Chapter Notes:
Latin:
Nine = Novem
Ten = Decem
Chapter 11 – Rivals
Rose and Decem continued to meet, much to the delight of the court gossips.
They were out again one mild evening in mid-autumn being surveyed by many, one of whom was the King.
Novem observed the pair, arm in arm, with wary eyes. As he watched Decem take Rose into the gardens he breathed deep, suppressing the urge to roar like an enraged bull, and politely excused himself from his companions and followed. He found them in the middle of the gardens, in the maze.
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Rose and Decem's walk soon brought them to the high dark green hedge that marked the border of the palace maze.
"Have you been inside?" Decem asked gesturing to the maze.
"No," Rose replied with forlorn look on her face. "We had a small one back home, but it was so small that I had the whole complex memorized by the time I was six.
"So, you know your way around mazes?"
Rose chuckled, "I know a little about them. Why?"
"No particular reason, although I am sure I could find the centre before you," Decem teased.
"Oh, are you? Shall we race and find out?" a mischievous look crossing her face.
"You're on!"
They took off at a run, Rose going left and Decem going right, their peals of laughter echoing around the green leafed passageways.
"Oh!" Rose skidded to a halt as tall and dark figure rounded the corner and stepped right in front of her path. Her heart skipped a beat when she realised with whom she had almost collided with. It was the King.
Decem appeared silently from behind her moments later, his brow furrowed.
"Your Majesty," Rose curtsied.
Decem's response was far more subdued. He gave a small bow, barely dipping his head and shoulders, and a curt, "Your Majesty."
"Lady Tyler," Novem bowed to Rose, however he scarcely inclined his head to Decem, "Cousin."
"What brings you out here?" Decem asked a cold tone entering his voice.
"The weather is fine, and I found myself seeking some time away from court."
"Indeed, you had best not spend too much time away lest courtiers begin thinking you are getting lax in your duties."
"And we would not want that, would we?" Novem replied with an arched eyebrow
"No, we certainly would not."
"So good of you, cousin, to have my best interests at heart."
"Certainly, your best interests have always been of the utmost importance to me."
Rose watched the exchange with bewilderment and fascination; the two men stared fixatedly at each other appearing to have forgotten that she was even there. She had the impression that there was some hidden meaning to their conversion but for the life of her she could not figure out what it was.
Rose shifted her weight, and the slight movement reminded the two men of her presence. Rose found herself the focus of two very intense and fervent gazes.
"It is such a lovely day, we would not want to keep you from you walk, your Majesty," Rose said trying to find a way out of the situation.
"Not at all, Lady Tyler."
"Well then, as you are such a busy man we will bid you a good day and continue on our way," Decem said, putting a possessive arm around Rose's waist and nodding his head to Novem.
Giving the briefest of pauses Decem then looked down at Rose and said, "Shall we?" before beginning to walk down the path and turning his back on the King.
Rose hesitated; the King had not dismissed them, and she was not sure of what to do.
Novem gestured for Rose to follow Decem and bowed to her.
With no shortage of relief Rose curtsied to the King and quickly caught up with Decem.
"Insufferable man, strutting around the place," Decem muttered.
Rose, giving a swift glace around to make sure they were truly on their own, raised her eyebrows and said, "He is not that bad, he is the King after all."
"You did not have to grow up with him! Always thinking he was better than everyone else and letting everyone know it."
Rose gave him a sympathetic look.
"Oh! Let us not spoil the day by talking about him," Decem said pulling Rose close.
"We still have to find the centre. Catch me if you can!" Rose dashed ahead as Decem gave chase, the maze once again filling with their laughter.
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For the next few days Novem immersed himself in the usual duties and matters of business, firmly believing that it was the only way he could put Lady Tyler from his mind. It worked, to a certain extent, but all his efforts were for naught when the Harvest ball came around.
There she was in a flattering evening gown of shades of creamy ivory and the softest, shimmering green. Embroidery of darker green trimmed the round neckline and the low-cut bodice. A broad ribbon tied round the waist and the ends trailed down behind her. The skirts sweeping gracefully around her ankles as she laughed heartily with her dancing partner. Novem had noticed her almost as soon as he had entered the room; it was as if his was drawn to her by a means only the Gods understood.
He watched her throughout the evening and became progressively irritated as he did so, eventually vocalising his frustrations.
"What in the Gods names is Decem playing at, that is what I want to know," Novem scowled at his Captain.
Jack's eyes, initially showing puzzlement at his King's sudden outburst, soon located Decem with a familiar blonde-haired woman as Novem continued to grumble.
"The way he is monopolising Lady Tyler is becoming the talk of the court. And do not tell me he is thinking of marrying her, for I will not believe it. Apart from the fact he enjoys his bachelor status far too much to risk it for any woman; no one in that family would stoop to marrying a Baron's daughter."
Jack frowned thoughtfully into his glass of port. "What did Lady Rose to you, Novem? Do you care for her?"
Novem, at first taken aback by Jack's question, quickly answered, "I certainly do not want to see her ruined. You know what a menace Decem is around women."
"Is that all?"
Novem not caring to answer or even consider that question sought to change the direction of the conversation.
While Jack did not fight the swift change in topic, he did have to fight to keep a smile off his face as Novem's eyes, with increasing frequency, continuously sought Rose.
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Rose had been thoroughly enjoying her evening, she had spent practically the entire evening with Decem and most of that time had been spent dancing.
During one of their breaks Rose went to get some refreshment and Decem to talk to some friends, Rose found herself with Sally and Larry.
The couple had just returned from their trip to Arcadia and were full of tales of their trip, what they saw, how they found the city and sights. They invited Rose to call and view Larry's paintings and drawings.
The conversation moved on, meandering from topic to topic when all of a sudden Larry stopping speaking mid-sentence.
Confused, Rose looked around wildly to find the source of whatever had caused his wide-eyed silence. Rose found herself face to face with the King.
"Your Majesty," both Sally and Larry chorused before retreating with quick steps knowing that it was not them with whom the King wished to speak.
Rose curtsied, "Your Majesty."
Novem inclined his head in return but gave no greeting instead he asked, "May I have the next dance, Lady Tyler?"
"You may," Rose replied, the words leaving her mouth before her mind had a chance to fully grasp the question being asked.
The King bowed to her again and walked away so quickly that it left Rose having to hastily curtsy to his retreating back.
As with their previous dance the pair moved in silence; Rose out of sheer confusion and bewilderment as to why she was once again in the King's arms being swept around the dance floor, and Novem not knowing what to say now that Rose was actually in front of him.
Eventually Novem could hold his tongue no longer. "You spend a great deal of time with Lord Decem," he said flatly.
Rose was unsure if it was a statement or a question, but his tone indicated that he disapproved. Rose found herself getting somewhat defensive, "So what if I do?"
"Nothing. It was just an observation."
"Not the most profound of observations."
The King raised an eyebrow at her sarcasm and countered, "I am afraid not all of us are gifted with the same level of insightfulness as you, my Lady."
Rose felt mocked; he was ridiculing her and her association with Decem. "No, perhaps not; but maybe if one spent more time thinking and listening to people and less time going around with a face like thunder then one could gain a little more wisdom."
Novem's own temper flared and he twirled Rose faster than the dance required and then leaned in close to speak, "And perhaps if young women were not so easily led by a handsome face and sweet, honeyed words they may not be ruined."
"What is that meant to mean?" Rose hissed.
Novem gave a bark of harsh laughter, "Have you suddenly lost your insightfulness, Baroness?" he emphasised her title, making her feel inconsequential, "It means that appearances can be deceptive and you ought to be more careful where you place your affections."
"Where I place my affections, as you say, is quite frankly none of your business."
Novem gave a pitiless smile, "Oh, on the contrary, as King it is my business."
Novem left the implication hang in the air, unspoken. Rose's eyes widened in dismay as she grasped the meaning of his words – all those of rank applied to the monarch for permission to marry, permission that could be denied.
Having made his point Novem spoke no more, and Rose, consumed by unhappy thoughts, did not offer up any further wilful opinions. And so, they lapsed into a strained and tense silence, neither one wanting to relent in front of the other.
When Rose finally left the dance floor, seeking sanctuary from the King's presence and all his barbed comments, she fled to the lady's room and closed the door, pausing to catch her breath. After freshening up and checking her appearance in the mirror, content that she looked poised and calm, she was about to leave when she heard three women in the room adjacent.
"Who would have thought his Majesty would be here tonight," the first voice remarked, "and just as handsome as ever, do you not agree?"
Rose paused. She detested eavesdropping in these circumstances, but she felt compelled to wait to hear what would come next,
"He certainly is. Pity he is spending so much time with that penniless blonde up-start," came the derisive reply.
"A royal mistress in the making," said a third woman
"You think?"
"Well what else is he going to do with her? He is hardly going to marry the tart, is he?"
"No, he certainly is not." The second woman burst out laughing unpleasantly. "Have you any idea how ridiculous that sounds? The King, marry a Baroness?"
Rose flushed violently and stiffened with indignation.
"She is, after all, the lowest form of peerage."
"There was no mistaking the gleam in his eye when he looked at her, or the look he gave Lord Decem when she danced a third with him."
With burning cheeks Rose had heard quite enough, quietly she opened the door and went out, her spirits quite dampened by what she had heard.
She was thankful when she soon found Decem again.
"I saw the King danced with you again," he said with a sniff of disapproval.
Rose nearly groaned in frustration. "I do not know why he did that and I hope I never have to dance with him again."
Decem visibly relaxed at her words. "Then perhaps a dance with me will wipe away any unpleasantness from your earlier dance?"
Rose could not agree quick enough.
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The King retreated back to the safety of the side room after his dance and sought some much-needed alcohol. His thirst quenched he moved to the back wall of the hall where he could watch the ball from the relative seclusion of the shadows, nursing another glass.
As the evening wore on Donna and Sarah stopped to have a few words with him and Jack arrived shortly after.
When the two women left, the two men bid the Ladies farewell and fell into companionable silence, watching the dancing couples.
It was sometime later when Jack observed him with amusement. "You caused quite the stir dancing with our young Lady Rose," he said, a self-satisfied smirked playing on his lips.
Novem either did not hear him or chose to ignore him and remained silent. However, his silence was soon broken "She is dancing with him again, that is the fifth dance. Clearly she is ignorant of the impropriety of dancing with the same gentleman five times."
"You are beginning to sound like a jealous beau," Jack remarked, slanting him an amused look.
Novem ignored him.
"Maybe you should marry her," Jack whispered before leaving his King to his own devices.
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