Title: Camille
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except Camille and William Ormonde. Everything else is property of Fox and Andy Tenant. Don't sue please, no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Okay, so here's the next chapter finally! I am so grateful to all of my reviewers for your kind words and inspiring comments, I hope this lives up to your expectations. R&R and most of all, enjoy!!
Chapter Twelve: And Baby Makes Three
(The next morning)
"Wait just a moment, Anna, did I hear what I think I heard?"
Emmeline sat in her dusty rose armchair in the sitting room of her house, holding her embroidery in both hands as Anna stood before her.
"Yes, milady, I would greatly appreciate it if you helped me. If you came with me to the palace, it would make it seem a lot less suspicious. This may be the only way for me to bring Camille with me."
Emmeline frowned deeply and finally deemed Anna's argument important enough for her to put her sewing down. She removed her spectacles and glanced up at the younger woman.
"Dear, I know you well enough to assume why it is so important for the king to see your Camille. I shall not voice my opinion or dare to venture on with my assumptions, but I would like to at least have some idea of what the brouhaha is all about-" She stopped to take a breath while Anna wore a look of sheepishness on her face.
"I thank you for your immense consideration, madam, as well as your hospitality to me. This is the last thing I ask of you, I must do this before my chance is gone."
Emmeline sighed, raising her fingers to massage the bridge of her nose. She looked like she was having a strong headache. Anna hoped with every fibre of her being that her companion would agree to help her.
"Well?"
"Yes, yes, alright. We shall go soon, you best get your little one ready for the journey."
Anna beamed happily and clapped her hands together. When Emmeline rose, she immediately hugged her in thanks.
"Thank you ever so much, milady. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"I hope that when he sees his daughter, it is the most joyful moment the two of you share together." Emmeline murmured kindly.
Anna's eyes widened imperceptibly at that.
"How do you know?"
Emmeline grinned. "I have a sixth sense for these things, you should have guessed by now."
Anna chuckled and then went to fetch Camille.
They took Emmeline's carriage to the palace that afternoon. The day was blazing hot, Anna was constantly worried about Camille as the coach rumbled along the road. She placed the infant in a wicker basket to conceal her, but since they were not at the palace yet, she kept the lid wide open. Camille was not complaining since she slept the whole time yet Anna kept monitoring her daughter's breathing.
She wore one of her newer gowns that was made of lightweight cotton. It was slate gray and was embellished by baroque style buttons. She also wore one of her black frilled bonnets over her hair, which was arranged half up, half down. She took Emmeline's advice on applying the faintest stain of rouge over her lips and cheeks since she was rather fair.
Camille was swathed in lightweight cotton as well, the becoming green of her little gown set off the child's black hair and milky skin very nicely. Anna could not be prouder of her little bundle, she unconsciously clung tighter to the basket as the carriage lumbered along down the road.
The reached the palace in about an hour, the streets were crowded and dusty. She peered outside, glimpsing the soldiers at the front gates. One of them stepped forward as they slowed to a halt. She looked at Emmeline uncertainly. Luckily, her friend picked up on her nervousness and took the lead in a smooth, inconspicuous manner.
"What business do you have here in palace, Ma'am?" The heavy-set guard queried in heavily accented English.
"We have been invited by the Lady Thiang to tutor the wives of His Majesty in European ettiquette. I am sure that if you let us through, the gracious lady is already awaiting our arrival most anxiously."
Anna inwardly marveled at the story Emmeline made up off the top of her head. She sat as still as death, hoping that Camille would not choose that very moment to wake up and begin crying at the strange atmosphere. She trained her eyes on her lap, trying not to attract the guard's scrutiny.
After a few more moments of thick silence, the man gave a wave of his arm and the gates were pulled open to them. Emmeline thanked the guard profusely in that endearing manner of hers and just like that, they were moving forward once more. They were driven to the front steps of the palace where Lady Thiang and a few other ladies-in-waiting stood on the scorching marble floor, all of them shaded by servants with enormous fans and umbrellas.
The carriage came to a full stop, prompting Anna to step out onto the ground. She was helped out by one of the dark male servants, he smiled at her kindly as she greeted him in Siamese. Anna turned around and fetched the basket, still not ready to reveal what was inside. Emmeline was helped out of the carriage as well, she immediately went to greet Lady Thiang with warm kisses on both of her cheeks.
"Welcome to palace, Lady Stanton and Mrs. Ormonde. Please, come this way." She grinned with her usual radiance. Thiang's skin was nearly flawless, her high cheekbones and straight nose gave her a look of almost perfection. In a moment of rare insecurity, Anna wished she was not so pale and English. She then half turned to glance at Emmeline who strode gracefully beside her and realized that she was just as English as she was. She squared her shoulders and stood a little more erect.
They reached the top of the stairs and entered the palace, where the halls were peacefully silent as they padded through. Lady Thiang led both of them as well as the rest of her entourage into the harem's gardens and then into a spare reception room where Anna was to wait until the king was free to see her.
"I suppose I shall accompany Lady Thiang while you remain here. I do not know when we shall leave, so we will have to play it by ear, alright?" Emmeline asked.
"Of course, and thank you so much, milady." She embraced her friend with one arm, the basket hanging off her other forearm.
"You are welcome, dear. For the thousandth time." Emmeline winked as Anna blushed.
With that, she exited the room with the rest of the ladies-in-waiting who were ready to cater to her every need. Lady Thiang and she were the only ones left in the room. The other woman's eyes were fixed upon the basket she held in her arms, Anna was able to hear her unspoken question quite clearly.
"I take it His Majesty has informed you of the truth behind my visit?" Her words were thick with something between fear and guilt.
Thiang nodded as her cherry lips formed into a small, sad smile.
"Yes. He told me you bore him a daughter. Do you have her in there?"
Anna moved to the sofa, where she gently set the basket down and opened the lid. She reached inside and lifted a now awake Camille out and into her arms. Camille smacked her little lips and frowned. Lady Thiang was compelled to giggle at the tiny girl's distinct resemblance to her husband.
"Oh, she's a beauty, Ma'am." She crooned as she stepped closer to Anna.
"I love her very much." Anna's voice hushed over at that. She smoothed Camille's hair over and kissed her on top of her head.
"And you love him very much still, don't you?"
Anna exhaled and met Thiang's eyes. "I love him and always will. I tried to forget him when I was away, but I find that it impossible."
"I understand Ma'am. I've loved him for half my life. I cannot imagine my world without him."
The two women, polar opposites, stood in each other's presence but found neither could bring themselves to feel any jealousy. For the difference was that, even though they both loved the king, the king only loved one of them truly in return and there was no question which one it was. Somehow, Lady Thiang could not bring herself to hate. Rather, she felt glad that Mongkut would get another chance with the woman he loved. It would be better for him in the long run.
"His Majesty is meeting with some delegates from Cambodia. I believe they will be another hour or so. I shall check on their progress Ma'am. Will you wait here for meantime?"
"Yes, we'll be fine."
"Are you thirsty or hungry? I can summon something from the kitchens if you or your Camille are hungry?" Thiang offered kindly.
"No, no, dear, we're perfectly alright. Will you please inform me when His Majesty is finished, though?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Give me a few moments," Thiang dismissed herself from the room and left Anna with her thoughts.
The king did not finish until three hours after her arrival. She was growing very impatient, she allowed Camille to crawl on her hands and knees on the carpeted floor as she watched and paced agitatedly. Maybe Lady Thiang forgot to tell him about her? No, that was not likely to have happened. Maybe the conference was still dragging slowly on, and he was dying to make his exit to see her.
Whatever the case was, Anna's frayed nerves could not take very much more of this. She wrung her hands together, fiddled with her skirts, readjusted her hair and readjusted her daughter's hair until finally the door creaked open mildly. She jumped and immediately turned around to prepare herself.
King Mongkut stepped in, alone thankfully, and such happiness spread across his face at the sight of his love. She could see it plain as day, that he was glad to see her again. The man took a few lengthy strides toward her with outstretched arms, which she gladly launched herself into. Wordlessly, she buried her face in his neck and inhaled lightly, enjoying the familiarity of his musky, masculine scent. He chuckled in his signature rumbly way and wrapped his arms around her waist and back.
"Good afternoon, Anna. Are you feeling well?" He asked as he stepped back to look her over.
"Yes, but just very anxious to see you."
"Is it too early in the day for king to say 'I love you'?" Mongkut murmured, stroking her cheek softly.
"It's never too early, Your Majesty." Anna grinned as she leaned into the palm of his hand.
Just then, a gleeful giggle sounded from behind her, causing him to frown in surprise. Realization struck him as Anna moved her skirts to reveal a little girl, sitting down and waving her arms in the air. He gasped as he laid his eyes on her, he no longer doubted Anna at all. One look at this infant confirmed it all; her origins could not be questioned.
"Is she-" His voice cracked slightly with emotion, "Is she mine?"
Anna lifted Camille into her arms and brought her to her father. Camille gurgled and reached for him, wiggling her delicate fingers in a demanding way.
"Yes, she is indeed. Your Majesty, meet your daughter, Camille."
Mongkut could not keep the giddy smile off of his face, or the tears out of his eyes. Despite his usual façade of calm collectedness, he was overcome with such feeling, such love for this tiny being that was born from their passionate union.
"May I hold her?" He whispered.
She obliged him by transferring her daughter's weight from her arms into his larger, stronger ones. Mongkut held her carefully, snugly, so that she was flush against his broad chest. Camille stared curiously into the King of Siam's eyes, silent for a moment before she started giggling again. She reached up to his face and unabashedly traced his features, his eyelids, nose, mouth and cheeks. He remained grinning the whole time, but a few tears escaped onto his cheeks.
Anna stood there, stock still as she watched her lover hold their baby for the first time. The sight was so emotionally gratifying, she never believed that he would ever know of the fruit of their union, much less actually see her. Her heart fluttered when she noticed he was crying as he held Camille.
"She is beautiful." He managed to choke out. "So beautiful. Just like her mother."
"Just like her father." She emphasized. She moved nearer to them, placed her arms around him and Camille, who remained in between her teary-eyed parents. Mongkut kissed Camille's cheek and then Anna's, his soul reverberating with unbelievable joy at the fact that finally, he and Anna were together with their child, as a small family. The sadness was staved off, he did not care to remember the fact that this was temporary and that the two most important women in his life would be gone by the evening.
"I do not want you two to leave me, please do not leave…" He begged as he tightened his grip slightly around his child. Camille fidgeted, a bit perturbed by the intensity of Mongkut's grasp. "I want to see her grow up into a beautiful young woman, I do not want to miss anymore of her childhood. I want you to raise her with me, Anna, I want us to be a family. I love you both so much that it pains me to even think about your departure."
Anna sighed. This was the age-old dilemma that always haunted both of them. And now that Camille was involved, it was that much harder to reply.
She drew in a breath, ready to try and form a response when, all of a sudden, the door was thrown open and the Kralahome came bursting inside, Lady Thiang protesting behind him. He looked positively livid, his face was red with fury and the muscles of his jaws clenched and unclenched constantly. He stalked over to Anna and immediately began to speak.
"What are you doing here, Mrs. Ormonde? You, of ALL people, have no business here in PALACE!" He all but bellowed. The sound alarmed young Camille and she began to cry, loudly and she hid her face in Mongkut's neck.
Anna as well as Mongkut looked positively outraged at his treatment of her. "How dare you speak to me in this way!"
The Kralahome was oblivious of his sire's glare, he could only focus on the catastrophe that had already occurred.
"You impudent whore, to have brought your bastard here to the Chakri monarch and claim that it is his child! You harlot! You-"
By then, Mongkut had had enough. He silenced his prime minister by punching him squarely in the jaw, the hysterical Camille tucked securely in his other arm.
The Kralahome was a sturdy man but he was getting older, and as a result, he tumbled to the floor under the impact of the blow. Anna was angered into speechlessness, but Mongkut had quite a few words to say. Unfortunately for the Kralahome, he sealed his fate by letting some vital information slip.
"I tried, believe me, I tried to keep this from happening! To preserve the reputation of this family…I kept HER letters hidden for so long and so successfully too. How was I to prevent her actually coming to the country again? And now this? I cannot believe this-"
Mongkut froze at that. He narrowed his eyes menacingly at his prime minister, who had only just realized that he had said far too much.
"You kept her letters from me?"
Anna gasped at that. All the pieces fell into place suddenly. Sickening realization gripped her like a cold hand around her heart when she looked at the older man's guilt-stricken face.
"I did, Majesty. I was interested only in your wellbeing. Your involvement with her proved to be dangerously distracting. The people of this realm need your head to be focused on them, not your English mistress and now your hybrid child!" The Kralahome cried convincingly as he massaged where the king had hit him.
"You shall not address Mrs.Ormonde in that tone of voice, or refer to my child like that.
How long did you
Intercept her letters?" Mongkut demanded to know in an authoritative voice.
When the Kralahome did not answer, Mongkut stomped his foot in impatience.
"Tell me, I command you to answer or I will remove you from office!"
"I intercepted her letters for seven months. Occasionally I allowed the ones that were less flowery to pass through to you, but it was my intention for you to get over loving her, for the sake of your kingdom."
Every one of them was silent, even Camille ceased her sniffling. All were surprised when Lady Thiang, who stood silently the whole time, stepped forward and delivered an intense slap to the Prime Minister's cheek.
"That was for ruining the lives of two deserving people!" She shouted, the most angry Anna had ever heard the normally serene woman. It was amusing as well as terrifying.
The Kralahome gaped at the Queen Consort's audacity and then glanced at the King, whose eyes glittered hard as onyx rocks.
He backed away silently, realizing his place. He bowed in defeat, and then turned and limped out of the room.
Camille opened her eyes then, curiously gazing at the three stunned adults in the room.
"Well, that certainly was interesting." Anna murmured, still reeling from the aftermath of the confrontation. She turned to the king. "I told you I was not lying when I wrote to you multiple times."
Mongkut let out a shuddering breath. "I had no idea he would go that far to keep us apart."
Lady Thiang sighed, her emotions running wildly away with her as well.
"What matters is that we are all here now, alive, healthy and together. I shall see to dinner, alright?" She hoped to smooth things over as quickly as possible. As angry as she was with the Kralahome, she did not want her husband's temper to get the better of him and persuaded him to do something terrible to the old man.
As the willowy queen exited from the room, Camille sensed that it was safe now to relax. What happened next shocked her parents.
"Papa?"
TBC…
A/N: Oh my goodness, that was hard to get through. Please review and tell me what you think! Sorry about the wait, I am so busy nowadays…
