Yes, Ma'am

Aftermath

Queen Victoria's POV

I can't remember anything.1,2,3. Everything is slurred. Champagne. 1,2,3. Dancing. Counts. 1,2,3.Princes. Lord M. Wine. 1,2,3.Champagne. Mother. 1,2,3. 1,2,3.Lord M.1,2,3.Dancing. 1,2,3. Lord M. 1,2,3. Dancing with Lord M?
Everything in my head. It's just gone. Did I dance with him? I recall standing with him, in the hall, yes, that's right. I had stepped forward.
I attempt to stand up now, everything is spinning and the world is beating down on my small head, the rhythm of the dance still paces through my mind. I squint blearily, eventually giving in and re closing my eyes in relief, gladly allowing the harsh light to fade from my vision and lying down once more.
What did I do? I had stepped forward? What then? Why did I do that? I was holding his hands?
The last thing I remember is looking up at his cheeks, rosy in the light, and his sunken eyes.
I didn't... I didn't...
Did I?
Did I kiss Lord M? Would I kiss Lord M?
He is handsome but... He is like a father to me. Isn't he? He wouldn't allow me to. Would he?
What if I tried to and was turned away?
Even now I feel rejection and embarrassment and... Disappointment?
That's normal though; I am sure everyone would like to feel wanted, needed- what I would imagine, suppose, a kiss would offer.
Be that as it may, Victoria, you have important Queenly duties to perform and should not be fantasising about a maybe kiss with a certain prime minister cough*Lord*cough*M*. Time to rise and shine. Up and at 'em.
Maybe just a few more minutes of sleep..

Lord M's POV

Where is she? No one can find her. I've been searching for hours.
You rejected her Melbourne, it's your fault.
It's all your fault.
Her Majesty is missing and last you or anyone saw her she was embarrassed, angry, disappointed, low, and drunk. Very drunk. You should have followed her, called out her name, anything!
What if she hurt herself? What if she went out and was attacked? Raped, mugged, murdered? You didn't think of that did you? Did you Melbourne?
Of course not! No! It didn't occur think of someone else, the most important person, in fact! You were too taken up with your own desires! You're so self-centred sometimes!
And now you're searching one of the largest houses in Britain. It is in fact a palace.
And then I snapped.
'A palace! Ha! A palace! Do you remember that Melbourne?! Naturally! It's more a palace! Can I call it a palace?! And you.. You responded... You are the Queen, Ma'am , you may call it what you wish! So pathetic! You can never improve that response! Can you Lord M? You may never respond to her again! Never hear 'Lord M' again! You've killed her! Killed her Melbourne! The young Queen with so much hope in her eyes!'
I was in hysterics. I cried my eyes out and screamed wretched, cracked sobs till my throat was hoarse and liquid blurred my vision.
I sat against the wall and then I got up again and paced. Racking my brain and twisting my fingers, not really thinking just cursing and crying. I sat back down, this time in the middle of the hall, and rocked myself back and forth, back and forth, back and forth..
I decided I would move to a different hall. I would go to the one I last saw her in, orange lit and glowing like the aurora. I sighed, trying to remain calm, unsurprised when my voice cracked.
Moving to a large full length window, I stared at the blue sky and wondered why, though it was day, the moon still shone down on the world, shadowed by the sun.
The wind rustled the curtains behind me and I leant forward into the warm air looking down at the world in which Victoria could be in. Somewhere out there.
This was the last straw for my already fragile mind. I crumbled back and placed myself on the floor, weeping silent tears this time. I had no more energy to utter the pain I felt.
I was whimpering in the manner of a dog for what seemed like forever, that is what I was. No more than a dog.

Queen Victoria's POV

Now it really is time to get up, Victoria.
Goodness! It is rather cold all of a sudden! I thought. I got to my feet, not really taking in my surroundings, eyes still shut and felt something in front of me. My back was really stiff and my inevitable headache had not left. My robe had been wrapped over me as a blanket and so I stood in my undergarments.
Where am I ?
I opened my eyes- wide so I wouldn't be tempted to close them and saw that I was behind an elaborately embroidered curtain. Not thinking anything of it I stepped out my robe in my hand.
A man was crouched on the floor making soft noises of sad solitude. I craned my neck to view his face.
'Lord M?'

Lord M's POV

'Yes, Ma'am?' I scoffed through my tears.
I had not yet realised. And then... It hit me.
'Ma'am?', I repeated, 'Is that you?' I rose, tears still streaming down my face, in disbelief and turned to see Victoria.
I thought nothing of it; a smile rapidly encased my face and I ran to her , her who had made me weep for so long and so hard, and wrapped her in my arms tightly.
Everything flowed from my mouth so quickly, fresh tears of relief drowning out the others and words muffled by my Queen's hair left my mouth warm.
'I would dance with you forever'
'I thought I had lost you'
'I would never accept myself'
'I'm such a fool'
'I'm never letting you leave me again Ma'am' .

3rd Person view.

It was a good thing that his words were indeed completely muffled for the sake of the already completely befuddled woman he held, who, in spite of herself, grinned into her prime minister's shoulder. As though he could feel her smile his entire being flooded with elation, ecstasy, wonder and for once faith in the nature of humanity.
Lord Melbourne picked her up and turned her round, his utter relief and bliss evident over his entire body, from his face to his feet, suddenly filled with youth and life and laughter.
These feelings only faded slightly when he replaced the Queen on the ground.
Standing back to admire her, the smile his mouth wore dropped, but not from his eyes. His face and neck flushed rouge and his previously sure words failed him.
In front of him stood Victoria.
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. In her undergarments. And he had not only seen her, but embraced her. He had held her tight and swung her round like a rag doll. His eyes were still damp and he realised that, alongside him now, the Queen must be entirely bewildered.
Yet all he could manage was:
"Good Morning, Ma'am"
And, despite everything, their location, her current state of undress, the servant who had walked past during the latter part of the encounter, when both were out of breath,
they laughed, whole childlike, innocent laughs.
Lord M- still blushing- handed her her robe and proceeded to lead her, in the way a bodyguard might, checking every direction for people, to her bedroom.
It could be explained later; first he needed to tell everyone that she was OK. He needed to shout it from the rooftops. His Queen was back.