The carriage was filled with the Baroness and her daughters, and the excess fabric of their skirts that had been preferred, to impress the royal family. Jacqueline has insisted to her mother that Danielle be brought, stating that it was the intentions of the King and Queen to punish her for the fraud she committed to their son. Sadly, on her part, she was left with the burden that she had not reached her mother before another five wounds were strapped into her step-sister's back. Rodmilla had given Danielle no time to change, so she had ridden to the palace up next to Maurice, her dress muddy, wet, clinging to her back. Out of her own self pride, she had left her hair down, hoping to cover any and all blood stains that would surely come from the fire that burned on her back.
As the four women were permitted into the guard room, Danielle hung behind them, her chin up, her dignity not yet broken. Rodmilla payed her little heed as she glanced to her two daughters walking beside her, though her eyes hung on Marguerite, whispering lowly. "Is that dress low enough, my dear?"
"It should draw the Prince's eye, Mother." Came the snappy, hushed reply.
From behind them, Danielle rolls her eyes, and simply walks up the long carpet to the awaiting royal family.
"Baroness, how lovely to see you..." The Queen greets, nudging Henry sharply to be on his best behavior. He was about to greet them all, as they swooped down to curtsey to himself, and his mother and father, when his eyes stopped, falling upon Danielle who had previously been hidden behind the Baroness's large dress and hair.
Looking back, Rodmilla orders sharply. "On your knees, Danielle. Really, you are in enough trouble as it is."
King Francis now took his turn to speak. "Yes, it seems we have much to discuss with your servant, Milady. Please, seat yourself, and your daughters as well.
Danielle stood looking the King in the face, making no move to bow. Henry's eyes stayed upon her, watching her in amazement. Her hair was down, and a mess, as was her dress. Her face was less than clean, but, her eyes still held that emotion, that power that took him by surprise every time she spoke. He was about to order her to do so, just to hear her voice again, when she opened her mouth of her own accord.
"Your highness, I admit to you now, that I dressed about my station. That is a crime, which you will most likely punish me for as you see fit, but I wish only the chance to explain to you what has transpired over the past week."
Francis stares at the little servant girl, and Marie holds back a smile. "Such a bold speaker for a servant." Glancing to her husband, she allows the smile. "I believe we can give her the chance to speak."
"I do not expect it to change the outcome of my actions, that is not my intention. My only intention is to justify my honor, my father's honor, and to let my story be known. That is the only way it will live on, to have it told to others." Danielle continues, having avoiding looking to Henry, feeling his eyes upon her would reduce her to tears.
"Then go on girl, since you seem reluctant to respect our authority by kneeling." Francis says to which the baroness smirks smugly, though Jacqueline noted that the King's eyes seemed to dance with a sign of mischievousness.
Ignoring the comment, Danielle began. "I had no intentions of prolonging the charade which I began, Highness. The day I came to the courts, I merely looked to save a servant, Maurice, and a very old friend of mine. He was being shipped to the Americas. My fath– The baroness's manor was in dire need of him, and I couldn't bear to see him lost. So I used the twenty gold franks which your son payed me to keep quiet about his whereabouts that very morning..."
"I should have recognized you then..." Henry mutters, though is silenced by his mother's hand on his arm.
"It was your son's persistence that forced me to give him a name. So I used my mothers. You must only understand that my only intentions in the court were to save a man's life. I had no interest in your son, your wealth, or to be his target of affection. If I may, I found him to be spoiled and arrogant, Milord, Milady." She glances to Henry, managing a brazen smile, only briefly, before having to look away.
"You Highness, really, I must ask you to stop her. She is completely out of line..." The Baroness begins to stand, though quickly sits as Francis turns his attention to her. "No, you are out of line, Baroness. You will wait until the child has spoken."
"There is not much else to say, Sire..." Danielle shrugs.
"Why did you continue the charade?" Henry poses, drawing the girl's attention to him.
"At first it was so you would not throw me into the dungeons. And then..." Danielle falters.
"And then..." Henry coaxes.
"It was because you stole my heart, and I lost all sense. I had tried to tell you, that day at the ruins, but..."
"I wouldn't let you."
Disliking the way that the other occupants of the room had seemed to face from the prince's attention, Marguerite clears her throat. "Cinderella, did you ever think the prince would love you? A mere servant? You poor child..."
Jacqueline sighs, turning upon her sister and mother. "Enough, you both treat her as if she is nothing, but she was the daughter of your husband, mother. She is your step daughter, and my step sister. If I had bene as brave as her, I would have said this sooner, and taken my stand long ago." At this, the dark haired girl moves to stand beside Danielle. "Highness, if it is your intent to imprison my stepsister, you had best make room for two. For I deserve to be punished for failing her, long ago, and letting her be treated as someone below us."
"Your stepdaughter?!" Marie is astounded at this. "Baroness Rodmilla de Gent, you have lied to me, not once, but twice now! I have made my decision, and unless your stepdaughter sees it unfit, you will be reduced to a position in the serving rooms. Both you and your daughters...."
"No! Highness, I beg of you. Jacqueline does not give herself enough credit. She has always been one factor which made the other two bearable. I beg of you, do not punish her for her lack of boldness." Danielle states quickly, clasping her step-sister's hand.
The Queen breaks into a smile at the kindness that was evident in Danielle's tone, glancing to Francis. The king nods, and turns to the baroness and Marguerite. "You are henceforth stripped of the titles you previously held. You will be put to work in whatever manor my head servant sees fit. Guards, remove these women from my presence."
Henry now walks towards Danielle, in unison with the guards leading a bewildered mother and daughter out of the room, both protesting madly. Seeing him coming towards her, Danielle backs up quickly, soon having Jacqueline between them, much to the girl's confusion.
"Danielle?" Henry stops now, watching her.
"That is my name, Highness, and I regret that I could not give it to you sooner. But I thank you... and your mother and father, for the kindness they have bestowed. I ask of you though, let Jacqueline stay here, and treat her as she deserves to be. I must return to the manor, if I am not to be punished." Danielle states now, backing him more.
Henry stares at her in confusion, then reaches out for her, but she turns, running from the room quickly. Jacqueline frowns. "Highness, perhaps you would like to accompany me back to the manor?" She asks quietly, and Henry nods dumbly, walking out, hardly waiting for the girl to follow.
As the four women were permitted into the guard room, Danielle hung behind them, her chin up, her dignity not yet broken. Rodmilla payed her little heed as she glanced to her two daughters walking beside her, though her eyes hung on Marguerite, whispering lowly. "Is that dress low enough, my dear?"
"It should draw the Prince's eye, Mother." Came the snappy, hushed reply.
From behind them, Danielle rolls her eyes, and simply walks up the long carpet to the awaiting royal family.
"Baroness, how lovely to see you..." The Queen greets, nudging Henry sharply to be on his best behavior. He was about to greet them all, as they swooped down to curtsey to himself, and his mother and father, when his eyes stopped, falling upon Danielle who had previously been hidden behind the Baroness's large dress and hair.
Looking back, Rodmilla orders sharply. "On your knees, Danielle. Really, you are in enough trouble as it is."
King Francis now took his turn to speak. "Yes, it seems we have much to discuss with your servant, Milady. Please, seat yourself, and your daughters as well.
Danielle stood looking the King in the face, making no move to bow. Henry's eyes stayed upon her, watching her in amazement. Her hair was down, and a mess, as was her dress. Her face was less than clean, but, her eyes still held that emotion, that power that took him by surprise every time she spoke. He was about to order her to do so, just to hear her voice again, when she opened her mouth of her own accord.
"Your highness, I admit to you now, that I dressed about my station. That is a crime, which you will most likely punish me for as you see fit, but I wish only the chance to explain to you what has transpired over the past week."
Francis stares at the little servant girl, and Marie holds back a smile. "Such a bold speaker for a servant." Glancing to her husband, she allows the smile. "I believe we can give her the chance to speak."
"I do not expect it to change the outcome of my actions, that is not my intention. My only intention is to justify my honor, my father's honor, and to let my story be known. That is the only way it will live on, to have it told to others." Danielle continues, having avoiding looking to Henry, feeling his eyes upon her would reduce her to tears.
"Then go on girl, since you seem reluctant to respect our authority by kneeling." Francis says to which the baroness smirks smugly, though Jacqueline noted that the King's eyes seemed to dance with a sign of mischievousness.
Ignoring the comment, Danielle began. "I had no intentions of prolonging the charade which I began, Highness. The day I came to the courts, I merely looked to save a servant, Maurice, and a very old friend of mine. He was being shipped to the Americas. My fath– The baroness's manor was in dire need of him, and I couldn't bear to see him lost. So I used the twenty gold franks which your son payed me to keep quiet about his whereabouts that very morning..."
"I should have recognized you then..." Henry mutters, though is silenced by his mother's hand on his arm.
"It was your son's persistence that forced me to give him a name. So I used my mothers. You must only understand that my only intentions in the court were to save a man's life. I had no interest in your son, your wealth, or to be his target of affection. If I may, I found him to be spoiled and arrogant, Milord, Milady." She glances to Henry, managing a brazen smile, only briefly, before having to look away.
"You Highness, really, I must ask you to stop her. She is completely out of line..." The Baroness begins to stand, though quickly sits as Francis turns his attention to her. "No, you are out of line, Baroness. You will wait until the child has spoken."
"There is not much else to say, Sire..." Danielle shrugs.
"Why did you continue the charade?" Henry poses, drawing the girl's attention to him.
"At first it was so you would not throw me into the dungeons. And then..." Danielle falters.
"And then..." Henry coaxes.
"It was because you stole my heart, and I lost all sense. I had tried to tell you, that day at the ruins, but..."
"I wouldn't let you."
Disliking the way that the other occupants of the room had seemed to face from the prince's attention, Marguerite clears her throat. "Cinderella, did you ever think the prince would love you? A mere servant? You poor child..."
Jacqueline sighs, turning upon her sister and mother. "Enough, you both treat her as if she is nothing, but she was the daughter of your husband, mother. She is your step daughter, and my step sister. If I had bene as brave as her, I would have said this sooner, and taken my stand long ago." At this, the dark haired girl moves to stand beside Danielle. "Highness, if it is your intent to imprison my stepsister, you had best make room for two. For I deserve to be punished for failing her, long ago, and letting her be treated as someone below us."
"Your stepdaughter?!" Marie is astounded at this. "Baroness Rodmilla de Gent, you have lied to me, not once, but twice now! I have made my decision, and unless your stepdaughter sees it unfit, you will be reduced to a position in the serving rooms. Both you and your daughters...."
"No! Highness, I beg of you. Jacqueline does not give herself enough credit. She has always been one factor which made the other two bearable. I beg of you, do not punish her for her lack of boldness." Danielle states quickly, clasping her step-sister's hand.
The Queen breaks into a smile at the kindness that was evident in Danielle's tone, glancing to Francis. The king nods, and turns to the baroness and Marguerite. "You are henceforth stripped of the titles you previously held. You will be put to work in whatever manor my head servant sees fit. Guards, remove these women from my presence."
Henry now walks towards Danielle, in unison with the guards leading a bewildered mother and daughter out of the room, both protesting madly. Seeing him coming towards her, Danielle backs up quickly, soon having Jacqueline between them, much to the girl's confusion.
"Danielle?" Henry stops now, watching her.
"That is my name, Highness, and I regret that I could not give it to you sooner. But I thank you... and your mother and father, for the kindness they have bestowed. I ask of you though, let Jacqueline stay here, and treat her as she deserves to be. I must return to the manor, if I am not to be punished." Danielle states now, backing him more.
Henry stares at her in confusion, then reaches out for her, but she turns, running from the room quickly. Jacqueline frowns. "Highness, perhaps you would like to accompany me back to the manor?" She asks quietly, and Henry nods dumbly, walking out, hardly waiting for the girl to follow.