Chapter 11: Deceptive

7 hours later 

In Gabrielle's room Josephine stood happily pacing back and forth, while Gabrielle sat on her bed watching her.

"Did you see Hattie's face when you told His Majesty that you were the one who made the dish," Josephine chortled, stopping in her tracks, "I can't believe she actually took credit for that dish. She knows His Majesty hates bell peppers and everyone in the castle knows she would never step one foot in the kitchen unless she were forced to. Yet she honestly wanted us to believe she cooked a dish that actually tasted good. I can't believe it." 

"Did you see how Ansel finished 7 bowls of my soup," Gabrielle swooned, laying back in her bed, "I can't believe he ate so much. I can't believe he liked my cooking so much that he ate until he couldn't anymore." 

"You have to be quite the cook to get His Majesty to eat bell peppers. He hates them so much that he banned anyone from making him a dish with them in it,"  Josephine praised, walking over to Gabrielle. 

"I just can't believe how much he liked it," Gabrille breathed. 

"Yeah he sure did like it huh," Josephine muttered. She looked down, her mind being taken away in thought. 

"Maybe I should cook for His Majesty more often," Gabrille smiled, sitting up in her bed.

She looked up at Gabrielle, her mind still deep in thought, "You know, it's kind of funny that a servant told you to make His Majesty a bell pepper based dish when everyone knows how much His Majesty hates bell peppers. I mean even new servants learn that in training before being able to start working here. His Majesty hates bell pepper so much that he made it a requirement that everyone who has anything to do with his food knows his disdain for bell pepper."

"Yeah, it is kind of weird how much emphasis that servant put on me making a bell pepper dish," Gaberille agreed, replaying her thoughts, "It's almost as if it were a set up." 

Josephine's eyes widened as realization hit her. "Because it was," She blurted, turning her gaze towards Gabrielle. 

"A set up," Gabrielle repeated, disbelief filling her mind, "Why would a servant man who doesn't even know me want to set me up."

"Not the servant, Hattie," Josephine asserted, sitting next to Gabrielle, "I mean think about it. A random servant man, 'Accidentally,' bumps into you dropping His Majesty's lunch. Then when you offer to make His Majesty's lunch again the servant  emphasizes that His Majesty likes bell peppers and to make him a dish with a lot of bell pepper knowing His Majesty hates bell pepper. Then there just so happens to be a whole bunch of bell peppers in the kitchen, which has never happened before. Then he's so eager to give His Majesty the dish knowing that it's a dish he'll more then likely hate and then Hattie just so happens to be there. Then when she finds out His Majesty likes the dish she proceeds to try to take credit for a dish we all know she didn't make. She had to have set this up."

"You really think she would stoop so low," Gabrielle doubted, looking at Josephine. 

"I know so," Josephine insisted, giving a warning, "Lady Hattie is madly in love with His Majesty despite his constant rejections. She would stop at nothing to be his wife. Now, because he is infatuated with you, in her mind, you are the reason she can't have him. I would watch my back around her. I've seen her do some dirty tricks to get her way." 

Gabrielle nodded, holding on to Josephine's words. 

Knock, knock, knock 

"Milady, may I come in," Cobsworth called out, standing behind Gabrielle's closed bedroom door. 

"Yes, come in," Gabrielle responded, looking towards her bedroom door. 

The door to the room swung open and Cobsworth entered, holding a floor length dress in his hands.

The dress was light yellow and had a sheer white tulle overlay. On the tulle were encrusted diamonds in the shape of flowers that beautifully shimmered in the light. The sleeves of the dress cut off around the shoulders and the dress had a boat neckline. 

Gabrielle placed her hand on the dress looking at it in admiration. 

"Oh Cobsworth. It's beautiful," She gasped, marveling at the dress. 

"His Majesty had this dress specially made just for you and sent me out to make sure it was made properly," Cobsworth smiled, walking the dress over to her. 

"Look at that," Josephine cheered, "His Majesty really, really loves you Milady. This dress is stunning." 

'He had it made just for me,' Gabrielle thought, swooning over the dress. 

"You have to try it on. His Majesty is probably dying to see you in this,"  Josephine gushed. 

"Lets do it," Gabrielle grinned looking towards Josephine. 

"I'll inform His Majesty, he'll want to see you right away,"  Cobsworth stated, handing the dress over to Josephine. 

He left the room, closing the door behind him. 

"Let's get you ready," Josephine brust, "I'm so excited." 

An hour passed and Jospehine helped dress Gabrielle, putting diamond flower clips throughout her long vintage wave styled hair.

"How do I look," Gabrielle asked, biting on to her lip.

She tugged Gabrielle's hand, bringing her in front of a mirror. "You look beautiful," Josephine exclaimed, "His Majesty will not be able to keep his eyes off of you. You are the distraction of a century. Truly so beautiful Milady. I can't wait until he sees you and make sure you give me all the details after because I have to know what he says." 

Gabrielle looked towards her, rolling her eyes with a brightened smile on her face. 

"Oh come on I'm your best friend now," Josephine declared, holding on to Gabrielle's arm, "And best friends tell each other everything." 

"Since when did I declare that you were my best friend,"  Gabrielle bantered, looking at herself in the mirror. 

"Well I… I… I hope we could be at least friends,"  Josephine muttered, looking down.

Gabrielle grabbed Josephine's shoulders, pulling her into a side hug, "Of course we're best friends," She comforted, watching as Josephine looked up at her, "Who else am I going to share my mushy feelings towards His Majesty with." 

"Me and only me," Josephine cheered, given a big smile, "And don't you forget I take place as best friend number 1." 

"Always," Gabrielle chuckled, leaving the room. 

In the hallways Gabrielle walked, pulling the skirt on her dress, and watching it gracefully fall back down at her side. 

'Ansel had the most beautiful dress made for me… I can't believe he actually had thus made for me,' 

THUD 

Gabrielle bumped into a guard.

"I'm sorry," She apologized, "I really have to watch where I'm going." 

"It's no problem," The guard reassured, bowing. Looking up at her with a devious smirk. 

She looked down, sweeping her hair behind her ear, "I have to get going now,"  She said, getting ready to leave. 

"Wait Milady,"  He insisted, pulling onto her arm, making her stop in her tracks, "His Majesty actually sent me to come and find you. He wants to speak to you right away. Come with me."

'Cobsworth must've told His Majesty…' She looked at the guard, nodding, as she followed behind him. 

In the distance Hattie and Nylah stood, watching Gabrielle follow the guard. 

"Let's go find His Majesty," Hattie smiled, "Let's see how perfect he thinks you are when he finds out that you entertain men."

Through the castle hallways the guard walked, Gabrielle following close behind him.

'Why is Ansel so far away from his usual spot,' She wondered. 

The minutes flew by and the guard walked up to a darkwood door. 

He opened the door leading Gabrielle into a bedroom.

In the bedroom was another door that was similar in color, a queen size bed that had blue sheets, a white circular rug, a window that was covered by a blue curtain, a light brown wood wardrobe, and a bookshelf full of books.  The colors of the walls were white and the floors were brown hardwood. 

"Where's Ansel," She asked, perplexed. 

SLAM

The door across the room swung open and two servant men walked out of the room, walking up to her. 

Her eyes widened as she saw the servant who tricked her from earlier. She turned around seeing the guard blocking the closed door. 

"What is the meaning of this," She shouted, with a tremble in her voice. 

"We saw the news letter," The guard laughed, pulling the letter out of his pocket, tossing it at her, "You see we want our fair share too." 

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the newsletter about her from Holden laying on the floor. 

She backed away bumping into the servants behind her. 

"You let me out of here right now," She demanded, "Ansel will have you…"

He tightly gripped her face, interrupting her mid-sentence. "Ansel won't be able to get to you before we're through," He laughed.

"And even if he does, there's 3 of us and one of you. Who do you think he's going to believe," The servant who tricked her added. 

"Now do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way," The guard taunted running his fingers through her hair, "I really hope you pick the hard way. I love a good fight."