Thanks to all my readers and reviewers! Sorry it took so long to get a new chapter up for you.
A little reward for all of you, the next two chapters!
Chapter Five
"I can understand why you did not. You had the feeling that no one would believe you, even though you were telling the truth," Queen Marie said.
Jacqueline nodded before King Francis spoke. "Thank you, Mademoiselle de Ghent. We now have enough knowledge of the situation to understand who Danielle de Barbarac is and why she did what she did. It also shows us the fact that your mother needs to be punished for how she treated her stepchild, the actual owner of the Manoir de Barbarac. Of course, we shall wait to punish Rodmilla until Danielle recovers," he said.
"The doctor told us that it would be a while before she would even wake up, if ever. The injuries she sustained the night of the masque were quite serious. The doctor warned us that if she does recover, that she may have amnesia," Cecelia said.
"Danielle is stubborn. She will recover and will remember, especially with his highness by her side," Jacqueline said.
"I hope that you are right. It would be a shame if she didn't recover and didn't get to see her stepmother punished for how she treated her stepchild," Cecelia said.
"And her one stepsister as well. Marguerite deserves to be punished as well for how she treated Danielle," Jacqueline said.
"We already have an idea for Marguerite's punishment. We thought that Marguerite would make a good servant to Danielle when she awakens," Anthony said.
Jacqueline laughed at the thought of Marguerite as a servant girl to Danielle. "A definite switch in roles would be nice for Danielle and very humorous as well. Can you imagine my sister Marguerite as a servant?" Jacqueline asked with a laugh.
Chuckles came from around the room at that thought.
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Marguerite de Ghent was worried. It had been several hours since the royal wedding came apart and she had not seen her sister or his highness since. By now she had expected the prince would have come and claim her for his bride. And plus Danielle had gone missing.
She had never admitted it to anyone, but she was truly concerned for Danielle. She loved her sister, but hid the love behind a wall of false contempt and jealousy.
She hated it every single time when Danielle was harshly punished. She cringed every time her stepsister was lashed and she knew the last one, the day before the masque, was the worst one that Rodmilla had ever given.
She walked in the overgrown gardens of the manor toward an old green house. She came out here every time that her mother got on her nerves or worried her after one of her tirades on Danielle.. She came out here to think, to have some privacy when she needed it.
No one, not even the servants, knew she came here. This was her secret and no one else was allowed out here anyway.
She opened the door and walked inside and turned toward a wall of glass. She sat down before it and sighed. Her thoughts were so jumbled, but her major thought was her stepsister. She was so worried about her. She had been missing for over a week. Not that she would've seen her for too long after the masque, because her mother had sold her to LePieu.
Marguerite jumped up as a thought struck her. She should go to the palace and tell the truth about who Danielle truly was and take the punishment that his highness would think was appropriate.
She left the greenhouse and headed for the stables and swiftly saddled her horse. She rode off to the palace, determined to tell the king the truth about everything.
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Nightfall had come by the time Marguerite arrived outside the Chateau de Valle. She could see the royal carriage waiting outside and knew that their majesties were still inside.
She was helped off her horse by a servant and was quickly taken to the parlor where the Duke and King Francis still remained. Marie had joined her son and Jacqueline in Danielle's room and Cecelia and Marcus had gone to see about supper.
"Your majesty, Duke de Valle, I come before you not as a noblewoman, but as a person who deserves to die for how I treated my stepsister, as well as for not stopping how my mother treated her," Marguerite spoke humbly from where she had knelt before the two men.
Both men were shocked at Marguerite. Neither one ever expected that Marguerite de Ghent would ever admit her guilt in such a humble way.
"Lady de Ghent, your punishment has not been decided yet. But a consideration for leniency may be given if you can give us evidence against your mother," King Francis told her.
Marguerite nodded and proceeded to tell the duke and the king everything she knew about her mother's plans.