Snakes In The Garden

Anne - The Wine

Here is a nice big chapter! I hope you enjoy it!!
-Silver

Anne P.O.V.

"What's wrong?" Guinevere asked as I stomped into my room. I hadn't been expecting them to be here.

"Did you explore the castle?"

"Yes she answered exchanging looks with the other girls. "Anne, did something happen? Between you and Francis?"

"No, of course not." I lied, smoothing my yellow skirt.

Italia opens her mouth to speak but then the woman from earlier that day came into the room. "Ladies," she proclaimed. "You must help your queen get ready for the wedding. Dauphin Francis' sister will be married tonight."

"Of course." Rose said. "We were just discussing which color befits her best and had decided on some black silk for the occasion."

Nice work Rose. I nodded my head. "I think that would be lovely."

The woman looked satisfied, then, and exited the room. "I think black silk would be nice Rose." Grace said.

We got to work. We dressed our finest, we pinched our cheeks, we did up our hair and we were ready. "I'm heading down now." Italia said, flicking a speck off of her tightly fitted purple dress.

"Yes you go ahead. I will be down in a moment." I replied, walking over to my dresser. They all ran off and I stared at myself in the mirror, not really wanting to go down and face all those people. Suddenly I heard some thing behind me and I turned, but no one was there.

I turned again when I heard a clink behind me. Nothing had changed except that my pile of stones I had thrown in the river earlier were now dry and in a neat pile on this table.

I turns around on last time when I heard a creak coming from the other side of the room. "Who's there?!" I asked loudly. Another creak came then, emanating from behind my changing screen.

I slowly made my way toward it, shaking slightly and was about to peer around the edge when a hand appeared in the middle of the screen.

"Whatever you do, don't drink the wine." A croaky voice said. I placed my hand over theirs.

"Who are you? What do you mean!?" I asked. But the hand pulled away and when I looked around the corner all I saw was a crack in the wall. I inched over to it and pried it open to see a long, dark, and damp atone passage.

Then I heard my room door opened. I quickly out the wall back in place. "Yes I am coming down now." I called out. Grace rounded the corner.

"We were worried... Anne what's wrong!? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Nonsense!" I grabbed her arm and whisked her out this room.

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I was mingling with the crowd, letting the music please my ears and watching Italia dance with a young man I didn't know when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned to see a young man with blonde hair bowing to me. He was holding two wine glasses. "Would you like some Your Majesty?" He said, fairly shoving a glass in to my hand.

"Thank you." I said trying to appear gracious.

He smiled. "To your good health."

We toasted and I was about to take a sip when words echoed in my head. What ever you do, don't drink the wine. I pretended to take a drink and then politely set the glass on a nearby table. I noticed the young man give a pained look and then walk away.

I turned my head and saw a watery-eyed Rose. "Oh my goodness. Rose was that him?" Rose had just told me how her love, Luc had cone to be with her all the way from Scotland.

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Rose! He was just giving his respects to his queen!" She nodded and smiled, giving me a hug.

Suddenly a lively song started to play. "Come on!" Italia had joined us and we all took our shoes off, grabbed hands, and spun in a circle together. It soon caught on and all the ladies were twirling, shoeless around the room.

I felt someone staring at me and I stopped dancing, roaming the crowd until I found Sebastian. I looked at him, taking in his beautiful green eyes. I smiled widely, feeling happier than I had ever since coming to court. He kept staring at me and I was locked in to place.

Suddenly the spell was broken as I felt something soft tickle my cheek. Goose feathers were falling from the sky. I twirled around and when I looked back into the crowd I saw Francis and remembered his we used to have pillow fights. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

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Later that night the girls and I went and peeked into the Consummation. I was so shocked that I ran off, leaving them behind. I knew I needed sleep, so I went back to my quarters and climbed into bed.

I fell to sleep quickly only to be awoken, feeling my bed move I opened my eyes to see Luc sitting over me, undoing his belt. I opened my mouth to scream, but he covered with one hand and shushed me. I grappled with his hand and eventually got out a scream. "Guards!" I shrieked. He tried to cover my mouth again but the guards rushed in and took him away.

Italia P.O.V.
After witnessing the Consummation Anne deserted us and I ran, through the dining room and up some stairs to lean against a walk and process what just happened. Suddenly I felt a hand on my hip and a some one kissed my neck. I jumped and found my self face-to-face with the king of France.