Chapter 3
The corridors of the palace had felt darker recently, even though autumn had only just begun. As had most other places both inside and outside the palace, if Niles was being honest. He knew his own tempestuous mood had something to do with it, but he chose to turn the anger outwards, rather than focusing it on himself.
He hadn't dismissed Lady Babcock. He'd...actually felt guilty for the way he'd behaved and acted on that day. It had taken him some time to decide what to do, but eventually he'd sent a servant downstairs. Not to tell the maid that she'd been let go from her position, but instead to tell her that her job was safe. No one would worry her in that regard. The servant was then to ask Lady Babcock to forgive the prince, and to meet him in person so that he could apologise for what he'd done.
She'd refused everything but the lack of dismissal.
That had made seeing her around the palace...frustratingly difficult. Because of course, he'd try to catch up with her and make his apologies again and she'd just stare at him coldly, not saying a word or even acknowledging him, before walking away.
He hadn't liked that at all. Every word he'd tried to say to her had fallen on deaf ears, day after day. He'd even gotten so worked up about her forgiving him, he'd ended up going a step further than he'd ever usually do with a maid he hadn't had in his bed. He'd tried leaving her some of the most beautiful flowers in her room (along with a few extra coins). But even those ended up being returned to his own chambers! He honestly couldn't believe that she was so angry at him she'd refused what would've been double a week's wages!
He'd be in a better mood if he'd had what he wanted, which in this case was simply for her to let him smooth things over. Then maybe she'd give him the time of day for what he'd normally want. What he still wanted, from her. The other maids in the palace just weren't the same – they didn't feel as good as he knew Lady Babcock would be.
They'd done as substitutes recently, but he wasn't sure how long that would last. The golden-haired maid was exasperating him with her closeness, but her coldness was keeping her just out of reach. He was like a man dying of thirst and she was a stream that had frozen over – he needed her to thaw, but he was running short on time and patience.
He couldn't even get away from thinking about her where he was going. It was time for his usual tea visit with his mother, and he knew the maid would be there. She'd probably be slightly more receptive for the fact that she couldn't leave this time. Most likely she'd still do everything she could to avoid getting close, though. Ignoring him entirely where possible.
The thought irritated him. But still, he kept going. He even rapped on the door with his knuckles, as usual, and waited for his mother to call out "enter" before he went in. He greeted her from the door, as always. And as he passed by, he saw – much like the first wretched day she'd been there, and every day that had followed – that Lady Babcock was serving tea.
She glared openly at him, never minding their company, and she turned back to finish preparing the tea table without so much as an extra glance in his direction. The prince glowered at the spot where she was working. Not that she apparently noticed. She was still ignoring him, the insolent little witch!
How dare she continue to show him such blatant disrespect? It was an insult upon him every day, both as her prince and as a man! Things would've been so much easier if she'd simply forgiven him and let him have his way by now...
And yet she looked at him as though he were no better than the scum she washed off the floors.
The thought of his self-esteem being bruised like that set a small fire burning in Niles' chest. And he knew exactly how he wanted to release it. If she would not let him have what he wanted, thereby inconveniencing and embarrassing him, then he would inconvenience and embarrass her at every given moment! He would make her life impossible until she caved to him, or until he lost his interest in her. Whichever happened first.
He would find ways to make her everyday as unbearable as she apparently found the idea of being taken by him. He'd get especially creative, if it came to that.
Being his favourite plaything had been her best shot at recovering some of the luxuries she'd lost, but if she'd rather play it this way, then so be it. She was the one who'd chosen to injure him and scream at him. Then, she'd moved on to ignoring him. To humiliating him at any given turn, like he wasn't worth her time or attention!
She'd started this little game, but he was the one who was going to finish it, one way or another.
"Don't just mumble a word at me and walk away – greet your mozher properly!"
His mother's scolding brought his focus back to her. Naturally, it should. After all, he was there to have tea with her, talk about the events of the day, spend some quality time together. He hadn't come all that way just to get his deserved revenge on the maid serving them. That was just a pleasant extra.
"Of course, Mother. My apologies," he turned back and embraced his mother, kissing both her cheeks. "How are you today?"
"As well as I can be, zhank you," she smiled at her boy as she released him and went to the table. "But you will not believe what 'appened zhis morning...! I 'ad only just recently woken, finished breakfast—"
Niles followed her to the table, making noises like "Mhm" and forming words like "I see" in all the appropriate places as his mother recounted the events of her day. It was rare for him to allow her to take the reins of the conversation, but it was for a very special reason this time. He was only half-listening; his eyes were firmly set on the maid as he sat down and Marie indicated that Lady Babcock should start pouring their cups of tea.
"And just 'ad to 'ave zhem turn zhe 'ole palace upside-down looking for eet!" Marie continued, only to be distracted from her story very briefly by the maid pouring her cup. "Oh, zhank you, chérie – I don't know what I would do wizhout you...!"
Lady Babcock practically glowed in response, "Please, Your Majesty, I am only doing my job...!"
Niles rolled his eyes. Neither of them noticed.
"You are doing more zhan a job, chérie, you are a friend! And I am not ashamed to say zhat you do a better job of eet zhan many I 'ave known for years!"
The prince had to physically lock his jaw in place to prevent it from dropping open. Had...had his mother just said the maid was a friend?! He'd imagined she was just being overly polite to the help – as she often was – when she'd said she didn't know what she'd do without her!
But this? He couldn't believe nor understand it! He'd hardly think it real, if he hadn't just witnessed it all with his own eyes! And if that maid weren't smiling back at the queen as though she were her own mother...
His own mother, he thought to himself irritably. Not the maid's, even though she was clearly trying to weasel her way in and get the favour of someone around the palace! And his mother was letting her by taking Lady Babcock's side! Or at least she would have, if the girl had told her anything of what had went on. The fact that his mother didn't know was probably the only reason he was there, considering her moods about that sort of thing...
It was then that his first idea struck. The perfect first humiliation, in what would of course be a consistent campaign against the maid. He'd embarrass her in front of her mistress, who'd taken her under her wing as though she was special!
Well, Marie was about to find out that her oh-so-precious maid wasn't at all what she thought she was. She'd soon discover the incompetence of her chosen favourite maid, and Lady Babcock would get the reprimanding of her life. That ought to make her miserable, and it would only be the start. He'd find other methods, too. And he'd subtly let her know that it was all his doing every single time, just for good measure.
But he had to put this first plan into action if he wanted to triumph, ultimately. So, he used the moment his mother and the maid were talking to his advantage. Neither were looking at him, and neither noticed him looking at the pots of sugar and salt that sat on the table, ready for use. With the added pretence of fiddling about with his own cup, he leaned over and quickly switched the two pots around.
He then sat back and watched as the maid, still beaming broadly at her queen, took two spoonfuls of the salt and stirred them into her mistress' cup. Marie took it directly from her, not suspecting a thing, and immediately took a sip.
The disgusted look on her face when she did was priceless.
She immediately coughed and spluttered, nearly slamming the tea down on the table and unsure of what to reach for to cleanse her palette, with her drink obviously contaminated. To alleviate himself of any suspicion, Niles looked concerned. He even leaned in rapidly across the table, for added effect.
"Mother? Is everything alright?"
Marie shook her head, her face still partially screwed up, "Zhis tea...eet...zhe taste eez more zhan strange!"
Frowning, he put down his own cup and took Marie's away.
"Let me have that! Are you alright? Do you need something else?"
Marie shook her head, waving him away as her coughing slowly started to die down. Niles looked back and forth between her and the maid, who seemed to be reaching out to try and comfort her mistress somehow, but couldn't actually be of any help because she couldn't touch her. Not that patting her on the back or anything like that would've solved this particular problem.
Assuming his best suspicious look, he first sniffed at his mother's teacup. He already knew it was going to taste absolutely dreadful, so he braced himself before taking the tiniest sip possible. Not too small, unless it seemed like he wasn't taking this seriously, but large enough so that he could be seen to "investigate". Even the small amount he took for himself was enough to make him gag a little.
Good. It needed to be convincing.
"Good God!" he cried out, slamming the cup down on the table and turning directly to Lady Babcock. "What the hell did you put in my mother's tea?!"
Marie looked appalled, "Niles!"
Luckily, it seemed natural and very "in the moment" for him to brush off his mother's attempt at a scolding.
"Not now, Mother," he told her, continuing to hound the maid. "Answer me, girl! What did you put in my mother's tea?!"
The panic on the girl's face was evident, and in a certain sense, it was satisfying to the prince. She could have shared in that satisfaction if she'd only forgiven him and let him have his way, but since she was a prideful little woman this was what she'd gotten. And would continue to get in the near future.
"N-Nothing out of the ordinary, Your Royal Highness," she replied shakily, quickly picking up the cup. She pointed between each of the little jugs and bowls used in the process. "Milk, tea, and two spoonfuls of sugar."
Niles, still pretending he knew nothing of what had happened, looked towards the jug of milk, the pot of tea, and the bowl of "sugar". He knew he had to taste all of them – if he went straight to the actual culprit, there might have been questions. So, he took his time, beginning with the teapot itself. He poured a small amount into a spare cup and sipped at it, pretending to purse his lips when it "only" tasted like tea. He then tried the same thing with the milk, again finding nothing.
Then, he turned his attention to the bowl that the maid had said was sugar. He took a pinch between his fingers, tasted it and gasped, making a show of throwing the remaining grains on his fingers back into the bowl.
"This is salt!" he exclaimed, looking daggers up at the maid – her cheeks had reddened. It would have been a lot more pleasant if his actions in bed had made them flush, wouldn't it? "You stupid girl! You mixed up the salt with the sugar!"
Lady Babcock's previous shaking got slightly worse, creeping along into trembling as she tried to explain herself.
"Please, Your Royal Highness, I—"
"Be quiet while I'm talking to you!" Niles barked. He was rather enjoying this. He should've been on stage. "How could you have been so foolish? We brought you into this palace thinking better of you, and yet you can't tell two bowls apart? Any other maid in the kingdom would be able to do that! And quite frankly—"
"Niles, zhat's quite enough!"
His mother's voice might not have been as loud as his own, but it had its own cutting edge to it that no other could rival.
Marie then turned towards Lady Babcock, suddenly gentler, "Do not trouble yourself, chérie, eet does not matter."
Niles supposed she did have a point about shutting him up. Overdoing it might spoil the whole thing, after all. So, he threw his hands up like he was handing over the reins again and letting her fight her own battles. Then, he leaned back in his seat to watch what the maid would do.
The girl immediately turned to the queen, clearly ashamed of her mistake even if the queen had tried to dismiss it, and gave a low curtsy. C.C. simply couldn't believe that had happened! She didn't even understand how it could have; the sugar had been in exactly the same place she always put it! The bowl never went anywhere else on the tray, so picking it up to serve would eventually become muscle memory...
But she wasn't about to waste time trying to excuse herself. She needed to apologise to her queen, before she made an even bigger fool of herself by forgetting.
"Please, I must still apologise, Your Majesty!" she had to hold back tears, too. "It was a mistake that shall never happen again."
Queen Marie offered her a sympathetic smile.
"Honestly, my child...! Do not worry yourself, eet could 'ave 'appened to anyone," she replied. "Just pour me anozher cup of tea and we shall forget all about zhis."
"Only this time check where you've put the salt first," teased the prince, but a hard look from his mother soon shut him up.
The words sent a spark through C.C.'s mind, though. More than enough to become a suspicion. Her eyes snapped to the two bowls – the one she'd used and the one she'd intended to use. She traced her gaze over them carefully, looking for anything that could've been out of place.
And she found it. They were never, ever set on the tray out of place and yet, the one nearest to her was delicately painted with the word "Salt" on the side! They'd been switched around! She knew damn well that she hadn't put them the wrong way round herself!
She'd only been close enough to two other people for any tampering to have taken place – Queen Marie and Prince Niles. Strangely enough, only one of those two seemed at all bothered about her "mistake". And he'd even made a joke about it at her expense...!
She turned an angry look on him, receiving a knowing smirk in return.
That did it. That bastard knew exactly what he'd done, and so did she!
That bastard… she had to be on the lookout now! She wouldn't allow him to ruin this tea. She was a loyal servant to her mistress, and would not allow a self-important prick of a man to make her look incompetent in front of the queen.
Upsettingly, she couldn't even be angry to pour the fresh cup of tea. Getting too overwhelmed, emotionally speaking, would leave her vulnerable to mistakes and mistakes could cost her dearly. In the eyes of Queen Marie and in that smug bastard she had the misfortune to call a son. She focused carefully, not taking her eyes off any part of the set for a moment. She only lifted them from her work when Marie lifted the cup to her lips and sipped delicately.
C.C. tried not to take the size of the sip personally, but couldn't help holding her breath.
Eventually, the Queen smiled.
"Excellent work, chérie. Zhis truly eez a first-rate cup of tea!"
C.C. let the breath out, but the swell of elation was deflated almost instantly by Niles butting back in.
"Yes. Just the right side of sweet, instead of savoury."
The delighted sparkle in Marie's eyes instantly hardened into steel, "Do I 'ave to 'ave a discussion wizh you, my boy? Like you are five and not a grown man?"
A second of silence passed, in which a surprised C.C. coughed to hide the giggle that wanted to force its way up her throat. Meanwhile, the prince stared daggers at her. But that didn't stop him from getting smaller and redder, while the room around him grew bigger and less red than his cheeks. He knew he had to give an answer, still.
"No, Mother."
It didn't take long to work out that the prince might not have been planning an all-out verbal assault again, but he was going to make life as difficult for C.C. as possible. He'd clearly heard the giggle, even if she hadn't tried to make it obvious at all, and it only added to his wrath as he began his counterattack. Over the next hour, he couldn't have been a worse person to be in the same room with, let alone a worse person to wait upon. He loudly complained about the temperature of the water for the tea, which then required two extra trips to the kitchens (and all the willpower in the world not to pour it in his lap to "test" the temperature); he'd "accidentally" drop plates with food still on and spill cups so she'd have to come along and wipe them up; he even demanded that she go to the cooks and have them prepare a rather complex pudding that he apparently liked at short notice, only to send it back again after one tiny bite because it "didn't taste right"!
And that was all in between having to listen to him go on and on about nothing apart from himself. C.C. wondered how Queen Marie stood it – it'd only been one afternoon and the maid herself thought she could've ended their misery by smashing the teapot over his head already!
She practically deserved canonising for not doing it.
Not that she would've gotten the opportunity, even if she had been able to get away with it. As she'd worked, quietly simmering like the tea, she'd been joined by Prudence. The head maid had come bearing a fresh tea set, and had quietly gestured (so as not to interrupt whatever it was His Royal Arseness was saying to his mother) for C.C. to hand her back the old one.
C.C. had set to work quickly. The day had been bad enough already, without having Prudence breathing down her neck as well. While the head maid had gotten started setting out the clean set and most recently-brewed tea, she'd worked to pick up the dirtied and nearly empty cups, the remains of the prince's "better, remade pudding", and the teapot. The cups and the teapot would have to be cleaned thoroughly – the dregs would stain the set if they didn't get working on them right away. And there was plenty left in the teapot, even if it was growing cold from having been sat out for so long.
She'd moved along without fuss, minding her own business as she'd made her way around the table to give the tray back to Prudence, but a sudden, solid object had slammed into her ankle, jolting her forwards and sending her flying with a surprised yelp.
The tray, the leftover food and all the china had gone flying, too, crashing to the ground around her, and showering Marie, the prince, and Prudence in a heavy rain of lukewarm tea dregs and cake crumbs.
Now dizzy, and not paying attention to where her hands were, C.C. planted her hand on what she thought for the wrong split second was solid ground, only to feel her skin ripped open on a jagged edge of broken teapot that she hadn't seen.
She yelled out again, this time in pain, but no one heard it over the loud fuss and gasping coming from Prudence.
"Your Majesty! Your Royal Highness! Please, I am so sorry...! I..."
A fuss which fell away into silence as C.C. turned awkwardly and looked up from the floor, hands aching from the impact and stinging from the cut, only to see the prince turn a smirk away from his mother and the other maid. He didn't seem at all put out by the fact that he was wet, dirty, and had practically half the cake he hadn't eaten now loosely decorating into his lap. He wasn't even helping Prudence to take the worst of the damage off Marie – wiping ineffectively at tea stains or trying desperately not to simply smear the cake into delicate fabrics. He just moved his foot back underneath the table.
That...that bastard had just tripped her up! He'd done it on purpose, and he'd made sure she'd seen that he'd done it, too! He'd...he'd made her ruin the tea!
And everyone knew that she'd failed. From his triumph, to Marie's upset shock, to Prudence's glowering. It was obvious on all of their faces.
"You stupid girl!" Prudence screamed, gesturing violently around at the chaos. "Look at what you've done!"
She stormed around the table, not caring at all that the target of her wrath was still on the floor, dirty and bruised and bleeding all over the place. Though even if she had noticed, she'd probably simply snap at the maid to clean it up that instant.
"Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, I am so sorry – please, this will be dealt with immediately!" she cried out one last, apparently desperate time before turning to her employee, who'd seemed to have shrunk to half her usual size. "Get up, girl! Stand up right now and apologise for your stupidity! Absolute waste of space! You're useless! No wonder your own blood wanted you out on the streets!"
Niles bit the inside of his lips as he watched, his smirk having disappeared inwards when Prudence had started screeching like the world had ended. He'd...he'd thought he'd been enjoying himself, but the more he watched the more that feeling crumbled away like a wet piece of scone. The head maid continued to spit at the girl, hands flying in the space between C.C. as the younger servant started to curl into a kind of upright ball.
He hadn't thought that Prudence would take it to this extreme – was she always quite this harsh with her charges? He'd seen her shouting at the others she had on her staff before, but somehow this felt worse than it usually did...
"Are you deaf as well as stupid? I said, stand up!" the head maid shouted down at C.C.'s shrinking form again.
Niles even felt himself flinch at that. But C.C. didn't move. Not from that little patch on the floor where she'd started hugging her own legs, head down, like she too thought the world was ending.
Was…was she crying?!
She was! She was curled up on the floor, sobbing!
And it felt like a deep pit had opened beneath him when he realised she was clutching one hand and holding it very close to her body, trying her best to defend herself from a verbal onslaught but being beaten down at every turn. His heart dropped like a stone for a moment as his anxiety contemplated her having broken her wrist in the fall, but it was quickly dismissed – she wasn't showing she was in as much pain as that.
It was only when he noticed the deep stain seeping into her dress that he realised what was really going on: there was a long cut running down it, dripping red and making him feel ever so slightly sick.
Had...had that happened when she'd fallen...? Had she hurt herself...?
The very sight made him want to kick himself. He'd not only managed to trip her up and get her screamed at; he'd also made her bleed!
He was soon distracted from this guilt-ridden thought, however, as the head maid continued to fuss and to scold the girl in equal measure.
"If you had even an ounce of respect in your body, you'd be on your feet by now!" Prudence hissed loudly. "His Royal Highness' shoes alone are worth more than half the wages you'll ever earn, you pathetic excuse for a maid!"
C.C. didn't respond. All she could seem to do was cry into the one safe spot she had (her own knees, and even that was disappearing fast), and Niles felt his stomach sinking. Perhaps this felt worse than other times because it was his fault she was there in the first place.
"I will not have it! You've embarrassed yourself and me for the last time!"
Prudence punctuated the final word by slapping C.C., hard, on the side of her head.
Both Niles and Marie were out of their seats in an instant, him shouting out in protesting horror over the sound of his mother's practically polite gasp, and their worries about tea stains and crumbs from food long forgotten.
"Prudence!" Marie cried out, nearly stunned by the head maid's behaviour.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at?!" Niles joined in, practically ready to leap forward.
Prudence looked at them like they were the ones who had just apparently gone insane. But what else could they say? How could they think of anything other than the fact that she had just hit Lady Babcock?! Over something that was his fault?! How could they just stand here and let her be abused and dismissed over something she had absolutely no part in causing, and had indeed been a victim of that entire time!
He'd done this – he'd hurt her! First by tripping her up, then by letting Prudence smack her around like a stray dog and scream at her that she was dismissed!
How had it all come to this?! He hadn't meant it as anything more than a prank – a little inconvenience that would make her huff and puff with anger, so she'd know he was in charge! He hadn't meant to get her beaten over it, or thrown out of the palace! He knew Lady Babcock had nowhere she could go – no one to turn to. And yet he'd been the one to put her in such a desperate position all over again...
He had to do something. He'd never thought that in his entire life, and yet he knew it was what he had to do. He couldn't let her be hit again, or thrown out into the streets over this. It was supposed to teach her a lesson, not send her away, to God only knew what sort of sorry fate!
"You step away from Lady Babcock right now!" he barked, continuing before Prudence could protest. "This has gone far enough!"
Prudence looked back at him in shocked horror, "Your Royal Highness! This stupid girl has just cost you a fine pair of shoes! A good jacket and shirt! Her Majesty, your mother – her...her dress, it will not be the same! The girl deserves far worse for being a halfwit! She could've stopped herself from causing this disaster, had she had even fraction more in her mind and a whole lot more respect in her heart than there apparently is! She—"
Prudence's continued insults, running into each other in their haste to be expressed, were rubbing him the wrong way enough that they could've started a small fire, and when he next spoke his annoyance at the older maid showed.
"Shut up!" he shouted, silencing her and letting the words ring through the room before continuing. "This incident was my fault, not Lady Babcock's. I stuck out my leg and she had no way of seeing it, as she was carrying a tray. I should have been more careful. I also have plenty of shoes and clothes to replace these, and I will be happy to pay for new ones for my mother. You are not to be harsh with Lady Babcock over this, with your words or your hand."
Prudence looked in disbelief between Niles and C.C., who was still crying, seemingly not caring at all about her bleeding hand or her stained dress.
The young woman's crying plus Prince Niles' unlikely intervention were both getting on Prudence's nerves. She'd only been doing what was right in punishing the hapless waste of space sobbing on the floor in front of her!
Surely His Royal Highness had to see that?
"But...but sir, I—"
"Enough!" Niles bellowed, scowl firmly in place. "I am your prince, and I will not be contradicted by you!"
Prudence was instantly cowed into silence, and she could only lower her head and nod.
"Now, if you want to make yourself useful, go and fetch me another pair of shoes, and see to it that someone lays out fresh clothes in my chambers," he said. "And if I hear of you giving Lady Chastity-Claire any more trouble, then you will have to answer to me!"
After muttering a panicked "Yes, sir" and throwing a brief (but loath-ridden) look at Chastity-Claire, Prudence scurried out of the room, leaving the queen and the prince alone with C.C.. Niles would not dare to look at his mother – he knew without having to look that she'd be visibly signing his execution order in her head, and he already felt awful enough. All of this was his fault, and he knew it, and all he wanted to do was rectify his mistake.
That would start with getting Lady Babcock off the ground – she needed soothing, and medical attention for her hand as soon as possible.
So, he quietly approached the young maid's side, crouched, and attempted to begin helping her up.
"Let me help you––"
"Don't touch me!" she immediately screamed back, flinching away from him. "Don't you dare put a hand on me! I don't care if you're a prince!"
Normally, Niles would have, at best, resented being spoken to in that manner. He was the Prince of Wales! He'd be king one day, and no one would speak back to him unless they wanted punishment! But this...it had thrown him! The rage in her voice was so powerful, he almost fell backwards!
He...he wasn't quite sure what to do about it, either. What could he possibly say to her to get his footing back in the conversation? He didn't like not feeling confident in what he was doing – least of all when he knew exactly what needed to be done.
"But I… I'm only trying to help!"
"No, you're not!" C.C. spat. "You've done anything but help me ever since I've been here!"
Niles bit back a hard frown, the guilt stirring deeply in his gut. She had more than a sustainable point. But things were different this time – he wanted to help! He wanted to see her back on her feet, her hand healed up and her eyes not full of tears! He'd put her in this awful position, and if she'd just hear him out, he was certain that he could get her out of it as well.
"Lady Babcock, please, I am trying to—"
"No, I'm not going to listen to you!" Chastity-Claire screamed, she herself getting back up on her feet and holding her bleeding hand to her chest; it disturbed Niles to see her dress had become a bloodied mess.
She really needed a doctor to see that cut…
"Lady Babcock! Please, calm down! If you'll just listen to what I—"
Again, his attempt at soothing her flopped miserably.
"Calm down?!" screeched the maid, "Calm down?! Don't you dare tell me to calm down! Thanks to you I've almost lost my job and I've made a fool of myself in front of my queen and my employer. And all because of what? The fact I won't let you bed me like the countless other women you've already had?! You just have to have everything you want, don't you? Women, money, land… and like the spoiled brat you are, you cannot take a no for an answer!"
Niles felt himself shrinking the longer she screamed at him.
"You are a pig dressed in fine clothing," hissed the maid. "But get this through your head: I Am Not Going To Sleep With You. Not now, nor ever! I am not going to hand you my dignity so you can step on it! I've already told you this – remember our little incident? You attempting to kiss me? To force yourself on me like a wild dog in heat?! That is exactly what you'll get each time you try to put your disgusting excuse for manhood anywhere near me! And if that is too much to ask from you, then England is doomed!"
"Zhat is quite enough!"
It was only then, with a shout like a thunderclap reverberating through the room, that C.C. remembered just whose presence she was in – Queen Marie has been there, watching and listening to every word!
Oh, God. She'd heard it all! She'd missed nothing from any of that detail!
Mortified, C.C. wished the ground would just open up and swallow her. She might've said England was doomed. She didn't know for sure, she'd been too caught up in the moment to keep track of everything; but she did know her job and the relative safety of living at the palace had to be doomed, after the things she'd just said! How could yelling at and insulting the beloved prince, to his own mother's face, not result in her immediately losing her place there?
For better or for worse, she'd had a place. And now it was ruined, with no hope of repair or forgiveness. There was nothing she could do about it now, and it was as though she deserved the chance – whether or not she was right, who would ever take her side over the prince's?
And yet, Queen Marie still deserved to know that she was sorry. She'd been nothing but good to her, and it was painful to end it all without letting her know just how much she regretted saying what she had. How much she regretted throwing this opportunity – this home and this safe place – away.
"Oh, I...Your Majesty, I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me!" C.C. felt the familiar, painful prick behind her eyes, and a soreness in her heart. It felt like she was falling apart. "I...I need this job – it's the one thing I have left in this world! I have nowhere else to go, no money, no home—"
"I said zhat eez enough. I am not going to allow anymore screaming or crying in zhis room," Marie cut her off. "Go to your chambers and wait for me zhere. You need a doctor, and I will bring one in due course."
C.C. felt like bursting into tears again, but she held them in for the sake of her dignity. Or what remained of it, at any rate. She'd have none, by the end of the day, along with no home and no job. But she didn't argue. How could she? If Marie had already made up her mind that she was being dismissed after the doctor had stopped her from bleeding everywhere, then there was no point in pleading her case.
Giving a low curtsy, she turned and left the room.
The silence that followed the door slamming behind her felt like the aftermath of an explosion – after the booming sound had been expelled, the screams had ceased and all the debris had fallen to the ground and moved no longer. And Niles saw his mother coming, her hands raised, but she was too close for him to even raise his arms before she was upon him.
The first blow caught him in the back of his head.
"Ow! Mother!"
"You disgusting little blackguard!" was her offered response, along with another blow to his cheek. "'Ow dare you be such a snake?!"
"Mother, please!" Niles cried out, flinching when her hand came for him a third time. "Stop that!"
"Eez what zhe girl said true?" Marie demanded with a hiss, sparing him another blow by inches so that he could answer. "Did you try to yourself on 'er?!"
Panic swelled up in Niles' chest, and he tried to quickly belt out an explanation. Only every time he tried to start, his brain halted in the realisation that nothing good would come out the other side.
"I–I just...it didn't...I never–"
What could he possibly say? He couldn't spin it to make it sound better. It was simply true, and he had no way of denying it. Something his mother was beginning to understand all too well. She lowered her hands, almost as though she were sickened at the thought of having to touch him again.
"You understand zhat zhere eez scum out zhere awaiting execution for what you almost did? I zhought I'd raised a respectful, kind-'earted man; eef I 'ad known God would instead give me an 'eartless, revolting oaf, I would 'ave started training zhe dogs 'arder in zhe 'opes of achieving some semblance of what I asked for!"
Marie's voice was both steel and ice, her frame somehow towering over his form even as she glared up into his face. "But what should I 'ave expected, coming from you...?! You are your fazher's son, zhrough and zhrough!"
Again, Niles felt as though he'd been struck – his mother seldom compared him to his father, and considering the state of their marriage, the prince knew it was anything but a good comparison. He knew he was a boorish prick to women, but it had never bothered him before. Probably because he'd never been forced to face the consequences of his actions quite so deeply, in a way that stung so hard. His mother alone had certainly never openly criticised his own actions like she was doing now...!
She'd certainly never compared him to his father like that, and she had clearly taken his dumbstruck expression for some form of indifference or protest of innocence because she was wearing a face like thunder after she did.
"Nozhing to say. Just like your fazher, yet again! I must've been wrong to zhink zhat I 'ad raised you to be better zhan 'im – to not be such a boor, even by zhe slimmest of margins! But listen to zhis, eef nozhing else; you might ruin a thousand women, just like 'e 'as done, but you 'ad better stay far away from zhis girl," the queen glowered, a warning finger pointed dangerously at him. "She eez young and 'as 'ad a difficult time. She does not deserve you treating 'er zhe way you did. And don't bozher coming to zhese rooms anymore. Eef and when I want to 'ave tea wizh you, I shall inform you. Now, I 'ave a young maiden to console, and to offer a raise to, because I would sooner increase 'er wages zhan force 'er out onto zhe street because of your stupidity – now leave!"
Without another word, his mother ushered him away. Ushered him so far that she was practically pushing and shoving him away, and he stumbled out of the room. He then had the indignity of her sweeping past him to make her way down the corridor.
She didn't even look at him as she went.
And Niles felt worse than ever.
He'd hurt a woman he didn't even know (twice physically, and once very nearly in her job as well), blamed her for all of the trouble, and then he'd seemed to have let her get angry all over again!
The guilt was gnawing at him. His mother had been right, and he knew it. She had lost her family, her home, her whole way of life recently – and all he'd done since she'd arrived was try to take her – both to bed and against...other surfaces – and then to push her deeper into misery!
Perhaps he owed her another attempt at an apology? A real one, with no conditions or strings attached. It would've been the first time he'd ever truly had that in mind, but he wanted to do it.