Once Upon A [Hidden] Time - [Stolen] Series IV

CHAPTER 57

EDWARD
1 JULY 1415

"Your Highness," a man bowed in front of me. "Allow me to introduce our guest, Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici." The man next to him bowed lightly. "Priore of the Republic of Florence."

"Your Highness," said Cosimo, bowing. "it is an honour to meet you."

So this is Cosimo, whom my lover had been fancying!

Before I could say anything, I heard a shriek from Myra.

"Oh, my God!" Steadying herself with all her might, she approached us. "Cosimo de' Medici." Dipping in a curtsy, she batted her eyelashes at him. Medici blushed at her bold behaviour as she grabbed his hands and shook them. "I am such a huge fan of yours, Cosimo."

Fan? What fan?

"I can't believe I'm standing in front of The Medici," she exclaimed. The courtiers around us were staring at us with mild surprise.

Kissing her knuckles, Cosimo said, "And who is this Bellissima?"

"Ah!" She batted her lashes again. "I can't believe I see you in front of my eyes."

"Have we met before?" he asked, still holding her hand.

"In my dreams, Messer," she remarked, upon which Cosimo blushed like a maiden. "I have dreamt for so long to meet you."

I cleared my throat. "Allow me to introduce our royal tutor, Lady Farrow."

"Call me Myra." She graced him with a smile, wooing him. Was she courting him openly? I checked the man again. He was not even handsome. Was I jealous?

"Myra!" repeated Cosimo, kissing her hand again, drinking her beauty. "It is a pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Messer," said Myra, still holding his damned hand. "How is Contessina?"

"You know my betrothed?" he asked with mild surprise.

"I have been keeping tabs on your life for a long time," she said. "But don't think of me as a spy, but someone who has always admired your wits and intelligence."

"You don't say?" I interrupted. She glanced at me with contempt. Leaning towards her, I continued, "You are spitting out too much information from the future."

She straightened, pulling her hand away from the Florentine.

Cosimo cleared his throat and introduced a man standing next to him. "Your Highness," he addressed me, "allow me to introduce my friend and an incredible artist, Maestro Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi."

"Ah!" Myra clapped again. "The Magnificent Donatello, who helped you in your artistic aspiration."

Cosimo snapped his head in her direction. "How do you know?"

"I know you have been secretly practising your art in his workshop," she said teasingly. "It is not nice of your father to oppose it, though. You are doing it for the glory of Florence, and mark my words, Florence will shine." Cosimo's face blanched. If she did not stop telling him his future, she would be charged with witchcraft.

"Apologies, Messer," I addressed Cosimo, grabbing Myra by the arm. "Our tutor has taken too much wine."

"Ale, Your Grace!" she shouted, drawing everyone's attention. Lord James held her on the other side. "I drank ale in a tavern. Ha! Imagine that!"

"Let me handle her, Your Highness," Lord James said with an apology as we dragged her away from the Medici.

"No, I will handle her, myself," I snapped at him. "You have done enough damage."

Blushing, he loosened his grip on her arm and walked away.

"Hey, where is he going? James?" she called out.

"Be quiet," I seethed. "You are drawing attention in the court."

"Ha!" she exclaimed. "Who are you to discipline me?" She tried to shrug me away, but this time, I held her firmly. "I will not bow to you."

"We will see to that." I dragged her out of the hall, taking her to the state chamber.

Upon entering the King's chamber, I pushed her down on his bed. "Sober up," I ordered.

"You can't lock me in here," she argued.

"I am the Prince Regent," I yelled. "You stay put until you turn sober."

"What have I done to agitate you, Your Highness?"

I poured her the goblet of water. "Drink this."

Huffing, she took the goblet and drank it. "You are nothing but a self-centred, jealous man who wants to hold authority over me."

Ignoring her blabbing, I poured myself some wine and stood by the window to gaze outside, just like my father always did.

"You are a copy of your father, who does nothing but undermine me." She paused, but I still kept my back to her. "What you said last night, I can't forget it. After all these days, and now you tell me that you are in love with that bloody woman of your dreams? And when I am happy with James because he makes me smile, and he makes me laugh, you just can't digest it."

She is still drunk! She had no idea what she was talking about.

"And when that's not enough for you, you are jealous of Cosimo because you very well know how much I admire him." I heard her clap. "Ha! I should propose to that man and rule over the Republic of Florence, because you are not even going to make a single move to do anything in our situation!"

She continued her blabbing while I took the jug of water and walked towards her. She saw me approaching her, but she still did not shut up.

"I am sure that Cosimo will keep me happy and will admire my intelligence while I change history—"

I splashed water on her. She gasped to catch her breath. "What the fuck!" She was soaked and utterly baffled.

"Sober up," I ordered. I rang the bell to call the footman. "Tell Lady Elizabeth that I have summoned her."

"You bloody arse," she yelled. "How dare you throw water at me?"

"Unless you do not shut up, I shall take you to the bath to drown you completely," I warned. "Your virtue has already been traduced with that bloody pamphlet. You have no idea what you are doing—laying the entire future of the Medici in front of him! He could talk to the King about you, and might charge you for witchcraft!"

"Ha!" she exclaimed. "He is an enlightened man who doesn't believe in witchcraft."

"Indeed," I seethed.

"He is besotted with me, you dolt."

"We will see about that."

"Unless you turn him against me."

I decided not to argue anymore, so I took my seat on the other side of the chamber, leaving her wet and dishevelled on the bed. She was constantly muttering something under her breath, still drunk, cursing me, but she would not shut up.

A knock at the door shut her mouth.