Lèse-majesté

Part 21

Chapter 20

"H....Help me..." Griselda took a swig from her lowball glass filled with whiskey as she remembered Krogan's desperate plea. She was in the study of her manor, slumped against one of the plush chairs near the fireplace as she tried to process the events of today.

The maids had stoked the fire in the room, all while casting worried glances in her direction at the time before she ordered them out. She couldn't deal with their stares, not now at least. Griselda looked down at her attire. She was still wearing the boating dress from today's party only now its skirt was covered with a large bloodstain.

The maids had heard her screams and they along with two palace knights had rushed in to find her desperately cradling the injured rogue on her balcony.

Griselda lifted her free hand in front of her while the other hand clutched the tumbler glass. Mere hours ago those hands had been stained with blood. The maids had helped her wash them yet her hands still trembled as she remembered feeling Krogan's blood. 'Life was fragile.... It could easily be snuffed out.' Her mind supplied as she refilled her glass.

"You shouldn't be drinking that much," A voice said from behind her, causing Griselda to startle.

She turned to see Prince Grimmel standing near the doorway. He shut the mahogany doors to her study and easily approached as she frowned in his direction.

Griselda frowned as her eyes narrowed. She then uttered "That's rich, coming from you," Perhaps the alcohol made her braver for she would have never said something like that to the Prince's face. She knew for a long time that Prince Grimmel was a hedonist deep at heart. He was scheming, yes, but he also liked to have his fun. Often he could be found at the Colosseum, spectating the games between Gladiators and criminals or wild predators. She also knew that he was quite fond of the Opium that was introduced to the Kingdom by Eastern merchants so it seemed perfectly laughable that he would tell her not to drink so much. Hypocritical even.

With a look of defiance in the Prince's direction, she downed the remainder of her glass like a shot. The alcohol burned along her throat as she slammed the glass down on the coffee table and got up while clutching the armrest. "Don't you dare tell me you care for me now!" She uttered angrily as she stumbled slightly. "Where was this caring personality today huh? Did you enjoy humiliating me and souring the mood of my party?!"

"That was...." Grimmel tried to say but he was interrupted by Griselda's mad laughter.

"Safe it!" She shouted. "Do you know how much you embarrassed me? Do you even care?!" By this time she was already in the Prince's personal space and thus jabbed him in the chest causing Grimmel to take a step back.

"I was promised as your fiance," Griselda soullessly chuckled. "While not official, it was universally accepted in High Society. The official announcement probably wasn't even that far away!" She jabbed Grimmel in the chest again. "But then what do you do?! You make a scene and allude to another Crown Princess candidate."

"You're jealous," Grimmel huffed as he looked away.

"No... I'm not jealous. Jealous would mean that the chit you chose to woo actually held a candle to me!" She then shouted, raising her finger towards Grimmel's face for emphasis. "I am incensed and embarrassed! The Prince I knew had a good head screwed on his shoulders."

Grimmel said nothing for a minute as he watched Griselda stumble away from him and lean against the chair she had vacated. Her dark tresses hung loose around her shoulders and her eyes looked half-lidden. "To think that the man I love and respect ends up doing something so idiotic as trying to get engaged to a woman he barely knows the background of, ending said engagement process, and then just as quickly trying to woo the girl's step-sister?!" She was shouting now though she couldn't hear herself. All the pent-up emotions from the day were coming back in full force.