Heyo all! This is going to be my only update for a little while; I'm going on a band trip for a week, and, although I'll be jotting notes down in my little notebook, I won't be able to write or post. I'm so excited about the next few chapters, though. I hope this chapter explains a few things.
Tiger Lily21: yay! Genevieve is pretty cool. I think you always need at least one blunt friend/sister or else you'll never know what to think. Here's the next chapter!
Phillipa of the Phoenix: Okay. ((wonders what you think you know)) Don't tell me because I probably won't tell you the answer until later in the story. Love isn't always splendid. I think it more-often-than-not makes for more pain than is generally associated with love.
livingdead2010: Thanks!
fell4adeadguy:Princesses?
Sirenic Griffin: ((in a sing-song voice)) I'm not telling! But, yeah. 6:50. I have to be at school by 7:15. Ouchies. I don't usually leave until about 4:00 either. Too much of my life has been spent at school.
panemonium: I'm glad you love it! Yay! They just need to get over theirselves and open up to each other, they would be alright. But, they wouldn't be Jarrod and Fiona if they gave it up without a fight.
PrincessofRain: Wait no longer!
rainkisser: so much chaos! Speaking of chaos, you are so cool! I come on today and you've updated not one, but two! of my favourite stories. I'm going to go read them... now.
Dreamer at Heart: Jarrod has a little too much pride to apologize, but he'll probably charm his way out of Fiona's bad books.
little miss tiny shoes: Finally, eh? Not that they'll ever admit it to each other in a million years. ((le sigh)) Hee hee! Jarrod's imagination runs away with him sometimes.
Yay for love, and stuff! Weee!
Lulai
Chapter Eleven: Defense
"Another tax?" Fiona exclaimed, slamming her fist down on Alexis' table. "This time my uncle has gone too far. He just taxed you two weeks ago!"
"He says it's ta help repair tha damages done by tha bandits," Alexis explained, pouring some more tea for the two of them.
Fiona snorted unladylike through a mouthful of cookie. "It serves him right, for being such a coward. What makes him think that it won't just get stolen back again?"
"I've heard that he's sendin' it ta Drewery Castle for safe keepin'." Alexis calmly sipped her tea.
"How could the king do this to you?" Fiona asked, drumming her fingers angrily. "He said he'd look into it. This doesn't seem like looking into it."
"He's pro'bly a little busy," Alexis said, smiling as Fiona downed another cookie in an irritated manner.
Fiona frowned and picked up yet another cookie to nibble at the edges while she thought. He darn well better be busy. She hadn't seen hide or hair of him since their argument (which she was still blown away by). That was two days ago.
At least Fiona now knew the name of the woman who held his heart captive. Genevieve, true to her word, wrote a letter to her friend in Drewery and a response came the next day. Fiona was surprised the little pigeon hadn't collapsed of exhaustion.
Prince Jarrod Fer Drewery had been quite the rake in his youth, breaking the heart of every woman from Castle Fer Barrish to the edge of the Great West Sea. Belinda Fer Tolaro had come from across the sea, and with one look at the statuesque blonde, Prince Jarrod had fallen deeply in love. They were engaged within months.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck. King William, his wife Queen Maria, and the Crown Prince Marcus were killed in a fire that also claimed two servants. Prince Jarrod managed to save his younger brother Tyrell, but could not rescue the rest of his family.
He was suddenly King Jarrod, and one of the first things he did was break his engagement to Belinda. No one really knew why, but Belinda was shipped off back to her island where she ended up marrying some distant lord.
Fiona had sat frowning at the letter for several minutes after Genevieve brought it to her. Did he regret sending this Belinda away? Even worse, did he still love her?
"Milady? Fiona? Are ye listenin'?" Alexis interrupted her thoughts.
"Wha?" she said, blinking in confusion. "Oh, sorry, I was wool-gathering."
"Milady, ye were practically huggin' a sheep," Alexis laughed.
"My mind has been wondering a bit lately; I apologize," Fiona said before picking up a cookie.
"Would this have anythin' ta do with that handsome young man I saw ye with tha other day?" Alexis wondered. Fiona nearly choked on her food in surprise. She began to cough and her eyes watered as some crumbs went down the wrong way.
"What are you talking about?" Fiona said, blinking the tears from her eyes.
"Yer man, King Jarrod," Alexis clarified.
Fiona scowled. Were her feelings that visible? "I told you, he's not my man," she said.
"Whatever ye say," Alexis said mysteriously. "All I'm sayin' is that ye're lookin' at him like I looked at Jamie when I first fell in love."
"Yes, well," Fiona mumbled angrily, "whatever you think it is, it's not. If you'll excuse me, I should be getting home."
"I'm sorry, Fiona," Alexis said, laying a hand on hers in an apologetic manner. "I dinna mean ta chase ye away."
"No worries, Alexis," Fiona said, "but I do need to get home. Those clouds are looking ever darker and I think it might rain soon."
"Alright," Alexis agreed and rose from the table to see Fiona to the door.
"Thank you for the cookies," Fiona said, throwing her cape around her shoulders. She wished she had brought a heavier one. The cape she was wearing wouldn't do much against the rain.
"No problem," Alexis said, waving as Fiona walked into the street. Everyone was indoors and Fiona started to wish that she had left earlier.
A rumble caused Fiona to jump and look into the sky. The clouds responded with a drop of water onto her cheek.
"You wouldn't," she warned the sky.
Apparently, they would. Fiona barely had time to pull up her hood before the black clouds opened up with a fantastic torrent. Within a matter of minutes, her cape was soaked through and she could feel the water starting to seep into her dress.
It was already too late to go back to Alexis'. It wasn't as if she could get any wetter, she grumbled. She trudged on, growing more irritated with everything and everyone.
Her skirts were soaked and extremely heavy. Her stupid bangs were sticking to her face and driving her crazy. Water was dripping off the end of her nose and the rain was tapping a steady beat onto her head.
As she approached the doors to the castle, the rain tapered into a light drizzle, then stopped.
This was the final injustice. She was irrationally angry against everything. The guards noticed her black countenance and opened the doors without a word. She trudged indoors, her boot squishing with every step and her skirts leaving little pools of water behind her.
"Fiona!" Nia exclaimed as Fiona stormed into the hall. She and Jarrod seemed to be discussing a particular painting before she arrived. "You look absolutely soaked."
Fiona levelled a positively evil look at her sister, not dignifying her remark with an answer.
"Perhaps we should find some towels?" Jarrod suggested, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Nia nodded with a grin and went to find a servant.
If anything, this made Fiona angrier. She felt like punching something, anything, and Jarrod was presenting a very acceptable target.
"Perhaps we should talk about why you are helping my uncle tax my people into starvation," she countered in an icy voice.
"I beg your pardon?" Jarrod looked affronted.
"You heard me," Fiona said, planting her hands on her hips in a defensive stance. "Don't bother to deny it. I was just in the village."
"And how am I supposedly doing this?" Jarrod asked, a trace of anger entering his voice.
Good. Fiona was spoiling for a fight. "You're hiding my uncle's money at your castle," Fiona accused.
"Yes, I am," Jarrod confirmed. "I don't excuse robbery."
"What do you call what Uncle Edward is doing to the people?" Fiona shouted, her hands flying into the air. "The bandits' are merely taking what is owed to them."
"Is your life owed to them?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"That wasn't them," she growled through clenched teeth.
"Ha," Jarrod scoffed. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know them!" she protested. "They wouldn't hurt me."
"Oh really?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "But they'd have no qualms about killing me?"
Fiona let out her breath in a frustrated hiss. "They wouldn't kill anyone. Why can't you just believe me?"
"If you told me who they were, I could judge for myself."
"I can't tell you!" the chill of her clothes was starting to seep into her skin. "And don't give me that look, your majesty, for I am not the only one with secrets."
"And what would my secret be?"
"Belinda Fer Tolaro."
That stopped him almost dead in his tracks. "What do you know about Belinda?" he asked angrily.
"That you two were engaged, and you broke it off after your parents died." Fiona put her arms around her to ward off chill, still glaring at Jarrod. "Why?"
A brief flicker of pain passed over his face before it hardened into an angry mask again. "That would be none of your business," Jarrod said sharply.
"You see, your majesty? If you're not willing to open up to me, I'm not going to open up to you. Good day."
With that, she spun on her heel and marched to her rooms.
Elsie had a bath ready and waiting for her.
"Thank God," she sighed as she stepped out of her sopping clothes and into the warm tub. She lay there a while, letting everything flow out of her into the water. She very nearly fell asleep, but caught herself before her head dipped down.
She stood up from the tub and wrapped her own towel around her and stepped towards the wardrobe. The only dress hanging there was the ivory gown Nia had given her.
"Elsie!" she called. Her maid reappeared, baring a cup of hot chocolate and two biscuits. "Where are all my dresses?"
"Down in tha wash, milady," Elsie said, setting the tray on a side table.
"You are washing all my dresses at the same time?" Fiona asked uncomprehendingly.
Elsie shrugged. "They were all dirty. An' I thought ye'd have enough sense ta get outta tha rain, so I wasna countin' on ye needed a new dress tonight."
Fiona scowled. "I can't go in that dress, it's positively indecent."
Elsie rolled her eyes. "It's a little low in tha front, but nothin' like yer sisters' gowns. Besides. It's more decent than yer bare skin."
Fiona scowled again, but couldn't think of anything else she could do, other than skip dinner (which wasn't very likely, as it was roast quail. She adored roast quail.) She allowed Elsie to dress her up and tugged irately at the neckline.
"This is not going to work," she whined.
"Ye look positively radiant," Elsie gushed.
"I have far too much skin exposed," Fiona exclaimed. "I feel half-naked."
"Stop bein' so silly," Elsie said, attaching a necklace around her throat.
"I'm not being silly at all," Fiona pouted. She figured she was so put out because she was hungry. She sighed in resignation, if not approval. "Alright. I'll wear this dress. But only because I'm starving."
"Whatever ye say, milady." Fiona frowned at Elsie's ill-concealed grin. She pulled her hair back into her classic bun.
"Hrumph," Fiona muttered unintelligibly. She realized she was in a foul temper, but couldn't seem to (or in truth, want to) stop behaving like a child. She marched resolutely down to the dining room, dreading the entire evening.
Jarrod was sitting at the table, pretending to listen to the Earl as he was telling the story of some hunting trip in which he seemed to take on some impossible odds. He was nodding at the seemingly important moments, something that he had learned to do at a young age, but his mind was on other matters.
How had Fiona found out about Belinda? Luckily, she didn't seem to know exactly what had happened. He was determined to keep it that way.
"So I killed all three stags with a single arrow- Oh Fiona!" Havara said, drawing Jarrod's attention again. "Finally. Now we can eat."
Jarrod looked up and nearly had to peel his jaw off the floor. Fiona was dressed in a dress of purest ivory that set off her collarbones to perfection. It was a far cry from the modest gowns she had been wearing before. Her hair was still back in the bun, showing off her jawline. His gaze came up to her eyes, which were still blazing with anger.
In short, she was magnificent.
"My lady," he said, rising from the table. He noticed that the only seat left was one beside him, and he began to wonder if the other sisters had planned it that way.
"Your majesty," she said with all the warmth of a blizzard. She was still mad at him, apparently.
Dinner was served.
"Fiona, I didn't realize that you even liked that dress," Nia said.
"My other dresses are in the wash," Fiona said flatly.
"Well, you do look lovely," Jarrod said honestly.
"Thank you," she replied graciously, but he could see that she still wasn't happy by the way she attacked her food. He realized he could tell her mood by how she ate.
"Where does she put it all?" Daphne teased. "Our Fiona must have a hollow leg."
A quick flash of pain shot behind Fiona's eyes before she quickly assumed a blanker stare. She began to put down her fork.
"It's a delight to find someone who enjoys food as much as I do," Jarrod said offhandedly while taking another scoop of peas. "Most women I meet eat like rabbits and always make me feel like I am eating more than my fair share."
He wasn't looking at Fiona directly, but he could see her out of the corner of his eye. She was looking at him, and at his defense, her entire countenance softened. He gave her his signature half-smile and her eyes lit up brilliantly, causing a sort of clench in his gut.
The head chief came out, baring a large syllabub.
"I made this meself, yer majesty," the chief said with pride. "An' I didna let it outta me sight for an instant."
"Thank you," Jarrod said, taking a bite of the whipped dessert.
Dessert went by without incident and after all the dishes were cleared, the guests began to push back their chairs. Jarrod escorted the women back to their chambers.
"Goodnight, Fiona, your majesty," Nia said, entering her own room.
"Goodnight," Fiona murmured.
Jarrod and Fiona walked quietly to her room.
"Thank you, my lord," Fiona said finally.
"For what?" he asked.
"For defending me." Her eyes were downcast. "It means a lot. All my life I've been self-conscious about my eating habits and you're the first one who hasn't…"
Fiona looked dangerously close to tears. "No problem," he said warmly. "I meant every word, too. I enjoy your enjoyment of food."
She smiled at him and he was struck by the sudden urge to kiss her until they couldn't remember their own names. Unfortunately, they were in an open hallway where anyone could happen upon them. He grasped on the first thing he could think of to keep the conversation going.
"That is a very lovely dress," Jarrod said.
"I believe you have said as such before," Fiona said, but there was a hint of smile in her voice.
They stood in front of her door.
"Still, it's almost as nice as that grey dress that you wore the first day I met you," he said.
Fiona smiled, slightly self-mockingly. "Yes, that one does match my eyes better."
Jarrod gave her a curious look. "But your eyes aren't grey."
Fiona's heart swelled in her chest, and she decided then and there that she loved him. She didn't care that his heart would never be hers, or that she wasn't worthy of him. She loved him.
"Oh," she said. He lifted her hand in his and her heart started beating double time.
Instead of placing the customary kiss on the back of her hand, he flipped it over and pressed his lips to the inside of her wrist. Fiona's breath caught in her throat and flare of heat shot down to pool in her abdomen.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, his eyes filled with amusement.
But it wasn't until she was in bed with the blanket tucked up to her chin that she realized it was the first time she had seen anything but sadness in his eyes.