The Runaway Royals - Part Thirteen
Henry's eyes flicked open. For a moment he forgot where he was. He began to fear that his Danielle and their marriage was just a dream. What torture that would have been. His beloved Danielle just a figment of his imagination. But then he saw the crest of Bordeaux on the canapé above him and everything began to fall back into place. There was a sudden moment of joy when he realised that his wonderful wife was real. However his joy was soon eclipsed by the memory of what had passed not one day ago. The way his beloved Princess just lay there, unresponsive to his voice, haunted him.
He kicked away the bedclothes and slowly hauled himself to his feet. He was still wearing the clothes he had put on nearly to days ago, just before they made their escape. now they were covered in dirt and speckled with Danielle's blood. Seeing those dots of crimson sickened him. They were the reminder of what he had done to Danielle, what HE had done. But until she awoke, he would continue to wear them. As penance for his reckless endangerment he would continue to walk around with this constant reminder of his stupidity and thus fuel the source of his pain.
Through the partially open curtain he could see the sun peering over the tops of the trees. The sight bought tears to his eyes remembering the day after they were joined together forever. He had told Danielle that the sunrise was a symbol of their marriage. It was something that would continue each day until the and of time. So many times he had awoken to find her sitting on the window seat, watching the miracle with an intent yet gleeful expression on her face. Perhaps she was thinking how lucky she was to have found a man who loved her so completely. She did not realise that the only lucky one was Henry.
As he watched Helios, god of the sun, weave a magical pattern of light and dark over the freshly dewed earth he let out the tears he needed to cry. He would release his sorrows in private but nowhere else. He had to show his strength. Danielle would not want him to lose his fire, his command, two of the very things that had brought him to her. He resolved to himself that it would be thus until she was brought back to him. He would cry his tears for her every morning, but he would show to the world that he was the same Prince that his beautiful Danielle had fallen in love with.
The burning sun was high above the horizon before his tears tried and he was feeling fit to face the world. He went over to the door and stepped out into the empty corridor. He quietly made his way to Danielle's chambers and pushed open the door. His heart sank when he saw that she was still asleep and had not moved from the position he had left her in the previous night. He quickly walked over to the bed and took her hand, for a sudden fear gripped him that while she was alone she had slipped away from them. His fears proved to be ill founded when he found there were still signs of life in her. He breathed a sigh of relief and took a seat.
"I hope you are have pleasant dreams my Princess," he said as he leant over to kiss her eyelids. "Shall I tell you what I dreamt the other night, I those few hours we slept after the ball? I dreamt that you and I were riding through a field of cornflowers on my mare Artemis, the horse which we were given by the gypsies. I named her so because that night, in the moonlight, you looked like a goddess. We glided almost on a cushion of air until we reached the sea. Then we set sail on a golden galleon across an ocean of the purest blue. There was no crew, not other boats,only you and I on an endless sea, forever. Imagine that. Just you and I for all eternity." He kissed her and rested his forehead on the back of her hand. He did not hear Steven knock or notice him enter the room.
"Your Highness," he said quietly. "The physician is here to examine the princess."
"Please show him in Lord Grey." Steven bowed and motioned for the doctor and the Duke's housekeeper to enter. The doctor bowed.
"Your Highness, might I ask if you would step outside while I examine you wife?" Henry did not reply, he simply stood up and left the room. He knew if he spoke he would begin to cry.
Outside Hélène was sitting with Steven on the chaise. They were speaking in low voices but stopped as soon as Hélène saw Henry. Steven stood. "Your Highness, please sit," he motioned towards his own seat. Henry could see Hélène visibly tense at this suggestion.
"No thankyou lord Grey, I shall be perfectly fine standing." Steven sat down again and Henry leaned against the wall with his back to them, concealing his tear stained face. His resolve was not so strong as he had originally thought. He could feel Hélène's angry gaze burning into his back. She really did hate him for what he had done. It hurt him to think that his best friend could hate him so passionately.
The silence out there in that corridor was unbearable. Usually in large houses one could hear the bustle of the servants in the kitchen or the horses in the courtyard, but this place was as silent as the grave.
"How long will the doctor be?" Henry said to the air.
"He told us about fifteen minutes," Steven replied. Hélène still could not bear to speak to him.
"I think I shall go and find the Duke. If he is finished before then, please come and fetch me."
"Certainly Your Highness," Steven said as Henry walked away. As soon as he was out of earshot Hélène began to speak.
"How can you still address him in such a calm manner after what he has done?" She spat. "Why the very thought of showing him any civility is beyond my comprehension."
"Despite his stupidity in his actions. He is still the Crown Prince of France. I owe a lot to the Royal family and cannot bring myself to be anything other than respectful. And besides, I honestly think that he suffers. We cannot deny that the Princess is the greatest source of love in his life. What must he be going through seeing her like this?" Steven suddenly realised what he was saying and to whom he was saying it.
"She is isn't she? It's still hard to think of him loving somebody the way I wanted him to love me. I have accepted though that I can never be with him in the way I was and I am learning to get over it. I am happy that he has found somebody who he can love completely. Her feeling for him eclipse mine a hundred times over." Steven sat beside her.
"Then he was obviously not your true love. One day you will find somebody whom you can love with your whole heart and then you will forget everything that has passed."
"I suppose you are right. But that does not stop me from feeling the way I do right now. My mind is a jumbled confusion of anger and friendship towards him."
"This will pass Hélène, such strong emotions usually do." She looked into his eyes. They were filled with such a tender concern. He continued to surprise her with his understanding nature.
"Thank you Steven." She put her hand on his. "I cannot begin to express what a comfort you are to me. With the Princess being as she is I feel like I have lost my best friend. We have become so close over the last month."
"I know you have. Compared to you I have spent little time with the Princess. and so do not have emotions as powerful as yours. I think there is only one person who can relate to your suffering." He pointed down the corridor to where Henry had appeared with the Duke and was walking towards them. At that moment she realised that if anybody could understand her grief for Danielle it was Henry. Her pain may not have been as acute as his, but it existed nonetheless. As he neared them Hélène stood to speak to him.
"Henry I... I feel I must apologise for how I have treat you. I was blind to the pain you suffer."
"You had every right to be angry with me."
"I am still angry with you, but I realise that anger is helping nobody. I want you to know that I do not forgive you for your recklessness. I just need to be able to talk to somebody who feels as wretched as I do." Now she had tears in her eyes. She had stopped herself from crying over the last day, for fear of upsetting her mistress should she wake up.
Henry could not bear to see her upset. Even as children when he was at his most obnoxious, if she was sad he would do anything he could to make it better. Right now her pain was all the more heartbreaking because he could relate to it. He placed a hand on the back of her head and pulled her to him, careful of her arm which was now bound in a sling.
The friends stood there together for several minutes in a comforting embrace. Neither spoke a word.
The only sound to be heard was Hélène's sobs which caused pain to all men present. It was amazing, after all that had passed over the years, that being so close to each other could be so friendly and comforting and not at all awkward. Hélène certainly felt this and rejoiced in the idea that her lover was dead and her best friend was coming back to her.
Suddenly Hélène remembered the ring. She had kept it in a pocket in her sleeve, meaning to place it back on Danielle's finger where it belonged. Now she saw no reason why she should not give it to Henry to replace it. "Henry we came across this yesterday." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the delicate ring. Henry gasped. "How did you find this?"
"By a miracle," Hélène replied. It was right in the spot where I fell, after I was thrown from my horse. I do not think she was ever supposed to lose it."
Seeing it gave Henry a renewed sense of hope. If something so small of this could be found in the vast woods, then Danielle could surely be saved. As he took the precious item from her, the doctor emerged from Danielle's room. The housekeeper quickly disappeared down the corridor, it was almost as if she could not look at them.
The power of speech seemed to have escaped all present. The fear of what might be said was too overwhelming. Finally Steven took the initiative. "How is the Princess?" he asked.
"Might I have a word with Your Highness in private?" The doctor asked Henry. Hélène shot a worried glance at Steven.
"Certainly sir." Henry ushered the doctor into his own chambers.
As they disappeared tears once again sprang to Hélène's eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Steven took out a handkerchief and gently wiped it over her delicate skin.
"This cannot be happening," she whispered.
"Do not jump to conclusions," Steven said. "We do not know what the doctor has to say. Just wait until the Prince comes out." As he said this they began to hear a raised voice coming from the room followed by smashing sounds. Hélène made for the door, only to be stopped by Steven. "Wait until somebody comes out. If it is bad news we may only upset the Prince more."
The door suddenly flew open and Henry rushed out and ran along the corridor towards the stairs.
"Henry!" Hélène called, running after him. "Where are you going?" He did not reply.
"What are youdoing?"
"Justice Hélène, I'm going out for justice." With that she heard him bark and order for a horse to be saddled.
She turned back to the rest of the party. "What is the matter? What did you tell him?"
"As I examined the princess just now, I noticed that she had a wound on the back of her head that we had not seen yesterday. In the rush to dress her other wounds it was overlooked. From this wound she has lost a lot of blood overnight. Having lost so much blood I do not think it likely that the Princess will ever wake up. I have dressed the wound now but I fear I was too late. It is likely that she will die within a day. All I can recommend is that family are brought here quickly and that we send for a priest."
Hélène sank to the floor in floods of tears. Steven rushed forward to catch her. He kneeled beside her, pulling her close to him. She buried her head into his chest. Her whole body convulsed with the heart rendering sobs that consumed her.
"Perhaps you should take her to her chambers," the Duke said Steven nodded and moved himself so that he could lift her slight frame but she stopped him.
"No Steven, you must go after the Prince. If he is left alone Lord knows what he will do."
"But the Princess, I am charged with her protection."
"I have perfectly able guards who can do that. Perhaps it would be wise for you to follow him. I this state of mind anything could happen to him."
"Please." Hélène begged.
"Are you sure that you will be all right?" He was not eager to leave Hélène to chase about after a man who he like little and thought well of less still. He had spent all of this time promoting him to Hélène for her sake not his.
"Yes I just need a little time. Please bring him back. I could not bear for anything to happen to him also." Steven said nothing, he simply helped Hélène to her feet and left in search of a suitable horse in which to start the chase again.