Runaway
Chapter Three
By Katrina Chance
One Week Later
Danielle walked down the stairs of the Manoir de Loir from her new bedroom. Dressed in a gown that would make her stepsister jealous, she truly had been accepted as a de Allers. Her new father, Earl Thomas de Allers had instantly understood her story and accepted the fact that the women, Melisande and Nicole, had made a promise. He fulfilled it by adopting the young woman and making her as if she was really his child. Her new sister, sixteen year old Lady Ariel de Allers, loved the fact that she had a new sister and was happy to help Danielle in her acceptance of her new life.
Danielle also gained a brother, twenty-one year old Viscount Michael de Allers, who was away at University at the moment and she had not had the chance to meet him. But he had written to his mother and told her the next time he got the chance, he would come and meet his new adopted sister. She looked forward to the moment when she would get the chance to meet her brother.
Danielle walked into the study and sat down in a chair with a brand new copy of Utopia that the Earl had gotten for her. She told him how her stepsister had thrown it in the fire even after she had relinquished her mother's beautiful shoes, not wanting Marguerite to wear the gown or the shoes. Melisande and the Earl understood and had gotten her a new book and had promised to somehow get the gown from her former home as well as the one shoe that was left. They even said that they would find a way to replace the lost shoe, the shoe that Danielle had lost just outside of the palace on the night of the masque.
Danielle sighed as she realized the date. Henry was marrying Princess Gabriella of Spain today. Because they lived far away from Hautefort, they would not go to the wedding. Melisande had understood that Danielle ran because she also could not watch Henry marry another woman. So they had stayed at home on this special day when usually they would have made the trip.
Danielle opened her book and began to read where she left off, pulling her mind away from the events of the day and enjoying the story inside the book.
Jacqueline dressed in her best gown and plaited her hair with a green ribbon. Today was a special day and it was one she was looking forward to. The day that would prove that her mother hadn't won. After all, Marguerite was not the one who was marrying the prince today, it was, as Marguerite had put it "A Spanish pig they have the nerve to call a princess." "Well, that Spanish pig, as you put it, sister dear, is the true winner. After all, she's marrying the prince, not you."
Jacqueline smiled at the fact that Marguerite and Rodmilla had lost the battle for Prince Henry. Because they had revealed what they believed to be the truth about Danielle, he had totally changed his mind about possibly marrying the young woman and had chosen to go with what the treaty outlined.
Jacqueline finished her preparations before placing her matching hat on her head and walking down the stairs of the manor. A smile lit up her face when she saw both Rodmilla and Marguerite waiting for her, both wearing their best gowns, but wearing black veils over their faces, as if they were in mourning. She knew that they were, indeed, mourning for the chance that they had lost. Marguerite would never be queen.
The two of them rose from their chairs when they noticed Jacqueline standing in the doorway and they all walked out of the manor and were helped into the carriage by Maurice. He then stepped onto his seat and spurred the horses and headed off towards the village and the palace, where, in the grand hall, the royal wedding would be held.
Henry stared out the window of his room at Hautefort, thinking about what he was about to do. He was about to marry the Princess of Spain, Gabriella, when in truth he was thinking of the one person he thought he could put out of his mind, Danielle. He couldn't get her out of his mind. He still remembered her as the person who had opened his mind, the person who showed him what he could truly do as Prince and King, and when the truth came out, he had shunned her.
"I don't deserve her, Leonardo said, but I do need her and what did I do? I turned her away," Henry said, turning and looking at the shoe that the artist had brought into the palace that night, the shoe that Danielle had left behind that night. "I dismissed her without even wanting to listen to why she did it. Why she had lied to me. But now, I will never find out, will I?"
Henry turned away from the shoe and headed out the door and headed down the grand staircase to the great hall. He knew that everyone would soon begin to arrive for his wedding to the princess and that he should be down there and ready. He paused before entering the hall and said a silent prayer, a prayer for Danielle. He hoped that one day, she would be able to forgive him.
Henry entered the hall and went and stood by the altar. He noticed that the grand hall was almost full of courtiers and other subjects of the court. Only a few more people were missing, the most glaring of them came in next. He almost smiled at Rodmilla and Marguerite with black veils over their faces. But he noticed the smile on Jacqueline's face and then turned to see Laurent with an ear to ear smile on his own face. Love, he thought, Laurent is in love with Jacqueline de Ghent. He deserves to be happy and I know they will be happy together. If it leads to that.
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