Chapter 5

The next morning, Thérèse rose early. She had a light breakfast on her own. A servant brought jam and bread to her room. As she looked down at the platter she felt nauseous. The very thought of eating made her stomach upset. She had a constant, buzzing feeling in her abdomen. It was nearly impossible to manage. Every waking second was spent stressing about the visitors from Bayonne. It horrified yet excited her. 

After breakfast, Thérèse put on a nice red gown with white details and a white pair of high heels. She went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of finely made red lace gloves. They matched her dress perfectly. She stretched the lace over her fingers and tied the small ribbons at the edges into bows on her wrists. For a moment, she sat and watched her hands. The sunlight was seeping through her window and shining onto her dresser. The pale glimmer danced over her gloved hands. Her fingers danced gracefully in the early sun. Thérèse could almost feel it in her hands. Her fingers spun the sunlight like a quiet spider spinning a web. She heard the door open behind her, but didn't turn to see who it was. 

"They'll be here soon, miss." It was one of her handmaids. She was here to do Thérèse's hair. Her mother wanted her to look perfect to meet the visiting royal family. Silently, Thérèse moved across the room and sat on the stool the young woman had brought. Thérèse felt the handmaid start to work her hair into braids and curls on top of her head. She felt a smooth ribbon tickle her neck as it was weaved into her updo. Church bells rang in the distance, meaning the family could be seen from the church's view on the hill. Thérèse had about twenty minutes until they arrived. The handmaid was talking, but Thérèse was only hearing her voice, not her words. When her hair was done Thérèse picked up a small hand mirror from her table and started her makeup. She applied some powder to even her skin tone, a bit of blush, and color on her lips. After one last look in the mirror she took a deep breath. She placed the hand mirror back on the table and stood up from the stool. The handmaid picked it up and left quickly. 

Thérèse waited for the door to close and walked to her bed. She flopped down on it with a huff and sprawled out her arms and legs. Thérèse stared at her ceiling. She wished she could skip ahead to the family's departure. She usually enjoyed having visitors, but this time was different. She knew the family from Bayonne was visiting for more than just political and economical reasons. Her mother, always the schemer, was planning on parading her around for the family. Thérèse's mother was going to present her as the perfect wife for their son, who was undoubtedly stupid and vain. All royal men were. The Queen had been going crazy trying to push Thérèse to marriage, and this was finally a chance for her to make it happen. Thérèse wouldn't let her win. No matter how wealthy his family was. She hadn't even met the son yet, but already Thérèse knew she would hate him. As she sat there stewing, Thérèse heard footsteps approaching her room. She stood up and fixed her dress. It was probably her mother coming to fetch her and begin the charade. 

Alright. Let's get this over with. She thought. Suddenly, the door burst open. Thérèse was shocked to see Bernard stumble in, his chest heaving and hair a mess. 

"Bernard? What are you-" Thérèse's was cut short when Bernard grabbed her by the throat and pulled her so close she could feel his hot breath. 

"Why didn't you tell me about what happened in the forest? I should know about things like this! Are you stupid?" Bernard yelled. Thérèse tried to pry his fingers from her neck but he was much stronger than her. He continued his verbal assault. 

"Do you understand the consequences this will have for the kingdom? Who was the man who was killed? Who killed him? Who else was there? Did you see their faces?" 

Thérèse gave up trying to pull his hand off her neck and instead slapped him in the face. Surprised, Bernard relaxed his grip enough for Thérèse to push him backwards off of her. 

"Who told you about this?" She demanded. 

"Brigitte, who do you think?" Bernard snapped back. 

Thérèse stepped towards him and stabbed her index finger into his war medal-adorned chest. 

"I don't care who you think you are, that is my business. It does not concern you, and if I hear you speak of it again, Bernard, I swear I'll-" 

"You'll do what, my dear?" Thérèse was once again cut short, this time by her mother. Since Bernard had not closed the door, she had walked in and stood in the doorway of Thérèse's bedroom. Bernard turned away from Thérèse and bowed. 

"Nothing, Mother." Thérèse said. 

"Is there something I should be aware of?" 

"No, Mother." 

The Queen looked at Bernard, who was still bowing. 

"Straighten your back, Bernard." She commanded. Bernard stood up straight and tried to avoid her gaze. He placed a shaking hand on the hilt of his sword, which hung by his hip. 

"Is there something I should be aware of?" She asked again. Thérèse bored holes into Bernard's back with her eyes. She held her breath and glared at his shoulders. He swallowed hard. 

"No, Your Majesty. It's just a…" Bernard looked over his shoulder at Thérèse. "It's just a personal disagreement. Small, really. Nothing of concern to a woman of your status." 

The Queen nodded once. She stepped to the side of the doorway and held her arm out, gesturing for Bernard to leave the room. He walked briskly to the doorway, bowed again when he reached the queen, and closed the large doors behind him. Thérèse felt her heart start beating again. 

"You look beautiful." her mother said. "I'm sure our visitors will be very impressed." 

Thérèse gave a small smile of appreciation. Her mother rarely complimented her. Sometimes it made Thérèse uncomfortable, and she didn't know how to react. Her mother crossed the room and stroked Thérèse's cheek with the back of her hand. 

"I know you're not excited about their arrival. But this is something that needs to be done. A relationship with Bayonne will better both of our kingdoms in many ways. It's what's best for everyone." The Queen said. She had a gentle tone that bordered on loving, but was not quite affectionate enough. Thérèse bit her lip for a moment before speaking. She cleared her throat. 

"What of their son?" She asked. The Queen raised her eyebrows in surprise. 

"What of him?" she responded. Thérèse felt a bubble of rage rise up in her stomach. 

"Oh please, Mother! I know what you're up to. I know what you're doing." Thérèse felt hot tears stream down her powdered cheeks. "Please, Mother. Don't make me marry him. I will marry, I swear, but please let me choose my husband." Thérèse was pleading now. 

The Queen let out an annoyed sigh and held both her daughter's hands in hers. 

"Thérèse," she began, "stop this now. I know I've been very harsh on you lately. I'll admit, I've been quite frustrated with you. But I can't force you to do anything. You should give their son a chance. I've been told he's a charming young man, educated, entertaining. If nothing else, he'll serve as a strong ally during your rule. Please, Thérèse, don't write him off too quickly." She reached up and wiped the still flowing tears from Thérèse's cheeks. The pale blue silk of her gloves was cool on Thérèse's flushed skin. Thérèse sniffed once and nodded. 

"I'll speak to him, but I will be nothing except cordial. I will not entertain him, I will not give him any more affection than is required." Thérèse said. 

"Very well." Her mother said. "Now come. They're arriving at the gates as we speak. We must not be late." 

Thérèse and the Queen walked through the castle side by side. Thérèse could feel the energy. The air seemed to vibrate with joy and excitement. The halls were lined with lavishly dressed members of the court, waiting to catch a glimpse of the visitors. People crowded around windows, mothers feverishly tended to children, men preened and boasted of all their achievements. It made Thérèse nervous. She looked to her left, at her mother. She was always calm and composed. She carried herself so as to never give away her emotions. Something about seeing her mother like this made Thérèse feel stronger. As they stepped outside, she realized she had been clenching her teeth since they left her room. Thérèse relaxed her jaw and steeled herself. 

As Thérèse and her mother approached the gates they were joined by her advisors. Claude, of course, chose a spot directly behind Thérèse. She could hear his cane clicking on the path as they walked. Thérèse felt his beady, greedy eyes watching her every step.  Suddenly, Thérèse saw two enormous horses pulling a white carriage towards them. The beasts were moving surprisingly fast for their size. Their perfectly clean coats sparkled in the sun while their hooves thundered on the ground. 

Brigitte appeared behind Thérèse's right shoulder, next to Claude. She leaned forward to whisper. 

"I am very sorry about Bernard's actions. I didn't think he would react that way." 

Thérèse whispered back, "Do not worry, I understand how he is. But not where he is. I see you and your father, but not him?" 

"He stayed in the castle." Brigitte put her hand on Thérèse's shoulder and Thérèse turned to look at her. Brigitte nodded her head slightly towards the castle behind them. Thérèse saw Bernard in his room, watching from the window. He sat in a wooden chair, with arms crossed and a frown on his face. He had his feet propped on the window sill. Even with the distance, Thérèse could see fresh mud on his black boots. She turned back around. 

"A bit dramatic, isn't he?" Brigitte whispered. They both giggled, and received a sharp look from the Queen. Brigitte stepped back into the group with her father and the rest of the advisors. The magnificent  horses reached the gate and stopped. The driver had pulled up parallel to the gates, so that the carriage was sideways. Its door was facing Thérèse and the rest of Argence's greeting party. The carriage's driver stepped down and stood in front of the door. The castle gates swung open as he reached the ground. 

"King Charles of Bayonne, accompanied by Queen Lucie of Bayonne and Prince Henri of Bayonne." The driver announced. He pulled open the door of the carriage. The first one to exit was King Charles. He was a large man, with wide shoulders and a sharp jawline. He had a full, brown beard and bushy eyebrows. The smile lines around his mouth and deep brown eyes showed that he was an older man. He wore a simple, brown velvet jacket with silver accents, black trousers, and black shoes. The frills around his neck and wrists jostled lightly in the breeze. He turned to take the hand of Queen Lucie and help her out of the carriage. She was tall, with midnight black hair and pale skin. She had almond-shaped green eyes that glimmered like sunlight on the scales of a snake. She had small, thin lips and high cheekbones. She wore a turquoise dress with a gold belt that accentuated her small waist. A white fur stole was wrapped around her shoulders. Jewels hung from her ears and neck. Finally came Prince Henri. He descended the carriage and stood beside Queen Lucie. Henri was taller than his father and had the same build. Even under his heavy green coat, one could see that his arms and shoulders were strong. He had brown hair that was tied with a navy blue ribbon at the base of his neck. He had olive skin, a sharp nose, and the same brown eyes as his father. He smiled at the crowd and Thérèse could see he had neat, white teeth. A brown beard was starting on his face, and would undoubtedly match King Charles' in the years to come. He smoothed his white trousers as he reached the ground. He seemed perfectly handsome. The only thing that took away from his pleasant features was a long scar in the middle of his left cheek. It stretched from just below his cheek bone up to his hairline. 

Thérèse made eye contact with Henri and she realized she'd been staring at him. For a brief moment she thought she saw a startled expression on his face, but convinced herself it was just a shadow. He smiled at her and gave her a slight nod. She blushed and looked away. No more affection than necessary, that's what she told her mother. 

Queen Lucie took her husband's arm and the three of them walked through the gate to meet Thérèse and the Queen. King Charles and Prince Henri bowed deeply. Queen Lucie curtsied almost to the ground. The Queen and Thérèse did the same. 

"It truly is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. We thank you for graciously welcoming us to Argence." King Charles said. 

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to meet all of you." The Queen answered. "I hope our time together brings benefits for both of our kingdoms." 

King Henri stepped forward and got on one knee to kiss the Queen's hand. He stood up and looked to Thérèse, giving her a respectful bow. 

"I am happy I could also meet your wonderful daughter, the beautiful Princess Thérèse." King Charles said. 

Thérèse smiled graciously and said, "It's an honor to meet you as well, Your Highness." 

Prince Henri had been standing with his hands folded behind his back. When his father was done speaking, he stepped forward and took Thérèse's hand. He bowed while he planted a kiss on it. As he did, he looked up at her. Their eyes met once again. Something about his gaze gave Thérèse goosebumps. She gently pulled her hand back. He released her and did the same for her mother, but without looking up at her. 

"Shall we step inside? I can introduce you to all of my advisors there, give you a tour of the castle, and then we'll feast on the wonderful dinner our chefs have prepared." the Queen said. 

"That sounds perfect." Queen Lucie replied with a slight smile. As the party turned to go inside, Thérèse looked at Bernard's window again. His chair was in the same position in front of the window. Bernard was gone. His crimson curtains billowed outwards in the winter wind. 

—

Once everyone was back in the castle, the Queen took the visitors to meet her advisors. Thérèse and Brigitte were excused. They went to Brigitte's room. It had red wallpaper and furniture made of cherry wood. It was smaller than Thérèse's, but still comfortable. There were paintings of flowers on the walls  and various sewing projects scattered about. Thérèse stripped off her dress and sat on Brigitte's bed in her bodice and stockings. 

"Don't let your mother see you like that with the King and Prince here." Brigitte joked. Thérèse rolled her eyes. 

"I bet you'd be more than willing to let Prince Henri see you like this." Thérèse jeered. She said "Prince Henri" in a high, whiney voice. Both of them broke into laughter. 

"No, no. Prince Henri is yours. All of the women in the castle know it." Brigitte said. 

"What do you mean?" Thérèse asked. Brigitte sat on the other side of the bed. They laid next to each other on their backs, looking at the ceiling. Thérèse crossed her arms over her stomach. Brigitte kicked off her shoes and propped her feet up on one of the round bedposts. 

"Oh please, no one else would even think to look at him with you around. Whether you like it or not, you'll have Prince Henri all to yourself." 

Thérèse snorted. 

"There will be nothing between Henri and me. It's nothing but my mother's foolish fantasy." Thérèse said. 

"I wouldn't give up on him too fast." Brigitte said reproachfully. "Based on what I've heard, I think you two might be a good match. I've been told he enjoys literature and the arts like you. He's smart as a whip and has been known to entertain guests with his wit." 

Thérèse laughed. "We'll see." she said. "Although with how you were looking at him, his wit is probably the last thing you were thinking about." Thérèse rolled away from the pillow Brigitte playfully swung at her. 

"I am engaged, you seem to forget." Brigitte said.

"I know, I know. Anyway, I should go and get ready for dinner." Thérèse said in between laughs. 

"Dinner isn't for a few hours yet!" Brigitte protested. 

"I know, but I want to rest and spend some time in the library before tonight. I'll see you later." Thérèse pulled her dress back on and walked back to her room. Once there, she changed into a dressing gown and undid her hair. She locked her door, climbed into bed, and laid down to rest.

When she woke, Thérèse felt refreshed. The initial anxieties she'd had about the visitors coming had eased. She guessed it had been about three hours. Meeting all of the advisors would have taken some time, but probably were finished. The family would most likelt be getting a tour of the castle by now. She had an hour and a half until dinner. Thérèse rose from her bed and put on her simple brown dress and cream cloak. A wintry chill had crept into the castle while she slept. She slid her feet into her shoes and began her walk to the library. She made sure to take the back hallways until she reached the staircase by the servants' quarters. She wouldn't want to run into her mother dressed like this. Her long brown hair tumbled down over her shoulders as she walked. 

She took the steps down into the library slowly. The library brought her a sort of peace, one that she couldn't describe to anyone else, a feeling that only she understood. Thérèse took her shoes off and left them by the fireplace, like always. The book she'd been reading last time she was there was still sitting on a couch towards the back of the room. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, wishing more than ever that the fireplace worked. It was dark and cold. Only one of the torches on the walls was still burning. Thérèse took it from its place on the wall and used it to light the rest of the torches in the room. As she was carefully putting it back she heard one of the stairs creak. Thérèse froze. Adrenaline surged through her veins. 

No one ever comes down here. Who could that be? Is it Bernard, back to interrogate me? 

A pair of black shoes appeared, followed by white trousers and a green jacket. It was Prince Henri.

"Princess Thérèse." He said. He folded his hands behind his back and once again bowed. Thérèse gave a quick and awkward curtsy. She was annoyed he was here. She didn't like her personal time being interrupted. That's why she took most of it in the library. He was intruding in her sacred space. 

"Forgive my boldness Prince Henri, but shouldn't you be touring the castle with the others?" Thérèse asked. Henri smirked. 

"Our tour didn't take as long as your mother expected. My parents went back to their chambers to rest before dinner. When I was told there was a library I wanted to explore and find it myself. Your mother mentioned that it was hidden away, so it's taken me a bit of time to find it." Henri leaned in closer to her. "I'm very glad I did." He said with a wink. Henri started to walk around the room. He dragged his fingertips along the spines of the books, reading their titles as he went. Thérèse could see a large gold ring with a purple stone on his right middle finger. 

"Well, it is nice to have someone else here. Sadly, this library is not frequented enough by the inhabitants of Argence." Thérèse said. She started to follow his path around the room. 

"A shame that befalls many libraries." Henri answered. He spotted Thérèse's book sitting on the couch. He walked over and picked it up. 

"Voltaire." he said. He caressed the cover with his hand and looked up at her.

  "A fine author. He's very talented." Henri opened to wear Thérèse had left off and started to thumb through the book. Thérèse stepped forward and snatched the book out of his hands. He jumped at the sudden action. She wrapped both her arms around the book, pulling it towards her midsection. 

"Forgive me, Prince Henri, but I don't want to lose my place in my reading." She turned to the correct page and again marked where she had last stopped. 

"My apologies." Henri said. 

Thérèse turned away from him and went to put the book back on the shelf. As she did, she could feel Henri's eyes watching her. She couldn't decide whether or not she liked it. 

"Are there a lot of libraries in Bayonne?" she asked. In all truth, she didn't care. Thérèse just wanted to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the room. She turned back towards him to hear his answer. 

"Yes, quite a few. The biggest one is in the center of the kingdom, next to the chapel." Henri replied. 

"Your castle is not the center of your kingdom?" Thérèse asked, confused. 

"No, in Bayonne it is our chapel. While our castle is beautiful and very well built, the chapel is the most important part of Bayonne for most of our people. One thing we lack, though, is the forest that you have here in Argence. Bayonne is bordered by the sea. We're not lucky enough to have the glorious nature that you have here." 

Thérèse smiled. 

"Yes, the woods are wonderful. I've gone on many great adventures there. It's especially nice in the summer. Right now there's not much to see, everything is frozen or…dead." Thérèse said. She thought for a moment about the stranger's body laying below her favorite spot. 

"Well, maybe you could give me a tour later? I've had my horse brought with us, we could take a ride together tonight. Would you want to go after dinner?" Prince Henri asked. 

Thérèse stuttered a bit. 

"I…er…possibly. Like I said, there's not much to see." she said hesitantly. She was suspicious of how bold and outgoing this new man was. 

"Not to worry, Princess." Henri said. He took a step towards her so that she was nearly pinned against the bookshelf. "There is beauty to be found everywhere. Plus, dead things have never scared me." He turned and started walking towards the stairs again. As he placed his foot on the bottom stair he turned back to Thérèse. 

"I should get ready for dinner. I'll see you in a bit. I've requested to be placed next to you." Before Thérèse could answer, Henri was up the stairs and gone. She sighed and leaned against the shelf. 

"I just hope the meal is good enough to make all this drama worth it." she said aloud.