Thanks to all who reviewed. This chapter is unusually long. Like, a page
and a half longer than usual. Don't get used to it, though, I think it's
just a fluke. And I know she has two more dresses and little jewelry
things, but I won't drag them out as long as I am this one. Unless you want
me to, of course.
Special thanks to Jenny the Chica-Your reviews are the best! Thanks a lot for complimenting my chapter, I appreciate it!
And ArwenStar914-I didn't know my story was funny! Thanks! Of course, now I will try to make it funny on purpose and it will suck! Hee hee.
Also thanks to mystical Dreams and Kandi.
Just in time, it's chapter nine! *Yay*!
"I don't know what happened to her, I just don't know." The queen was seated in her dressing gown at the table talking to her son about Lady Mary.
"Yes, I know mother, you have already said that many times." Grumbled William, head resting in hand as he glared at the wooden table, tracing a knot in the wood with his finger.
"Well, I don't! First she insists on staying in some ratty old inn. Then she runs off when I insist she stay, and without a word. I don't even know WHICH inn she's staying in! How are we to find her?"
"We could send out legions of armies to find her and drag her back here." William said, his common sarcasm returning.
"It wouldn't work." Said the Queen crabbily, not noticing his sarcasm. She had raised the boy and even after nineteen years she had yet to detect it. Perhaps she had grown immune. "Well, we have to find a way to get her back here. The first girl William falls in love with, beautiful, noble and obviously rich-did you see her gown, dear, it was quite exquisite-and she runs off without so much as a goodbye."
"Mo-om!" William whined, "I did NOT fall in love with her! She's a friend!"
"Sure my dear, sure." The Queen said slyly, patting him on the shoulder. William sighed heavily and moved his shoulder so she couldn't reach it. "Well," said the King, finally speaking up, "We could always hold another ball. She probably would attend. After all, she is obviously nobility."
The Queen rubbed her chin. "It just might work. Then when she comes back she'll fall in love with William, and then they can get married here in the castle chapel, and it will be very romantic, and then they can have seven girls and seven boys, who I can help name, and then--"
"Mother." William cut in. "I would appreciate it if you didn't plan my life." A servant came in and dropped William's late supper in front of him. "Finally!" he snapped at the servant, obviously in a bad mood. "How did you get here, by way of Spain? Off you go, off you go!" he waved the man away and smelled his soup. "Ooo. It smells rather good tonight." He sniffed again. "Usually it smells average, but tonight it smells delicious."
He picked up his spoon and slowly dipped it in the liquid, blowing on it a bit as to cool it off. He then stuck it in his mouth. "Mmm!" he slowly swallowed the spoonful and took another quickly. "This is the best soup I have ever tasted! Try some, mother." He shoved a spoonful in his mother's face.
"For heaven's sake, William, don't do that! You could spill soup on my dress!" she angrily grabbed the spoonful of soup and daintily placed it in her mouth. "Oh, that is quite good."
"I told you." William said haughtily. The Queen, for once, ignored his attitude, for she was too enthralled with the soup.
"Let your father try it."
So the King did, and nodded happily. He, too, agreed that that was the best soup he had ever tasted. They ordered two more spoons, and for the first time in royal history they lost their politeness and ate as fast as they could out of the same bowl. There was a little left in the bottom, and the King and Queen being full, offered it to William. He scooped it up and placed it in his mouth, and promptly choked on it.
*~~*
Isabelle watched as the King, Queen and Prince guzzled down the soup.
Angie's tokens really do work, thought Isabelle, amazed. The three ate that soup as if there was no tomorrow.
In about ten minutes they got to the bottom of the bowl. The King turned the last bit down, as did the Queen. They both pushed the bowl towards the Prince, who took the last spoonful. Isabelle knew it held the ring. He placed it in his mouth and suddenly was turning blue.
"Is anything wrong, William?" asked the Queen as William turned from blue to purple.
"I believe he is choking, m'dear." Said the King. He slapped William on the back with a huge thwack. William coughed, and a little metal object went flying across the room. It rolled on the floor right in front of Isabelle, who was hiding behind the door. After a few rolls it finally stopped.
"What in heaven's name was that?" the Queen asked. She stood and walked to the door. Isabelle shrunk back quickly, terrified that she might be seen. The Queen picked up the object and looked it over. "It's a ring." She turned away and walked back to William. "You choked on a ring."
"Was it in the soup?" the King asked.
"Yes, it was. When I ate the spoonful I felt it in my mouth but I swallowed too quickly and it got caught in my throat." William was gasping for air.
"A ring...in the soup?" the Queen was furious. "Servant!" she screamed, making everyone in the room jump. A servant scurried in, the same one who served the soup. "Did you know there was a ring in this soup?"
"No, your majesty." Said the servant, looking at the floor.
"Do you know who made this soup?"
"Yes, your highness."
Great, Isabelle thought glumly, now I'm in for it.
"Good. I want you to bring them to me."
"Yes, your majesty." The servant scuttled off towards the kitchen door, and Isabelle ran back down the stairs as fast as she could. Panicking, she tried to decide whether to escape of meet her fate.
However, she didn't have enough time, for the servant came charging down the stairs.
"They have it in for you now!" the man snapped. He was no longer the meek nameless servant he was in the hall, but now a snappy, rude, disdainful man.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"They found a ring in the soup you made! The Prince nigh well died choking on it! They demand your presence in the great hall!"
"All right." She swallowed sadly and walked up the stairs, silently praying as she went that she wouldn't be executed. She opened the door to the hall slowly, and quietly entered, her head down and the picture of meekness.
"Are you the firebrand who made this soup?" the queen demanded in a royal tone.
"Y-yes ma'am."
"Did you know there was a ring in the soup? My son nearly choked to death on it!" she held up the ring for Isabelle to see.
"No, you majesty, I didn't know there was a ring in the soup." She cried out.
"Do you know what we do to servants who make attempts on our lives?"
"I swear, your highness, I didn't put the ring there! I have never seen it before in my life!"
"We execute them."
"No!" Isabelle howled with horror. She was pleased with the act she was putting on. "I didn't do it, your majesty!"
The whole while she had been standing there, Prince William had been staring at her in a most uncomfortable fashion. She tried to ignore him but it was very disconcerting. He looked her up and down, down and up, and tried to look right into her eyes as if he was looking into her soul and reading her thoughts.
"Wait!" he suddenly cried out. The servants who had begun to watch all turned their heads from the Queen to the Prince. He walked to Isabelle and she internally swallowed. She prayed he wouldn't know it was her. "Can't we let her off?" he said to his parents.
"What?" the Queen gasped in fury. "This girl tried to kill us!"
"No, she didn't." argued the Prince. "Just look at her. What reason would a simple kitchen girl have to kill us?"
"None, I suppose." The Queen agreed hesitantly. "I guess we can let her off."
"Really?" Isabelle's eyes lit up.
"I guess. After all, her soup was delicious."
"So you're letting me off?"
"Go on."
"Oh, thank you your majesty." She said happily. She bowed and turned to go.
"But don't let me catch you sticking jewelry in our food again."
"Yes ma'am." And with that Isabelle ran off to her room. Once she had left, the Prince turned back to his parents.
"Why did you do that, William?" the Queen asked.
"I don't know." He replied confusedly. "She seemed so familiar...as if I knew her from somewhere."
He shrugged and sat back down.
Special thanks to Jenny the Chica-Your reviews are the best! Thanks a lot for complimenting my chapter, I appreciate it!
And ArwenStar914-I didn't know my story was funny! Thanks! Of course, now I will try to make it funny on purpose and it will suck! Hee hee.
Also thanks to mystical Dreams and Kandi.
Just in time, it's chapter nine! *Yay*!
"I don't know what happened to her, I just don't know." The queen was seated in her dressing gown at the table talking to her son about Lady Mary.
"Yes, I know mother, you have already said that many times." Grumbled William, head resting in hand as he glared at the wooden table, tracing a knot in the wood with his finger.
"Well, I don't! First she insists on staying in some ratty old inn. Then she runs off when I insist she stay, and without a word. I don't even know WHICH inn she's staying in! How are we to find her?"
"We could send out legions of armies to find her and drag her back here." William said, his common sarcasm returning.
"It wouldn't work." Said the Queen crabbily, not noticing his sarcasm. She had raised the boy and even after nineteen years she had yet to detect it. Perhaps she had grown immune. "Well, we have to find a way to get her back here. The first girl William falls in love with, beautiful, noble and obviously rich-did you see her gown, dear, it was quite exquisite-and she runs off without so much as a goodbye."
"Mo-om!" William whined, "I did NOT fall in love with her! She's a friend!"
"Sure my dear, sure." The Queen said slyly, patting him on the shoulder. William sighed heavily and moved his shoulder so she couldn't reach it. "Well," said the King, finally speaking up, "We could always hold another ball. She probably would attend. After all, she is obviously nobility."
The Queen rubbed her chin. "It just might work. Then when she comes back she'll fall in love with William, and then they can get married here in the castle chapel, and it will be very romantic, and then they can have seven girls and seven boys, who I can help name, and then--"
"Mother." William cut in. "I would appreciate it if you didn't plan my life." A servant came in and dropped William's late supper in front of him. "Finally!" he snapped at the servant, obviously in a bad mood. "How did you get here, by way of Spain? Off you go, off you go!" he waved the man away and smelled his soup. "Ooo. It smells rather good tonight." He sniffed again. "Usually it smells average, but tonight it smells delicious."
He picked up his spoon and slowly dipped it in the liquid, blowing on it a bit as to cool it off. He then stuck it in his mouth. "Mmm!" he slowly swallowed the spoonful and took another quickly. "This is the best soup I have ever tasted! Try some, mother." He shoved a spoonful in his mother's face.
"For heaven's sake, William, don't do that! You could spill soup on my dress!" she angrily grabbed the spoonful of soup and daintily placed it in her mouth. "Oh, that is quite good."
"I told you." William said haughtily. The Queen, for once, ignored his attitude, for she was too enthralled with the soup.
"Let your father try it."
So the King did, and nodded happily. He, too, agreed that that was the best soup he had ever tasted. They ordered two more spoons, and for the first time in royal history they lost their politeness and ate as fast as they could out of the same bowl. There was a little left in the bottom, and the King and Queen being full, offered it to William. He scooped it up and placed it in his mouth, and promptly choked on it.
*~~*
Isabelle watched as the King, Queen and Prince guzzled down the soup.
Angie's tokens really do work, thought Isabelle, amazed. The three ate that soup as if there was no tomorrow.
In about ten minutes they got to the bottom of the bowl. The King turned the last bit down, as did the Queen. They both pushed the bowl towards the Prince, who took the last spoonful. Isabelle knew it held the ring. He placed it in his mouth and suddenly was turning blue.
"Is anything wrong, William?" asked the Queen as William turned from blue to purple.
"I believe he is choking, m'dear." Said the King. He slapped William on the back with a huge thwack. William coughed, and a little metal object went flying across the room. It rolled on the floor right in front of Isabelle, who was hiding behind the door. After a few rolls it finally stopped.
"What in heaven's name was that?" the Queen asked. She stood and walked to the door. Isabelle shrunk back quickly, terrified that she might be seen. The Queen picked up the object and looked it over. "It's a ring." She turned away and walked back to William. "You choked on a ring."
"Was it in the soup?" the King asked.
"Yes, it was. When I ate the spoonful I felt it in my mouth but I swallowed too quickly and it got caught in my throat." William was gasping for air.
"A ring...in the soup?" the Queen was furious. "Servant!" she screamed, making everyone in the room jump. A servant scurried in, the same one who served the soup. "Did you know there was a ring in this soup?"
"No, your majesty." Said the servant, looking at the floor.
"Do you know who made this soup?"
"Yes, your highness."
Great, Isabelle thought glumly, now I'm in for it.
"Good. I want you to bring them to me."
"Yes, your majesty." The servant scuttled off towards the kitchen door, and Isabelle ran back down the stairs as fast as she could. Panicking, she tried to decide whether to escape of meet her fate.
However, she didn't have enough time, for the servant came charging down the stairs.
"They have it in for you now!" the man snapped. He was no longer the meek nameless servant he was in the hall, but now a snappy, rude, disdainful man.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"They found a ring in the soup you made! The Prince nigh well died choking on it! They demand your presence in the great hall!"
"All right." She swallowed sadly and walked up the stairs, silently praying as she went that she wouldn't be executed. She opened the door to the hall slowly, and quietly entered, her head down and the picture of meekness.
"Are you the firebrand who made this soup?" the queen demanded in a royal tone.
"Y-yes ma'am."
"Did you know there was a ring in the soup? My son nearly choked to death on it!" she held up the ring for Isabelle to see.
"No, you majesty, I didn't know there was a ring in the soup." She cried out.
"Do you know what we do to servants who make attempts on our lives?"
"I swear, your highness, I didn't put the ring there! I have never seen it before in my life!"
"We execute them."
"No!" Isabelle howled with horror. She was pleased with the act she was putting on. "I didn't do it, your majesty!"
The whole while she had been standing there, Prince William had been staring at her in a most uncomfortable fashion. She tried to ignore him but it was very disconcerting. He looked her up and down, down and up, and tried to look right into her eyes as if he was looking into her soul and reading her thoughts.
"Wait!" he suddenly cried out. The servants who had begun to watch all turned their heads from the Queen to the Prince. He walked to Isabelle and she internally swallowed. She prayed he wouldn't know it was her. "Can't we let her off?" he said to his parents.
"What?" the Queen gasped in fury. "This girl tried to kill us!"
"No, she didn't." argued the Prince. "Just look at her. What reason would a simple kitchen girl have to kill us?"
"None, I suppose." The Queen agreed hesitantly. "I guess we can let her off."
"Really?" Isabelle's eyes lit up.
"I guess. After all, her soup was delicious."
"So you're letting me off?"
"Go on."
"Oh, thank you your majesty." She said happily. She bowed and turned to go.
"But don't let me catch you sticking jewelry in our food again."
"Yes ma'am." And with that Isabelle ran off to her room. Once she had left, the Prince turned back to his parents.
"Why did you do that, William?" the Queen asked.
"I don't know." He replied confusedly. "She seemed so familiar...as if I knew her from somewhere."
He shrugged and sat back down.