The White Rose

The Queen's court, Palace of Gold

The days passed in complete enjoyment. One morning I woke and immediately had to use the basin. "Majesty are you ill?" Asks Alura worriedly, "I think so." I say weakly. But the next morning the same happens, "How long have you been without your corses?" Asks mother giving me a cup of cold mint tea to drink, "Drink slowly my Queen." "It has been nigh on two months." I say weakly sitting down, "We shall have a healer come in to see you." She says, "it may be nothing but we must see." "Four months she's been with his majesty and now." Says the Countess as they leave, the healer coming in to see me.
"Your Majesty is with child." She says smiling, "Are you sore?" She asks gesturing to my chest i nod. "then it is for certain." "the sickness-will pass soon and you will bloom with health again." "I hope so." I say as the other ladies are allowed in, "Let me tell his majesty." I say. I walk sedately down the stair, down-into the great hall past the marriage chamber and watch him with his men playing at dice. He rises as I come close, dressed in a gown of fine white samite embroidered with flowers of gold and leaves of silver and studded with pearls. "My love." He says coming over to kiss me. "May we walk together?" I ask trying to keep the joy from my expression. He turns to his men, "My lady and I would be together alone." He nods to a few of the guard. This I also had to get used to as well. they walked wherever I walked. Where I went not only did I have my ladies but I also had those guards in their black livery. We walk through the gardens quietly for a long moment. The sun is hot as the summer's end draws close. He nods to me. "What is it?" He asks, "I am." I say uncertain, "I am with child." "Are you quite certain?" He asks, "I have missed two moon times and I am ill in the mornings." "Are you quite ill?" He asks, "Only a little." I say with a blush. His face breaks into a smile, "Oh my love praise the Gods." He says picking me up and whirling around with me. "This is indeed good news, we shall have a new Prince or Princess in the house." "An heir." I say with a nod, "Please Gods it be a boy?" I say as we walk both smiling, "When will you have the presentation of the maidens at court?" "In a few days." I say, "Good." He says with a nod. "I think then that you should retire to Eton Palace near the coast." "The sea air will do you good." "Can I not be here with you?" I ask, "Plague often comes to the cities at this time of year." "I myself will be going to Valdoore palace." "Why can we not be together?" I ask, "i must make sure that those of Purth will not be coming over the border sweeting." "the new pages are also being trained and I must be there." I nod, "In a few months we shall come to Silver Ridge Palace and there the child will be born." "It will be a late winter child." I say, "He or she will be born in the third month, perhaps before the spring's kindling." We walk on in silence for a long moment, "What do you hope for?" I ask, "I hope for a boy." "We shall call him Arthyr." "And if it is a girl?" I ask, "We shall call her Ardemesia, after your mother the Duchess Ardrid and my mother Demesia who was like you a good queen, a young queen but fair in body." "She gave my father three sons and two daughters." Alas they all died but me and my brother." "what does it mean to be anti High court?" I ask next, "You and i will bring in an age of pure delight, those that are now, like my brother will be Princes instead of Dukes like the old ways." "We shall have musicians and an age of learning." "Our children will be born in an age of extravagance and enlightenment." "We shall bring about you and I a dynasty that shall last the ages." "All shall say see how high the house of Onducier will rise.""our kings and Queens will spring from you my love, and we shall all be blessed." "Perhaps my love we should think carefully." I say, "think carefully?" He asks, "yes my lord, for there are those kingdoms given to the Zatines." His face darkens, "Would we not see ourselves to aligning ourselves with those kings of lands who will not go over to they who-worship Zathura?" He nods, "Indeed my love, tis truth." "If we are to have Princesses and Princes, they shall marry houses and kingdoms where it is fit to say we are they who honour the Gods."
    That night there was a feast in my honour. There was dancing and music and goodly sport. the next day however was the presentation of the maidens at my court. Girls from all the noble houses were called forth to serve. The girl Mari came forward and swept into a low curtsey asI sat surrounded by my ladies. I chose blue and white as-my colours. They that were my ladies of course wore whatever they chose but my maidens wood all wear white for purity and blue for religious fervour. Her gown was cut much lower than the-other girls, her hood of blue silk set at a jaunty angle to display her raven hair. for though girls could and did go-with head uncovered before their marriage many wore the fashionable hoods. "Rise Lady Mari DeShonce." I said, biting my cheek to keep the distaste from my features. She rose and came toward me sweeping into a low perfect curtsey before rising once more, the more to show off her poised manner. "Such ostentatious display becomes you not Lady Mari." I say cooly. She nods, her jewelled hood glittering in the light from the windows, "Yes your Majesty." She says softly, "And this is a house of purity and honest prayer to the Gods." I say. She lowers her head, "What is it you can do?"I ask, "I can sing a little, and play the flute and the virginals and-the lute." "I can also embroider moderately well." She says voice contrite." "It is my place to see you married well LadyMari." I say sternly, "Yes you Majesty." She says, "Very well then." "You shall attend me tonight once the king and I leave the royal chambers, when I come to the Queen's chambers." She nods, "You may go." "And welcome to court." she nods again, curtseys and flounces off.
    "That girl." Mutters the Countess of Triune, "That girl indeed." We watch as she tries to engage the other girls in a game of cards or chess. She laughs much too loud when she and the other girls read from a novel together. "I still like her not." I say as I watch her flounce past men looking on at her.
    The door is flung open and the king comes in dressed for hunting with his men beside him. All the ladies curtsey before him but that girl makes a spectacle of it. Of course the king notices her right off, for her-hood is of the dark blue I requested but so covered in jewels it might as well not be blue at all, "Who have we here?" He asks, a twinkle in his eye. I think nothing of it for he is that way with all the court ladies, "Lady Mari DeShonce your Majesty come to court to serve her Majesty." "Mari DeShonce then." He says, "And how do you like it at court so far?" the other ladies look on darkly, after all they all had been greeted by the king but she is flirting with him, openly flirting as-she bats her eyelashes at him, coos her replies and twirls prettily in-that gown, and cocks her head so her hood and dark hair are shone to their advantage. "She is flirting with him." I say angrily to Lisette. I rise and state in a cold voice, "Lady Mari DeShonce perhaps you should go bathe and unpack." "Surely the road you traveled was long and hard?" "But." She says with a pout, "Do not disobey your Queen." Says the Duchess of Aege coldly, "Majesty she has only just arrived." She says with a curtsey. He nods and she grasps the arm of the girl and marches her out. The king nod to the other ladies and comes to me, "What was that about?" He asks, "She was flirting with you." I say. He nods, "I wondered of it, but I was uncertain." "She was your majesty we all saw it." Says Lisette DePole, "Aye majesty she was making herself much before you." Says Melique. Alura nods and the other married ladies give him knowing looks. He nods and soon departs with his men. Mari comes back in, her eyes downcast. the other girls openly snub her as she passes by to kneel at my feet, "Majesty perhaps I have offended?" "Offended?" I ask giving nothing away, "It seems you are cool toward me?" she asks, "Lady Mari." I-say voice like ice, "do not presume to know me or my ways or my heart." "Go now and be with the other ladies." "Perhaps you should do some praying this night that you would be more modest and more meek and more pure before the Gods." She kisses my ring and rises and walks to the other girls, "Play a tune." I say to my flutist. "That girl will be nothing but trouble for your majesty." Says mother, "Aye and that's so." Says the Marchioness of Pevency, "Already she starts."