Hardly a Lady

XXIII

Giselle watched in deep boredom as her husband talked with King Faryus and Prince Hubert about hunting, all three of them barely acknowledging her existence. To Hubert's left, Serrena sat, looking radiant but equally bored as she sipped at her wine and nodded gently when attention was turned to her for a moment. Every so often, the Queen and her sister-in-law made eye contact, and both of them knew that the other was planning the quickest way that they could leave this boredom and find some fun.

Finally, the Queen stood, and the music stopped and attention turned to Giselle. Those who were seated stood, all except for her husband, and she smiled elegantly at them all before she turned to Serrena.

"Sister, shall we dance for our guests?" Giselle suggested. Serrena's eyes lit up at the suggestion - she adored dancing - and she could barely contain herself as she nodded and smiled back. "It would be my honour, Your Majesty."

Giselle looked to Will for permission, since he was the King after all and she was subject to his wishes, but he had little choice than to nod in agreement, and besides, he had drunk a great deal of wine and was merry at the thought of having an ally in Arafirth. 

Thus, Giselle and Serrena descended from the raised dais at which the royal family sat, and took their place in the centre of the great room. The orchestra struck a chord, and then began to play one of the high tempo tunes which the Queen favoured. 

Giselle and Serrena hopped and skipped in time to the music; they had spent many happy hours choreographing dances together with their ladies, and smiles soon broke out on their beautiful faces. At the side of the room, Elienna and Thea clapped in delight as they watched their mother and aunt dance, and when Giselle beckoned for them, they came running over and joined in the dance, much the court's joy. The King's guests clapped in time to the music as the Queen and the bride-to-be danced, and everybody watched gleefully as Giselle spun and twirled and hopped to the tune. Even the King had a smile on his face, although perhaps it was a smile for his own good fortune, that he had such a coop of beautiful women whom he could dispense out to entertain important men. 

Ash was watching them too; he had been absent from court of late, visiting his new home and making purchases and enquiries necessary for his new station as a Duke. Giselle made eye contact with him several times, and he too was smiling, although Giselle knew him well enough to see that it was a smile of pain, as he watched the woman he loved but was being taken from dance. 

Giselle lifted Thea into the air as the music grew to a crescendo, and the little princess - who was so similar to the Queen herself - giggled with excitement as they spun. Then, when the music ended, she set Thea down, and in unison her and Serrena bowed to the princesses, who laughed together, for it was as if they were the great ladies instead of their mother and aunt.

The court stood and clapped, and together the four of them turned to curtsey to the King and his guests, who had great smiles on their faces. Hubert leaned across and whispered something in Will's ear, perhaps a comment about how satisfied he was with his future wife, and Will's smile grew even greater, and he shook hands with the Prince and clapped his shoulder.

Besides her, Giselle heard Serrena sigh almost inaudibly through her smile; there would be no escaping marrying Hubert now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Due to their important guests, Giselle did not take her children to bed herself that night, but gave that charge over to their nurse, and promised her babies that she would be there to wake them in the morning. The two princesses toddled out of the hall, holding hands and rubbing their eyes as they yawned, and the Prince was already asleep in his nurse's arms.

It was hours later until the King and his guests decided that it was time to retire, and Giselle could have sworn that the entire court sighed with relief, since they were exhausted, but it was not fitting for anybody to leave before the King. Giselle and her husband bidded their royal guests goodnight, before returning to the King's chambers, since Will wished for his wife to stay with him tonight.