Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 315: Violet: No Emotion

31 July, 1353. Magdaline Castle, Islia.

Violet and two of her ladies-in-waiting were headed towards the training grounds. She could feel the sun beating down on her, making her start to sweat in her black dress.

This whole summer will have to be spent in dark, drab clothes, she sighed. Why couldn’t Johan have been more considerate and waited until autumn was upon them before plunging the court into months of mourning?

His lavish funeral had been two days earlier. A somber procession that had lasted for hours and ended with a mass. Violet felt like she’d smelled enough incense and seen enough black silk and satin to last her for three lifetimes.

She also hadn’t failed to notice all the dry eyes in the chapel that day. Apart from his grieving elder brother, who would really be missing Prince Johan? Even the queen had been hard pressed to look the least bit sad.

Magdaline had become a joyless place, without music or evening entertainments. Courtiers drifted around like shadows, too timid to even speak above a whisper.

Violet wanted to take her little family and get away for a while, perhaps by travelling to one of Leo’s estates on the eastern coast for a few weeks. She knew it was unlikely he’d be granted permission to leave court, but perhaps she could go alone with the children for a fortnight or so?

She could see Leo up ahead now. He was near the row of archery butts and talking to someone. It was only as Violet drew closer that she realised the person next to him was Prince William.

Leo said something to the youth that made him nod briefly. He then smiled and gave him a rather stilted pat on the shoulder before turning away. Seeing Violet on the sidelines, he walked towards her.

"Is everything alright, husband?" she asked when he approached. "What are you doing here?"

"Target practice."

"It seems odd that it’s just the two of you. Why aren’t any of the other princes or knights with you?"

"Will was already alone here. I’ve been keeping him company for a bit. Mother has been asking me to spend some time with him." he explained. "He has her very worried."

"Why is she worried?"

"Oh, I don’t know, wife. Perhaps because he’s little more than a child and finds himself completely orphaned? That might have something to do with it?" Leo said sarcastically.

"For heaven’s sake, I realise he’s lost his father! I’m not deaf or blind! If it were anyone else, I’d understand why they’d be grieving." Violet dropped her voice. "But there was no love lost between this father and son. Do you really think William is very upset?"

"Honestly? Probably not. The only things that have really changed for him are that he’s enduring less blows and now has an enormous fortune at his disposal." Leo sounded envious of his young cousin for already coming into his inheritance. "But I promised Mother I’d speak with him and so I have. He told me he’s perfectly fine."

"And you believe him?"

Leo scratched the back of his head. "I think so. The lad’s never been one for talking much, now he talks even less. He says he just wants to be left undisturbed."

One of the pages approached and called out to Leo, saying the king was requesting his presence. He brushed down the front of his tunic and sighed.

"Be glad he’s asking for you." Violet advised. "The king leans on you now and seeks your help. That’s what you want, isn’t it?"

"I suppose, yes." Leo didn’t look wholly convinced. He told Violet he’d see her for dinner and started walking away.

Typical Leo, she thought ruefully. He wants the glory and attention that comes with being the king’s closest confidant but without having to do the actual work. He’s lazy, whereas Johan was a workhorse when his king needed him to be.

Even once her husband had left, Violet remained near the archery butts, her ladies hovering a little behind her. She watched as William would release half a dozen arrows, walk to retrieve them from the target and start all over again. The repetitive motion of the arrows cutting through the air was hypnotic to watch.

Violet wasn’t sure the lad even knew she’d stayed behind to watch. Maybe he thought he was alone again. Should she say something to him? Was it rude to stay quiet when everyone knew he’d suffered a bereavement?

How did one speak to a child without talking down to him?

Violet slowly walked closer, until she was in his line of sight. She saw William turn his head slightly towards her, then shift his attention back to his target as he released an arrow.

"Your Highness." he muttered flatly as he started to line up another arrow.

"William." she replied, then found herself lost for words.

The lad didn’t act troubled by her silence. He just continued aiming arrow after arrow. When his quiver was empty, he walked towards the target again.

Violet followed with her gaze and was quite shocked when she saw almost all the arrows were clustered within the bullseye. She had no idea the youth was such a talented archer.

"Impressive. How did you become so good with the bow?" she finally asked.

"I was taught a trick as a boy to improve my aim, and I never forgot it."

"Did your father teach you this trick?"

William snorted. "No. What a ridiculous thought. That man would’ve been more likely to aim an arrow through my skull than agree to teach me anything."

As he walked back to his original position, arrows clutched in hand, Violet looked at him, all slim frame and tousled hair. Unlike most fair haired men, the black of his tunic flattered his colouring, making his jade coloured eyes more striking.

When had he grown as tall as her?

His face was devoid of any emotion, his eyes hard and unreadable. It was unsettling to see such a blank mask on a youth. Violet remembered when she’d first met William years ago, he’d been much smaller. At their very first encounter, she’d seen him get cuffed by Johan. The little boy had picked himself up stoically from the ground and refused to cry.

"I’m sorry about your father’s passing." she finally said lamely.

"Are you? Why is that?" William looked at her curiously.

"Well, because it’s a tragedy when someone in the prime of his life just dies without warning. Wouldn’t you agree?"

"Not if they’re a soulless bastard, then no. I wouldn’t describe it as a tragedy." he turned to face the target again, frowned and began tightening the string of his bow.

Violet gaped at him. What kind of child talked that way about the newly deceased?

William glanced up at her and smirked. When he did, he looked eerily like Johan. "Don’t look so scandalised, Princess. I prefer to speak plainly than go along with a comfortable lie. My father was no father to me. I don’t grieve his loss. I only wish he’d died sooner."

"William!" Even Violet was shocked.

"What?" he raised one shoulder, bemused. "The most inconvenient thing was worrying whether my uncle would lash out at the Moraigthians and accuse them of having something to do with Father’s death. I’ve heard others in the castle whispering the northerners must be behind all this."

"And do you think they are?"

"Not that I could see. If they did poison Father though, I should really send their king a letter to convey my gratitude." William chuckled, then grimaced. "Don’t tell my uncle I said that! I know he loved Father dearly, and he was the only person who did."

"What was the Moraigthian court like?" Violet just had to ask. "Is it primitive and barbarian, like everyone says?"

William shook his head. "Port Canfirth Palace is every bit as grand as our court. I prefer the food here though, because King Kenneth seems fond of greasy meat for every meal."

"What did you think of their king?" Violet wondered if he shared Duke Robert’s good looks.

"Unpleasant brute, drinks a lot, almost always in a bad mood. His wife was a bitch too." William went back to firing arrows, as if he were bored of the conversation.

"If the negotiations went so badly between the two sides, how come there’s been no threat of conflict from the Moraigthians so far?"

William stared at her from the corner of his eye. "I never said they went badly. Quite the opposite. Father ended up getting along rather warmly with King Kenneth. Takes a bastard to charm and befriend another bastard, I guess."

"But with your father now gone, any accords signed between the two men might be difficult to enforce." Violet said with a frown.

"Nothing was agreed between them that I know of." the lad replied smoothly, his eyes shifting away. "Nothing at all."