Traitor's Vengeance - Part Nine
"Their Majesties, the King and Queen of Spain." Henry sat up straight and tall, ready to tell the King of Spain exactly what he thought of his treaty. To his utter surprise though, the two black clad Royals were wearing grins from ear to ear.
"Now listen here, this nonsense stops here." Henry was not going to let them speak until he said what he had to say. "I don't care what any treaty says, there is no way that I will have my marriage annulled."
"I should hope not, why ever would anyone want an annulment?" These unusually gentle words from the Queen placed an immediate suspicion in his mind. What was going on here? What sort of games were they playing?
"We just came to talk about the plans for war with England." The King said. Then the doors flew open and a page announced the arrival of the Duchess d'Orleans. Henry smiled, perhaps Danielle's influence could force him to make some sense of the situation. He waited for Danielle to enter the room, but she did not come. Only Princess Gabriella was there. What was going on?
Gabriella, on seeing Henry, sedately walked up to him and gave him a friendly kiss on the lips. It was too impassive to be that of a lover, but too intense for a friend. "I told you that you would get used to each other once you were married," the Queen said. The door then opened again and in walked a servant carrying a tray. It was Danielle.
"Danielle," Henry called out, running to her. As he reached out to touch her arm she jumped. It was as if she did not know him. "Danielle, why will you not look at me?"
"Why would she look at you?" his father said as he walked into the room. "She is but a servant, and besides she has been sold." A pair of men entered the room and each took hold of one of her arms. They dragged her from the room, with her kicking and screaming.
"Danielle!" Henry cried. He tried to run after them but the King of Spain stopped him, trying to get him talking of war. Henry continued to shout until Danielle's screams were out of earshot.
*****
"Henry my love," Danielle said, sounding a little worried. Her husband had been getting increasingly agitated in his sleep for a few minutes and now he was wildly calling out her name. He suddenly woke up with a start. He was sweating. He looked over at Danielle, who was lying in the bed next to him, and grabbed hold of her tightly. Holding her in a suffocating embrace.
"What is it Henry? What's the matter?"
"Please don't ever leave me?" Henry was now close to tears as the realisation that he had almost lost Danielle came flooding into his brain. On their wedding day he had been so intent on rescuing her, he didn't stop to think that maybe it was too late.
"Why would I ever do that?" Danielle was now wondering what on earth could have brought this on. She couldn't bear to see him like this. Every time he was anxious it felt like somebody was trying to wrench her heart from her breast, she felt so wretched. She desperately needed to comfort him.
She placed her hand under his chin and tenderly lifted his face so his eyes looked into hers. "You, Henry are my soul mate. If I walked the Earth for a thousand years I could never find another you. To lose you would be to die." She was beginning to cry herself.
Henry pulled his wife towards him and gave her an affectionate kiss. "I dreamt that you were taken away from me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was completely helpless and I just felt so alone. It scares me to think that I almost married somebody else. That my prejudices almost cost me a lifetime of happiness with you. But I've been lucky, fate smiled down on me and sought to give me a second chance. I don't intend to put her in that position again." He got out of bed.
"Henry my love, what are you doing?"
"The King of Spain and I need to have a few words."
"But it is still early. We have at least an hour before dawn, can't you wait till it's light? Come back to bed and we can carry on ... talking." Henry was very tempted to take her up on her offer, but he could see the sun coming up over the horizon. He wanted the Spanish court out of Hautefort by the time the sun set.
There was a faint knocking at the door. "I could hear that you were up Your Highness, would you like to get dressed now?"
"It is my attendant," Danielle said to Henry. "You go and dress in my dressing room and she can dress me in here, I can't have her seeing you like that." Henry obediently did as he was told. "Yes do come in," Danielle called back. Hélène entered the room, carrying Danielle's dress.
"Good morning Your Highness. Did you sleep well?" Danielle bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. The truth was that her duties as a wife had prevented her from getting much sleep at all over the past two evenings.
"I had a pleasant night." Hélène proceeded to dress her in a yellow gown of pure silk which had been sent along to the manor by the Queen. Many of the clothes Danielle wore had once been the property of her new mother. Mother had assured her that it was only until a couturier from Paris could be sent for, but Danielle did not mind, in fact she felt proud that the Queen felt her to be so worthy of her son's love.
"Do you know when we shall be returning to the palace?"
"No, the negotiations with the Spanish Court are far from complete. I am afraid the palace will not be the safest place for us while they are still there. But we shall be very comfortable here at the manor."
Just then the door to Danielle's dressing room opened and Henry stepped out, ready to face the Spanish. Hélène went pale as she saw him walk towards his wife. Once they had been friends but she had not seen him at court for many months. Was he avoiding her?
As Henry kissed the Princess with such loving tenderness, Hélène's heart ached with a yearning passion for somebody to treat her like that, somebody that she knew from her past.
"Henry my love, I want you to meet my attendant." She motioned towards Hélène. Henry smiled as he turned around to look upon his wife's servant, but his smile soon vanished, and a shocked gasp took over.
"Hélène," he quietly said as he saw his old friend again.
"Your Highness," she replied curtseying uncomfortably. Usually such formalities between them were forgotten, but she felt compelled to show the proper signs of respect in the presence of his new wife.
"You have met before?" Danielle asked Henry.
"Hélène's father the Duke de Lyons is a part of my father's hunting party, Hélène is one of my childhood playmates." His speech was very cool and quite impersonal. Danielle felt a little humbled. She had not realised that this person who she believed to be a servant, was actually a noblewoman. How had it come to this that she was a lady in waiting, a servant?
There was an awkward silence between the three of them. Henry felt a little guilty for so blatantly ignoring Hélène over the past month. Hélène felt awkward being in the presence of her friend but having to treat him with such formality for the sake of his wife. Danielle felt terrible that she had treat as a servant a noblewoman with such humility as to treat Danielle so well.
"I have to go," Henry said. "Father will be expecting me." Danielle linked arms with him and showed him the way to the courtyard. She savoured every second that she got to be this close to him. She knew that unless all went well with the Spanish this could be the last time.
As they entered the kitchen Danielle couldn't help feeling proud. For the past ten years she had come down to this kitchen every morning to make breakfast for other people, to be told by Rodmilla that she was worthless. Now she was entering the kitchen for the first time as a duchess, a princess and a wife. She was not only married, but she was married to the very man that Marguerite had so desperately wanted. She got a sort of vengeful pleasure from it.
Maurice, Paulette and Louise all looked a little shocked at the entrance of their crowned Prince Henry. They all thought that he would not be at the manor at all. It made them all very nervous to have him in their house.
Jacqueline was sitting at the kitchen table, held in deep conversation with Captain Laurent. If he had been sent to fetch Henry, he had obviously been distracted when he began talking to Jacqueline. Henry smiled to see the two of them speaking to each other so avidly. It was like watching a tamer version of Danielle in action.
"Ahem," Henry said, trying to make Laurent see someone other than Jacqueline. He scrambled to his feet with Jacqueline. "I take it Father sent you."
"Yes, he wants you back at the palace as soon as possible. The Spanish are eager to talk with you."
"We shall leave immediately. Come Laurent."
"Henry the Queen asks that Mademoiselle de Ghent accompany us as she wishes an audience with her."
"Very well. Please can you saddle two horses for us." The Henry took Danielle off to a quiet corner. "I promise that you will be back in the palace with me by tonight."
Danielle looked down, unable to catch his eye for fear of bursting into tears. "Please my love, do not make promises you may not be able to keep. We both know that the Spanish will not be easily dissuaded." Henry could not answer her. She was talking sense but he did not want to believe her. He just pulled her close to him and held her there until Laurent returned ready to take him away. Away to face his future.