Title: Camille
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, this is just for fun.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, your input and kind words have inspired me to keep on writing!! Enjoy the next installment. Sorry for the wait...
Chapter Ten: Reunion in Bangkok
The evening was fast approaching and Anna was still not fully ready for the party. Lady Stanton had really outdone herself, making a huge fuss about her younger friend's attire. She insisted on lending Anna one of her old dresses, despite Anna's modest refusal, Lady Stanton eventually got her way.
The dress suited Anna exquisitely. It was made of an enticingly touchable silk with an overlaying layer of chiffon on the skirt. The dusty rose color of it enhanced Anna's smooth complexion, it brought out the otherwise unnoticable pink undertones of her skin.
"Emmeline, you are so kind to do this for me." Anna said to her hostess, who was instructing her ladies in waiting on arranging both of their hair.
"Please, Anna, such profuse thanks are unnecessary. It is my pleasure, really, it's almost as if I have a daughter again!" The older woman chuckled.
Even though Lady Stanton was staring at her own reflection in the mirror, Anna was compelled to grin. She was so used to being a mother herself that it felt unusually nice to be attended to instead.
Anna's red-gold tresses were curled and swept up into a loose chignon. There were a few strands that were let loose near the nape of her neck, and a rose was artistically weaved into her chignon. She wore her own pearls in her ears but no other jewelry because she did not think to bring anything else with her.
When the ladies had finished with their hair, Lady Stanton dismissed them with a nod of her head. She stood and surveyed her appearance briefly. After she turned away from the mirror, she gave her charge a once over and then broke into an easy smile.
"You look lovely, my dear."
Anna blushed slightly at the admiration in Emmeline's eyes.
"Thank you, as do you, milady."
Lady Stanton wore a gown of a deep emerald color that set off her stance and still pleasing figure to perfection. She brushed off the complement casually in a way that was purely her own and wrapped her black shawl around her bare shoulders.
"Come, Anna, we should leave now if we want to arrive on time."
When they were walking through the corridor, Anna remembered Camille and wanted to check on her before they left.
"If you would not mind, Emmeline, I should like to see Camille before I leave. Will you wait for me in the carriage?"
"Of course, but please do not take too long, dear. The king may be displeased at tardiness."
Anna nodded and swiftly strode in the direction of her daughter's room. She entered to find the nursemaid clutching Camille and rocking her to sleep.
"Bess, give me my daughter please."
"Yes, Ma'am." The girl relinquished the baby to her mother, rising from the rocking chair and handing over the warm bundle of blankets into Anna's outstretched arms.
Bess left the room, closing the door gently behind her. When Anna heard it click shut, she turned to face her baby with excitement glowing in her eyes.
"My mind is made up, darling. I must talk to him tonight, it is my only chance to confront him on his choice to ignore your existence."
Camille sucked on her thumb contentedly as she stared up at her mother with her father's eyes.
Anna was once again struck by the resemblance, butterflies skittered about in her belly.
"Oh wish me luck sweetheart. I'll surely need it." She whispered. Anna raised Camille up so she could kiss her forehead, then placed her back inside the wooden cradle. She summoned Bess back inside to watch Camille and finally went out of the house. She was helped inside the carriage by the driver and soon they were gone.
During the carriage ride, all Anna could think about was her king, the man who still controlled her every motion, word and thought. Lady Stanton could sense Anna's tension again as she did that afternoon but did nothing to pry. Sometimes it was better to sit back and observe rather than to push for answers.
The coach bustled through the streets of Bangkok at a rapid pace that nearly matched the beat of Anna's heart. She peered outside, looking at all the familiar street shops and vendors. The noisy fisherman were trudging home from the docks, children of peasants played on the dirt paths, and bag ladies with carts full of merchandise lined the streets. Even at night the place bustled with a lively clamor. She truly missed this city, being here made her feel like she had turned time back a few years and she was still the same Anna Leonowens she had been before.
At last, their carriage had reached the front of the royal palace. She gazed at the beautiful pagodas and the intricate architecture, automatically thinking of who was behind those walls. They pulled through the massive gateway where formally dressed, armed soldiers stood guard. The carriage halted at the bottom of the glittering marble steps where Lady Stanton and Anna disembarked, careful not to snag their dresses.
Anna stared at her surroundings, feeling the warm night air engulf her and listening to the long forgotten chirp of crickets. After Emmeline was finished instructing the driver on where to wait for them, she beckoned to Anna to follow her.
They made their way up the steps and were joined by equally elegant English courtiers who were dressed in glamorous attire. Anna was inwardly glad that she had chosen to wear one of Emmeline's old dresses, for it was far more sophisticated than anything she had brought with her.
She did not recognize anybody, not that it mattered, for it was not them who she was interested in. Emmeline however waved to many of those she was familiar with, which were her own friends as well as friends of her husband.
When they reached the top of the staircase, Anna spotted none other than the Kralahome standing there shaking hands of the guests as they went inside. She was still a tad wary of the man as she had always been, but she still stood in the queue to shake his hand.
Upon reaching him, she noticed a thunderstruck look of something she would have tagged as anger flit across his face. As all good diplomats learn to do, he quickly shielded it and replaced it with an expression of politeness. He took her hand and shook it in greeting.
"Mrs. Leonowens, what a...shocking surprise to see you. I do not recall seeing your name written on the guest list."
She tried not to look too smug as she replied.
"I am here as a companion of Lady Emmeline Stanton, surely her name was written onto the list, Your Excellency?"
The Prime Minister appraised her appearance coolly and after a moment of long hesitation, he finally let her through the door way.
"Everything alright?" Emmeline queried when Anna rejoined her in the grand hall. The walls glittered with gold, they were lined with beautiful Buddhist statues and flowers of many different colors, overhead there were large chandeliers that she had not recalled from before. All of this was new and very European, she wondered who on Earth persuaded Mongkut in obtaining all of these things.
They continued down the hall and into the back, out of the domed doorway and down another set of stairs that led into the dinner area. She noticed that everything was similar to how she had planned the anniversary ball all those years ago. The table was at least twenty feet long, Anna observed the slightly taller and more ornate chair that must have been the king's assigned seat at the head of the table. The place settings and decor were very elegant, they had a distinctly feminine touch to them.
There were already several dignitaries- English and Siamese alike- that were sitting in their proper places. Lady Stanton was directed to her seat and then showed Anna where she was to sit next to her. The man on Anna's left was an elderly gentleman who introduced himself as soon as she lowered herself into the chair.
"I am Lord Harry Bedingfield, pleased to make your acquaintance, madam." He simpered, his voice turning out to be a displeasing nasally sound. Anna tried not to show her disappointment as she bowed her head in salutation.
"I am Mrs. Anna Ormonde. It is a pleasure, milord." She said politely.
He offered her a haughty smile before turning to his other side to make conversation with the next man, something which she was inwardly glad of.
Lady Stanton seemed calm and had retained her trademark tranquility, but her eyes flew wide suddenly and she sprang up out of her seat, almost knocking over her champagne glass. Anna watched as the woman hurried to greet some people she did not know. She was content by herself, sitting complacently as she waited anxiously for a sight of the king, who was bound to make an appearance soon.
Anna was sitting rather far from the head of the table, she did not know whether to be grateful or disappointed about. She wanted a little time to gather her wits and summon any courage she could find inside herself, but now the anticipation was killing her.
By now, almost everyone was seated and chatting amiably amongst themselves except her. The two young ladies sitting across her were very beautiful but very snobbish, so she did not even attempt conversation with them. She resigned herself to wait until Mongkut came out and walked down the grand staircase.
She flicked her gaze slightly to the right and was extremely surprised to see Lady Thiang standing there, followed by some of the other wives. They were once again dressed in European attire, each swathed in lace and velvet despite the warm weather. Lady Thiang was breath-takingly stunning in a sage green gown, her black hair and tanned skin complemented by the hue of her dress. Her eyes had fixed upon Anna as well, there was only friendly warmth and affection in her eyes.
Anna immediately stood and half-jogged to greet Lady Thiang with a wide smile.
"Lady Thiang, it has been too long."
The willowy consort grinned and took Anna's hand to shake it as was custom.
"Indeed it has, Ma'am Anna. How are you? I did not know you were to come tonight."
"Quite well, I suppose. I was invited here by Lady Emmeline Stanton, her husband was not able to join her.And yourself?"
Lady Thiang threw her glance from side to side and then back at Anna.
"Good. I...I do not suppose that you have seen the king yet?" She asked urgently.
Anna frowned at the secretive tone of the other's voice.
"No of course not, why?"
"Er, well-"
She was interrupted by a cry of her name, she responded by turning away from Anna and toward the source of the call.
Anna watched a young woman of maybe twenty years approach Lady Thiang and felt the air temporarily knocked out of her lungs.
"There you are, madam, I have looked high and low for you. I need assistance with the children, they are to sing first before His Majesty comes out to greet everyone. Oh, who is this you've been talking to? It seems I do not know her."
Anna forced herself to smile as Lady Thiang introduced her.
"This is Anna Leonowens, former school teacher of royal children. Ma'am Anna, this is Miss Christianna Hardcastle, current teacher of royal children."
Anna shook Miss Hardcastle's hand, feeling her insides squirm for a reason unbenknownst to the rest of her.
"It is nice to finally be able to meet you, Mrs. Leonowens. You left a remarkably large shadow for me to overcome, although I hope you would see that I have succeeded."
The young woman's words were delivered sweetly, but Anna instantly tried to decipher the double meaning behind them. She saw that Miss Hardcastle was very handsome, blessed with a voluptuous figure and pleasing features. Her eyes sparkled with gaiety but they also spoke of a very irritating air of arrogance, possibly provoked by Anna's presence.
"I'm sure you have done a splendid job, as well." She said, trying to sound sincere.
"Yes, well, Lady Thiang and I must fetch the children. It was very nice to meet you." The girl demurred and turned on her heel, expecting Lady Thiang to follow.
"She is rather high strung," Lady Thiang chuckled at Anna's look of annoyance in Miss Hardcastle's direction. Then, with more urgency, she uttered, "Ma'am, King will be very shocked when he sees you here. He may be angry-"
"Lady Thiang, are you coming?" Miss Hardcastle called.
"Yes, yes!" Lady Thiang cried as she followed at Christianna's heel, throwing Anna a look of subtle dismay.
The ominous warning of Lady Thiang left Anna even more apprehensive. She quickly returned to her place between Emmeline and Lord Bedingfield, but before she had time to sit back down, she spotted the beginning of the king's train as they made their way down the stairs. First was the Kralahome, followed by some military officials who were formally dressed in breeches and shirts. At the end stood King Mongkut, regal and tall, his piercing black gaze sweeping over the area.
She couldn't help but keep her gaze pinned on him as he descended. When he was halfway down, he looked up but still did not see her. The agony of watching him walk past was nearly incapacitating. She desired nothing more than to run to him and shower him with kisses.
But Anna was still Anna, composed and refined in her gown, and she curtseyed as everyone else around her did even though the king was quite far from her. She knew he would not see her until probably after dinner during the dancing. She was determined to dance with him again, to touch him and make him see that she was still his after all the time that had passed since she left.
When the king had signalled for everyone to sit, Anna carefully sank into her chair, managing to sit without crumpling the skirt of her gown. Her hands trembled with anxiety so she gripped the fabric of her dress to hide it. Lord Bedingfield attempted to engage her in conversation once again, and she discovered that he was not only snooty, but he was mildly misogynistic as well. The elder gentleman did not approve of women like her, that is to say, women who were opinionated and were not afraid to voice such opinions.
She resolved herself to silence for the rest of dinner because Emmeline was occupied in several different conversations, all of which were interesting, but Anna's attention was not focused on them. Just as Anna thought she would be left to her own devices, she realized with a jolt that she would also get to see the children tonight, since Miss Hardcastle had announced that she had put together a performance for the party.
"Ah, here they come, Your Majesty." Christianna beamed a little overzealously at the king. Mongkut granted her one of his small smiles in return, but he shifted his attention from the young Englishwoman to his children who were reporting onto the pseudo-stage in front of the long dining table. They marched in hand in hand, arranging themselves into four haphazard lines in preparation for their impending performance. Chulalongkorn stood out in front, carrying himself proudly without any of the arrogance he once retained when he was younger.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I bid youthe warmest welcome on behalf of seventy brothers and sisters. We are here to sing to you this evening, please enjoy the show."
At the end of the prince's speech, he stepped back into his line and was given a gracious round of applause from everyone at the table.
Promptly, the children launched into their medley, all of their sweet voices carrying through the air. There were quite a few who were noticeably out of tune and some were too nervous to even remember the words, but nevertheless the spectacle was quite endearing, especially to their father.
Christianna saw the king's delight and felt a savage pride consume her. Though she began as a bashful governess, she had recently grown into a more scheming woman when it came to the king. She believed she could win his heart, although she did not love him, she merely wished to ingratiate herself with him in order to obtain status. Much to Christianna's frustration, Mongkut had not shown any signs of interest in her. He only stopped by to check on his children's progress in their school work, never to talk to her about anything other than his children.
She was not to be put off though. She was confident in her charms, she'd have him in her toils within the next few weeks.
"That was an excellent program, Miss." Mongkut complimented her cautiously as the children filed out to go to bed. Lady Thiang and the other wives were sheperding them back into the palace as the guests applauded them with hearty vigour.
"They are your children, Your Majesty, excellent in every way. Just like their father." Christianna demurred with glowing eyes.
Mongkut surveyed her appearance with a detached attitude. He did not see anything desireable in her, her pursuit of material wealth was far too obvious in the faux-sweetness of her gaze. She was perhaps considered a classical beauty, blessed with a straight nose, vivacious eyes and pleasant lips, but her demeanor was so off-putting that he could not see the beauty without being biased.
"You mean to flatter king, Miss. You are very forward, are you not?" Mongkut asked with an air of finality. He reached for his glass to drink some wine.
Christianna took this as encouragement, she jumped at the chance to flirt.
"I think that all women should be forward with Your Majesty. Unless they have good cause to haste away, of course."
An expression of irritation flashed through the king's eyes at that, he really was not pleased by his employee's attempts at coquetry.
"'And would you haste away, Miss Hardcastle?" He nearly growled.
She looked visibly shaken as she replied.
"Never too fast, Majesty."
Mongkut put down his glass and stood suddenly, all other conversations ended once he rose to his feet.
"My honored guests, I believe it is time for dancing." He motioned to the musicians to play, they obliged immediately and played a lilting waltz.
Christianna smiled uncertainly at him, inwardly hoping that he would hold his hand out to her, and that she would be the envy of all the women there that night.
Unfortunately for her, the king selected his head wife as his first partner. The handsome couple sauntered down the steps and onto the marble floor, moving in perfect time with each other. Mongkut had long since learned how to dance gracefully in European custom, as well as Lady Thiang.
"Mongkut, I have something to tell you." She said in Siamese once they were far away from the rest of the guests.
His feet moved to the beat, he glided effortlessly as the music played. A frown bent his brow.
"Yes?"
Lady Thiang seemed to stare at something behind him before she looked him in the eye again.
"Ma'am Anna is here."
He stopped and stood dead still after that.
He looked to be on the verge of one of his infamous thunderstruck rampages as he opened his mouth to speak.
"I do not lie, husband, for I myself have spoken to her this evening. She would like to see you."
Mongkut swallowed thickly as he tried to comprehend this. Shock rattled his nerves, he fought to compose himself.
"She was not invited. How is this possible?"
Lady Thiang sighed. "She accompanied one of the English ladies here, she was indeed invited."
"I must see her." -Was all he could say.
"She is right there." Lady Thiang laid a gentle hand on his forearm as she pointed toward where Anna sat, alone.
Mongkut squinted and darted his gaze around at first, but before long, he was able to spot her with the help of his wife. His eyes feasted upon the sight of Anna, it felt as if he could finally breathe again after so many months of holding his breath. Longing surfaced from the lake of otherwise dormant emotions in his breast, he missed her so much that it almost choked him.
"I must go to her, Thiang." The king said quietly, tears forming in his eyes.
Lady Thiang loved him far too much to deny him what he wanted most, so she gave him a small push in the right direction without another word. He strode through the other dancing couples unhestatingly, dashed up the stairs and made his way down the length of the table.
Blood thrummed in his temples and pulsed throughout his veins with adrenaline. He could not believe this miracle, if this was an elaborate hoax being played on him, he preferred to unveil it sooner so as to make the unbearable happiness of seeing her disappear and he could retreat into his world of hollowness once more.
"Anna?" He queried tentatively.
She startled at the sound of his voice, turning to face him immediately with wide eyes.
He must have gasped when she looked at him straight, there was something completely different about this woman, although it was undoubtedly still his Anna. Her jawline was rounder, cheeks pinker, eyes brighter, she looked curvier than he recalled. Her figure had filled out nicely, breasts fuller and hips rounded in a way that made him think of all the times he had explored her delicious body with his own two hands.
"Your Majesty," She stood and curtseyed with her head bowed.
When she raised up once again, he found that he was at a complete loss of what to say.
"How...How have you been?"
A smile flitted across her lips as her eyes flicked up at him, that expression he missed so much displayed clearly in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her up against him and ravish her until he could absorb her as much as possible.
"I have been very well, Majesty. I hope the same can be said for yourself."
He nodded mutely. Then he piped up, "Why did you not write to me?"
The subtle fluctuation in his tone plucked at her heart strings.
"I did, Majesty. Several times, in fact. Last month I believe I sent at least three letters."
His eyebrow shot up in surprise.
"I never received anything."
"Mail does get lost, you know." She supposed. A thought occurred to her. "I know I wrote, but what of you? I have not received anything from you, Your Majesty."
"I have sent dozens of letters, Anna, none of them were ever answered." He said, eyes staring at heraccusingly.
At her genuine bafflement, Mongkut huffed in indignation. He wished he could make her see how agitated he had been, and make her feel all the horrible things he felt when he realized that no matter how many times he pleaded with her, she was never going to send another word to him again.
"I have not heard anything from you for months, and you abruptly make an appearance at this ball. Do you know how absurd this all seems?"
"Well, if it is that absurd, would you prefer if I left?" She raised her skirt as if she were about to walk away.
Reflexively, Mongkut reached out and grabbed her forearm roughly to stop her from going anywhere.
"We need to talk in private. Everyone is occupied now, no one is watching us."
Anna nodded and followed him quickly into the palace, her hand still clasped within his.
Neither of them noticed the Kralahome, who watched them from the shadows, panic laced with disapproval apparent in his stern features.
TBC...
A/N: Review pleaseeeee!!!!!!!!!!