Slining Doors

In The Presence Of The Queen

Colin was best dressed to present himself to the queen, he knew he was in serious danger, the queen knew how to be capricious if he got involved, much less than what he had done was enough to end up in his gloomy prisons.
"My Queen, Lord Colin Bridgerton requests an audience," Brimsley said
The Queen looked up from her tobacco and, after sniffing a generous amount, she motioned for him to pass.
Colin strode in and bowed to the queen.
"What a fair wind brings you to your queen, Lord Bridgerton, though it's always a pleasure for the queen to have a man of her good looks in her sight," said the queen, confirming her weakness for Bridgerton men.
"It's always an honor to be with my queen to talk to her about something that worries me a lot. And I have to confess to her a youthful misdeed that unfortunately had consequences on a dear friend of the family."
"Are you talking about young Miss Featherington?"
"Yes my queen"
"You know, I thought your common sense led you to stay away from that woman, if I'm not mistaken the woman in question had asked me for a warning against you"
"Alas my queen, there is no common sense in a soul in love."
"Is it because you didn't ask for her hand?"
"I've made so many mistakes in my life and I'm trying to make amends starting now. I was the one who brutally beat up, more than a year ago, Lord Freser who was courting Penelope at the time"
"Out of jealousy?" The queen's eyes lit up, she loved affairs.
"You are free to believe this."  Colin said refraining from saying what he really thought of the queen's distant cousin.
"My queen I am ready to pay but I ask you 2 conditions"
"Do you ask your queen for conditions??"
"Yes, because I trust in your magnanimity and in your humanity"
"Come on talk."  the queen said holding back a smile.  Colin Bridgerton was just smart.
"First of all I would like my family not to be stained by my dishonor, I trust in your protection. I also wish that everything that Miss Penelope Featherington has had to promise for my release is no longer taken into account. Already today I am ready to pay for what I have done."
"Ask a lot of your queen"
"I know your generous soul."
"Ohh enough flattery, so you're already staying in my dungeons today? And as for Miss Featherington, what are you going to do?"
Colin was stunned for a moment by the queen's question.
"She refused me my queen, I can't force a woman to love me back."
"Ahh no? And I thought she had charm to spare. At least Colin Bridgerton adventurer and famous writer might try again... You know how much I love happy endings..."
Colin smiled at the queen, he wished he had another chance.
"Brimsley calls the guards, Lord Bridgerton honors us with his presence.".
Brimsley looked first at the Queen and then at Lord Bridgerton who was rather calm.
"Ehhm my queen did I get it right? Shall I have Lord Bridgerton arrested?".
"Yes, you understood correctly, she will stay in prison until the trial and then we'll see how this story ends"
"As you like," and Brimsley had Lord Bridgerton removed.
"Call me Lord Freser immediately," he said, smiling the queen.