Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 316: Violet: Tempest

13 September, 1354. Magdaline Castle, Islia.

Violet pushed away the tray of breakfast food set before her by her young maid. Though the food was all lush and well prepared, she wasn’t tempted to take even a bite.

Her latest babe was due in less than two months and her back was aching in that familiar way again. Whenever she tried to eat much, her belly would feel full after only a few mouthfuls.

Three, soon to be four children within six years of marriage. Two of them sons. Even her harshest critics couldn’t deny she’d done her duty to continue the Devon line.

Leo was certainly pleased with their growing brood, given how it spoke to his virility. Of course, it was easy to be pleased about baby after baby arriving when you weren’t the one physically carrying them.

After this child, Violet herself was hoping for at least a couple of years of rest from childbearing. She didn’t expect her husband to be terribly happy with such a request, though. Leo was a man of voracious appetites, far more that a single woman was capable of satisfying.

She’d long given up hope of being the only one he turned to for satisfaction. In fact, she didn’t really want to be. The wicked, sinfully pleasurable encounters they’d had before they married were a thing of the past. Violet could never remember her actions from back then, without guilt and intense shame.

If Leo wanted a woman to debase herself just for his viewing enjoyment, he needed to find someone else for that. Violet refused to act anymore as if she had no self respect.

There was a loud knock on the bedchamber door and a young voice sang out, "Sister! Are you awake? May I come in?"

Violet stifled a sigh and nodded to one of her maids to open the door. She sat up a little straighter on the bed, signaling for another maid to tuck a pillow behind her back.

Sancia bounded in a moment later, all swinging braids and girlish smiles. She’d arrived at the castle only the previous week, after nearly two years of begging and pleading to their parents to finally be allowed to debut at court.

Lord and Lady Thierre had kept insisting they didn’t have the funds to send her. Which was no doubt the truth.

Ah, the age old problem of having nothing but shabby rags to wear. I remember that, Violet had mused. She had felt rather sorry for Sancia, stuck in the countryside and with parents who could barely be bothered with her.

In the end, Violet had relented. After discussing it with Leo the previous spring, it was decided they would pay the costs of Sancia’s wardrobe and travel to court. She’d then sent a sum of ducats to Orravalo and informed her parents that she expected her sister to arrive at Magdaline before the end of summer.

It had been agreed she would stay on as Violet’s lady-in-waiting, given Queen Celia had no need for another attendant.

Especially not one with Thierre as their family name.

Violet watched enviously as her younger sister now bounded in, with no heavy belly to make her movements awkward. She was still clearly giddy with the excitement of finally being at court.

The first thing that struck Violet was how simple Sancia’s gown was. After years as a princess, she’d grown used to fabulous gowns elaborately stitched with pearls and lace, trimmed in exquisite furs. Her sister’s gown reminded her of the plain dresses she and Ilse had been forced to wear during their months as the queen’s ladies-in-waiting.

Sancia’s satin gown was a rich shade of pink, however. It seemed Lady Thierre no longer considered pink a harlot’s colour. The shade flattered the young woman’s fair skin and rosy cheeks.

Sancia flopped onto the bed, making Violet jolt with the bounce of the mattress.

"Sancia!" she said sharply. "Stop with the sudden movements! It hurts my back."

"Sorry." the girl grinned, not looking even a little sorry. She started swiping pieces of fruit from Violet’s untouched breakfast tray.

It wasn’t easy for Violet to reconcile the young woman in front of her with the tantrum throwing child she’d left behind in Orravalo. She could only hope Sancia had outgrown her wild, immature ways and could now be a credit to her family name.

After Ilse’s death, Violet had sworn she’d never set foot again in her childhood home. She’d managed to keep that promise to herself. But it meant that almost six years had passed since she and Sancia had laid eyes on each other again.

"How have you found your first days here? You haven’t been too overwhelmed?" Violet asked.

"No, I’ve been having the best of fun. The castle is enormous and there’s so much to see. I’ve already gotten a little lost a couple of times."

"Unfortunately, we’re off to another palace in a fortnight and it’s even bigger than this one." Violet was dreading the journey to Westerhaven when she was already so tired and uncomfortable. "But don’t just wander around alone in either place. Nothing good is ever found in the court’s dark corners."

"What can you find, then?" Sancia looked at her with interest.

"Nothing a young lady needs to see." Violet frowned.

Sancia bit into a strawberry, mumbling, "Well, it’s not like you need to look in dark corners to find handsome men. This place is full of them!" She threw Violet a sly, laughing look. "Including your husband, sister! Such a good looking man. No wonder you fought to steal him away from poor Ilse."

Violet felt her jaw drop open. The sound of her twin’s name, even after so many years, still felt like a mortal blow to her soul. Especially when spoken so callously. "It wasn’t like that at all, Sancia. Don’t speak about things you know nothing about."

"It’s what Mother said happened." Sancia shrugged and started helping herself to the grapes on the tray, wolfing them down by the handful.

"Well, Mother is quite capable of lying when it suits her." Violet shook her head in exasperation. "And slow down before you choke. You’re eating as if you’re half starved."

"I’ve never eaten such grapes before. I can’t believe how good the food is here, especially the fruit!"

In a wave of pettiness, Violet slid the tray out of Sancia’s reach. "Learn some self control. You’re supposed to be a lady, remember? If that’s how you eat in front of everyone, you’ll be a laughingstock! All they’ll talk about is how poor you must’ve been to be stuffing yourself now."

Sancia huffed as if she didn’t care. "I was poor before coming here. So were you. It’s common knowledge. Why would we try and give ourselves airs as if we came from wealth, when everyone knows we’d be lying?"

Violet clenched her teeth. If there was one thing she hated, it was being reminded of her shabby origins. It made her feel like an imposter amongst the nobility that surrounded her.

She was about to snap at the silly young girl when Leo suddenly strode inside the bedchamber. He briefly nodded at Sancia, who leapt to her feet and bowed.

"Your Grace." Violet heard her sister purr. She watched in shock as Sancia straightened and gave Leo a smile that was far too coquettish for a brother-in-marriage.

To his credit, Leo mumbled a greeting and then turned away from her, not showing even a flicker of interest.

"I’d like to nap now, sister." Violet said pointedly, suddenly. "We’ll talk another time."

"Nap? But it’s not even mid morning!"

"Well, when you know how it feels to carry a child, you can tell me whether I should or shouldn’t find this tiring." Violet replied tartly.

"And be stuck on my bed all day with nothing to do and swollen feet like you? No thank you." Sancia smoothed out her skirt. "I’m sure I can find something else to fill my day."

Leo stepped out of the dressing room once Sancia had left their apartments, doing up the buttons of a clean shirt. "Are you enjoying having your sister for company?"

"Couldn’t be happier, husband." Violet managed to grit out. With each conversation the sisters had, she was realising more and more that Sancia hadn’t changed much at all. She was still the same entitled, self absorbed child she remembered from Thierre Manor.

Leo gave her a dubious look but didn’t challenge her. "Glad to hear it."

Violet let herself fall back against the pillows. What was it about that girl that annoyed her so much? It was as if Sancia only had to utter a few words to set a match to her temper.

She half heard Leo mention he was heading to a meeting with the king’s oldest advisors and would return in the afternoon. Her mind was still mulling over Sancia.

Please don’t let me live to regret having this girl at my side, Violet prayed.