Chapter 22
Ruth only had one thing in particular on her mind; getting to the bottom of the underhanded activities she could feel practically permeating the walls of the palace. She didn't even care that no one else seemed to think anything was wrong – all those idiots, both upstairs and down, might have just been going about their daily routines, but she wasn't about to just let it pass.
Especially not when it very obviously involved that bastard of a prince (who hadn't so much as looked at her nicely in months) and the Babcock slut.
She hadn't thought like this at first. It had taken some careful thinking. Before, when she'd first heard that the prince had finally taken the girl and bagged his latest prize, the only thing she could think about was the burning rage and envy of having been displaced as the prince's favourite toy to play with.
And it had been quickly made obvious that she'd been displaced. Replaced, quite frankly – she hadn't once been called for since the new little whore had opened her legs!
It would have bothered Ruth a lot less, had the slut not been allowed to practically live in the prince's chambers, including sleeping in them overnight. That was a privilege Ruth herself had never once been allowed. Neither had she been allowed to stop working at her day job, while the Babcock slut had apparently not been allowed to lift so much as a single fucking finger to point at a book on a shelf!
The other maids had giggled about it constantly, irritating Ruth no-end. Every day when she'd come into the kitchens, she'd had to overhear to the latest gossip and hear them all list off the newest gifts and trinkets the prince had showered on his slut; jewellery of all kinds, fine new dresses, a whole library of books...
The whore had gotten all the attention, but Ruth couldn't understand why for the life of her. What did the Babcock slut have that she didn't? Precious little, probably; the girl might've opened her legs a couple of times by then, but she was still basically a virgin. She wouldn't know her way around a man. She'd be no fun, and everybody knew that the prince was only ever in it for fun. Why would he want to waste his time when he wouldn't be getting that?
That question – along with the more comforting thought that Prince Niles would come running back when he realised his mistake – had run through her head for several days.
Until the new rumours had cropped up, that was.
The rumours had seemed like her dearest wish and dream had come true at first; the little whore hadn't been seen around the palace in days. Not eating at their table, around the corridors of the palace, or even coming or going from her new "workshop". All the others had started to suggest that Prince Niles had grown bored and dropped her, already on the hunt for his next piece of fresh meat.
But that hadn't sat well with Ruth. Being the prince's long-time favourite whore (as well as the best he'd ever have), she had been around long enough to see plenty of other, inferior sluts come and go. Prince Niles always got bored of them eventually, but he had never once demanded that they leave the palace when he was finished with them. He didn't care what they did, when they weren't on his cock. As long as they didn't bother him over things like feelings or getting another go, they weren't even worth acknowledging.
Besides, he had been spending so much time at his lodge (staying away nearly every night), Ruth had hardly thought he was around long enough to eye up any of the new maids. Even if some of them were clearly virgins and ripe for picking, just before they matured past their prime. And even if he had seen them, for some reason he seemed too caught up in his own happiness to even make so much as a casual, sexually-filled remark.
None of it had seemed to add up; the Babcock girl hadn't been around for months, ever since Prince Niles had started sleeping at his lodge practically every night, really. He hadn't taken a single maid from any part of the palace, or any visiting lady, during that time either. And to top it all, he'd still had a smile plastered on his face every day as though he were being sucked off by a thousand beautiful women every night!
She had supposed the slut could be hiding out on the prince's instruction at Amberley and doing just that, but she couldn't put her finger on why he'd bother moving her there. It wasn't as though His Royal Highness was ashamed of his carefree ways; he'd never had a problem carrying on with any amount of sluts in public – especially not when King Joseph had left him in charge.
Something wasn't right. And the prince and that little bitch were both right at the heart of whatever was going on. They had to be, and it was up to Ruth to find out what they were doing.
The only way to do that, she'd concluded, was to follow the prince, wherever he went, until he slipped up and she overheard exactly what was going on and whet he was doing with the little cow!
And that currently had her sneaking around every corner after him, staying just out of sight and silent enough to not be noticed.
He appeared to be on his way to his mother's chambers. He was more cheerful than ever, too; practically gambolling like a lamb in a pasture and humming a tune as he went...
Still, despite the sickening display of unexplained happiness coming from the prince, the corners of Ruth's mouth curved into a smirk – well, wasn't she a lucky one? There happened to be many a servant's corridor in the Queen's room, all of them perfect for eavesdropping without being seen or heard! Lucky that she knew them all, right?
Making sure not to be seen, Ruth dashed to the nearest entrance to the hidden servant's corridor and slipped inside. She had no trouble navigating it, and soon enough she was located just behind the little door that led into the queen's private tea room. She could already hear the voices of both mother and son exchanging pleasantries as they settled down to have tea.
As quiet as a mouse, Ruth unfastened the small latch on the top-left cornet and opened it just enough to be able to both hear and see what was going on inside through the crack in the door. It was the perfect vantage point – she had a clear view of the queen (who had her back turned to Ruth) and her bastard of a son, who was currently pouring two cups of tea, one for him and one for Marie. There weren't any servants in sight, either, meaning that they'd probably been sent away, which again suggested to Ruth that there was something going on the prince didn't want reaching unwanted ears.
Ha. Tough luck for him!
"Two sugars and a splash of milk, Maman," Niles said in perfect French.
"Merci, mon fils," replied the Queen, readily accepting the cup offered by her son.
Well, if Ruth had had any doubt about them being about to discuss a secret, the usage of French would have just obliterated it. Good thing that she actually knew French! Not many people knew it, but her father had been a French merchant. He'd stayed around long enough for her to learn how to speak the language before he'd upped and left for France when she'd turned six. Ruth hadn't seen him ever since.
Good riddance, if someone asked her. She didn't need some deadbeat arsehole who'd left her and her mother (alongside five other siblings) practically on the street. He could be dead for all she cared.
"How are things at the lodge, son?" Marie asked, "Is C.C. feeling better?"
Ruth had to cover her mouth not to cry out, either in triumph or shock.
So, the bitch really was at the lodge! But why was she there? What had changed that Prince Niles now needed her out there, instead of within easy reach at the palace?
Her mind immediately went to blame the slut; it made more sense than anything other explanation. Leave it to Babcock to use her non-existent charm on the prince, so he would allow her to live it up there! Her being quite obviously sick was poetic justice, in Ruth's mind. She could only hope it would last. Or prove fatal. And since when did the queen like the little slut? Hadn't she banished her from her fold for having proven to be just like the rest of the women her son had had over the years?
"Not exactly, Maman, but you shouldn't worry," said the prince, "As a matter of fact, we now know what's causing her nausea."
"You do?"
"Indeed we do," Niles replied, his stupid smile growing to extents Ruth hadn't thought possible. "Maman, my wife and I are expecting!"
The entire palace could've collapsed around Ruth then, crushing everyone inside and cementing its own reputation as yet another awful disaster that had plagued London in recent years. But she wouldn't have noticed so much as the dust starting to fall on her head as the brickwork gave out.
He'd...married the little bitch?!
Ruth had to steady herself against the wall. She couldn't believe it was true, even with the evidence burning holes in her eyes and ringing in her ears! She'd seen and heard him say it, with no hesitation! The bastard had passed her over, and he'd made the change permanent!
It felt like a slap in the face to admit it, but what else could she do?! At least it proved her right, which was all she could salvage from the seething hatred she was now currently experiencing. This was why the bitch had been getting all that special treatment – no longer being allowed to work, being given all the gifts and attention in the entire world, as well as permission to sleep in his bed at night!
She hadn't been just another mistress to him; she'd been his fiancée!
It all made sense now, but even thinking the word mounted her rage to an even greater height, until she'd soon ascended to her own plane of burning fury, storming through uncharted lands where only hatred could be found and she was transported further away from every other mortal being every time the words echoed in her head.
Wife...expecting...wife...!
The word was almost enough to make her punch or kick a hole through the door.
She could scream it out how incensed she was, even hearing it. He'd married that undeserving cow! And made her pregnant, too! He was going to spawn a child with that creature, knowingly and willingly?!
He'd not only taken the little bitch (and probably had a bad or boring time while he was at it, knowing that thing could only be a virgin), but he'd done it and made it all the way through enough times to get her pregnant?!
He'd never once even attempted to finish inside Ruth! Why the hell had he chosen that little cow, when he'd already had Ruth ready and waiting to receive whatever he could give?!
She'd suffer pregnancy a thousand times over, if it meant she'd get to be queen one day!
That was a thought that struck her like a lightning bolt – suddenly, painfully and in a flash that almost left her staggering. Unlike a lightning bolt, however, it also only served to increase her rage.
That Babcock slut was going to be Queen of England one day, and mother to the heir to the throne!
And all Ruth could do to make sure she didn't scream aloud was bite down hard on her own fist. She was probably biting hard enough to draw blood, as Marie clasped her hands together, before clutching at her chest and crying out in pure delight.
"Oh, Niles, that is wonderful!" she cried, leaping out of her seat and immediately rushing forward to bring her son into a bone-crushing embrace. "When did you find out?! How long has it been?!"
"Four months. She's well into her second trimester. We wanted to wait until the quickening of the child before telling you," Niles explained, returning his mother's hug. "Her belly is huge, Maman, it will be a big child!"
"Good. The bigger and the healthier your child is, the better. It will secure your marriage and C.C.'s position when you eventually tell your father."
Secure their marriage…? Despite her anger, Ruth couldn't help but find the Queen's words strange. What on Earth did she mean by that? Why would they have to secure their marriage before telling King Jo––
Of course!
In just a split second, the final piece of the puzzle had clicked in Ruth's head and the maid was soon smiling to herself again. Joseph didn't know Niles was married! And the only reason why they would have to hide until they could secure their marriage was because they had married without the king's blessing! It all made sense – the Babcock slut being gone from the palace, the secrecy about the pregnancy, the queen and Niles conversing in French to keep anyone from finding out about their little plan… Their marriage had clearly been celebrated behind the King's back, and almost certainly against his wishes! A strange sense of delight – no, perhaps not only delight. Maybe a sense of encouragement as well, like the kind that would strike a general at the turning point in a battle – passed through Ruth at that moment.
Joseph didn't know about them. He didn't know that his son had married his (unfortunately favourite) whore. He didn't know that the Babcock bitch was his daughter-in-law, or that she would now hold a title and new ranking position in the palace. He didn't know that he was going to be a grandfather, to a child that was already four months on in its development...
But he could. And she was sure she wouldn't be happy.
Now that she knew everything, it would be the easiest thing in the world to tell the king what was going on! She might get a reward, for such good, loyal behaviour. Even something small, like a necklace or a bracelet to replace the one the bastard prince had insisted on taking back, would be earnestly accepted. Even if it meant having him take her in every position known to man first, it would still be worth it.
There would obviously be a punishment for both that bastard of a prince and his whore, too, which would be a blessed and incredibly fun thing to either watch (again, she could eavesdrop) or hear about later when the other maids told the story and it spread around the palace. It would certainly be a delicious revenge for his slight, and for not choosing her in the first place.
He could've avoided everything, by choosing her. Love – if such a thing even really existed – would never have had to enter into the conversation.
She needed only wait until the king was back from his hunting trip.
Only a few more days, and the whore's time would be up.
Having gathered all the evidence she needed, Ruth quietly closed and latched the door. She had work to do, after all, and a perfect incentive to keep the morale up until the king was back. Soon enough, she'd be back where she belonged, and the Babcock bitch would be six feet under.
Just where she belonged.