The Prince's Witch

𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑒| 9

Three more weeks passed and the Prince barely stayed in the castle. Every day around noon he would disappear and would not return until the next morning. Queen Evelyn was getting tired of the nonsense and King Roland would not do anything about it. The courting season was almost at this end and Lady Winifred had not gotten anywhere with Theodore.

"You will catch him thus day when he is alone. Here I went to Madam Ruth today, she said for you put three drops of this into his wine."

"What will this do?" Lady Winifred asked the Queen as she turned to her with an evil glare. The young girl swallowed hard nodding her head. "Sorry Her Majesty. I did not mean to question thee."

"That's better." She smiled. "By the end of the day, the Prince shall be yours." Evelyn said. This was hard for Winifred to believe simply because none of the other things the queen tried worked. Really she was hoping that it did not because she had her eyes on the Duke of Rome's son.

Instead of arguing with Evelyn she nodded once more taking the vial and leaving the tearoom. She was supposed to go find all the other Ladies, but her mind was on Theodore. It was time to tell him what his dear mother the Queen was up to, and it did not take long to find him. Theodore loved his study or was always somewhere with that large dog that he loved.

"Prince Theodore it is urgent that I speak with thee."

"Winifred if thus is something My Mother put you up to. You can leave. I do not hav the time...."

"Her Majesty is behind all of this. She wants me to be Queen but I do not wish to be. How could I tell the Queen no? She is the Queen and you know how thy Mother is. I can no longer do this. It has to end... she wants me to pour this into your drink, and I know not of what it does." Lady Winifred said showing the Prince the vial. Theodore sighed taking it and throwing it over into the fire.

"I knew my Mother was behind this, but I thought you are too. A potion is this is how she is playing this?"

"Yes Sire, from a gentlewoman she calls Madam Ruth." Winifred spoke making Theodore look at the woman with a frown. Mabel's sister was the one supplying the potions to his mother. It made him wonder what she knew.

"Madam Ruth... as in Madam Ruth from the brothel?"

"Yes, Sire. I went there once or twice with Her Majesty. The first time for a love potion did not seem to work. Then another for the potion I slipped into thy drink the night you awoke to me mounting thee. I am sorry I know this means my head, but you have it in thy heart to spare me. I will be truly grateful." She said on her knees before the Prince.

"Get up Lady Winifred. I do not wish to harm thee. I understand that my Mother can be quite frightening to some. So, I will not tell the King... if you help me." He said.

"Help thee? How?" Winifred asked. Theodore did not know the answer to that yet, but he knew that he would need Winifred in the long run. Therefore, he could not harm the girl.

"I hav notice how you eye Lord Henry. He is an old mate of mine I could tell him that you are interested if you wish. First, you hav to get me thy word that you will come upon when I call." He said as she nodded quickly.

"I will Prince Theodore, please anything. Long as you keep that wretch away from me."

"Good... and since we do not know what the potion does. We will act as if it did not work. Hell, none of the others worked. What is different about this?" He said making her shrug her shoulders.

"Nothing now take thy leave. I have orders that need to be fulfilled by the King." He said as Lady Winifred left quickly with a smile on her face. She did not think it would go as smoothly but was glad that it did. Now she could get the Queen off her back, but she had to hope that the woman didn't kill her first.