7
"Del, where were you? Mary and I probably upended half a dozen nobles looking for you."
Cecilia peered into the room she and her cousin shared and was baffled to find none of the candles were lit. The only light flooding in the room was from the night sky. Delilah was sitting on the window seat; one half of her face lit by the soft moonlight while the other half completely dark. She seemed to be staring blankly in some unidentified direction.
Delilah spent most of her nights sitting in that seat observing the serene mountainous terrain outside but tonight her demeanour was altered from the norm. Delilah was always quiet in those moments but she never lost her expressions quite like this.
Cecilia wanted to say something but the statue like countenance of her cousin frightened her. After a few false starts Cecilia finally gained the courage to open her mouth. What is it that troubles you? Cecilia wanted to say but she could only mutter something about it being so dark.
"You could have called the maids in to light the candles," Cecilia continued, trying to cover the awkward silence. Delilah continued to be oblivious to her presence. Cecilia walked in closer and finally reached close enough to touch her cousin.
"Del," She leaned in, "Delilah," she called her cousin again louder than necessary.
Delilah looked up suddenly, her gaze so focused in its intensity that Cecilia jerked back.
Delilah blinked and lost the sharpness in her look. She looked surprised that Cecilia was standing close.
"How much sherry did you drink to not notice me?" Cecilia joked as she sat down on her bed.
Delilah looked away abruptly at the mention of drinking.
"None, you know I abhor alcohol."
Cecilia chuckled as she fussed over a pin in her curled red hair. "That preference of yours I am very, very familiar with. The tongue lashing I received from you when John and I decided to steal father's port is something I shan't ever forget."
Delilah smiled back and Cecilia was relieved that the strange spell over her cousin was broken.
"Shall I call for a maid to get you out of those clothes?"
"Don't bother, I am in no mood to look at another person's face," Delilah slouched against the seat.
"I should have stolen Lady Hinderton's peacock feathered fan if I knew what mood you were in. That green would have matched with my eyes very well when I hid my face behind it," Cecilia batted her eyes at her cousin. She was hit by a cushion in return.
"Not you, silly. I don't find myself thinking charitable thoughts about the inhabitants of this palace today. The poor maid would only face unearned ire."
"Not so unearned. I can't find one of my pearl earrings and I just know the maid with the shifty eyes must have swiped them," Cecilia muttered hotly. Delilah just smiled as she played with the lace on her sleeves.
Cecilia scrutinised her and decided the time was right to ask about her previous absence from the ball.
"Where were you during dinner? Mary was frantic at losing your company. And you missed the Prince's antics as well."
Delilah looked up sharply, "The Prince's antics?"
Cecilia laughed at the memory. "He spent the better part of dinner trying to balance a port bottle on his head but that was before he fell asleep with his head on the table. I swear the man is missing a great deal of sense."
Delilah remained quiet but after a moment's pause spoke again. "The heat in the room didn't suit me. I felt faint so I decided to leave before I made a spectacle of myself."
Cecilia eyed her cousin quietly, suspecting from her tone that the explanation was only a half truth.
___________________________________________________________________
The rays from the rising sun hit his eyes in a painful fashion even though they were closed.
He tried to turn away and flipped over in the opposite direction but the move was futile since windows opened into his room from every direction. And someone in a brutal unthinking fashion had opened all the curtains allowing the sunrays in at their maximum intensity.
"All I ever wanted was to sleep in peace. Why must they torture me so?" Damian grumbled as his sleep was stolen from him. He rubbed his face clumsily still not sure whether he had enough time to go back to sleep.
"Your highness, are you awake?" Jerald's gravelly voice echoed in Damian's ear in unpleasantly.
"No, Jerald, I merely like to talk while I'm unconscious."
Jerald was unfazed by his master's tone, "Your Highness, your cousin, Lord Ferdinand, wishes to speak with you. He is currently in a meeting with the Queen."
Damian shot up from his horizontal position instantly. "Why does he have a meeting with my mother?" Damian was peeved but he knew the non-nosy Jerald would be utterly ignorant.
"Bring my valet, Jerald, I must get ready immediately," Damian ignored a newly formed headache as he scrambled out from his bed. Damian was dressed to impress in a flurry of a few moments and he stormed out of his room. His room was in the Royal quarters so he arrived in one of his mother's parlours taking the amount of time it takes to navigate a few corners.
He barged in the parlour without any warning. One of the maids squeaked and nearly dropped the tea caddy she was holding.
"Late as usual, cousin. Why am I not surprised," Ferdinand smirked at his cousin. Damian's cousin was sitting in one of the stiff arm chairs holding onto one of his mother's delicate, gold rimmed tea cups. Damian's mother was sitting on the sofa facing her nephew. Damian's headache spiked at the look on his cousin's face.
"Informing me about this meeting seconds after I wake up is not good form, cousin," The Prince's tone was as friendly as his feelings for his cousin were.
"It has been hours since daybreak. My imagination did not think to disservice the future king by assuming he was still in bed. Besides I know I gave you this missive last night. Surely you weren't so intoxicated to have forgotten it," Ferdinand raised an eyebrow. His brown eyes clearly held the contempt the two cousins shared.
Damian's mother looked at her son with beady eyes and Damian knew he would have to explain what happened last night. Damian paused as his thoughts paused. What did happen last night?
The Prince tried to recall last night's dances but his mind kept returning with a blank.
"How much did you drink?" Ferdinand wrinkled his nose in disgust and his aunt mirrored the man's expression, "Don't bother, that dim look on your face reveals the quantity," Ferdinand shook his head as he placed his empty tea cup on the tray. He bowed in front of his aunt and kissed her hand with a smile on his face. Damian's mother graciously patted him on the back.
Ferdinand bowed in front of the mother and son as he took his leave.
"Going so soon," Damian muttered nastily, "I thought you wanted to meet me."
"I only wanted to bid farewell to my favourite aunt and the Crown Prince before I began my journey. Surely you haven't forgotten that I am to leave for the East border tonight, after all it was you who suggested my name for the mission in the first place," Ferdinand smiled baring his teeth.
Damian smiled back, "Well, good luck, cousin."
His cousin bowed again and exited the room.
Damian was pleased he had achieved a victory against his cousin. In spite of the glee he was feeling his orders had a practical purpose as well. The Prince knew his cousin was surreptitiously trying to stir some support in his own favour from the members of the Royal court for some years now. While to a normal eye his cousin's action could be perceived as bored noble's attempt at socializing but Damian's trained vision knew better. Better men had killed for the Crown and his cousin was not even remotely good.
"Are these reports true?" Damian's mother hissed breaking him from his reverie.
"What reports?" Damian asked genuinely confused.
"That last night you drunk like a common peasant and mishandled a girl in your stupor. Even in my wildest dreams I did not ever think my son was capable of such behaviour," Damian could see his mother's hand was shaking.
"Have you been listening to Ferdinand, again, Mother, you know what games he plays." Damian muttered angrily.
"Games, Damian! Your cousin may have a history of speaking half truths but Lady Ether certainly does not. You cousin merely confirmed her story. She is one of my most trusted confidants and she spoke about your atrocious behaviour while we were breaking our fast this morning. You were so coarse with a respectable young girl; you pulled at her and spoke so abominably that she left the Ball in tears. If Lady Ether weren't standing at a distance from you she would have given you a scolding I would have been proud of," The Prince had never seen his mother so upset.
"I- I -" The Prince was vexed. His mind was gripped by a dreadful headache and his memories of last night were fuzzy at best.
'Not smart enough to get a dance. Or not pretty enough' Was the first thought that raced to his mind. He felt hammered as he recalled bits of his conversation.
"I think I might have called someone ugly last night," Damian blurted, "though I can't seem to remember anything else." He winced as he noticed his mother's glare intensifying.
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time. I suggest you march up to this young lady and apologize as soon as possible," The Queen ordered. Damian wanted to refuse but he complied and bowed to her. His mother's temper was rare but very dangerous when it exploded and he wasn't a fool to face the aftermath.
"And don't think I shall forget this incident. I may have been a lenient mother in the past but I have learnt my lesson. Don't think I will let you get away with this appalling behaviour. You are to be King and you must amend your ways," The Queen spoke sternly as he closed the door behind him.
"It would be much easier if I could actually remember her face," Damian spoke to the walls as he tried to focus on a potential candidate. Jerald was instantly by his side and he followed Damian as he meandered aimlessly in the Palace corridors, "I can't have been so drunk to forget a girl I allegedly insulted."
Damian squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to remember the moment. He recalled holding someone and wanting to dance with that person. Damian scrunched his nose at this oddity. It was highly absurd that he was pursuing a dance and insulting the recipient of his interest the same time.
"I think I'm getting odder as I age," He completely missed Jerald's raised eyebrows.
The Crown Prince and his personal attendant were walking towards the sunken garden when the Prince turned to his attendant, "Would I be too disgraceful if I went back to my rooms and dropped back to sleep."
Jerald stared at his master blankly. Damian's shoulders drooped.
"Early to bed early to rise... I know, I know. Besides this business about me offending random girls won't let me sleep anyway. My memory keeps getting curiouser and curiouser."
The two men stopped at a seating area in the corridor that looked out into the sunken garden. The indoors garden was already inundated with people enjoying the outdoors without actually having to step out of the Palace. Damian was too lost in thoughts to realize he was in much danger of being noticed and invited to another gathering he was not in the mood to attend.
"I'm beginning to think Lady Ether was over indulging her imagination a little too much. I have been on my best behaviour this season and I don't see why I would need to force anyone around. Most women would cling to me like flies after a sweet. I must have made her cry when I pushed her back from her incessant groping," Damian continued muttering to himself.
"Your Highness," The Prince emerged from his thoughts because of the voice addressing him. A gaggle of giggling women was standing on his left blocking half of the corridor as they looked at him with awe. Damian decided ignoring them wouldn't do.
"Your Highness," The same high pitched girl spoke again, "We would be honoured if you could join us in our little gathering," She smiled at him uncertainly.
"Gathering," Damian repeated blandly. He looked ahead and realized a larger party was waving back at him from the garden.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"And there's food?" Damian asked in the same monotonous voice.
"Err... yes."
"Fine, I haven't had my breakfast," Damian decided after a long pause, He smiled down at the girls as they squealed to each other, "Which one of you ladies will help lead me to your little party."
For a moment Damian was worried about a fist fight breaking out. Three of the girls in the front stared at each other like yowling cats but a fourth one with pretty grey eyes swooped in from behind to clutch onto his extended arm. She smiled at him winningly and he smiled back. Another girl clung at him from this other side and a dozen women or so led him down to where their party was settled.
He was led to food and he took out a good portion of salad and looked around for someone to annoy. He smiled as his eyes landed on a very familiar red head.
"Where is your chaperon? Abandoned you already for some noble's company?
"I would suggest you be kinder about my poor, dear cousin wisely. She has been ill since last night and some compassion towards her would be nice," The red head answered furiously.
"And would you find it acceptable if I queried about her health?"
"That would be more suitable; she is tired and ailing from a headache which was probably induced by the oddities of last night's festivities."
"I didn't think affairs I hosted were this bothersome," Damian replied with an edge in his voice. He could never properly control his temper when he felt some social interloper dared to question to criticize him.
"Hosted? I think your banquet committee is deserving of much applause. They did an admirable job without much input from their host."
"Oh, really, what was I doing all that evening then?" The man leaned in closer in an intimidating fashion but Cecilia was not undeterred.
"If falling asleep in the middle of the third course of dinner and getting into petty cat fights with one of your admirers is what you call hosting then that's what you were doing," The girl paused as she realized how out of line she was and as an afterthought added, "Your Highness."
"You saw the fight as well?" Damian asked distracted as the issue of his behaviour came to light again.
"I did not, but I heard of it as soon as I got back from the dance floor. I never inquired about it because of other distractions in my mind."
Damian snorted, "Other distractions! What could be more juicer than Royal gossip?"
"My cousin was missing and I needed to look for her," She replied simply. She took a bite from the slice sweet bread from her plate.
"Did you honestly think that I would ever let you publically humiliate me ever again, Prince."
The words suddenly echoed in his head and he felt his head throbbing. Pained grey eyes flashed in his head.
"Heavens," He muttered softly. Everything made more sense to him now.
The girl's peculiar behaviour in the rose garden had baffled him. He had wondered after their meeting about why she hadn't flung herself at him like other girls. For a few private moments he thought that she must have found him repulsive or something to that degree. After those moments of self doubt passed he had taken great pains to convince himself that the girl was an ugly nobody completely unworthy of his intentions. The girl was completely unnoticeable as it was so he wasn't far off the mark about what he thought about her the way she looked. Her taller cousin was far more striking in comparison but regardless of how she looked he had enough experience with women to know the even a lady covered in warts was not deserving of his censure. He didn't know what possessed him to utter words that were supposed to be confined by his mind.
"And did you find your cousin again?" Damian asked.
Cecilia arched her eyebrow at his dim question. "Of course, during my dance with Lord Gimpet she had somehow ended up back in our rooms."
"Why did she leave?" Damian demanded.
"I believe I just told you she felt poorly," Cecilia shook her head at his irregular behaviour.
"Could I speak to her now?"
"Why? I assure you she is not that ill," she spoke, alarmed by his reaction.
"I need to ask her something," Damian muttered moodily, annoyed by the lack of answers.
"Surely it can wait till tomorrow's dinner. She plans to attend it."
Damian nodded sullenly though he was already making plans about how he could arrange a meeting with her as soon as possible. He needed to know precisely what happened and find out exactly when he had insulted her before.
