Inside Darling (Darling #1) [complete]

Chapter Seventeen

" T H E  P R I N C E ' S position on the throne is threatened," Queen Dione had told Louelle.

Those words replayed on a loop in her head the entire day. After she left the queen's quarters, she spent the rest of the morning - and the entire afternoon - in her bedroom, pondering and overexerting her brain's capacity to think. It was what she seemed to be doing more often, she concluded, yet she was unable to quit the overthinking.

Because surely if his reign was threatened, he would have told her. Wouldn't he?

When she asked the queen to elaborate, she was informed of things told to the queen by an insider. Firstly, was the said insider trustworthy? Secondly, who was the insider? Louelle knew the queen could be trusted. She decided it earlier that day by confirming the queen's suspicions of her reciprocating Thatcher's feelings.

However, it was possible the things she was told had been lost in translation. But deep down, Louelle knew what King James had been capable of and did not put it past him to threaten the prince with his future position - the one he put in so much work for his entire life.

"If he refuses the courtship and potential marriage with Maryann, King James will deny Thatcher's rightful place on the throne," the queen had further elaborated.

It seemed as if Louelle had fluctuating hormones as her emotions were all over the place. First, she was upset with Thatcher for keeping the information away from her. Second, she was feeling irate with the king for wishing to ruin his son's happiness. But above all, the one feeling she had which refused to subside, was guilt.

If she had not been in the prince's life, he'd likely not second guess fully accepting the courting arrangement with her sister. She would not have been there for him to fall in love with. He'd be able to have the crown without having Louelle nearby to potentially ruin it for him.

At dinner, she attempted to push everything she'd been feeling away and put on a brave face. That morning at breakfast, she actually enjoyed the feeling which arose in her when everyone was wary of her jolly mood, wondering when she'd snap and complain of the unfairness they bestowed unto her. In a strange way, she was lighter as she felt in control for only a small window of time. So, she proceeded to behave like everything was more than fine.

Thatcher gave her a look of worry, one to always see straight through her facades. She only returned his suspecting gaze with a tight-lipped smile.

Of course, the prince had come to see her later that night after finishing his daily work. Although he promised to make time for her throughout the day, he hadn't. Louelle found gratitude with his absense, as she needed to gather her thoughts and be sure they were coherent enough to explain to the prince.

Usually, she would have mentioned something to Ruby as she was being helped in preparing for bed, yet even then she kept her lips sealed. It was as if in the back of her mind she doubted the news of the threat. And to speak of it loudly would have been her admitting she knew it to be true.