuinely concerned with her comfort while she was in his father's palace. He was legally her family through marriage, but personally he was the closest thing to family she felt like she had here in England.
For this reason, she was proud to show her support for him. Finally, she would have something of substance and family-like to write back to her mother about.
Her new hand-maiden assigned by the King came into to her rooms, announcing that the carriage to take her from her keep to London had arrived. Prince Henry would be arriving in London later that evening and she was to attend the Homecoming feast at the Palace for his retinue. She rose to follow her new hand-maiden.
The King sent new hand-maidens every six months like clockwork. She had new instructors every two years, and most of the household servants were on a rotation between her keep and the palace every few months. The only constant in her life was her governess, a formidable woman with high expectations who wrote weekly update letters to the King about the Princess's academics, her charity appearances, and guest outings. The governess reported everything. She even read the Princess's letters from her family before she received them.
Princess Margaret didn't hate her governess, rather she found it annoying when the woman refused interruption while writing the weekly update, but this was her way of life. The King must know all.
She went through the motions of being announced at court. She stood before King Henry II and his queen, a duchess in her own right also from France, and they greeted each other cordially in the scripted fashion they all used each time she came to the palace.
She was shown to her usual rooms she used when she stayed there. They were adjacent to Prince Henry's though she rarely saw him use his. He always stayed up later than her when they were at the palace together and always rose before she did to start another adventurous day.
Finally, her hand-maiden came to her room to escort her to the Homecoming Feast. During the motions of being introduced upon entering the hall, she concentrated hard on maintaining a formal posture and expression like her governess taught her. She made it to her seat at the high table without incident though she felt the King's eyes following her. Accustomed to his scrutiny, she pretended he wasn't watching like she did with everyone else and took her seat graciously with an easy smile on her face. She wanted nothing to be amiss in her governess's report during her stay in the palace.
The Prince's younger siblings were already seated as well. Matilda, and Richard were older than she, Geoffrey was born her same year, and Eleanor, Joan, and John were all younger than herself. It seemed they were only waiting on the guest of honor, the Crown Prince himself and his retinue. Princess Margaret didn't have to wait long. His retinue began to be announced soon after she had been seated and the first through the door was Sir William Marshal, the Prince's tutor.
He was younger than the Princess thought he was going to be, and he seemed uneasy when he first stepped into the feast hall. But he was shown his spot and to the Princess's surprise it was nearly directly across from her own. The other boys of the retinue were introduced, then Robert, future Earl of Gloucester and the Prince's closest friend from childhood.
Finally, with quite a bit of pomp and celebratory music, the Crown Prince Henry was announced. He walked through the door and paused with a wide grin across his face. He knew how much he was already loved by his future subjects and did not hesitate to absorb their affections. He travelled straight to his father, the King, and bowed deeply in respect.
The King stood and made a short speech, "For the first time, in a little less than a year, my family, is whole again!" He spoke in short bursts, even when he addressed you in person to make sure you were clear on every enunciation. "Prince Henry has returned, from his first year of touring our countryside, and those of our allies! Now, I have the great pleasure, of announcing to all of you, that tomorrow, he will compete, in London's Spring Tournament! Welcome home, son!"
A round of applause went around the Feast Hall. The Prince gave the King one last bow and then he happily trounced to his seat, right next to Princess Margaret and across from Sir William Marshal. It seemed his tutor wasn't to be very far from the Prince, much like the governess was only a few seats away from the Princess.
Up close, the Princess noticed that the Prince had matured some since she'd last seen him almost a year ago. Spending much of his time outside travelling, his skin was somewhat weathered making his normally pronounced freckles more subdued and natural looking. His hair, normally a brilliant deep red was sun-streaked now with gold highlights running throughout it. It had a tousled look to it that showed how unkempt he allowed it while travelling and was longer than was fashionable.
After the feast officially commenced, Prince Henry relaxed back in his chair, ignoring the perfect posture of everyone around him and his cousin Robert immediately copied him. He turned his shining blue eyes towards Princess Margaret and smiled on one side of his mouth and nodded his head in a slight bow in her direction while maintaining eye contact, "My Princess."
Princess Margaret gave a slow smile back in spite of herself. He hadn't called her that since they were little, back when Prince Henry told some rude children they weren't allowed to bother her because he was the Heir and she was his Princess. "My Prince," she greeted him back in the same mocking tone he used for their inside joke.
Sir William Marshal broke the spell. "Sit up, both of you. We're in the palace not at a campfire." He turned and glared at Robert on his right side who grudgingly straightened up and then flicked his gaze at Prince Henry.
Prince Henry locked eyes with the young knight and then let out a small breath and nodded to him in respect before resuming a proper royal posture for the feast. "I suppose; it was a rather poor reflection of your tutoring." He didn't apologize, but royalty never does. All the same, the Prince put his regular easy smile back on before looking away from his tutor.
Princess Margaret was amazed. Never had she seen Prince Henry regard any of his tutors, or anyone for that matter, as a superior, let alone equal. Except for his mother and father of course. As she had witnessed during the feast introductions he respected his father for his position only, but she knew he adored his mother. This Sir William Marshal must have somehow proven his worth during their time travelling, and the Princess was curious to learn how he accomplished such a feat.
The feast carried on, the adults becoming louder and louder as they drank more and more of the King's wine. Most of the boys of the retinue however, drank in moderation. Only one of them overindulged. The Prince's cousin Robert seemed unable to sip from his cup and instead drank deeply each time he raised the goblet to his lips. Sir Marshal attempted to quietly stop him with words, but Robert was so far gone that even words from the Prince didn't prevent him from being unbecoming.
Finally, it was the strange request that Robert asked of Sir Marshall which made each of the boys in the retinue freeze with looks of apprehension on each of their faces. "Wyn! You need to loosen up, what are the words to make a man laugh?"
A look of anger crossed Sir Marshal's features and a quick pleading glance at Prince Henry who gave a nod of approval of some sort was the only thing that turned that anger into determination. Then after a quick glance around at the people around them, Sir Marshal raised an eyebrow and gave the slightest nod in Princess Margaret's direction. She realized, outside of the boys in the retinue, she was the only one who'd heard Robert's strange request.
Prince Henry, turned his brilliant blue eyes and extra winning smile that stretched across his whole face in the Princess's direction, "Princess Margaret?"
She tore her gaze away from the drunken Robert to politely look the Prince in the face.
"Would you be interested in walking in the gardens with me after my father retires from the feast?" he asked her hastily. She couldn't discern what it was exactly, but the features on the Prince's face weren't as relaxed as usual, try as he might to make them so. His blue eyes were piercing and seemed to be drilling into her own, as though he didn't want her gaze to be anywhere but precisely where he had it focused at the moment.
The Princess could tell something was amiss, but years of training in polite conversation won, "Yes, that would be lovely."
A look of relief crossed his features just before the two of them heard a thump from where Robert was seated. Princess Margaret was startled and swung her gaze back in Robert's direction. He was no longer drunk and boisterous, instead he was slumped over the table in front of him.
The Prince's easy smile returned instantly, though it seemed a little strained in embarrassment for his friend. He loudly addressed all the heads that turned in Robert's direction who also had heard the thump, "That is why he isn't allowed strong wine during the tournaments!" The crowd laughed light-heartedly and the Prince signaled for two servants to come help Robert to his rooms.
Sir Marshal gave them some instructions about positioning him on his bed and when he sat down Prince Henry whispered across the table, "Wyn, is he going to be alright?"
Princess Margaret thought Prince Henry seemed pretty worried about a common pass out from too much alcohol, perhaps Robert had an intolerance of some sort and became ill sometimes?
Sir Marshal nodded his head in an exhausted sort of way, "Yes, he'll sleep both off just fine," he whispered back.
Both? Wondered the Princess.
All of the boys in the retinue, including the Prince strangely began to act as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As though, none of them had looked panic-stricken only a few moments ago. The Princess was about to ask why Robert's request was so odd, when the Prince changed the subject.
"Have you seen the new additions to the gardens yet? I asked you to walk with me, but perhaps you could give me a tour instead?"
Princess Margaret furled her eyebrows at the deliberate subject change, but decided to play along. "No, I haven't. I suppose we'll have to explore it together."
The Prince's face broke into a genuine smile again, "I suppose."