Author's Note: Once again I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update this story, I've been busy busy busy... but I hope you are all satisfied with this chapter,... It took a bit of consideration and it's long.. once again... but not as long as other chapters, and I feel like I've finally gotten over some kind of creative hurdle, which caused me to be rather hesitant with my writing lately... With that put behind me (I hope) I think, the story will develop just a bit faster now...
The consequences of betraying Damon had reached as far as England. Elena was not surprised to hear about the fact that Damon was furious, she had heard whispers about a girl dying instead of him and she deliberately tried not to think about it too much. There was no stopping any man from keeping mistresses and going to whorehouses but she honestly found that she didn't care a great deal about the girl. She had been shocked to hear that members of his own council had begun plotting against him and there had been an attempt on his life. The repercussions of which were not to be underestimated. Damon had demanded that the old punishments be upheld, something that Elena flinched from. Though she knew Damon to be hard and unforgiving she also instantly understood that he was being forced to do this. If he didn't display a certain amount of power and proclaim that such treason was unacceptable in his court he would make himself vulnerable to any courtier with his eyes on the throne. He had to set a precedent or risk being undermined everywhere. It didn't change the fact that Elena didn't approve of the old punishments, she flinched from such cruelty. For a while she had thought it was because she was a woman, but she knew plenty of women who didn't have any scruples against using such force to protect yourself. Elena had a certain value for human life that she could not ignore, it was the reason that she was reluctant to start wars or send other men to fight for her. It was this reason also that she had difficulty understanding why anyone would want to harm herself, or other people.
They were almost back in London. Elena could feel the air beginning to cool as the summer was rapidly nearing its end and the wind began to pick up. She had enjoyed the summer but the closer they came to London the more anxious Elena became to be back. She took off her riding gloves and hat, handing it to one of the girls who swiftly stepped away as Elena entered one of the many castles she had visited over the past few weeks. This would be the last one before she re-entered London. She was greeted by the Lord and his wife, their children and their household staff that wasn't running around in a panic because the queen was here. She and Bonnie had raced ahead of the rest of her procession, out of excitement and boredom alike. When the rest of her retinue finally arrived the courtyard was in an uproar of clattering horses and carts, and people talking and shouting out demands to the serving staff. Elena smiled at the familiar sound, she had become so used to the sound of her court she found herself slightly unsettled when she wasn't surrounded by some noise. She placed her arm in Bonnie's and the two of them followed the lord and lady up the stairs to the rooms where she would be staying. These rooms were smaller than the ones in the palace, but they were warmer. Decorated in the old fashions with large stone fireplaces and thick furs and pelts in the bed. She imagined this castle must also get very cold during the winter but there was something immensely luxurious about the old fashions.
Bonnie immediately started picking out a different dress for her to wear to the dinner feast while Elena got one of the other girls to help her out of her riding gown. When Caroline finally arrived with Vicky at her heel the younger girls burst out in a fit of giggles. Provoking a curious look from Elena. Caroline simply raised her eyebrows, an expression that meant she would tell Elena and Bonnie about it in private. Elena had no patience to wait until the girls were gone so instead she sent them from the room and turned her back Caroline and Bonnie so they could do up the laces on her stomacher. Caroline pulled hard enough to make Elena gasp and take hold of her waist, she turned her head slightly to see that Caroline looked distracted while Bonnie just giggled.
"What's happened?"
"Vicky and Jeremy had dinner with us last night."
"Us?" Bonnie came and took the laces from Caroline for which Elena was grateful.
"Mathew finally invited them. I've been nagging him about it for weeks. Anyway, the dinner didn't last long. They fight terribly, and she hasn't spoken to him since last night."
"What did they fight about?"
"Jeremy was suspicious as to why Tyler was so attentive to her while she was sick. And then she got angry because he hadn't been present while she was ill. She said he didn't care, but he'd been trying to calm the chaos of London. Mathew tried to diffuse the conversation but it was awful; one is as hotheaded as the other. Honestly Elena I think this relationship will run its course on its own."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you." Bonnie frowned and shook her head. "They're as passionate as they are hotheaded. They might fight with each other, but it's only because they get so jealous. They won't be able to let go of each other that easily."
"I just wish he could see that she's all wrong for him. She's propositioning other men half the time, I'm beginning to think it's to make Jeremy jealous. But it's awful behaviour for any woman of her standing. Her reputation is all she really has and she's tossing it away." Elena turned in the mirror to check if she looked alright and then turned to look at Caroline. "Have you tried talking to her?"
"She's not that hard to befriend really, she could even be useful to you Elena."
"But she's foolish." Bonnie interjected.
"That she is, she gets too caught up in the intrigue, wanting to be part of it. Wanting to meddle."
"She loves knowing things that other people don't. Her problem is that she likes to hang it over people's heads." Elena frowned thinking about how she could possibly get Vicky to take her mind off Jeremy. Part of the problem with her being so involved with Jeremy was that she became privy to a lot of the information that should be kept quiet. Jeremy all but treated her as if she were already his wife and Elena knew it would eventually create a problem. "Keep talking to her Caroline. But don't talk about Jeremy in particular. Just warn her about her reputation at court. Tell her what people might say, or are already saying. She cares a great deal about what other people think. So that might bring her to her senses."
"Doubtful." Bonnie was always the voice of reason, but Elena hoped that they might find a way to solve this without everyone ending up hurt in the aftermath.
Two women were brought before Damon, they had an audience with the King of Naples, which meant they must have been of higher birth because not just any woman could request such a thing. He was waiting in his meeting room, ordering some wine to be brought in while he stood by the window and waited for the two women to come in. He didn't know much about them but he recognized the first woman as she stepped through the door and immediately swept a very deep curtsy.
"Lady Pearl!" He smiled at her warily. He stepped forward as the girl behind lady Pearl followed her in a deep curtsy, keeping her eyes down on the ground. He demanded they stand, and then ordered them to sit at the table. "I haven't seen you since France."
"Much has happened since then your majesty."
"Yes I heard. I was in England when your husband was attacked. I am sorry for your loss. I must say though, I'm surprised to see you in Naples." He waited for a response, but tears from a grieving widow was clearly beyond Pearl. She kept her face very level, Damon guessed already that her marriage had been out of convenience and not love. The love she had for her daughter though was emanating off her.
"I know your Majesty must receive all kinds of requests, but since my husband has died, it has been- ah- difficult."
"Were you not summoned back to England?"
"We were, but unfortunately we cannot afford such a journey. What money we had, we used to come here. All my husband's lands were given away to the younger courtiers that have accumulated in the new queen's court."
"You've come to ask for favours?" Damon was deeply surprised. He hadn't seen this woman since Katerina had been in his life. And the truth was that he wasn't really happy to remember those days. But Pearl had been so truly different from Katerina, and that was the only reason he was prepared to listen to her. He saw the younger girl look up for the first time. She had lighter eyes than her mother, her skin was lighter than he was used to seeing in Naples and she had long brown hair, she looked less stern than her mother, sweeter but her eyes carried some of the quiet intelligence of her mother. Damon knew not to underestimate Pearl, and he decided that the girl, however innocent and quiet, probably knew much more than she let on.
"We've come to ask, if we may accompany you on your next journey to England." She changed part of her request but it all came down to the same thing. Damon smiled again, less wary this time, more amused by her courage.
"What makes you think I am returning to England any time soon?" Pearl stood up then -without Damon prompting her- and smiled too, her smile was more genuine this time but her eyes were dark and knowing.
"You've established your rule here in Naples. There isn't a king in Europe who would doubt that you are the legitimate heir to your throne. You have a brother as your justiciary and your subjects now suddenly find themselves immensely loyal to you." She smiled again, narrowing her eyes at him somewhat. "But you'll need a wife soon. And the queen of England. Well- that would be quite a match." Damon actually chuckled as he stood up and towered over her, like he did over most people.
"And where do you fit in?"
"You'll require people that find themselves loyal to you, if you were to go to England. If you do this for me and my daughter, we would be quite indebted to you." Damon didn't need to think on it too hard. Spies were useful in any court, and Damon could use two beautiful and intelligent spies if he went to England. It wasn't his court and it wasn't his country, Pearl and her daughter were English, though they had lived most of their lives in France, and she was the widow of the late Lord Rochford, she would have connections established already. Instead of giving in to her immediate will he simply smiled again and nodded before calling his chamberlain to come in.
"Find an apartment of rooms for these two ladies. See to it that they are comfortable." He waited for them to curtsy to him before he left the room, he couldn't help but smile to himself. The woman was formidable and he couldn't hide his pleasure in her boldness, he liked women who could fend for themselves. Her final goal most certainly, was to re-establish herself in England and find a good husband for her daughter, some promising marriage, once she was back in favour with the queen.
He realized very suddenly that he had admitted his intentions of going back to England, though now didn't seem like a very good time, he couldn't imagine a better time either. If he stayed in Naples while everything was peaceful and going his way, he would most certainly be stuck here if something happened. It was true also he had Stefan as his justiciary, Stefan could follow if necessary, he had other men capable of ruling in his absence. His mind about Elena had been made up a long time ago though, and now he simply found himself truly planning his return. But as king he could not simply travel to another kingdom like he used to. It would require an invitation from Elena.
Elena revelled being back in London. She had missed the city; the people here loved their queen, and in light of the recent disease Elena arriving back in London was like a light being returned to them. They came out of their houses to cheer for her as if it were her coronation day all over again and Caroline and Bonnie rode silently, smiling behind their queen. Caroline's smile was less genuine than usual, though she could act as well as any other courtier, if not better. Her smile was bright and she waved to the people in the streets, passing out coins to the poor children when they dared to come close. She rode a new horse, a gift from Mat. She hadn't expected anything from him and she certainly hadn't known what to say, her new horse was a grey Russian-Arabian mare she had named Hippolyte, it came from the Greek daughter of Ares, meaning 'horse-freer' it came from a story she had once read.
She was happy riding back into London, Caroline missed the city, she had hated living in the country when she was young, she felt too isolated, too far away from everything that mattered and the feeling didn't subside even though she was older and she was travelling with the royal court. She felt relieved to be back in the city. Seeing the happy faces of the city's people as their queen rode back she felt a sense of relief at that too. But there were other things that worried her. The entire situation with Jeremy and Vicky sat heavily on her, she knew Vicky a bit better now. And she was her sister-in-law so by law she should be loyal to Mathew's family but instead she found herself trying to organize her sister's heartbreak, that in itself was awful. She wanted desperately to find a solution for Vicky, maybe she could send her away for awhile. To Spain or to Rome, where the courts consisted of women who were extremely pious and counted their entire life's worth based on their chastity, but Caroline didn't know if it would help. Vicky was who she was, and it was because of years of neglect in her home she had realized.
At meeting Mathew's mother it was also no wonder as to where Vicky got her character from, her mother was just as bad, perhaps worse. Mathew confided to her that his mother had once stooped so low as to try and seduce Tyler into her bed. Caroline couldn't really express her horror at that little tidbit of information, she couldn't comprehend a woman doing such a thing. It must have been a combination of desperation and loneliness that made her set her eyes on Tyler, a man young enough to be her son, but even so Caroline couldn't imagine acting on such compulsions. She herself had tried so desperately to stay away from Tyler, she'd been cruel even but she'd done it. She'd held her ground and fought against her feelings. She had hoped that they would dissipate, she had secretly taken Tyler's absence from court as a blessing, hoping to forget she had ever kissed him, ever let him pursue her but as they drew closer to Whitehall palace she grew more and more anxious to see him. She wanted to see him, she was surprised at the need to know that he was well. That he wasn't still ill, or carried some lasting ailment from the sweat like so many other people did. Like before she thought for a moment that if she saw him, if his good health was confirmed to her she would be able to let it rest. But there was something else that was telling her no such thing would happen, she rode next to Bonnie and tried desperately to focus on other things, the smell of London, the sight of the people laughing and cheering. Young boys chasing their retinue hoping for a glance from the pretty ladies of the court and girls that were hanging outside the windows to see what the queen and her ladies were wearing and if there were any noble knights among her court.
Whitehall Palace never ceased to take her breath away, it spanned over 23 acres and had 1500 rooms. The size of a small town; it had been built by Elena's father and mother, back when they were still in love. When her mother's opinion as queen of England had still counted. She had approved plans for the building, and made changes to the decor. Her influence could still be seen in the intricacy of the ceilings and stonework that had been sculpted into the building. The gardens had been designed by her mother as well, Caroline had never known the late queen, but it was said that she was beautiful and intelligent, most like Elena. Caroline thought it sad that the thing that had made the king fall in love with her was also what had caused the infamous rift between them and had eventually saddened her so much it was said she died of a broken heart.
There wasn't a court anywhere that could match Whitehall Palace, and Caroline knew that she was one of the few courtiers who could truly navigate the entire palace. She knew every corner and hall, every secret passage. Mathew had a hard time finding his way from their apartments to the green, let alone knowing the short-cuts to Elena's rooms.
She smiled a little more genuinely at the sight of Whitehall, when they passed through the large gates and into the courtyard through Holbein Gate. This entire palace, this small village really, was a token to how much the late king had loved Elena's mother. The white ashlar stone wasn't usually used for palaces until Elena's mother had suggested it. It was Elena's favourite place, and Caroline couldn't blame her for it. It was the most remarkable of all the royal residences. She began to feel a bit better as they rode further on and the entirety of the queen's progress came to a clattering halt in the courtyard. Servants came rushing out to receive orders from their masters. Stableboys appeared next to the horses and everyone was instantly in a flutter around the queen who simply smiled as someone helped her out of her saddle.
Caroline froze then, Tyler stood next to Elena smiling and talking to her happily. She couldn't tell what he was saying but it didn't really matter. She realized that her heart had stopped, she'd been holding her breath and she'd been so transfixed on the sight of Tyler she hadn't realized that Mathew was standing next to her horse waiting for her to dismount.
"Are you alright?" Mathew asked when she came down and placed his arm around her. "You don't look well." He stated concerned and put a hand to her forehead.
"I'm alright, I just need something to drink. It's hot out here." It was too, nearing the end of summer perhaps but there were days when the heat was still immense and today was no exception. With all the horses and people gathered in the loud courtyard there was no escaping the heat so Mathew pulled Caroline gently but quickly behind the queen who was already going inside. The truth was that Caroline wanted to stay as far away as possible from Tyler at the moment. She thought for a moment she was being ridiculous but there was a tension that had built in her stomach and she couldn't help the anxiety shaping in her from being in Mathew's arms and wanting to be in Tyler's. She cast her eyes down to the ground carefully and made Mathew stop. Turning to look at him as she did she hated that his eyes were always such a clear honest blue.
"Just wait a moment Mathew. Let me catch my breath." Mathew stood with her for a moment but then he turned away from her and Caroline wasn't entirely sure why until she turned her eyes to look up. She realized that she truly wasn't feeling well, she thought it had to be the sun, she should have had more water on the journey. Mathew and Tyler were caught in an embrace, clapping each other on the shoulder and smiling. They got talking very quickly and Caroline realized that Tyler looked different, his hair was shorter and his face was a bit gaunt. His skin wasn't the usual darker tone that it had been. He was pale and his eyes were slightly hazy. Everything melted away when he looked at her, she wanted to break away and hold him and take care of him. He was the one to turn his eyes away though and look back at Mathew and Caroline knew that her words had stung him harder than she'd thought. Maybe he had been expecting her to take it back, to write to him and explain herself. Caroline had tried to a few times but nothing could express her hopes of seeing him well again without admitting to herself that he meant a great deal to her. She didn't say anything, instead she stood next to Mathew as the two men talked of sports and the issues that were arising in the privy council.
"Lady Donovan." Tyler inclined his head towards her but the coldness in his voice made her almost cringe. She blinked at him but then recovered and smiled, nodding back at him and feeling as if she'd just lost something important. Mathew was oblivious to the strange exchange and just smiled pulling Tyler apart to discuss important matters with him. Caroline stood for a moment before she turned away. Being near Tyler was worse than being apart from him, and what was worse was that she had lost something that had been there before. She had been the one to break whatever it was that made them possible, she watched Tyler walk away with Mat and felt that whatever it was was now irreparably damaged.
"Vicky put that back. They are the queen's dresses." Caroline hissed rapidly at Vicky who was holding up a deep blue silk gown against her and looking into Elena's full length mirror. The mirror on it's own was one of a kind and extremely rare. Very few people could make them and this full-length mirror with its silver frame was probably worth at least forty of the queen's gowns.
"I'm not wearing them. I just like the material." She put the dress down, disappointed Caroline could tell. The colour didn't suit her in the least.
"Cover the mirror back up." She ordered Vicky as she put the dress back where it belonged. A job that was actually Vicky's but Caroline let it go for now. She was mistress of the robes, and that was an incredible honour, she had only appointed Vicky to help her in the hopes that Vicky would confide in her regarding Jeremy and any other trysts she might have. From what Caroline could tell Vicky never actually slept with other men, it was usually just an act to get Jeremy jealous and though she didn't approve, she could see Vicky's logic. She made herself desirable. Made it seem as if every man at court was dying to have her and so Jeremy should consider himself lucky. But there were problems with that theory; she couldn't keep it up forever, Jeremy would see through it sooner or later and in the meantime she was ruining her reputation if she ever were to become interested in marrying another man she would be forever considered as a harlot.
"What's gotten into you lately?" Caroline let that go, she had no intention of sharing with Vicky her worry for Elena and her own sleepless nights. The council was complaining about the new regime that was in place. The older council members were beginning to realize they were being slowly but surely pushed out to make way for a younger court and they had no intention of letting it continue. They had formally requested that the queen invite some of their wives to attend to her. Currently all the queen's maids were wives of her friends on the privy council or completely harmless. Elena had done everything she could to ensure that they didn't encroach on her personal space, and so she had hoped they wouldn't notice that her court wasn't politically impartial to any side. Caroline thought it slightly foolish that Elena was fighting them so severely on such a small matter. Caroline herself wouldn't stand aside for a lady who's only goal was to spy on the queen but she understood that there had to be a certain balance at court. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. It was better to have them at court instead of plotting against her somewhere she couldn't reach.
"How is Jeremy? I heard he was unwell." Caroline decided to change the subject but apparently it wasn't a welcome subject.
"He's perfectly fine. He's feigning illness to avoid me." Vicky spat out bitterly as she covered the mirror and then went to sit down in one of the chairs. Caroline sat down next to her and pulled her sewing close. She had never been a very good seamstress, she was better at singing and dancing and playing cards, entertaining people. But she kept sewing because it kept her hands busy and it was during sewing when women shared their secrets with each other.
"I find it hard to believe that Jeremy would do such a thing."
"He would, and he has. I have a mind to forget about him. The Earl of Suffolk would make a much more formidable match."
"An Earldom, and Tyler Lockwood's for that matter." She scoffed. "You reach to high Mistress Donovan." Caroline made sure to draw attention to Vicky's title, which was nothing. She had no title, her mother had none and her father hadn't had any either. They weren't of noble birth and if Elena wouldn't approve of a marriage between Jeremy and her she most certainly wouldn't do it for Tyler. Though they were friends, she cared far less for Tyler's happiness than Jeremy's. Jeremy was more difficult to control because he was the queen's cousin but Tyler would be made an example of if he even tried to marry Vicky. Caroline nearly laughed but she stopped herself. The only reason Caroline's betrothal to Mathew had been approved of was because her own family name, though noble, had been dragged through the dirt. No one cared what happened to the daughter of a lecher, she had actually gotten lucky to marry at all. "If you want a husband the first thing you should do is stop flaunting yourself. Your reputation is what will get you a husband, especially if you want one of higher birth than yourself." It was the first time Caroline had gotten the chance to actually openly discuss this with Vicky and she found she was falling on deaf ears. Vicky raised an eyebrow and then rolled her eyes shortly after, shaking her head and turning down to her own sewing.
Elena fumed as she stormed into her rooms and slammed the parchment down on one of her tables. She walked past that and ignored her ladies, giving them all looks to leave her alone and stormed into her bedroom where Bonnie stood, she had been talking to one of the maids, who at the sight of Elena curtsied and took off faster than Elena thought was necessary. She turned to Bonnie the moment the maid had closed the door and felt like growling, though she knew that expressing anger towards Bonnie was entirely useless.
"They're mad. All of them!"
"Who?" Bonnie asked calmly.
"The members of council. Well, most of them at least." She shook her head and watched as Bonnie sat down to listen carefully. Elena was too angry to sit. "They have formally requested that I replace some of my ladies so that I don't seem to favour any lords in particular. They say that Jeremy controls me, or Tyler controls me, or even you and Caroline. It seems everyone controls me, except them!"
"Is that all they demanded?"
"No, they brought up the subject of my marriage again." Elena scoffed, she had hoped to avert their attention by bantering with them but it hadn't really worked. They were still unhappy though the subject had been put aside for awhile. "If it were up to them, England would either become part of Spain or France."
"Both countries that are extremely loyal to the papacy, what did you say."
"I told them that I saw no way of pleasing everyone unless I married one of each." Bonnie giggled and leaned back. Elena dropped her shoulders and realized that she'd been immensely tense and some of her anger dissipated as she giggled with Bonnie.
"I suppose that only distracted them for a moment."
"You should have seen their faces. I thought their eyes would bug out of their heads. Lord Suffolk was trying desperately not to laugh, and Lord Donovan couldn't hide his amusement at all." She finally sat down and shook her head. That wasn't what bothered her though, she was a woman, and though for the moment she had reigned supreme she was facing down her own council in trying to show that she could rule on her own. She had no intention of being alone all her life, she couldn't reign without an heir but she was furious that they would flout her so openly. Make such a public announcement that they wanted her to change her household. It was an insult to her and she was furious.
"You need to be careful Elena. The older members of the privy council may not always agree with you but they are as loved by the people as you are. If you go against them too severely you could cause an uprising."
"They cannot have a say in what goes on in my household. I am the Queen of England! Does it count for nothing?" Elena didn't know what she was supposed to do, she felt as if they were treading over a line that they shouldn't, if she let them she was worried it would mean she was pliable to them. She couldn't be seen relenting so easily to her lords, she was the ruler of this country and not them.
"Of course they can't make demands as to the members of your household. But Elena, you shouldn't be too partisan in your choices. It's not always a bad thing to have these people close to you. If you keep them close, you can keep eyes on them. If they are left to themselves they could be a bigger problem than they are now. If you must wait a while to suit yourself then do that, but I think there's something to be said for keeping eyes and ears on those who might seek to harm you." Elena grimaced and eyed her friend carefully.
"Tyler and Mathew think I shouldn't relent." She didn't see how Bonnie was right, she didn't think they should have any say in what people she kept near her.
"Elena, they will say what suits their own interest. They are politicians, they want to be rid of the old council members, and they might not even realize that they are using you without a thought to the damage to the crown." Elena still frowned, she found it hard to believe that Tyler and Mathew would do such a thing to her, especially after everything she'd granted them. "Elena, you're mistaking strength for stubbornness, and let me warn you the people will not like you for it." Elena shook her head but stood up to look out the window. She hated it when she got that inkling feeling that Bonnie was right, but she hated even more that she was beginning to see that they were all trying to use her as a pawn in their own personal political game.
Elena tried desperately to think of nothing, she tried to be silent and listen to the harmony of the monks that were singing Agnus Dei in the chapel and she was trying to think of a prayer that might help her but her mind kept wandering. She couldn't formulate questions or pleas, she felt beyond that and immensely frustrated. The sound of the Latin hymns however beautiful she had always found them were no consolation to her when she was trying to finalize the reformation that her father had started. They needed a unified church, but she needed her lords with her and at the moment they were entirely against her. She couldn't give into one side without making herself look weak to the others, the only way she knew how to come out of this strong was by standing on her own and trying desperately to find her own resolution. She wanted her country to be at peace. She didn't want the drastic reformation that her father had so ruthlessly put in place, she didn't want to take away the people's faith and force them into a new one where she stood as head of the church. She was no more a religious authority than the pope but she needed the division between the churches in her country to end.
The religious divisions were so severe they would cause violence sooner or later, and Elena needed act before that happened. Damon had heard about her falling out with some of her council members, something that bothered her deeply. His letter had been filled with worry and good wishes but she could tell he was hoping for an invitation to come back. She had told him 'not yet' as much as she wished to see him, she didn't want him to come in and be the knight in shining armour. She had done well so far by herself, and if the council believed that Damon was the reason she relented they would continue to see her as a meek woman who can be subdued by a more reasonable man. She needed to solve this by herself, and she needed to put her councilors in their place. They presumed too much when they thought they could make demands of her because she was a woman, however partisan her household might be they had insulted her to no end when they demanded she make changes.
She was angry too, at Tyler and Mathew for attempting to use her in their personal little game. She understood the need for a young court but Bonnie was right, these lords were loved by their own people, and they each commanded armies, if they stood together in their grievances towards her they would be a formidable force that she couldn't afford to face. She needed her lords to be unified as much as the church and she needed to find a way to get them back in her good books without compromising her authority. Tyler and Mathew had gone too far in their attempt to rid themselves of the other council members, even if they hadn't realized the full consequences of it yet, she was growing increasingly tired of having to be so weary of everyone. She had thought, she had hoped, that she could trust at least a few people around her but it seemed that they each had their own goals at court and she was being used as a pawn. She refused to be as pliable as her father had been, his courtiers had always been able to whisper thoughts into his ears and make him suspicious of their enemies. At times it had caused Elena to become his enemy, without so much as uttering a word his courtiers who were hoping to place Jeremy on the throne made it seem as though Elena was plotting against her own father. She swallowed and tried desperately to forget the memories of her father threatening her life if she didn't behave. She vowed she wouldn't be like him, if that meant that she could never trust anyone then that's how it would be but she refused to become a pawn in this game of politics.
She got no reply from Damon, only the message that he had received her letter, but she was too preoccupied to read too much into it. The messenger said that he sent his best wishes and hoped that she was in good health and that he would respond to her letter as soon as he could. Elena didn't have much time to think about his reply or the lack thereof. Her courtiers were growing bolder even as she were summoning certain ladies to court in the hopes of offering them a place among her ladies in waiting. Caroline was none too pleased about it but she kept silent which was quite an ordeal for her, Elena knew. The weather was growing colder and Elena was finding herself in a much more precarious mood than she had been before. She hadn't expected this, she was worried about an uprising from her own court and she was angry at the hesitation that was forming around the reformation. The reformation that her mother had believed in and her father had corrupted, she needed to restore part of the old ways without allowing the same corruption to surround the church.
She didn't believe that members of clergy should be able to escape punishment for their crimes because they answered only to the pope and the Vatican. It was wrong to her, in so many ways. If they committed a crime they should be held accountable in front of a court of their peers like everyone else, but since they were men of God they believed the only person able to convict them was the pope, or the cardinals. If a priest, stole, or raped, or murdered they should not get away with a simple repenting prayer. When a member of clergy committed such crimes it was worse in Elena's eyes, they were men of God, supposedly, educated men who were meant to be passive above all else. Violence could not go unnoticed. Being in the chapel didn't bring her solace anymore, it never really had but she liked the peace and quiet it afforded her, when she was here people assumed she was in prayer and she was left alone except for the choir that was singing right now.
She stayed sitting in one of the middle pews longer than she had realized, she had been listening to the singing of the choir, the perfect harmony that was the voices of men who had sworn their lives to God. Everything in praise to God, they didn't sing love songs to each other or write vain poems, every word, every art was created for God. Elena wished her life could be so simple sometimes but she would have suffocated if she'd taken the veil. She couldn't imagine cutting her hair and giving up everything that she was to become a wife of God. The singing abruptly stopped and the monks and sisters left to go to their evening meals and last chores before going to their beds, Elena only then realized that the sun had stopped shining through the windows and the only light was now coming from the hundreds of candles that were lit in the chapel. She stood up and crossed herself out of habit and then turned to leave. Her heels clicked silently on the stones of the chapel as she made her way back through the halls of the palace.
Elena thought silently as she returned to her rooms, she considered everything that was happening around her. She felt as if so many things were caving in around her and part of her wished that she had sent an invitation to Damon. She felt a need for him that she hadn't expected from herself, she wanted company. Even having Caroline and Bonnie around her didn't seem enough sometimes and Damon understood her better than most. Her fear of being used is what kept her from inviting him, and her fear of being undermined by him. She couldn't risk losing her rights, or her freedom to a man. Not even Damon. Especially not Damon.
Caroline was finally finished making sure all the maids were in their beds the maids who were between twelve and fourteen were somehow worse than the other ladies who weren't nearly as innocent as the maids. She was in charge of the queen's household, and Bonnie usually gave her a hand but tonight, during the full moon, for some reason she was nowhere to be found. Caroline never asked questions about her and her grandmother's dealings at night, she didn't know what it meant to really be a witch and she didn't really care to know all that much. She knew Bonnie was powerful, and she knew that Bonnie would be there for her if she needed her. She knew also that she would do anything for Bonnie but the fact that she was a witch, despite everything she knew about her best friend, scared her a bit. So she kept her nose out of it, and Bonnie was thoughtful enough not to bring it up unless she really needed to share details.
Caroline walked through the palace halls quietly, her shoulders sore and her ribs aching, she wanted to get out of her dress and out of the tight stomacher and crawl under the warm covers of her bed. She didn't even mind that she'd be sleeping next to Mathew. There was something incredibly comforting about his presence next to her. She took solace in him, she still felt hurt by Tyler but she felt as if Mathew was somehow her refuge from all of it. He was sweet and considerate and it was actually a bit of a relief that he didn't always know what was going on around him. He was blissfully unaware and so spending time with him was surprisingly free of the pressures of court. The palace was damp and growing colder every day. Summer was most definitely over and considering all the events that were taking place against Elena, Caroline doubted it would be a very pleasant winter. She couldn't wait until it started getting warmer again, she only felt grateful for the fact that they didn't have to spend winter in the country like they used to. Temperatures were far worse and the snow was thicker, and the castles weren't nearly as well-kept as the royal palaces. It didn't make much of a difference though, Caroline still missed the warmth of the sun on her skin and the smell of summer flowers that would waft through the open windows.
As the air grew colder it was as if everything found the need to retreat into corners and shadows and gradually she found the sun was retreating as well. It was shaping up to be another grey English winter and Caroline was not looking forward to it. She wrapped her arms around herself as she turned a particularly cold part of the castle and heard noises coming from some small alcove. She wasn't surprised to hear it, there were always people whispering and doing other seedy things in the shadows of the palace, as the days grew darker she imagined there would be more of that. She had almost reached her own rooms when she heard the voices turn more urgent. Caroline stopped moving instinctively, she was good at overhearing things, she was quick to determine what information was useful or not and she was very good at being quiet when necessary. Caroline came very close to assuming that the information was less than useful, she was almost certain that what she was hearing wasn't really much of a conversation but more a physical activity when screams began to ring out above everything. She turned her head towards the noise as the screaming grew more panicked, more desperate and it sounded like the woman was crying and screaming at the same time.
Caroline felt herself clench, her whole body tensed and she swallowed against the fear that enveloped her. There were goosebumps on her skin and she was suddenly incredibly aware of the fact that she was almost completely alone. The screams could be caused by anything, but it wasn't in her to run away, if the woman was hurt, or being hurt Caroline would never forgive herself for simply turning away. She turned and started towards the sound, every fibre in her being was telling her not to, a big part of her wanted to turn and run back towards her rooms, to get Mathew and tell him what she'd heard. It would have been safer but the woman could have been severely hurt in the meantime. The screaming stopped and turned to whimpers, there was a scuffling sound coming from around the corner and Caroline could see shadows in the dim light of torches or candlelight.
"Who's there?" She yelled, she sounded much braver than she felt, but she felt grateful for her strange sense of courage. When she turned the corner though, whoever had been there had disappeared and there was a woman lying on the ground, her gown was torn and bloody, and her hair was loose around her face. Caroline gasped and felt tears coming to her eyes involuntarily, the girl's eyes were wide open and she was most certainly not breathing anymore. Caroline shook her head and called for the guards, she wasn't sure how it happened so quickly but it did. She was quickly surrounded by people and she felt herself shaking, she held onto a pillar to keep herself from falling or fainting, she wasn't sure which would come first, her breathing had stopped but her heart was beating immensely fast and she wasn't entirely sure what would happen to her if she didn't breathe soon.
Caroline could only guess what she'd been doing here in the middle of the night, wearing that dress. The orange colour looked beautiful on her, it made her skin look flushed and her hair and eyes look warm, her dead eyes now. Caroline finally took a breath and it caught in her throat. She was suddenly pulled into someone's arms as he pulled her away a bit and hid her face in his chest. His arms were around her, shielding her from everything as she felt herself crack and her knees finally gave way to what she'd seen. There was a commotion around her and the place grew silent again, it was Elena's voice that pulled her from her daze.
"Caroline what happened?" Elena's voice was demanding enough to pull Caroline's attention to her, she stopped her hysterics and looked Elena in the eye.
"I heard her scream, I just came towards her. I didn't- I don't know what happened." She looked down where they had covered her up with a sheet. Elena nearly reached down to uncover her but one of the older lords stepped forward and stopped her.
"Your majesty shouldn't."
"Uncover her." Elena demanded wearily, standing up straight but she sounded tired now. The man leaned down and uncovered the face of Vicky Donovan and the shock gripped Caroline all over again, she didn't cry this time though. She held her breath again and leaned back into the person that had held her before.
"The dress was poisoned my lady. We'll find out who her seamstress was." Caroline suddenly understood that the scratches on her and the torn fabric was from Vicky trying to get it off herself, her skin was red and bleeding. Caroline felt near to tears when she realized that Vicky had probably been in a great deal of pain before she died. Caroline wasn't entirely sure what she could have done but she felt terrible for not running towards her sooner. If she'd gone to listen she might have known who it was and she might've- she couldn't finish that sentence, she shook her head and turned her eyes to the floor.
"No, that dress was a gift. For me." Elena took a small step back and looked pitiful, as if she truly felt bad for Vicky. Caroline was beginning to grasp the fact that in secretly wearing the dress she had probably saved Elena's life.
"French silk." Caroline heard the deep voice behind her and finally turned to see Tyler standing behind her. His hands were still on her shoulders but like everyone else they were staring intently at Vicky. Caroline suddenly covered her eyes with her hand as she was reminded of Mathew and she felt tears flooding back to her all over again.
Author's Note: Okay so Vicky's finally dead! I know that took me like forever, but here we are, it finally happened. The reason this chapter took me so long is because I wanted to plan this out carefully. A poisoned dress, though women weren't usually worthy of being poisoned, or assassinated back then, poisoned clothing was more common than you would think... Scary really. You think aaw that's a nice gift, a new scarf and then you die... not very nice but we had to get rid of Vicky somehow right? And with Vicky being the way she is, I thought it was appropriate, she seems like the type of person would 'borrow' your clothes without asking lol...
I was also trying to incorporate a way to introduce Anna and Pearl into the story-line, obviously they need to be English for the two women to have a place in Elena's court but I also wanted them to have some former connection to Damon and so this jumped into my mind. Though don't take it too seriously, usually two women would not be granted the gift of travelling with a king unless he had a wife (or mistress) for them to wait on... so this is historically quite incorrect.
Elena being used in the political game however was quite common, this happened a great deal in the past, and probably now still, even though most sovereign's have very little political power anymore. The person who wore the crown was often manipulated a great deal to advance the courtiers. Mostly the sovereign's didn't know about it until it was too late, some became very upset when they discovered that they were simply being fooled...
for example King Henry VIII who killed most of the people who tried to use him... Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Moore, Anne Boleyn, I believe two of the dukes of Buckingham (that number might be wrong, I'm too lazy to look it up right now)... there's a really long list, but you get the idea. Now take into account that Mathew and Tyler might not be doing this deliberately, they just want to get rid of the old folks on the council. Anne Boleyn used her relationship with King Henry to get rid of Cardinal Wolsey, who-next to the King- was the most powerful man in the country but also the most corrupt.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed,... I'm going to try and stay more on point from now on... I feel like I've overcome something in killing Vicky and finally deciding that Damon and Stefan need to get back to England... I feel like I finally have an idea of where this story is going so I'm sort of getting my second wind...
Stay tuned :D
TO BE CONTINUED...
