Chapter 3: A Proposition
Suddenly, the only sound in the room was the occasional tapping on Winston's foot against the cold marble. Gwen became increasingly aware that they were alone in the room aside from the clerk, who seemed occupied in his own work.
Phillip took a deep breath before descending the carpeted stairs. "I've missed you, Gwen."
He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away gently. "If you'll excuse me, I must catch up to my father."
She took a few steps toward the door before his voice stopped her. "Gwen, please."
She wiped away a tear that slid down her cheek as she turned to face him. "Your Majesty - Phillip, nothing has changed."
He swallowed visibly, then opened his mouth to speak.
Gwen smiled sadly before cutting him off. "I'm sorry Phillip, I must go."
She turned on her heal and hastily exited the room.
Phillip sighed as the door closed behind her. "I do not understand women."
"You're not meant to sire," Winston spoke up from behind his desk. "Although that one might be worth the effort."
"That she is Winston, that she is." Phillip turned to face his clerk, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, Phillip made his way slowly up the steps and fell into the throne with a sigh.
Gwen made her way quickly across the courtyard. So quickly in fact that she bumped into the person walking toward her, sending whatever he was carrying flying into the air.
"Pardon me milady, I was not watching where I was going," Winston said, scrambling to pick up the papers that had scattered at her feet.
Gwen leaned down to help him. "It was my fault as well."
She inspected a stack of envelopes quickly before she handed it to him. Most of them were addressed to various places in Ireland. "Do you have a relation in Ireland sir?"
"Uh, yes," Winston replied quickly. "My father recently relocated there. Excuse me madam."
Gwen stood astonished in the courtyard. The weight of her conversation with Phillip was still resting on her shoulders. She found a bench not far off, hidden in one of the many gardens that decorated the palace lawn. No sooner had sat down, tears started flowing silently down her cheeks.
She heard footsteps coming up the path. "Gwen? Where are you?"
"Over here Froedrick."
He followed her voice until he found her sitting against a backdrop of lilacs and tulips. He sat next to her in silence, just staring off into thin air. Leaving her alone in her thoughts; Froedrick had always been good at that. "You haven't changed a bit have you?"
"Ah, but I have. I've grown a full inch, and I can speak Spanish." He smiled.
She threw her arms around his shoulders. "You are the best friend in the world. Have I ever told you that?"
"Once or twice I think." The pair burst out into peals of laughter. "I have missed you Gwen."
"And I you brother Froedrick."
Phillip watched Gwen and Froedrick from a window a few stories up. How he envied his friend for being able to make Gwen laugh, to comfort her when she cried. He let out a deep sigh as their laughter flowed through the open window.
"Are you alright, sire?" Winston asked from the doorway.
Phillip sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair.
Winston peered out the window, catching a glimpse of the pair in the garden before pulling the shutter closed. "Gwen?"
"I can't get her out of my head. I've tried thinking about anything else, but once I close my eyes, her picture is in my mind. I must do something, Winston, before I drive myself mad. But, short of abdicating my throne, there is nothing that can be done. And if I did that, Gwen would never forgive me." Throughout the course of his speech, Phillip had risen and was pacing around the room like a madman.
"Sit down your majesty. You need to calm yourself before you do something rash. There is one thing that can be done."
Phillip sat eagerly next to his clerk as he finished his explanation.
"It has been done in the past, but it must be kept completely secretive. It is a possibility to be wed to a peasant, if and only if no one is to know about it."
"And if it became known?"
Winston sighed. "It could be a powerful weapon for anyone who opposes you. You could loose your throne."
"So I would lose her either way."
"Only if you were discovered."
Suddenly, the only sound in the room was the occasional tapping on Winston's foot against the cold marble. Gwen became increasingly aware that they were alone in the room aside from the clerk, who seemed occupied in his own work.
Phillip took a deep breath before descending the carpeted stairs. "I've missed you, Gwen."
He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away gently. "If you'll excuse me, I must catch up to my father."
She took a few steps toward the door before his voice stopped her. "Gwen, please."
She wiped away a tear that slid down her cheek as she turned to face him. "Your Majesty - Phillip, nothing has changed."
He swallowed visibly, then opened his mouth to speak.
Gwen smiled sadly before cutting him off. "I'm sorry Phillip, I must go."
She turned on her heal and hastily exited the room.
Phillip sighed as the door closed behind her. "I do not understand women."
"You're not meant to sire," Winston spoke up from behind his desk. "Although that one might be worth the effort."
"That she is Winston, that she is." Phillip turned to face his clerk, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, Phillip made his way slowly up the steps and fell into the throne with a sigh.
Gwen made her way quickly across the courtyard. So quickly in fact that she bumped into the person walking toward her, sending whatever he was carrying flying into the air.
"Pardon me milady, I was not watching where I was going," Winston said, scrambling to pick up the papers that had scattered at her feet.
Gwen leaned down to help him. "It was my fault as well."
She inspected a stack of envelopes quickly before she handed it to him. Most of them were addressed to various places in Ireland. "Do you have a relation in Ireland sir?"
"Uh, yes," Winston replied quickly. "My father recently relocated there. Excuse me madam."
Gwen stood astonished in the courtyard. The weight of her conversation with Phillip was still resting on her shoulders. She found a bench not far off, hidden in one of the many gardens that decorated the palace lawn. No sooner had sat down, tears started flowing silently down her cheeks.
She heard footsteps coming up the path. "Gwen? Where are you?"
"Over here Froedrick."
He followed her voice until he found her sitting against a backdrop of lilacs and tulips. He sat next to her in silence, just staring off into thin air. Leaving her alone in her thoughts; Froedrick had always been good at that. "You haven't changed a bit have you?"
"Ah, but I have. I've grown a full inch, and I can speak Spanish." He smiled.
She threw her arms around his shoulders. "You are the best friend in the world. Have I ever told you that?"
"Once or twice I think." The pair burst out into peals of laughter. "I have missed you Gwen."
"And I you brother Froedrick."
Phillip watched Gwen and Froedrick from a window a few stories up. How he envied his friend for being able to make Gwen laugh, to comfort her when she cried. He let out a deep sigh as their laughter flowed through the open window.
"Are you alright, sire?" Winston asked from the doorway.
Phillip sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair.
Winston peered out the window, catching a glimpse of the pair in the garden before pulling the shutter closed. "Gwen?"
"I can't get her out of my head. I've tried thinking about anything else, but once I close my eyes, her picture is in my mind. I must do something, Winston, before I drive myself mad. But, short of abdicating my throne, there is nothing that can be done. And if I did that, Gwen would never forgive me." Throughout the course of his speech, Phillip had risen and was pacing around the room like a madman.
"Sit down your majesty. You need to calm yourself before you do something rash. There is one thing that can be done."
Phillip sat eagerly next to his clerk as he finished his explanation.
"It has been done in the past, but it must be kept completely secretive. It is a possibility to be wed to a peasant, if and only if no one is to know about it."
"And if it became known?"
Winston sighed. "It could be a powerful weapon for anyone who opposes you. You could loose your throne."
"So I would lose her either way."
"Only if you were discovered."