Chapter 8
Pain.
That came through his mind and body before anything else. Even before the light that usually came with opening his eyes. Not that that felt easy to do. Both of them felt like they'd been caked over with sand. Unbearably warm, heavy sand that also formed a thin layer across the inside of his mouth.
Niles didn't remember it ever feeling so dry in there...!
He tried to lift to lift his arm and wipe at eyes, so he could look for a goblet of water, but a searing-hot pain shot through his arm and up his shoulder when he did. He immediately flinched, sucking in a breath through his teeth
Luckily, in a sense (even though nothing about this felt lucky), that was enough to snap his mind right back, correctly into place, and to let him remember exactly what had gone on.
He'd fallen from his horse. Athena was...his horse was gone...his girl, who'd been with him since as long as he could remember...
That hurt him inside nearly as much as the injuries he now remembered outside. What made it worse was that he couldn't even really properly cry out to release any of the frustration or pain.
Not that he didn't want to; it was just nearly physically impossible without hurting himself more. They'd bandaged up his ribs (he remembered a lot of whiskey being involved, but there was only a blank space in his memory after that), and the cast was weighing his chest down too much to let him even attempt speaking. Though it nearly happened by itself, when Lady Babcock peeled back the curtain of his four-poster bed.
"I beg your pardon for me letting myself in, Your Royal Highness," she said, gesturing to a tray carried in the crook of her arm. It seemed to have a bowl on it, and a plate. "But you weren't answering my knocking, and I have your breakfast."
The light, when Niles wasn't thinking about how much it hurt to look at, seemed to surround her like a halo. It seemed...natural, to make that connection, between Lady Babcock and heavenly light...
And that was when it struck him like a brick to the face.
Oh, God. It was natural and familiar because he'd told her that!
It was all coming back to him just seeing her there! It made him want the bed to swallow him. Had he really told her that he wished her eyes were large enough to dive into, like an ocean?
He must have, if he remembered it happening then! Along with trying to grab her hands and then telling her that if she walked each of her fingers across a map of the country, he'd give her each of the first ten places they landed on!
It only got worse, the more he remembered.
"Lady...Babcock, do you prefer emeralds or sapphires? Both look nice in statues. They should make you a statue – lots of people would come to see it..."
"You are the best of all cherubim and seraphim, my lady. I will be sad if you are called by the Lord to do your duty elsewhere..."
"Though if it's that duty I won't...won't argue. If some...charmer with a big horse and a title comes into the palace and sweeps you away, then I'll..."
He didn't know if he felt fortunate that he'd passed out after that, with Lady Babcock still desperately trying to tuck him in. But the one thing he knew for sure was that she'd seen him at what had to be the most shameful period of his whole existence. He'd obviously wanted to be so poetic, smooth and charming. She'd gotten a drunken, embarrassing mess! How could he ever look at her properly again, knowing that she'd seen him at his lowest and least heroic? What could she possibly think of him now?!
That, combined with the pain of literally everything else in his body, was enough to force his first words of the day out of his throat.
"Oh, God!"
Naturally, his pained (and mortified) cry both startled and worried Lady Babcock, who was soon fussing all over him, having left his breakfast on his bedside table.
"Your Royal Highness!" she cried out, hands instinctively going to the covers and pulling them back — if there was something bothering the prince, she needed to see. Even if that entailed having to stare at Prince Niles' half-naked form. Only his briefs had been left on — a pair of rather...flimsy briefs that left very little to the imagination.
C.C. could feel beads of sweat forming in the small of her back, and both her palms and face were becoming increasingly damp. Why did it suddenly feel like she'd walked into a bloody sauna?!
Well, she knew why – she just wouldn't allow herself to even think about the possibility that she might be attracte—
'Enough of that!' C.C. mentally chastised herself and shook her head. She had to focus – the prince was in pain. The prince, who'd suffered a rather traumatic array of injuries the day before. The prince, who was her superior. The prince, who could have any girl in the palace (and did), but that didn't make them special to him. The prince, who'd one day marry a princess or a duchess or a lady who didn't serve breakfasts or change bandages on behalf of the Queen––
'Shut up!'
She violently shook all those thoughts from her head. It wasn't right for her to be thinking about any of them – she had to accept her place, and tend to whatever was ailing His Royal Highness at that moment in time.
It was what a good maid would do. One who knew and understood her lot in life.
"Is something bothering you, sir?" she gulped and tried to look only as much as she needed to. That involved a lot of glancing and then having to look away to tell herself that she was a servant and she wasn't special, to him or to anybody. "Have some of your bandages been disturbed...?!"
She couldn't help but be worried. Luckily, it was within the rights and boundaries of a servant to care for their master's wellbeing. If it hadn't...well, then she'd have been truly lost. She didn't think that she couldn't care. Not even if it was her place, and more than likely her ultimate fate, to end up alone.
Right now, while looking at the prince, that thought made her sad. Especially after he'd said...well…so many nice things while he was drunk.
She nearly chuckled, endeared at the thought. She'd never been told before that she deserved all the swans in the world! He couldn't have meant it, though – he probably said the same thing and a dozen other lines like it to every girl who walked in the door, whether he was drunk or sober.
And in any kind of state at all, he was still a prince and she was still a servant. That meant, no matter what and no matter how nice it all was, it couldn't be special. She couldn't be special – it was just a fact of life at this point. It didn't mean that they couldn't have nice talks or…or more times like the ones that they'd already had. It just meant that that was all they could have.
That was that, too. Nothing to get upset over.
Yes, the prince was handsome and nice, and could even be quite charming and…and as he'd just proved, endearing…when he wanted to be. But that didn't mean anything. It didn't mean any more now, with her, than it would've done with those other, prettier girls. And that was fine.
Not everything was fine right then and there in the room, though, where she ought to have been focusing her attention.
It didn't take long for her to get past a state of worry and into concern territory, over the fact that he hadn't yet even tried to answer her question…
"Do you need some kind of pain relief?" she asked. "Just nod if it's too much to try and speak."
Niles nearly considered pushing through again to tell her that some of the discomfort he was feeling, the primary source of his loud complaining, couldn't be cured by bringing him whiskey. Granted, it could take away the embarrassment for a little while, but eventually he would have to be sober and remember again. And, when he did, he'd have to worry and potentially remember going all...idiotic on Lady Babcock again. That was the last thing he could afford to have happen, if he wanted her to think of him as being any kind of impressive man!
He had to agree with his drunk self that he didn't want some charm-filled, other apparently "impressive" and swaggering boor fooling her into thinking that he had everything she needed. Or, even worse, actually having everything she needed and then taking her away from there...
But he couldn't tell her that he didn't want that to happen, either. He had to be as masculine as his father, and that involved never acting like an overly emotional fool around women. He shook his head, and tried to push all thoughts of his shameful behaviour out of his mind. He didn't need any more alcohol – that plan had already backfired horribly.
"No," he forced the word, practically on the verge of passing out from the effort.
Lady Babcock looked at him like he'd just told her that he felt absolutely fine and dandy – and, what was more, he was going to prove it by getting up and going cliff diving right that instant. She blinked confusedly, and her foot took an unplanned step backwards from her spot at the bedside.
"Are you really quite sure, sir? There's plenty of it if you do need it; there's no sense in being proud..."
The last part struck a real chord with the prince.
There's no sense in being proud...
Did she mean that there was no sense in refusing? Or was she going deeper, and telling him that there was no sense in trying to impress her with his stronger, more masculine persona, because she'd already seen that that wasn't always him? Had he been so much of a fool that she was simply telling him not to bother? Had he ruined everything in one go without meaning to?
He sincerely hoped he hadn't, even if he knew that possibility was fleeting. He'd had affairs with plenty of women before, he'd had them swoon all over him and his manly feats time and time again – hell, he and his father kept tally of how many women they'd slept with! He'd been taught to not lose time with self-important wenches, and had it been any other woman who'd refused his advances, he would have swiftly moved on to his next romantic conquest…
But he couldn't do it with her. He didn't wish to. He wanted to spend time with her, he wanted to share stories, card games, books, laughs, cups of tea… he wanted to have her around. To think that overdoing it with the whiskey had cost him her friendship was a very much loathed (but, at the same time, frighteningly real) possibility. He had no idea how to proceed, he'd never been in a position where he had to remedy or make up for his previous behaviour before. His father had taught him to be unapologetic – he was what he was, whether people liked it or not. But it didn't feel right.
Not when it came to Lady Babcock.
So, perhaps, if it meant keeping her friendship, an apology was due. He'd found himself doing what had once been a foreign action rather frequently these days...
He took in as much of a breath as he could with his bandages, hesitating.
"I'm…not…being proud…"
As far as sentences went, it was painful in more ways than one to get out. But it was definitely a start, considering he usually wasn't sure how to start these things. His father had told him time and time again that they were above all others and simply had no need to be sorry for anything they did. And, if other people didn't like it, then that was their bad luck. Niles didn't have to be the one to start that conversation.
Lady Babcock blinked at him, more at a loss than ever, "Then, if you don't mind my asking, what is it…?"
The thought of Lady Babcock starting the conversation was worse, though. He didn't want to have to hear exactly how embarrassing she found him, or how...put off...she was by him telling her all of these things. His father would call him an idiot for all of it, especially seeing as it hadn't even led to him getting anything in return. The king would have said that a real man would've taken full advantage of that situation, drunk or otherwise...
Niles didn't feel right or good about that, either. He felt...better about trying to apologise. He had to do it. He couldn't delay it any longer if he wanted any chance at her not thinking he was a complete disgrace of a human being.
"I just…I want…t'say 'm sorry…"
"Sorry?" Lady Babcock echoed confusedly. "Sorry for what, sir?"
Oh, God…she was really going to make him say it, wasn't she? Properly, too, not just some quick apology that could be taken any way the recipient decided.
Knowing he'd feel better afterwards didn't make the thought of saying it any less agonising, either. Especially not knowing what she would say about it, or about him, or about what he had done. There could easily be things he couldn't yet remember, couldn't there? Even more shameful things that she'd be ready to tell him about the moment he tried…
Depressingly, whether there were or not didn't make that much of a difference to the fact that he had to do it. It was practically half-out at this point, anyway. And the Lady Babcock would probably only continue to ask until it came all the way out. His absolute mortification would be complete, one way or another.
It was the moment a surgeon put the knife to the skin to dig out the shrapnel. And here he was, without so much as a leather belt to bite down on…!
"S…Sorry, for…for the way I behaved…last night…"
At first, C.C. had almost been convinced she hadn't heard him correctly. When the realisation did eventually come to her like the dawn in wintertime, it struck her just as a December or January morning might have: hard.
"Oh…!"
It wasn't often that she heard the words "I'm sorry" from anybody, for anything, these days! And she hadn't at all been expecting it from the prince, for…for everything that had happened.
Everything that he'd said…
But he had apologised, because he hadn't meant to say what he'd said. He hadn't meant any of it. The liquor had been in control of his head, so naturally it had been in control of his mouth as well.
Of course, he didn't have to worry about any of it – she understood entirely how he was feeling! It was only natural if he felt a bit ashamed of his drunkenness the next day. Not that he'd said anything worth that much fuss! It'd only been a comment or two, and nothing that would have any kind of lasting impact.
She did appreciate it, though. The fact that he was gracious enough to apologise for his perceived "bad behaviour", even when it hadn't been as horribly bad as he apparently thought. It had been kind of him, even if it was likely that they would both forget about the whole thing within a week!
"Oh, sir…!" she very nearly laughed out loud. "There really is no need to apologise for that! I appreciate it, but you have done nothing to warrant it…!"
Niles paused, his brow furrowing, "Really–?"
"Absolutely not! So there's no need to keep on worrying, Your Royal Highness, if that's what's been bothering you today," she said, smiling brightly. Then she remembered herself and gestured to his ribs. "Alongside the…um…obvious, of course…"
She had to move the whole thing forward, though, if she didn't want him to ask any awkward questions. She'd gotten all the answers she needed and she didn't really feel like having to dwell on them.
"Now, will you require my assistance in sitting up, so that you can have some breakfast?"
Niles didn't answer the question. He was too busy thinking that Lady Babcock had moved on from his apology awfully quickly. Too quickly for his liking, really. A…a real hurry, in actual fact. The only reason for that that he could think of was that she wanted to move swiftly onto the next task. Then she'd go to the next, and then so on and so forth until she could go to tend to something nicer than his sorry self!
He groaned internally, and it had nothing to do with the soreness of his body. Had he really been so much of an embarrassment in his drunken state that she now wanted to be out of his presence as quickly as possible? What could he have possibly done in his inebriated state that meant she wanted to do literally anything else, other than spend time with him?!
By the look of things, fixing this mistake was going to take drastic measures, and probably every ounce of charm he thought he possessed. He didn't really know where to start – Lady Babcock was not like any of the women he'd ever been with before, so plying her with treats, jewels or clothes was out of the question.
Maybe books? She'd told him she liked book when they'd first had tea. He had some pretty rare volumes his father had brought from mainland Europe that he knew he was not going to read, but she might be interested in them. Still, it didn't feel right. Lady Babcock had made it abundantly clear that material gifts would not serve the purpose of getting her back into her good books.
She had honour and pride, two things, Niles soon realised, that were…well…attractive to him. Usually, women surrendered at his feet, doing anything and everything he wanted, regardless if they really wanted to do so or not. Pride would fly out of the window when he was around, but that hadn't been Lady Babcock's case.
She…she was different. Different in a way he found both intriguing and, at times, frustrating.
She'd said no to his every gift, except…
Except having tea with him!
That was it! If he wanted to fix his misgivings, doing so over a cup of tea and nice treats was the way to go!
He cast his eyes over to the table where she'd settled his breakfast tray. Hm. There was more than enough for one person there, and it would be easy enough for Lady Babcock to get herself another plate and a cup for tea. Or, she could stay with him and they could call somebody else to get the plate and cup. That was another option...
Either way, he first had to pluck up the courage and ask her to join him. He was wasting time just thinking it to himself, whilst she was stood there, probably thinking about the day before and how he'd made such an arse of himself, even if she'd be too good and polite to say so.
He had to get the question out. He had to make up for it before the entire memory made him squirm so hard that he slipped his own way out of his bandages without meaning to!
"Please," he told her at last, shifting as much as his body allowed and minutely clearing his throat. "I will do…even if it is…is a kindness I do not deserve…"
The Lady Babcock looked at him incredulously.
"Oh, why, sir! It's hardly that kind – it's a necessity, if you're going to recover. And it's needed right now, if you're going to eat your breakfast…"
Niles shook his head, "I still think it…think of it as a kindness, my lady. I've…done nothing to earn your help. Even if you do not think it matters so much…"
Something in her seemed to soften for a moment. But then she was back to the bright, smiling, sunshine-like countenance she had worn before.
"It really doesn't matter. I promise it doesn't."
That was when Niles spotted his opportunity.
"Then…then if you will not accept an apology…will you accept an offer of breakfast? There is plenty here for us both…"
Part of him regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Not because it was the first time he'd ever said that to a woman, or because talking was still proving something of an issue. It was because he was convinced that she would say no.
She'd have every reason to, after the way he'd behaved. And having breakfast right there and then with no prior warning or preparation was very different to arranging an afternoon tea. There were standards that would not be met – during teatime other servants were usually coming in and out, taking plates and refilling teapots. Breakfast would just be the two of them, early in the morning and with very little chance of any disturbances.
His father would probably term that a golden opportunity, but Niles just wanted to know what Lady Babcock's answer would be to the offer that he had presented. She had every right in the world to say no, even if he very much hoped that she wouldn't…
C.C., meanwhile, could feel her thoughts racing in her mind, eyes darting back and forth between the prince and the plate of food. She couldn't begin to imagine why he'd asked her to…to anything like this! Granted, they had taken tea together and that had been a lovely time for them both, but…this? Breakfast was a far more serious and…and intimate experience. It was something, at the very least, you only shared with your closest family, friends, and confidants!
She knew, even if they were amicable, that she did not count amongst any of those. So why else could he insist so much on doing something for her? Was it solely because of the night before?
Was he really feeling that guilty about his drunken behaviour? Surely a source of slight embarrassment, as it had been, should not make him feel such a great need to make it up to her? And with a meal as close and as special as this? It was practically astounding!
Eventually, she found her voice to tell him all of this.
"I…thank you, Your Royal Highness," she began, feeling her way around the words like one would find their way around a pitch black room. "But you honestly really don't need to make anything up to me – I haven't taken any offence…"
Niles looked up at her, eyes not quite on their way to clear but definitely focused enough for her to know he meant every word.
"I know you haven't. But you…you are being very kind anyway…and I should still thank you for it…"
C.C. nearly sighed aloud. She managed to keep it in, though; she didn't think of what she was doing as any particular kindness. He needed help, and she was there to give it. It was her duty as a servant, and she was happy to carry it out.
But if he wanted to make something up to her…well, she wasn't going to deny him that. Not when he was the one being kinder than he needed to be, at present…
"I'd be glad to join His Royal Highness for breakfast, if he so desires," she said, bobbing a curtsy. "I shall look for some food, so I won't take have to take any from your plate, either."
"No, please…don't go!" Niles said, hand darting forward to clasp itself around hers before she could leave. "I…I'd be more than happy to share. After all, there's more than enough for me, and for at least two more people besides."
He had never shared his food with anybody. Even when he'd been but a small boy, his mother had told him, he would pout and protest if she so much as playfully took one chunk of carrot off his plate!
But now...now, he wanted to share it with her.
He actually couldn't wait to see what she thought, if he was honest with himself. He wanted to know more about her likes and dislikes, and where better to start than by learning more about what she liked to eat?
Not that C.C. had given him an answer yet. She was too busy being...well, completely overwhelmed by his very offer! Why had his mind even gone to asking her that in the first place? He was a prince! That food had been prepared for him, not the person who happened to be bringing it! Anybody who'd picked up the tray in the palace kitchens would've been able to help themselves, if they'd all gone by that logic!
Every morsel on that platter had been intended for his consumption; even thinking about taking a bite would've probably landed her in hot water. Perhaps not with Queen Marie – Her Majesty was far too kind for that, but she definitely would've made enemies of the maids she had previously worked with, and still had to see…
Not that any of that made her ungrateful for the offer. She'd hardly had time for a mouthful of bread that morning! And for Prince Niles to offer to share his whole breakfast with her had been very kind…far kinder than necessary, to be honest…
He must truly have wanted to make up for his behaviour from the night before. It clearly didn't matter how inconsequential it all was, or how neither of them would probably even be thinking about it the day after next. He was ashamed of himself now, and he felt that he had offended her now. The only way out of it all was to do something for her.
It truly was a kind gesture. One of the kindest gestures she had received in a long time, when she scoured her memory for others.
His asking had come from a place of amiability and goodwill that she hadn't quite seen from him before. And it would be both rude and in bad taste to refuse the apologetic invitation of a prince…so perhaps there was no harm in accepting it? Or at least very little harm, because the maids were hardly likely to come bursting in through the door, now were they?
So, she let her smile grow, "That would be lovely. Thank you, Your Royal Highness."
The dulled look in Niles' slightly bloodshot eyes cleared minutely. It was as though someone had previously churned up seawater, but now the silt at the bottom was settling and the sun was starting to shine on it again.
"Really?" he asked, releasing her hand in surprise. "You will?"
C.C. nodded, "Of course, I would like it very much…!"
"Oh, thank you, Lady Babcock! " the prince cried out, bolting upright in his joy. "I can assure you that I will-aghh!"
Clutching at his side, he doubled over with a loud, trailed-off moan. Gasping, C.C. hastened to help him, reaching out for his hands to offer support.
"Your Royal Highness! Here, please – let me help you…!"
He couldn't exactly say no when it was so obvious that he needed help getting up! Taking his hands and helping to slowly ease him round (with only the occasional quiet wince or uncomfortable whimper this time), she got him as far as slipping his feet out of the bed and onto the floor.
It was only a temporary rest to let him catch his breath. He was going to need all his strength for what came next: getting to his feet.
"Are you ready, sir?" she asked, waiting for him to nod and confirm before retightening her grip on his hands. "We'll take it slowly, and move on three. One…two…three!"
With the combined effort of her pulling, and the prince's own effort at making it to his feet, they achieved a half-stand…for all of a few, panic-stricken seconds.
They both knew what was going to happen as soon as it did.
Niles, unable to bear the weight or the pain of standing, collapsed backwards with the noise and heaviness of a felled tree. But he hadn't released C.C.'s hands, and she was pulled flush on top of the prince with an equally heavy and painful slam. The prince yelped, creasing like parchment someone had scrunched up in their hand.
Horrified by literally everything, C.C. struggled to get up and away. But she only succeeded in putting her hands and other parts of her body in places that could only have been hurting the prince more.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Your Royal Highness, I—"
She was in the middle of throwing out muddled apologies over Niles shouting out in pain when someone that neither of them would want to see knocked, and without waiting for anybody to call "Come in", appeared at the door.
Their heads turned simultaneously, and Prudence stared back at them, mutely appalled. Oh, no.
They turned to look at each other. C.C. hadn't even gotten as far as an inch off of the…the unclothed prince! Her legs had only made it either side of his waist and hips, and her hands looked like they were making their way down his torso!
Shit. Shit, this couldn't have been happening!
"Prudence…!" C.C. eventually choked out, immediately scrambling to get up but accidentally cramming a knee into Niles' lower left hand side. "Sorry! Sorry, Your Royal Highness! Prudence, this is not what it looks li—"
"Your Royal Highness," Prudence said loudly, making it obvious she wasn't interested in whatever C.C. had to say. "I…I have fresh linens for you."
She held up a freshly stacked pile that she had been carrying in her arms for Niles to see. It was then immediately dumped on the table nearest the door.
With another quick curtsy and without another word, Prudence hurriedly backed out of the room. The door banged shut behind her, and the sound reverberated in C.C.'s ears like cannon fire.
Oh, no…no, no, no, no, no…!
She couldn't breathe. It hurt to breathe, and the room was already starting to spin. This had to be a nightmare. She couldn't have just…just actually been seen doing all of that – all of nothing, but still, it looked like something – with Prince Niles! By Prudence, of all people!
She'd tell everyone. There wouldn't be a maid or cook or washerwoman in the palace that didn't know what Prudence had thought she'd seen within the hour! It wouldn't take more than that for it to spread like a fire, and then everyone in the only place she had left would be calling her nothing but the prince's latest slut!
Queen Marie would find out. She absolutely would – she found out everything that went on around there, no matter what it was! What would she say?! What would she do, when she found out that her trusted lady-in-waiting had been found on top of her undressed son?! She wouldn't keep her on after that! She couldn't! It didn't matter if she apparently liked her or not; her son would obviously always come first and she couldn't have some slut he'd apparently had roaming around the palace and in her close personal circle!
Marie couldn't possibly want to call her a friend after that.
Pain settled in C.C.'s chest, and she tried to swallow. It didn't work; her mouth had gone dry. It was over. Everything was done. She was going to be kicked onto the street and then what would she do? She couldn't go running back to Noel, and she had no one else in the world!
She had no one. And she was about to have nothing!
"Lady Babcock…are you quite alright?" the prince asked, winded by her attempts at escaping the embarrassing situation but apparently otherwise more concerned about her.
"Hm?" C.C.'s head snapped towards the prince. "Oh!"
She'd completely forgotten herself: where she was, and who she was in charge of, in those moments! Prince Niles was still in pain, and still needed her right there and then – she couldn't go off moping about anything when she still had work to do!
No one had come to remove her from her duties yet. They probably would, later that day, but for now she was still the only one who could help him. And that came before any kind of talk about whether or not she was alright; it didn't even matter if she was or if she wasn't. The damage was done either way, anyway.
To complete her humiliation, she still hadn't yet climbed completely off him, either, so she clambered down and off the bed as she shook her head in reply.
"I'm fine, Your Royal Highness…I, uh…I just need to get down…"
Craning his neck, Niles watched as she planted her feet back on the floor.
"Are you quite sure…?"
Lady Babcock looked up at him quickly as she finished brushing down her skirts, "Yes! Yes, I am completely fine. Let's just…let me bring you some of the breakfast…"
Without another word, she rushed over to and made herself busy with the breakfast tray. Niles felt his eyebrow slowly quirk, and he inched himself round at a pace which didn't hurt too much to get a better look.
"Is that…is that the truth?" he asked, having to start again after grunting halfway through.
He hated having to ask so many times simply to get an actual answer, but it felt like the only way forward here. He knew he wasn't going insane and that she'd been just fine before! What had changed between now and back then, other than the fact that they'd both fallen over…?
Was it the fall? It couldn't have been the fall, it hadn't even been that bad! Granted, his ribs probably wouldn't forgive him for a while, but Lady Babcock could get up and move about just fine, from the way she was fussing over the breakfast tray.
She didn't answer him, though. Instead, she shakily and distractedly made her way through putting a few cold meats, bread chunks, a slice of honeycomb, and some cheeses onto a plate, stiffening whenever there were footsteps outside the door, or another door in the corridor opened or shut too loudly.
He watched, now half-angled directly back on the bed, as she brought it over to him in one hand and offered him a cup of tea with the other. She tried to smile, too, but the prince wasn't having any of that.
He looked at her seriously, "You didn't answer my question just now…and you're acting…observably strangely. So there's no point in lying to me about it."
Lady Babcock froze for a moment, her lip trembling as she hesitated. Her head dropped in shame, eyes cast down past the proffered breakfast plate and towards the floor.
"Please don't make me say it, sir…"
"Say what, my lady?" Niles asked again. He tried moving around more, but gave up when it seemed his body was about to. "I don't know…what's going on…!"
Lady Babcock said nothing, and Niles frowned deeply. Whatever it had been, it'd clearly hurt or frightened or otherwise upset her greatly. But she didn't have to feel any of those things – she was right there in front of the crown prince, and could tell her problems to him without so much as a single worry!
"You know that I can help you…don't you? If…if you tell me what happened…"
The lady-in-waiting gripped the plate and cup tighter. She closed her eyes briefly, fighting her own breathing for control, then opened them again and simply burst out with it.
"She just…she saw us!"
Niles felt his brow crinkle up. What? What did that mean? Who had seen them?
"Wh…? What are…what are you talking about…? Who saw us?"
"Prudence!" the Lady Babcock cried, getting it out as though the name were the worst and most horrific thing on Earth.
Prudence…? Well, yes, the maid had come in when she'd dropped off the linen just then, but she hadn't stayed long! And yes, she must have seen them when she was there, but what did her seeing them in particular have to do with anything? Why should it be so important if one maid happened to look in on them? Besides, Lady Babcock was no longer her subordinate – she was his mother's lady-in-waiting and was thus a much higher-ranking servant (practically her superior!).
He certainly didn't see why Prudence's presence should bother Lady Babcock to the point of distraction!
"Is that…particularly significant?"
Lady Babcock groaned minutely, as though she were only just holding back a tidal wave of despair. She set his breakfast down on the bedside table, the plate rattling and the tea nearly crashing over the lip of the cup. She then brought her hands back together, clasping them as though it were the only way to hold herself together.
"She…Prudence is, um…she loves to gossip," she explained, her words breaking up as she did. "It's obvious she's…she's going to tell everybody what she saw in here…!"
Whatever she was getting at, it was still lost on Niles.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not understanding you. What did she see in here?"
Lady Babcock's cheeks reddened, and her eyes fell away from him again.
"She…she thought she was about to see us…um…" she fumbled with her hands, as though she were contemplating the idea of using gestures. "Sh-she thought that you were about to…uh…"
It pained Niles in a different way to see her quite so affected. It was obvious beyond all reasoning that she was embarrassed by whatever it was she needed to say, and he didn't at all doubt that it was because of him. If he hadn't been a prince – if he hadn't been a man, full stop – it might've been a different story.
But he'd already promised to help her, no matter what it was. Maybe not in those exact words, but he was going to make sure that it happened. If that meant making sure no one else ever heard what she'd said, then so be it.
She didn't deserve to live under the weight of her own discomfort. Telling him, and only him, had to be better than living with it, didn't it?
"Please, my lady, speak freely," he told her gently, interrupting her mumbled attempts at explaining without explaining. "No matter what it is…it will not leave this room. It…may even help me help you…"
After some more half-mumbled phrases and attempts that died away before she could even get them out properly, the lady-in-waiting apparently gave up and gave in.
"She…us falling over made it look like we were…um…doing something rather unspeakable. O-Or at least, we were about to! And then Prudence walked in and saw us like that. And she doesn't like me, at all. And she loves having something to gossip over, no matter what it's about…!"
Her breathing grew heavier the more she explained, and her hands were tightening in on themselves.
"Plus there's the fact that she's…she's a God-fearing woman, sir. She disapproves heavily of all matters relating to, um…certain actions. Taken outside of marriage. Which doesn't bode well for me, in combination with what I've already told you…"
She swallowed, taking a moment to steel herself. Niles didn't press her to go on before she was ready; he was starting to get an idea, just as he was listening to her.
"I'm almost certain she's already on her way to tell everybody else what she saw," her voice was back to shaking, threatening to grow thick with something like tears. "That you're…using me…in a way that would get me into trouble. And if word goes all the way back to Her Majesty the Queen…your good lady mother…I'm almost certain it'll mean the end of my employment here!"
She breathed out loudly, shuddering, at that final sentence. She'd been holding it in for the entire last part of the explanation.
"I'm not sure if I mentioned everything I should have, o-or if I mentioned some things I shouldn't have," she said softly, cheeks redder than ever. "But that's the gist of it…"
What she was saying sunk in fully with Niles, slotting neatly into place like a wooden block shape in a child's game. It sank into his stomach and kept on sinking, too; he didn't know how he could've missed it at the start! It was obvious to anybody with a thought in their head that Prudence would think he'd been about to…th-that he and the Lady Babcock had been about to engage in, um…
Oh, hell, it didn't matter what term he used! No matter which way he or anybody else looked at it, it would look as though he'd been living the life of his earned reputation. And he knew damn well that Prudence had been around long enough to know about said reputation. She'd been around long enough to see the start of his father's reputation, let alone anything else!
It was obvious what she would've thought when she'd walked in on them. Even if he couldn't currently move very much, and was in far too much pain to even consider the possibility of, um…certain things…with the Lady Babcock, it wasn't as though Prudence would know that. She didn't know what the doctor had talked about with him, or the extent of it all. And even if she did know, there was a really good chance that she wouldn't even care. Same stubborn old mule that she'd always seemed to be around the place, wearing a face like thunder to accompany an equally stormy mood at all times…
Her personality alone had all the makings of a massive, vicious mess. Combined with a love of gossip and an intense dislike for a much younger woman who held a higher position of responsibility than her? It was practically a disaster waiting to happen!
Lady Babcock was right to be afraid for her place in the palace, too. The disaster would be of Biblical proportions if the rumour made it back to his mother! She'd put the girl in a position of trust, and if Niles knew anything at all about his mother, it was that she had no time for those who broke her trust. Even if it hurt her to cut them off, she would do it.
It would mean the end of Lady Babcock's job at the palace. The job she'd suffered so much to get…
That horribly familiar feeling of guilt stirred in his gut. Yet again, his own reputation was having an impact on someone else's life! He didn't know if it was better or worse that it was the same person, but he widely suspected that it being the same person after he'd tried so hard to stop it from happening again made it worse.
He'd already been going to help, but now it felt more important than ever to do something. He didn't know how this could keep happening, but by God, was he going to put an end to it!
"I see what you mean…and I am truly sorry for it, my lady," he said. He didn't yet have the strength to get up, but he knew he would in a moment if he focused. "But fear not; I will speak to my mother as soon as possible. Your job will be safe…she would never believe Prudence over the both of us…"
He left out the part about why she was more likely to believe that he hadn't done what Prudence would no doubt claim. The Lady Babcock didn't need to know that he'd never been anything but forthright – perhaps overly detailed in how forthright – with his mother when it came to…upper class conquests. Whenever she had expressed concerns, anyway.
Lady Babcock looked up at him, wide-eyed and sad.
"Sir, I…I must thank you for the offer, but…well, even if Her Majesty is informed, I don't see my job being made easier. She may be at peace in the knowledge that I'm innocent, but I doubt the rest of the palace would be…"
Niles would have kicked himself if it had been possible. Of course, she had more than a substantial point – what was the point in going straight to his mother and saving Lady Babcock's job, only for that job to simply be a living Hell for her by everybody else? If that happened, she might as well leave right away and never look back!
Pruning the flower off the plant meant nothing if you left the roots to grow. He'd heard one of the gardeners saying something like that once, and it seemed to make sense to him now. If he wanted this taken care of and taken care of properly, that meant going after the source. It meant going after Prudence, and stopping the vile rumour in its tracks before it could reach anybody else.
"You are right…of course, I should have seen it," he nodded, grimacing a little as even that caused some pain. "But I think…I think I have another idea. Go tell whoever is outside – page, guard, whomever – to fetch Prudence back here."
The lady-in-waiting paused, blinking at him, "Sir…? Are you certain that that will—"
"I am absolutely certain, my lady," Niles replied. "Go do it, before she gets too far."
Tentatively, and with all the apparent confidence of a mouse attempting to sneak past a cat, Lady Babcock slipped away from his bedside and went to the door.
Niles watched her go, again craning his neck to see what she was doing. She opened the door and poked her head round it, just as he had asked, saying something in audible to his ears to whomever was on the other side. A deep voice whose tone he vaguely recognised – one of the stewards – gave a muffled reply.
Lady Babcock said something back which must have been a "thank you" because she stepped backwards into the room after, closing the door behind her again. Behind the wood, Niles thought he heard footsteps heading off down the corridor.
The lady-in-waiting returned to his bedside looking as nervous as before, but Niles thought he had the perfect remedy to that. In the military, nothing had been a better cure for his nerves than eating whatever was available.
Fortunately, there was more than enough to spare here, compared to being on manoeuvres.
"Pull up a chair…help yourself to some breakfast," he inched an outstretched hand closer to his plate. "As…as I said, there is plenty…for us both…"
Lady Babcock didn't move towards the chairs, which were tucked underneath a table over by the window. Instead, she went straight to the bedside table and brought his plate closer so he could pick it up by himself. She then moved his tea, to the same end. Even when she was done, she didn't make any kind of effort to join him. Instead, she seemed to just stand there, hovering like a particularly worried bird of prey not actually looking to dive on the rabbit far below.
Niles pulled a face, slipping his plate close enough to start on the bread and some cheese.
"That wasn't…anything at all like I offered," he said, taking a bite into the bread and chewing slowly. "Is something the matter still, my lady?"
Lady Babcock looked pained for a moment. It was the exact face she'd pulled when she'd first realised she was going to have to tell him something was wrong.
"I'm…reluctant, sir. The thought of what could happen if someone comes in is just…it's playing on my mind!"
Niles chewed quickly and swallowed. He didn't want to miss his window for a reply – not when it was so important.
"Don't let them bother you to the point of not eating," he told her. "It really isn't worth it. And they can hardly cry adultery over…over you, sitting in a chair, having a quiet breakfast. Can they?"
After a moment, she shook her head at him. Niles reached over and took his cup of tea in hand before he continued.
"I…I promise that I will solve this, without any issue. All you will need to do is sit and trust me."
So, that was what she did. After a couple of moments of deliberation, Lady Babcock pulled over a chair, which she then set up at a respectable distance. Niles didn't object to that if it made her feel more comfortable. Nor did he complain or attempt to spur on further conversation from the just-above-monosyllabic answers that he got in between her picking at the food she'd chosen from the platter. Allowing her to feel as at ease as possible was key, whatever that meant doing.
The long-awaited knock at the door finally came in a lull. Lady Babcock inhaled sharply when it did, flinching in her seat. Niles instinctively reached out to soothe her, ignoring the horrendous pain that shot through his side when he stretched his arm.
"It's alright! I promise, my lady," he murmured. "It will be alright…"
He turned his face towards the door, bringing his arm back to his side.
"Come in!"
The door opened slowly. As expected, Prudence appeared on the other side, edging her way around the door and into the room. She didn't look particularly upset or angry to be there. Not at the moment, anyway.
Naturally, she immediately offered the prince a curtsy.
"You summoned me, Your Royal Highness…?"
"Indeed I did, Prudence," the prince replied, looking around at his own sides before gesturing lamely to her to come closer. "Do come forward. This…position I find myself in, is…not ideal for speaking to others."
The maid obeyed without question. She always did; it was, after all, the Prince of Wales that was speaking! If it'd been that whore who was sitting right there, looking oh-so-innocent on the chair next to the prince's bedside, however…well, that would have been an entirely different kettle of fish!
She honestly didn't know how the little high and mighty slut could sit there, so proud of herself. Clearly, there was no such thing as shame anymore.
"It has…come to my attention, Prudence, that…" the prince took a moment to breathe. "That what you witnessed…or apparently witnessed earlier…could be misconstrued."
Something buzzed uncomfortably for a moment in Prudence's blood as she realised why she was there, setting it on a low heat. Of course, the prince's new favourite strumpet had probably made him bring the maid back in to talk about what she'd seen! The whore who'd been misnomered "lady" probably didn't want news of her escapades getting around the palace!
But Prudence had to be cautious. If she acted innocently enough around the subject, they might decide to let her go. Then she could make use of her time, and get the others to spread the word about the Babcock girl and what she was doing with the prince. On the prince, in this particularly sordid tryst meeting!
"Misconstrued, my lord?" she asked, not missing a beat.
"Yes, misconstrued," the prince answered. If he was particularly unhappy so far, he wasn't showing it. "Especially when said event is taken…out of context. Or even embellished, by certain…malicious parties."
Prudence felt her stomach give a slight churn. She didn't like his use of the phrase "malicious parties" whatsoever! Her talk with the other maids hardly counted as a malicious act. Especially in comparison to the degenerate things that could've only been going on in that room moments before she'd been forced back inside!
Before she could utter any word at all about not knowing what the prince meant, Niles continued.
"But I'm…more than certain that I won't ever have to worry about behaviour like that from you. A loyal, God-fearing woman, such as yourself…you would never do something as…something as churlish or as unscrupulous as gossiping."
The head maid felt as though she'd been slapped, but she took it with a thousand times more grace and dignity than the slut sat in front of her had in her entire body. What she did was practically a public service for the rest of the palace – it was spreading important news, not "gossiping"!
It had to have been that whore that'd told him it was something so common and nasty as rumours and hearsay. She simply couldn't handle it whenever the truth reared its ugly head around her!
"Of course not, my lord…"
It wasn't a lie, technically speaking. Not when she knew her words had value and served to keep the palace exactly as it should be.
The prince leaned towards her, as far as he could apparently go without injuring himself further.
"Good. Because I have no patience whatsoever for gossipers. I could have any I find…removed from their positions, for instance. Fined significant sums, perhaps. Even flogged, if I so wished…"
The last punishment landed as heavily on Prudence as the sting of the whip used to carry it out.
Flogged…?! Had the prince gone mad?! Was he really and truly suggesting that…that those who engaged in some…idle stories and tales, even those with a higher and greater purpose in mind, would be beaten with whips as a result?!
Niles looked at her with a combined air of clearly feigned innocence and absolute intent. His face was all soft concern and serious discussion, but his eyes were hard and set right on her.
"You've gone rather pale, Prudence. There's no need to be shocked about these things…" he said calmly. "I am the Prince of Wales, after all…if I am made unhappy by something or someone, then that will usually mean trouble. For the one who has made me so unhappy, of course."
Prudence couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that Prince Niles was openly calling for the flogging of upstanding citizens and innocents, including her good self! All on the whim and word of a slut he'd probably grow tired of in a week!
The worst part of all was that he wasn't even finished.
"And it makes me…especially unhappy…to hear of the badmouthing of a reputable highborn lady, by those in lower positions than her own," he said. "The kind of 'especially unhappy' that calls for…particular punishment. Do I make myself clear?"
Prudence's blood had overheated long ago, and was now boiling over. Of course she understood perfectly what he meant; he'd known since before she'd stepped in the room the news she'd been planning on sharing, thanks to that slut! The slut who was apparently above all other sluts in estimation, given that she apparently could not be touched by even the slightest hint of the truth!
Now, thanks again to her, the prince was preventing Prudence from carrying on as she normally would! He was letting her know just what would happen if she even tried. She'd been hoping that the news would reach the ears of Her Majesty the Queen by the evening, at the very latest, but now because of the prince's lust-fuelled threats, it would never reach her!
It could never reach her. Not if Prudence wanted to keep her blood unspilled.
"Entirely, my lord," she managed to squeeze through gritted teeth.
The prince looked smugly satisfied.
"I thought I might have. Good," he said. "Think of this as…as a new household rule moving forward. If I ever hear of slanderous rumours, or gossip, or…or even the most minuscule untrue fact that concerns a highborn lady, and that could threaten her quality of life or her position within the palace…then you will be done for, Prudence."
The notion should've – and normally would've – sent chills up Prudence's spine. But the chills thawed and melted in the heat of her anger before they got there. How dare he threaten her to keep his own indiscretions a secret? All for a little whore he'd probably turn on and call names himself, as soon as he was done using her body!
Born to nobility or not, it didn't matter when she chose to debase herself. She'd be as good as dirt to them all as soon as he was done!
The prince then turned away from Prudence, towards said future dirt.
"But, while she is here and at our disposal…why don't we make the most of it, my lady?" he asked with an infuriating smile. "Is there anything missing from my breakfast platter that you would want to eat right now…?"
The slut had the audacity to apparently stop and think about it. The prince only encouraged it, too, his voice crawling and singeing its way underneath Prudence's skin.
"She's right there, after all. It'd almost be a waste, not using her…!" he then turned back to look deliberately at Prudence. "She's a good servant. Always has been. Obeys what her masters tell her…and she will get you anything you ask for."
The pure arrogance oozing from his words made Prudence's fist close up. Had he been any other man in the world but the Prince of Wales, she would've shown him just what that kind of language got him!
Meanwhile, the "lady's" eyes darted back and forth between Prudence and the prince. She didn't say anything, though, which was a shock to Prudence because that little harlot never usually knew when to shut up.
"Don't be shy," the prince told her, just loud enough to be heard several feet away. "Anything you would like, Lady Babcock."
A few more seconds passed in which the Babcock slut didn't utter a word. Then, to Prudence's ever-growing irritation, she spoke.
"I would actually quite like some fresh pastries. The kitchen should have already started on them by now," the immodesty and the hubris didn't take long to build. And it was all done with a slowly spreading smirk. "With…some butter and some of the strawberry and apricot jams…"
Seeing that she'd finished her undeserved and unacceptable order, the prince then looked back at the maid.
"You heard the lady, Prudence. Pastries and strawberry and apricot jam. We'll also be needing more tea to wash it all down," the prince finished. "Your duties are suspended for the morning, so you can serve and oversee our perfectly innocent breakfast. Much like the chaperone you clearly fancy yourself to be."
The buzzing was back, burning hotter and louder in Prudence's head than ever. So, they'd insulted her, they were going to take away her right to share news and they were going to transform her into their own personal slave for the morning?! How on God's green Earth could any of that possibly be fair?!
It wasn't. It simply wasn't! But what did she expect? The prince wasn't thinking about anything like justice or decency right now. He was only thinking of when he could next stick his manhood inside the little blonde whore lounging about in his room, eating his food, and acting above her station and everyone else's!
Whatever forced neutral expression she'd been wearing must've slipped away just thinking about it, because the prince pursed his lips at her in a mockery of a pout.
"Oh come, now; don't look so down about it…! You'll get exactly what you wanted: to see two people not engaging in perverse acts," he reached out and helped himself to some more of his breakfast. "I would have thought you'd be happy! You can certainly wear a happy face to serve us, can't you…?"
He looked at her with a degree of expectation. It was the kind of look one would give to benevolently encourage a child to do something, like share a toy.
The look only seemed to get harder the longer Prudence stood there without so much as a thought of smiling. But why should she think of smiling when there was nothing to smile about? She was being held subject to the whim of a desire-blinded prince and his latest self-important conquest! If she even breathed one word of her inhumane treatment to the maids downstairs, she'd be flogged – she'd heard it all with her own two ears!
"I'm sure you can do it," Prince Niles gestured at her in a minuscule "U" shape with the corner of a chunk of bread. "There's…there's got to be a smile in there somewhere…"
The prince seemed to be relentless in his efforts, though. He clearly wouldn't release her from whatever this hideous nonsense was until she'd done as he'd asked! And Prudence wanted to be released from it more than anything – well, perhaps not more than the sudden, preferably violent disappearance of the Babcock slut, but near enough more than anything.
So, as ridiculous and humiliating as it was, she forced the corners of her mouth upwards.
"There it is!" Niles cried out in triumph, bringing his hands together in a soft clap. "I knew it…I knew there had to be a smile in there. We got it out just in time. Now, you are going to…to have to walk it down to the kitchens, and collect what we have asked for."
Prudence wanted to fall to her knees and thank the Lord that she was finally being allowed to leave the prince and his slut to it, but she knew she couldn't. Even if she wasn't immediately punished for not grovelling at their utterly wicked feet, she couldn't exactly be thankful for the chance to leave when she knew she had to turn straight back around from the kitchens and rejoin them!
She didn't understand how she'd woken up that morning, gone about her usual duties, and then descended straight into the bowels of Hell, but that was obviously what had happened! And now, all she could do was fight her way through it with the integrity, goodness, and chastity that was so very clearly lacking in the Prince of Wales and his current pet whore!
She'd have no one on her side. The maids around her wouldn't be any the wiser of her plight, thanks to the threat of flogging, but she could make it through. She had to, even if nobody else would or could. She'd never let debauchery and filth win the day!
Composing herself with a breath, she bobbed a curtsy.
"Very well, Your Royal Highness. I will return presently."
The maid was certain to emphasise "presently". There was no telling what that harlot would have the prince doing if she was gone too long, otherwise! She had turned rapidly and was halfway to the door when the prince's voice made her ground to a halt, and her teeth together.
"Not so fast or angry, Prudence…! This is a pleasantly long breakfast, not…not a fast march through a blizzard!"
The maid bit down on the inside of her lip to stop herself from snapping back. Perhaps a march through a blizzard might've done him and that slut some good!
Instead, all she could do was straighten herself up and breathe, "My…apologies, sir. I shall return with your requested refreshments shortly."
Without another word, and clearly as quietly as a rage-filled mouse who would have rather been stomping around like a prideful stallion denied a mare, Prudence left the room. She shut the door behind her, and for some seconds both Niles and Lady Babcock stared at it. Then they turned and looked at each other.
Neither one knew who had cracked first, but before they knew it they had both burst into loud peals of laughter.
What a sight that had been! Prudence, going through every conceivable human emotion at once; proud, then astonished, then devastated, and then back to that expression most would know as "angry" but what Prudence would probably just refer to as "a normal day"! It had been incredible!
But it did all have to come to an end as well; C.C. knew she couldn't let herself get over excited or carried away by something that had, in reality, been quite a small joke in the grand scheme of things. Especially not in front of Prince Niles! What kind of manners would she seem to have if she kept it up for too long?
Her mother would think it completely unladylike…
Even just thinking of her mother, and what she'd think of it, slowed C.C.'s laughter so that it died away in quiet, half-hearted giggles. The prince, perhaps now realising that his own fits of laughter had been a bad idea for his ailing ribs, joined her in the peace of the moment. All while rubbing at his side as much as he could bear.
"Well," he began. "I'd say we just completed…a rather Herculean task. Slaying a Hydra, and all that…"
A chuckle made its way back up C.C.'s throat, but it never made it out as anything louder than a soft huff through her nose. They – well, he basically – had slayed a monster, as much as it seemed simply like a particularly Prince Niles-ish insult to throw out when the moment called for it. He'd cut the head off by telling Prudence that they'd know if…if certain rumours ever started circulating the palace. He'd had her right where he wanted her, so now she couldn't do anything at all. No one else would be any the wiser, either.
C.C. felt the weight lift from her heart. It really was all thanks to Prince Niles and his quick thinking that she still had her job, her home, her reputation…
"I'd hardly say 'we', sir," she smiled wanly. "I didn't exactly lend any kind of real support in the conversation…!"
That had been the absolute truth. What had she done, apart from allow him to take her breakfast order? Stared at Prudence, perhaps? Shifted about in her seat because she'd been getting pins and needles?
The prince scoffed good-naturedly in return, "It was a team effort, my lady! If you had not mentioned your, um…discomfort…to me, then I never would have been able to…to step in…"
"Still," C.C. felt like she might not have been making herself overly clear. "I really must thank you for it, sir. You were never obliged to help, even if I did appear uncomfortable."
For a split second, she thought the prince had pulled a face which suggested he didn't share her sentiment. But it was gone before she could confirm – perhaps with his next thought.
He shook his head minutely at her, "Think nothing of it, my lady. I am just…glad that this could spell the end of Prudence's open animosity. Maybe she will never bother you again…?"
C.C. could only feel as hopeful as Niles sounded. She wanted to believe it would be true, but she also knew Prudence. Or, at the very least, knew enough about her to know that she didn't suffer the people she considered to be fools gladly. And she considered a lot of people to be fools. The ones she didn't consider fools, she instead often considered to be sinful, lazy, or unpleasant in various other ways. She didn't hold back in showing them however she could, either. So even if the rumour mill had halted production, Prudence would be thinking of something else.
The worry of it must've been showing through on C.C.'s face, too, because she was snapped out of her thoughts by Prince Niles.
"She'll certainly think twice…about starting unfounded rumours," the prince continued, a mischievous grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Did you see her face when…when I told her to fetch your pastries? And more tea?"
C.C. had seen, and an echo of the laughter she'd experienced watching the maid storm out of the room came back to her chest. Niles was right; this sort of shame would put Prudence off trying to start rumours about her!
Which, she did have to admit, was better than nothing at all. And it was one of the greatest weapons in Prudence's arsenal that they'd be cutting off, too, so perhaps the rest wouldn't be so bad? If she couldn't tell anybody, she could only silently fume over it, maybe occasionally administering a glare or two, when she could get away with looking quite so much like thunder…
Even the very image nearly made the lady-in-waiting release the laugh she was holding.
"I've seen people chewing on lemon slices who looked happier and more comfortable than Prudence did…!"
Niles dissolving into laughter through a mouthful of cheese set the wheel in motion again, and soon C.C. found herself back to guffawing in full. Not just one single peal that she'd held onto from a memory of something funny, either, but wholeheartedly enjoying herself and throwing all caution to the wind about what society would find "proper". Enjoying the company and the conversation, which returned to them as they went back to the rest of their meal.
She actually had an appetite, now that the circumstances with Prudence were settled. C.C. even thought, perhaps a little bit cheekily, that she'd have plenty of room for the pastries the maid was supposed to be bringing up for her!
For now, though, she could forget about Prudence entirely. Prince Niles could think of far more interesting topics to discuss than that, and she wanted to afford him the opportunity while it was just the two of them.
She liked it, when it was just the two of them. She liked him, as funny or odd as that might have seemed considering the way things had started off between them. But he had made up for it. Bettered himself, and had made things better for those around him. These days, spending time with him didn't feel awkward, or uncomfortable, or forced. It was nice, and it gave her some peace away from the rest of the palace and her other duties. It gave her another person to talk to.
It might not have seemed proper to some, but honestly, who cared? They weren't going to go any further than where they currently were, so why did it matter if they had breakfast or tea or any other meal together?
Some people were just like Prudence, really, even if they pretended not to be. They couldn't keep themselves out of it if some scenario so much as hinted at a scandal!
Fortunately, that whole world had to be behind them now, didn't it? At least for a large, maid-shaped part. The rumours would have to at least subside without Prudence's hand (or voice) in them getting around. And then C.C. could actually relax and enjoy the free time she had with Prince Niles, eating and chatting like any other two free people without any awful hearsay attached to any of it.
Just like they were doing that morning. And as much as it was nice to be able to have a friendly talk and share good food, she knew she was honestly relieved that none of it would ever go further than that.
After this business with Prince Niles and his ribs in his drunken state, she wasn't sure she could ever abide an alternative!