Bash returned Nocturn to his stall as the sun rose above the horizon. It was something so ordinary to him before, but he found himself thinking back on that first sunset they watched together. Now, every sunset and sunrise gave him pause to ponder the other moments in life he'd always dismissed as mundane. He smiled to himself as he took out the ring box to look at it one last time before heading inside.
"He'll be back any day now," Nostradamus reassured Mona as she glumly stirred the last batch of the evening.
"I know," she sighed.
"Do you want to leave early today?"
"No, it's better to be busy. It keeps my mind off of missing him so much."
"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm home," Bash smiled at her from the doorway. Mona's face lit up as she dropped the spoon to run towards him, pulling him into an embrace. He held her, resting his head upon hers. She pulled away to look back at the physician.
"Nostradamus, can I-"
"The offer still stands," he waived them off with a smile.
"Thank you," she squealed.
"Come on, I'll walk you to your chambers."
"So, how was the visit with your mother?" she asked, walking beside him, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
"It went quite well, I'd say."
"What's she like?"
"That depends upon who you ask," he countered, glad she hadn't pressed him further on the visit itself. "If you ask me, she's kind, loving, and warm."
"And if I asked someone else?"
"Beautiful and not to be crossed."
"So, she fits in well at French court then."
He laughed. "I believe that's the most diplomatic way I've heard it put, but yes, she does."
"Bash," she furrowed her brows as he turned right instead of left. "You're going the wrong way. My chambers are this way."
"I know a better way to get there," he assured her. "Do you trust me?"
She nodded hesitantly before following him. He continued down the hall, making a few more turns in areas unfamiliar to her.
"Bash, where are we?"
"Your chambers," he stated, opening one of the two large oak double doors. She gasped as she entered, seeing all of her belongings, but the room was much more lavish than what she was accustomed to. Heavy drapes hung upon the window rather than the ratty sheet she had installed to block the sun's harsh beams. The furniture was detailed and of fine craftsmanship. As she drew closer to the canopy bed, she paused, seeing a small jewelry box.
"Bash, I'm not sure what's going on but that's not-" she turned around to face him, gasping when she saw him down on one knee.
"It is, if you'll have me," he gazed up at her, waiting for her to remember how to speak. She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes as she reached for him. He stood, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her as he wiped her tears from her face. "Well," he chuckled, "it seems as though I've already broken a promise to your brother. I told him I'd never make you cry again."
"I think he'll make an exception," she laughed, sniffling. "So, that's the ring?" she gestured towards the box on the bed.
He nodded. "It was my mother's. We'll have to get it changed to a new band," he pulled apart from her to retrieve the box. "However, you can wear it like this until I've found a suitable craftsman," he pulled the ring from the cushion it sat upon, a leather chord unraveling from beneath.
"It's beautiful," she gasped. "So, your father gave permission?"
"Leith as well."
She pulled her hair to the side, bowing her head. He slid the chord over, kissing her hair. She beamed, gently touching the ring as it rested on her chest. "It's really happening," she said aloud in disbelief.
"It is. I love you and I wish to spend the rest of my days with you, whether that be at French court or on a farm in the middle of nowhere, bothered by no one."
She caressed his cheek, her eyes beginning to tear up all over again. "I love you too," she managed to blubber out.
Bash headed back to his chambers a while later, assuring her he'd be just down the hall if she needed him. Mona found her new chambers to be a bit too large for comfort. The unfamiliar shadows the moonlight cast on the floor made her nervous. The echo of every noise in the castle ringing throughout her room made her jumpy. Eventually, she settled into the comfortable sheets, falling asleep with Bashes ring clutched in her hand.
The next morning, she awoke with a start, realizing she'd slept far later than intended. She scrambled to the wardrobe, fishing out her dress amongst those of brightly-colored silks. It puzzled her as to who they belonged to or why they were mixed with her own, but she dismissed it as a matter to ask her fiance about later. Fiance. She smiled at the word, sliding the necklace back on for the day. Focus! She scolded herself mentally as she pulled out a work dress, pulling it on as quickly as she could manage. She slipped her shoes on, then bolted out the door, fussing with her stay as she went.
"Good afternoon," Nostradamus greeted her, chuckling.
Mona scrambled in, practically vomiting words from her mouth in rapid succession. "I am so very sorry! I'm never late like this, I promise. Bash moved me from the east side of the castle to the west last night, so the sun didn't wake me and-"
He laughed, holding up his hands. "Slow down! Being late just once isn't the end of the world. Now, what happened? Remember to breathe."
She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking slower. "Bash has asked me to marry him," she began, "so he moved my belongings to a room in the east wing of the castle. The servant's quarters are in the west. I wake up when the sun hits my face in the morning to let me know it's time for work. The sun rises in the east, so I overslept. I am very sorry for my lateness."
Her teacher blinked for a moment, processing all she'd said. "Firstly, congratulations."
She beamed, pulling out the ring to show him. "It was his mother's. He proposed last night. He must've had everything moved to the new chambers while I was here yesterday."
"It's beautiful and I'm happy for you. Secondly," he continued, " you realize that as the betrothed of a prince, bastard prince or not, you're no longer expected to work. He moved you into the west wing as you will someday marry into the royal family."
She stood there in stunned silence for a moment. "I suppose I didn't think about that...I don't want to stop learning though," she looked at him, sadness filling her eyes.
"You don't have to stop learning," he reassured her. "If anything, it'll be encouraged that you continue studies of all kinds, as a lady of the French court. You can come and go as you please or we can schedule time in the afternoons. You'll be able to pursue it at your leisure rather than for the sake of money. That, my first and only pupil, is all I wanted for you."
"What do you mean?"
"Having an extra pair of hands around to collect supplies and prepare them for our many patients was a great help, but I can manage it by myself and have for many years. Your mind was wasted in the kitchen and I hated to see you, with your keen interest in the herbological arts, being squandered."
She smiled, her eyes tearing up. "Nostradamus, with eyes black as coal, yet a heart of gold lies beneath. So, I can stay?"
"Of course," he nodded. "However, I can't very well send you out on supply runs by yourself any longer."
"I'm starting to understand Bash's strong dislike of the constraints that come with being a royal," she sighed.
He snickered. "That one has always had a strong resistance to rules. The two of you appear to be the perfect match. Now, I'm guessing from your disheveled appearance, you haven't had time to eat."
"Correct," she admitted sheepishly.
"They should still be serving lunch. How about you pop down to the kitchens and get yourself something to eat?"
"Thank you. I'll be back shortly."
Mona followed the familiar passageways to the kitchens, pondering how quickly her life had changed in such a short time when she heard laughter. She followed the noise into the kitchen to find both her fiance and brother covered in flour down the fronts of their shirts.
"I have to say, I'm glad to see you two are getting along," she smirked, eyeing the duo.
"Good afternoon, sleepyhead. I'm glad to see you're up and about," Bash smiled at her then hastily dusted his clothes off.
"Did you just wake up?" Leith asked incredulously.
"Well, someone," she nodded in Bash's direction, "moved me to the west side of the castle yesterday. No sun means I sleep like the dead."
"The west side?" he furrowed his brow. "But that's where the royals- Oh!" He turned to Bash, who had a wide grin plastered on his face. "Why did you tell me?"
"I wanted to wait for her to tell you the news," he explained.
"Well, let's see it then!" Leith leaned towards her eagerly, to which she pulled the leather cord around her neck upward, popping the ring out of its secure spot between her breasts. Leith patted Bash on the back. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," she twirled slightly back and forth, giddy. "So," she gestured a pointed finger between the two of them, "what brings you down here? I mean, it's fantastic that you're spending time together, but why in the kitchens?"
"I got up to spar with Father for a bit, filled him in, then looked for you at Nostradamus's. When you weren't there and he said he hadn't seen you all morning, naturally, I came looking for you down here. After asking a maid that came to the kitchen for lunch, I realized you were still passed out and thought you'd like a little something special to eat when you finally awoke."
"You're not wrong," she chuckled self-consciously. "I ran up to Nostradamus's only for him to tell me to go get breakfast first. He's very kind. He also sort of… fired me? He said that, as your fiance, I'm no longer expected to work, but that he'll happily continue to teach me." She raised a brow, a bit confused.
"Ah," Bash nodded with understanding. "He would be correct. I suppose I should have explained when I had your belongings moved, but we were both so focused on…. Well," he gestured to her ring, "that it completely skipped my mind. You can, of course, continue to learn any subject that you wish. In fact, I'd be happy to show you the library sometime, as it will be open to you now."
"I would love that!" she bounced with excitement. "Wait, speaking of my belongings, I think some things may have gotten mixed in. There were some dresses in the wardrobe that were most definitely not mine."
"Actually, they are. As a lady of the court, you'll need to dress the part. I had them made for you while you were with Nostradamus. They used the measurements from one of your dresses to make the pattern. I hope they fit. If not, we can always have them fixed."
"Are they… comfortable?" she cringed.
Leith scoffed. "Are they comfortable, she asks. One of those dresses is probably worth more than you and I'd make in a year combined." He rolled his eyes, muttering as he pulled his and Bash's creations from the oven.
"Says the one who won't be having to wear them day in and day out," she countered.
"They're made of a soft Parisian silk. From my mother's description, they should be, yes," he assured her. "That said, I'll find you a lady's maid soon to assist you with them. They're a bit complex," he admitted.
"So complex that they require someone else to dress me," she asked skeptically, to which he nodded. "Lovely," she said with a sarcastic tone.
Leith plated the food from the ovens, looking at Bash. "What'd you say this was called again?"
"Tarte Bourdaloue," he answered. "It's an almond tart, my mother's recipe," he explained. "She used to make them every time I'd visit her at the chateau." Bash handed Mona one, watching her eyes roll back as she took a bite.
"This is amazing," she said through a mouthful of food as she held a hand in front of her mouth.
"They never did taste the same when she started having her servants make them instead," he shook his head.
"Everyone knows the secret ingredient to any good dish is a bit of love," she smiled gently, consoling him with her eyes.
Leith picked one up and took a bite, letting out a small moan of approval. "I may have to make another batch."
Bash wrapped up a few in a piece of linen. "Well, we should probably go see if those dresses fit you. I'm sure we'll find a maid along the way to assist,"
"Nostradamus will be expecting me back soon."
"He will have to wait until you're properly dressed. I'm sure he'll understand."
"Alright, alright. I thank you boys for breakfast."
"Lunch," Leith corrected her. "Sleepin' the day away, tsk tsk." He scolded her jokingly, to which she just shook her head and rolled her eyes and Bash escorted her out.