Traitor's Vengeance - Part Eighteen
Danielle was feeling giddy. It wasn't long until she would be surprising Henry at the palace as he had surprised her the night before. She could not bare the thought of spending the night without him.
Somebody tapped on her door. "Come in," she called. The door opened and Lord Grey stepped into the room.
"We are ready to leave when you are Your Highness." He said. He had been sitting outside her room for hours, ever since she had retired to change. He had never moved. The poor man was obviously been in anguish over what would happen when Henry got to hear of the intruder.
"Thank you Lord Grey," Danielle replied. He bowed and turned to leave. "Oh Lord Grey." He stopped and turned back to face her. "If we are going to be friends I think that we shouldn't be so formal with each other."
"Your Highness?"
"That is what I mean. I need to be able to call you Steven. I am uncomfortable with familiarity."
"Well of course Your Highness may call me anything you wish. I should be proud to have you call me by my Christian name."
"And you must call me Danielle. I cannot be friends with somebody afraid to use even my name."
"But Your Highness I have been asked to protect you, I do not think Prince Henry would approve of such familiarity." The truth was familiarity frightened him as much as formality made the Princess uncomfortable. It was a long time since he had a relationship of familiarity with a lady. A very long time indeed.
"Steven you are my guard, not Henry's. You take orders from me. I would like you to call me Danielle." She was uncomfortable giving out orders, but it was an effective way of getting things done.
"As you wish." He than simply bowed again and left the room. Danielle could tell that from now on he would try to avoid calling her anything as much as possible. She did not mind though, she had made an important step into her new life.
She pulled on the grey cape and picked up her bag of personal belongings, including her copy of 'Utopia'. She would be taking that everywhere from now on. She puled open the door and Steven jumped to attention. His military training was evident.
"I think we should be leaving now. I do not want to be getting into the palace too late. I do not want them thinking they have intruders."
Steven said nothing, he simply motioned for her to lead the way. Her little outburst about familiarity had made him nervous. He didn't want to start getting familiar with people again. Familiarity was a sure fire way of becoming dependent on somebody. Dependence usually lead to pain.
"Steven, could you go ahead to the Horses? I would like to say goodbye to my friends alone." Danielle asked. He was reluctant to comply with any request which meant his being away from her. She was permanently at risk from Spanish intruders, who now knew where she was. But as she said, she gives him orders and he had to obey.
Steven made his way down the corridor, and Danielle went to the kitchen, where Maurice was making a fire and Louise and Paulette were sitting back, relaxing. They must have had a busy day. The manor rarely had so many people. Not since her father died in fact had it been so full.
The two women jumped to their feet and Maurice stood up abruptly. "I just came in to say goodbye and wish you all well. I do not know when I will be able to return." The finality of her moving from the manor suddenly hit her and tears began to form in her eyes.
Sensing the flood that was coming, Paulette's duties as a servant of the crown were forgotten and she embraced Danielle as she had when she was a child and missed her father. "We won't forget you," she whispered. "How could we? You're our Danielle."
"And I shan't forget you either. You have been my parents and I am forever grateful to you." Louise and Maurice now joined in. Again they forgot about Danielle's new title and became the family once again.
"You have to go now," Maurice said, sad to break up the scene. "You don't want to be away from the Prince for much longer do you?" Danielle smiled and shook her head. The thought of seeing Henry again made the pain of leaving more bearable.
Louise took one of Danielle's arms and Paulette the other and they led her through to the courtyard. As they left the house Danielle was shocked to see a carriage and a whole crowd of horses and riders. Surely they couldn't be there to escort her back. Steven hadn't sent on any word of their return.
Danielle looked around to see if she could spot Steven or Hélène. Maybe they might know what was going on. Then she heard somebody calling her name. She knew that voice instantly.
When she saw Henry making his way through the crowds, she let go of Louise and Paulette and ran to him. He quickly gathered her up in his arms and passionately kissed her.
They stood together for a few minutes before curiosity got the better of passion. "Henry, what is going on?" She asked.
"It's all over," he replied. The Spanish cannot make me marry Gabriella."
Danielle, threw her arms around her husband. She was now confidant in calling him that without the worries of it changing anytime soon. "But how were you able to dissuade them?"
"Well they don't exactly know yet that I won't be able to marry her."
"Why not?" Just then the carriage door opened and an richly dressed lady and an older gentleman emerged from it. Henry took her hand and led her over to them.
"Danielle my love, may I present Her Royal Highness Princess Gabriella of Spain and her soon to be husband Don Carlos." Danielle couldn't help but gasp. What was going on?
"Why are they here?"
"We were able to distract the Spanish guards and get them out of their imprisonment. However they must leave quickly. The King and Queen of Spain know nothing of this yet. I believe it will be another few hours before our little adventure is discovered. My father has secretly provided the Princess with the means to make a new life in the Americas."
Danielle could not believe what was happening. It was all so exiting and happy for the Princess. After what her parents had done to her, she deserved it. She impulsively threw her arms affectionately around Gabriella. The Spanish princess received her warmly and returned the affection.
Don Carlos said something to Gabriella in Spanish, which Danielle could not understand and the pair said their goodbyes and retreated into the carriage, before being whisked away by an entourage of non-uniformed guards.
The chaos was beginning to die down in the courtyard until it was jut Danielle and Henry left. "So I'm officially allowed to stop worrying now." Danielle said.
"Yes my sweet you are. Gabriella and Carlos will be long gone before her parents even know she is not in her room. I don't know if they will ever find out that we helped them."
Danielle's happy face became a sly smile. "So does this mean that you don't have to be at the palace tonight?" She asked.
Henry, seeing where this question was going, replied coyly. "Well I suppose it is a little late to be making such a journey. Do you know of anywhere I can stay for the night?"
"Well actually I do know of somewhere just up the stairs through there." She pointed to the door. She then skipped away from her husband a little before breaking out into a run. "I'll race you," she called back.
Never one to turn down a challenge, Henry gave chase. In less than a minute, they were in Danielle's chamber.
It was completely dark, but they were in too much a rush to light them. Their passion for each other had never been so strong. In the dark they managed to feel their way around each others bodies until they were both again in that state of absolute ecstasy which only could be experienced when with one another. The life had suddenly been injected back into each of them and they defied heaven itself to try and take it away.