As Kaitlyn assisted her into a lovely morning gown of pale blue muslin, Princess Molly thought dreamily about how wonderful the past days had been, getting to know her husband better. His body was so fit, and he was so strong, yet he was always so gentle with her. Being married was a wondrous thing, when you were in love with your husband. Now she understood how her parents had been so happy. She also thought she understood how her mother had been so lonely that she wanted to share her life with someone after her husband's death. The queen could not have known how beastly Culverton Smith truly was.

When the princess exited her bedchamber, her husband was already waiting for her and they went to the breakfast room.

"Ah," remarked the king. "You have emerged from your hibernation."

Sherlock scowled at his brother. "I have been on my delayed honeymoon, you know."

"Yes, yes. I was but teasing you, brother mine. It is good you are here. I thought we should depart for Sherrinford Asylum immediately after breakfast." He looked over at Queen Ruth, who was already there, and had been conversing with his mother. "Would that suit you, Queen Ruth?"

"Yes indeed," responded the Bartonian queen. "I have enjoyed my time here immensely, but should not tarry much longer. My country needs me."

"Of course. I am looking forward to our further collaboration in future."

"As am I," smiled the queen.

The king arranged for a rider to be sent ahead to the asylum, and then he ordered the royal carriage to be readied for the journey. Sherrinford Asylum was a 45 minute journey from the castle.

"I shall not come today," remarked the queen mother, "as you already have Queen Ruth making the journey. Please let Eurus know I shall visit next time."

The king nodded.

"It is unfortunate I cannot play my violin at present," commented Sherlock.

The foursome left immediately after breakfast and arrived at Sherrinford Asylum in good time.

The asylum administrator, a Mr. Stamford greeted them upon their arrival. He bowed to the royal family, then said, "I have arranged a common area for you to visit your sister and for Queen Ruth to visit her husband."

"Very good," approved the king.

"Princess Eurus is currently painting. She has found that to be an absorbing pasttime when she is not playing violin." He looked at Prince Sherlock. "I am sorry you were wounded and are unable to play with her. She is always calmed after a visit when you play together."

"How is Prince Culverton?"

"He has been fairly quiet for several days. He is not considered dangerous, but mutters to himself frequently."

Mr. Stamford showed them to an airy room with large windows. They were barred of course, but due to the number of windows and their size, it was very cheerful and bright in appearance.

Molly saw the dark haired woman immediately. She was standing at an easel, applying fine brush strokes to a painting. She was very talented, Molly thought. On a table before the woman sat a bowl with fresh peaches. The peaches on the canvas were remarkably realistic. Eurus was using her fine brush to add the tiny hairs onto the image of the peaches.

Before Stamford announced their presence, the woman turned and smiled, paintbrush still in hand, and Sherlock walked towards his sister to inspect her painting.

Prince Culverton, over on the other side of the room noticed the presence of the visitors at the same time.

Queen Ruth moved towards him, but he ignored her, moving instead towards Sherlock.

Molly was suddenly terrified for her husband. There was murderous rage in her stepfather's eyes.

"Why couldn't you just die?" shrieked the man. "You were supposed to die, so Amelia could marry the king!"

Before anyone could even react to the man, who was rapidly approaching Sherlock, Eurus turned to him. With deadly precision she turned her paintbrush around and thrust the fine end into the throat of the approaching madman.

Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds as Molly looked on in horror, along with the other royals. As if in slow motion, Molly watched as her stepfather's hands closed over the hole in his neck which immediately began to ooze with blood.

"I suppose someone should fetch some linen cloths to staunch the wound," said the king, in a rather indifferent tone. An orderly immediately left in search of help. Eurus stood there, smiling in satisfaction.

Molly had the distinct feeling the woman had done what she did to protect her brother. She had known exactly where to aim her brush to make it a deadly wound.

Prince Culverton was gasping, unable to catch his breath as his throat filled with blood. He was choking on it and there was nothing that could be done.

Molly turned her head away to hide against Sherlock's good shoulder. Much as she hated her stepfather, she would not have wished what was an agonizing death like that on anyone.

By the time the orderly returned with linen cloths, the foreign prince was convulsing on the floor, clutching feebly still at his throat as Queen Ruth knelt by him, unsure of what to do. Despite cloths being pressed on the wound it was too late, and soon, the man's eyes became fixed and staring and his body stilled, caught in the silent embrace of death.

Molly had turned her head only as the noise of the man's final gurgles ceased.

It was only then that Eurus said clearly, as if she had been talking for years, "He hurt Sherlock."

"Oh, my God, you spoke," whispered the prince, looking at his sister, even as Mycroft too looked utterly astonished.

"Of course I did," said the Holmes princess. "I have not found it necessary before. Nobody hurts my brother and gets away with it."

Then, she calmly turned back to her painting, seemingly not noticing the blood on the paintbrush still in her hand, and continued to paint, with an absolute lack of concern.

It was then that King Mycroft took charge. Mr. Stamford had been standing, shocked, during the whole sequence of unexpected events. "Stamford," he barked, "we must arrange for the body to be taken away and prepared for burial." He placed a hand on the queen's shoulder. "Under the circumstances, I think it best we do not reveal what has happened here. It may cause unnecessary conflict between our kingdoms. We can say your husband suffered an unexpected fatal heart attack or some such explanation."

The queen stood. "I'm free," she murmured, looking over at her daughter, before responding to the king. "Yes, I think that best too. I will, of course, have to leave for Bartonia immediately to return with Culverton's body."

Molly put her arms around her mother. "I am so sorry Mama, but I must tell you something before you leave."

Before the princess could say more, Eurus turned back to the assembly. "She is with child."

Everyone looked at the woman in astonishment. First, she spoke, and now, she was making deductions, showing her brilliance.

"How could you have known that?" asked Sherlock, even as the queen smiled at her daughter hopefully,

"Is this true, my daughter?"

Eurus merely smiled mysteriously.

It was King Mycroft who offered an explanation. "Eurus is furnished with all the papers from the kingdoms and has obviously seen the news of your marriage, Sherlock. She undoubtedly guessed that it must have been something important your wife needed to tell her mother."

Sherlock said slowly, "She knew of my injury from the papers no doubt, but not what had happened, then must have deduced what happened when the prince shouted at me."

"I am glad he is dead," said Molly in a low voice. "He was an evil man."

"Well, it is not as if my sister can be punished for the action any further, Molly, she is already in the asylum," responded her husband, taking her hand.

Eurus put her paintbrush down and turned to Molly, reaching out a hand towards her.

Princess Molly hesitantly took it, unsure of what the woman was wanting. Unexpectedly her sister-in-law pulled her hand towards herself and then raised it to her cheek. "You made Sherlock happy, sister."

Molly smiled shyly at the other woman. "I love him, I hope I shall always make him as happy as he makes me."

Sherlock wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Of course you will, darling." Eurus gave a bright smile and began to hum the Wedding March.

Soon after, arrangements for the body to be removed had been made and the party headed back to the castle.

Reluctantly, King Mycroft had instructed that his sister be placed in solitary confinement for two weeks to "contemplate her actions." Further punishment was rather pointless. Although nobody would say so aloud, they all felt glad that the evil prince was dead.

As they travelled, Queen Ruth said to her daughter. "My dear, I am so happy for you and Sherlock. I know his mother will be too. I think she will be rather disappointed at being the last to know you are with child."

"It is not absolutely certain yet, Mama," said the princess, rather shyly.

King Mycroft patted his brother on the back. "Well done, brother mine. And to think that less than a month ago we were discussing you not wishing to ever marry. Here you are, already providing a future heir for the kingdom. Mother will be delighted."

"As Molly said, it is not yet certain," said Sherlock, who was, however, unable to keep a smirk of pride off his face.

When the foursome arrived at the castle, the queen mother was immediately summoned and all that had transpired was explained to her.

"Oh, I wish I had been there to see him meet his end, such a vile man."

"Mother, you should not say such things in front of his widow," reprimanded King Mycroft.

"Ha," snorted his mother. "Queen Ruth told me herself of what she has endured at his hands. She is well rid of him." Then she linked arms with the not-so-grieving widow.

"We also have some news Mother," Prince Sherlock said. "Molly and I were not planning to announce it so soon, but when we knew Molly's mother must leave to return home soon..."

"Is your wife with child?" interrupted his mother, with a delighted smile.

"We believe so, although of course, it is too early to be certain," responded the prince, with a tender look at his wife.

"Oh my dear," she gushed, releasing her hold on Queen Ruth to embrace her son, and her daughter-in-law. "This is such wonderful news!" Turning to Molly's mother, she said, "Ruth, we are going to be grandmothers, is this not an auspicious day?" The women looked at each other and smiled.

After a very satisfying luncheon, preparations were made for Queen Ruth to leave for Bartonia.

First of all however, King Mycroft requested the presence of his mother, brother, sister-in-law and the Bartonian queen.

Once everyone was assembled in the drawing room, the king began to speak.

"Before the queen returns to Bartonia, we have some matters to discuss about the future of our two kingdoms."

Molly listened in astonishment as the king began to explain to her and Sherlock what he had already discussed with her mother and mother-in-law during their absence.

Author's note: Well, start your deductions - what does King Mycroft want to speak about?

Were you glad to see the end of Culverton Smith after all, and did you like the addition of Eurus to the mix?

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