Authors: Nicola Erasmus
Stephanie gasped and hid her nose behind her mother‘s fan.
“I beg your pardon” the duchess exclaimed.
“Please excuse me; I have other matters to attend to. Duchess, Stephanie, I’ll doubt you’ll accept but I’ll send you an invite to the ball in any case. Do enjoy your day.” Gwen stomped off swearing.
“Please forgive my sister” Elsie tried to undo the damage.
“I must say that I’ve never been this humiliated in my life.” The duchess grabbed her fan back from her daughter and fanned herself.
“But I guess that every family has its bad blood. Don’t worry, Your Highness, we’ll keep this little incident to ourselves, won’t we Stephanie? God help us the day she becomes Queen.”
Elsie felt taken a back. Gwen had shown such promise the last few days. Was it not for her short temper….
“She won’t.
It’s the one thing in life she’s fears the most” Elsie said with a sigh.
Chapter 12
Gwen stormed into the palace and almost knocked Sir Windsbury off his feet as he descended the stairs.
“Excuse me” he said regaining his balance.
“Look where you go damn it!” she yelled.
“Whoa, wait. What’s wrong?” he asked and placed the basket with linen he was carrying on the floor.
“Sorry, I’m just…why the hell did I bother to come back?”
“I’m taking a coffee break and it looks like you need one too. Come.” He placed his arm around her shoulders.
“Your Highness?” Dame Margaret called from the living room.
“What?” Gwen yelled.
“I wondered if I may have a word” she said cheerfully.
Sir Windsbury patted Gwen on the back. “I’ll send up some whiskey to your room” he whispered.
“Just coffee, please and arrange for Grace to clear my schedule for the day.”
He nodded, picked up the basket and disappeared into the kitchen.
Gwen dragged her feet to the living room. “Yes?”
“Please have a seat.” The dame beckoned to the chair in front of her. “I want to say sorry for my behavior…”
“Please, I’ve just had quite an unpleasant tea and I’m tired.
Get to the point.”
“Alright. Why are you here?”
Gwen laughed. “I’m actually trying to figure that out right now.”
“I know that the King cancelled your credit card at last just before your return.
Did you come back to win over his favor?”
“Well, I wasn’t even aware of that so, no.
I got the message that my mother was ill and I decided to come and see her.”
“And what did you expect in return?”
Gwen sensed the trick in the lady’s question. “Nothing.”
Dame Margaret frowned. “Has the King discussed his abdication with you yet?”
“We brushed the subject, yes.”
“Then you must know that it’s of great importance that you give your title to your sister. Look at yourself, Guinevere. You’re not a queen” she said sympathetically.
Alarms were going off in Gwen’s head.
“My title is my birth right.
You can’t expect me to just give it away like an old piece of junk.”
“Then don’t just give it away.”
Gwen didn’t like the direction the conversation was going. “My title isn’t for sale either.”
“500 million” the dame declared and whipped out a cheque from her file.
Gwen was speechless and looked at Dame Margaret, searching for her nerve.
“Wow, just like that?” she looked at the valuable piece of paper in disbelief.
“As soon as you denounce the throne and leave the country, I’ll clear the transfer.”
“What do you get out of this?” Gwen asked pushing the cheque back to the lady.
“The perfect monarchy and a whole lot of praise” she shrugged. “Sleep on it. You’ve had quite an eventful day but I’m sure you should have an answer for me in the morning. Unfortunately this is a limited time offer.”
Gwen looked out of the doors into the gardens.
“I’ll sleep on it.”
Sir Windsbury stood under the stairs out of view, listening intently to the conversation that took place in the living room.
“What are you doing?” he asked as the dame passed him on her way to the kitchen.
“Sir Windsbury, you gave me a fright.”
“What is this?” he stepped closer to her.
“This is none of your business” She answered.
“This family is the only family I’ve ever known. This is my business.”
“You’re a glorified chamber maid. Keep to the King’s underwear” she threw her nose in the air and entered the kitchen just as Gwen exited the lounge.
“Gwen!” he called after her.
“Oh, thanks for the coffee” she said trance like.
“Don’t even sleep on it. Don’t.” he urged.
“Did you eavesdrop?” she asked irritated.
“I’m just begging you not to do it, that’s all. Please.” Sir Windsbury turned and punched the kitchen door with his fist and disappeared inside.
“I don’t belong here” Gwen said to herself and ran up the stairs. She entered her room, bolted the bathroom door for privacy and fell down on her bed. On her nightstand stood a hot mug of coffee and a small vase of fresh roses but she didn’t care. She flung the covers over her head and cried herself to sleep.
Elsie felt lonely without the usual open portal to Gwen’s room.
It was difficult to leave her sister in peace after that morning’s incident but she respected her privacy.
Gwen had probably drowned her sorrows in a barrel of whiskey anyway and was passed out by now. She lay awake the whole night thinking up nonsense and reminiscing about the past, waiting for Gwen to use the bathroom so she would at least know she was alright.
At seven she tried the bathroom door again, but it was still locked.
“I’m going to check what’s for breakfast. Remember to unlock your door so they can bring you your tray” she called through the door.
Elsie took a detour pass her parent’s room. The door was open and her mother was alone in bed, staring down at the garden again.
“Morning mother. Where’s the King?”
“Morning, Elsie.
Dame Margaret requested an urgent audience with him. What are you doing out of bed? It’s Saturday, you know.”
“Just stretching my legs.”
“Enjoy it” the Queen smiled and turned her attention back to the garden.
Elsie had a strange feeling about the Lady’s urgent request and set off towards the King’s office.
The door stood open as well so she walked straight in.
“Good morning…” she greeted. The King looked up at her, furiously.
Dame Margaret peered over his shoulder at something on his desk.
“What is it?” Elsie asked and walked up to the desk in panic. The King slid a tabloid magazine at her.
Elsie picked it up and looked at the cover photo in shock.
“This can’t be” she breathed.
“The whole saucy story is inside if you don’t believe it.” Elsie wanted to slap the grin of the dame’s face.
“It’s a lie and I’m sure Gwen will tell you that too” Elsie took a second look at the magazine and walked determined up to Gwen’s room.
Chapter 13
Gwen was sitting up in bed playing with her breakfast when Elsie stormed in.
“You’re a LESBIAN?” she screamed.
“Huh? How do you figure that?” Gwen said defensively.
“You’ve never had a boyfriend, you hate to wear dresses and then there’s this!” Elsie threw the magazine in front of Gwen.
The cover had a photo on of Gwen caught in a passionate kiss with a beautiful blonde.
“It’s not…”
“Oh don’t tell me it’s not you.
How many girls have the guts to wear their hair that way and has a tattoo like THAT?” Elsie pointed at the photo.
“I’m not denying it’s me. It’s just not what you think.”
“She’s telling everything. EVERYTHING! About how you ran away and said how much you hated being a princess. About the parties and what you did. About your flaming sexual relationship…”
“THAT’S A LIE!” Gwen screamed. She was already reading the article, growing redder by the second.
“All of it?”
Gwen remained silent.
“Answer me, Gwen. How much of this is true?”
“This is what she meant with it” Gwen murmured and threw the magazine against the wall.
“Who?”
“Don’t worry.” Gwen got up and opened her wardrobe.
“What are doing?” Elsie asked as Gwen started to stuff clothes into her backpack.
“I shouldn’t have come back, Elsie” she yelled crying.
“You’re…leaving?”
“I DON’T BELONG HERE!”
“What makes you think I do?” Elsie yelled back. “I don’t want any of this either but it’s what we were born to do. WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE!”
Gwen paused for a second.
“Please tell the King I require an audience with him and tell Dame Margaret I have her bloody answer. I need some time with the Queen so I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.” She zipped close her bag and flung it over her shoulder.
“What answer?” Elsie asked, confused at Gwen’s emotional outburst.
“She’ll know” Gwen said and left the room.
The Queen seemed deep in thought so Gwen knocked instead of just barging in like usual.
“Gwen!’ her mother sounded genuinely glad to see her.
“Good morning, Mother” she said softly.
“I was wondering when we’ll be able to get a time for ourselves. Come and sit down on the bed with me.”
Gwen sat down next to the Queen with a sigh.
“You seemed troubled” the Queen said concerned.
“I am” Gwen signed once more. She was trying to find the heart to say farewell to her mother.
“When I feel down, I just watch roses” the Queen put her hand on Gwen’s leg.
“You’re down a lot these days then, aren’t you?”
The Queen just smiled and looked back at the garden.
It truly was a magnificent view from where they sat.
The Queen took great pride in the roses she planted and took care of herself for years.
“Do you have a favorite?” Gwen asked.
“The first one I planted. It had big ivory roses.”
“I’ve never seen it” Gwen felt a stab of remorse for not sharing in her mother’s passion before.
“It only bloomed once. It was beautiful. You can still see the bush from here, there in the middle” the Queen pointed out.
In the middle of the garden stood a small bush that looked as though it could have been dead apart from a few yellowish leaves.
“Your father has tried many times to get rid of it, but I refused” the Queen laughed.