Dalliance

Chapter Fifty

The next day rushed fast as Holly continued her duties as Queen. Having checked on Vera to be sure she was alright, she then went to the dungeons and was sure the prisoner would be tortured until his death-given one piece of bread a day and forced to hear the cries and prayers of other vile men around him. Holly then had a dinner with her servants-as she did once a month, before going to bed after becoming emotionally exhausted. Finding sleep relatively easy, she closed her eyes and dreamed of a perfect life without any of the seven deadly sins.

Waking up in the middle of the night, Holly slid herself from bed and turned to see Dawson absent once more. It was evident that he had not come to bed at any point of the night-and had instead been elsewhere. Gathering her robe in her fingers, she threw it over her shoulders, and moved towards the hall. Quietly opening the door, she snatched a single candlestick from the corner of the vanity and made her way down the castle halls. Coming up to the kitchen, she blew out her candle upon hearing a familiar voice.

"You have become quite skilled at baking." Dawson spoke as Holly peeked around the corner. Almost as a little child, Vera was sitting upon the counter, her legs swinging back and forth, until Dawson moved towards her with the bread. "Now remove all of this out and mix it with the water...add the salt and sugar...while I finish this."

Vera did as requested as Holly shook off the thought of Dawson and Vera being anything more than friends. Feeling guilty for eavesdropping, she turned to leave before Vera spoke.

"I hope I have not caused animosity between you and your wife...I adore you both so very much...especially for everything you have done for me. I am eternally grateful." Extending her hand to Dawson's, she set her palm atop his hand. Holly peered through the darkness of the corridor, glaring at her husband and her handmaiden.

"Do not be foolish. Holly has been through quite a mess in her life. She does not see trust and honesty in people, she sees potential to cause her pain."

"Thank you for telling me what she had went through."

Holly's mouth hung open. It was not whispers in the village, it was her own husband who delivered her darkest secrets to his new friend. Holly glared, gripping the candlestick.

"I cannot imagine what my circumstances would be, if not for you allowing me here. And to now be the Queen's handmaiden..." She smiled brightly. "The only thing I would be missing...would be a family of my own."

Dawson turned from his cooking.

"There are many eligible men who would gladly accept a woman such as yourself."

"Even if I am not virtuous?"

"They will see your heart and your desire to make others around you happy-that is all that will matter to them."

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course."

"You are all too kind to me."

"You have been through a trying ordeal. You deserve a cease of an uprising of emotions."

Unable to hear anymore, Holly returned to bed. Not being able to sleep the rest of the night, she felt Dawson slide in beside her a few hours later and wrap his arm around her. As if dead, she did not move and hardly took a noticeable breath.

When morning finally rose, her body was pulling for sleep, but her mind would not allow it. Dawson was due in town to show an appearance while Holly had meetings with law makers and cartographers. Taking a large portion of the day, she eventually broke around late afternoon and went to check on Vera. Finding her room vacant and her sheets sprawled carelessly, she looked in the kitchen, hall, servants quarters, and eventually gave up.