Traitor's Vengeance - Part 21

Danielle had been roaming around the palace for over an hour in a state of complete shock. The crimes and punishments that she had just heard were unbelievable. She could hardly believe it. Adèle, Eloise, Yvette, traitors. She could possibly had believed it of Sabine, but not the others. Adèle and Eloise especially had been so attentive, gossips yes, but they certainly had the potential to be good friends.

Danielle couldn't really fathom why she was so shocked. She was no stranger to being let down by those she relied on. Even her darling father had let her down in a way. He had spent so much time away from the manor on business that sometimes she felt she hadn't known him that well. Maybe she had naively thought that once she was away from the Baroness, everything would be behind her.

As she wandered aimlessly through the corridors, she noticed concerned looks from palace guards and servants. She doubted that there was a soul in the province who didn't know what had passed. The constant bowing and curious glances were beginning to irritate her so she ducked into the nearest room.

As the door clicked shut behind her she breathed a sigh of relief. She was so happy to be on her own. As well meaning as people could be, solitude was sometimes a good thing for her. As she looked up to see what room was to be her haven she gasped in delight. She saw before her a library so big that it put that of the Franciscans to shame. Her emotions began to conflict. She was shocked, angry and happy all at once and it was becoming too much for her. She felt like she might collapse.

She quickly sat down at a nearby desk. As she composed herself she noticed just how dusty the room was. It obviously hadn't been used in years. The desk was thick with dust. As she brushed this away she felt a notch in the soft pine. She rubbed this particular spot until she saw a word she recognised. Henry.

Just the sight of that name was enough to make her cry. All of her hopes, dreams and love rested in those five letters. A tear fell onto the desk, washing away some dust and partially revealing a second word. Hélène. This confused her at first, but then she remembered Henry telling her that the two of them had been childhood friends.

She wondered what Henry had been like as a child. Perhaps Hélène would tell her some more. She got the impression that at one time the two of them had been quite close but had drifted apart. Danielle prayed that she and Gustave would always be best friends. These thought set her off crying again.

Just as the first tear hit the desk, the door opened. Danielle wiped her face and turned to see who it was. When she saw Henry's warm, open face, she began to sob uncontrollably. He rushed to her and encircled his arms around her delicate frame.

"What's the matter my love?"

"Nothing. It's just everything from the past few days catching up with me."

"Yes, it has been rather eventful. But it's over now. From this moment on everything will be all right. Nothing will ever come between us again. You are my Helen, I'm your Menelaus. Together we will change France and our love will last forever." His speech softened every fibre of Danielle's being and she melted into his embrace, returning his affectionate words with a tender kiss.

Just as the magic of her soft lips was beginning to affect Henry, the door opened and Steven Grey walked in. Henry shot him a steely glance at having interrupted them. "I'm sorry Sire, but the king would like to see you in the throne room and he requested that I escort the Princess back to your chambers." Henry let out an exasperated sigh.

"Very well Lord Grey. Could you give us a few minutes and we shall be right with you."

"Certainly Sire." and with that he bowed and quietly exited the room. As soon as he was gone, Henry resumed their kiss, but this time there was real passion flowing between them. Danielle reciprocated his eager, lustful caresses. She desperately wanted to feel his bare skin against hers, but the library of a royal palace was hardly the right place.

"Why don't you go and speak to your father and then we can continue this in our bedchamber," Danielle suggested. "We could have so much more fun if we truly were alone."

Henry pondered this for a moment and then leapt to his feet, realising that this was a proposal he could hardly stall on. He kissed Danielle's forehead and bounded towards the door. "I'll be as quick as I can," he said as he opened the door and disappeared. Danielle smiled. She could just imagine Henry hurrying his father. She could also imagine the King's irritation with his son.

"Your Highness, would you like to return to your chambers now, or would you like to stay here?" Steven said from behind her. She did not even realise that he had entered the room.

"Steven, if you don't start calling me Danielle, I'm just going to find another guard." Steven smiled, the Princess was obviously mocking him. Danielle stood up. "I may as well go now. I have things to do before Henry returns."

"Would you like me to call your attendant?"

"No thank you, I think Hélène deserves a few hours off after what has happened in the past few days. Perhaps after I am in my chambers you could go and find her and the two of you can get to know each other. After all you will be spending a lot of time together."

This idea was one that appealed to Steven. Hélène truly did intrigue him. Underneath that sophisticated, well bred exterior there was something more. She was very much like the princess, but for her to be like that was daring. She had obviously been raised to obey and to behave properly, but her quick wit and sly, knowing glances, showed Steven that she wasn't the perfect lady. She was very much like somebody he had known in England, somebody who's effect on him would always be in his heart.

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"What is it father?" Henry asked as he burst into the throne room.

"Ahh Henry, your here. We can begin." Francis replied.

"Begin what?" Henry looked around the room. It was empty apart from the customary guards his parents and Jacqueline. The doors opened and two servants were marched in. Henry quickly took his traditional place behind his parents. This was obviously a matter of some importance.

As the servants got closer to the thrones, Henry began to think he should know them. Then he realised. It was Rodmilla and Marguerite. In those servants clothes, he hadn't recognised them. He couldn't help laughing out loud at the pathetic sight before him as they curtseyed. His father shot him a silencing glance.

"Rodmilla de Ghent. This is the second time you have been brought before me on charges of treachery. I should inform you that your niece has signed a confession and is to be beheaded in the morning." Rodmilla looked up sharply at this news. She wouldn't usually bat an eyelid at such news, but Adèle had been like her own daughter. She had taught her everything she knew.

The look on her mother's face, pained Jacqueline. Despite Rodmilla's crimes she was still her mother and to see her in distress was saddening. She also had to come to terms with the fact that she had given evidence that led to her cousin's death. These thoughts would torment her for some time to come.

As these proceedings were going on the Queen looked at Jacqueline. Poor child. She had seen her mother and sister forced into servitude, her cousin sentenced to death and her step sister, who she was obviously devoted to, put through the most excruciating mental torment. Not only had she done this, but she hadn't shown one ounce of emotion, obviously through fear of making the situation worse. The thing that worried the Queen most is that her seventeen year old mind would be unable to take it and she would go mad.

Rodmilla shook off her initial shock at her niece's demise and composed herself to answer the King. "That is sad news to me, but if I may ask Your Majesty, why do you inform me of this yourself?"

"Because it is relevant to your own sentencing, for your part in these crimes." Marguerite looked like she might faint. She obviously thought that they were to be executed too. "Do not look so frightened, your punishment is to be much more long lasting. You are to be taken from this royal palace to one in Strasbourg, where you will work in the stables."

Marguerite began to weep pathetically, but Rodmilla became angry. She looked around the room with manic eyes. When she saw Jacqueline, she realised that she had somebody to take out her frustrations on. "I should have known that you would have something to do with this," she screeched across the room.

"I order you to contain yourself," the King shouted. Rodmilla didn't listen. She stormed up to her daughter, continuing to scream.

"The moment you were born, I knew that you would betray me. You aren't a real Ghent. Your cousin was twice the woman you are. It should be you who is to die."

Jacqueline was stunned. She had no idea what to do. Before she could make up her mind Rodmilla was upon her. "Mother, I...." but before she could say anymore, a powerful slap across her face knocked her to the ground.

The guards came racing up the throne room, and roughly grabbed hold of Rodmilla. She had a smug look on her face, as if she had made some sort of great conquest. Jacqueline stood up and fled the room.

The Queen could stand it no longer. She regally stood up and walked over to the now restrained Rodmilla. As she looked back at her husband and son she said to them "Francis, Henry, forgive me for my temporary loss of manners." And with that she slapped Rodmilla as hard as she could. "Take her away and lock her in the dungeons until she is due to leave, and be sure that she only has bread and water till then." The guards bowed and led her out of the room, with Marguerite closely following.

The Queen turned back to her open mouthed son and husband. She now realised how unladylike she had just acted. "I am terribly sorry about that," she said, embarrassed at her conduct. "I just couldn't bear for her to get away with treating her daughter like that for a second longer." The King stood up with a solemn face and walked over to his wife. Just as Marie was beginning to think that he may actually rebuke her, Francis burst out laughing.

"That was possibly the most marvellous thing I've seen you do." The Queen smiled. Henry came down and joined his parents. "Henry my boy, if your wife is anything like mine you will have a great marriage." With that Father, Mother and Son left the throne room, laughing together, for the first time in a long time.