Hardly a Lady

VIII

"Whose is she?" Giselle demanded, pacing up and down with her hands clasped behind her back. Ash was lounged lazily on one of the chairs in Giselle's dining room, twirling his dagger around his fingers boredly.

She had been too upset that there was another woman to confront Ash last night, but upon waking up this morning she had summoned the head of her guard and dismissed her ladies with a plethora of random chores to keep them away whilst she spoke to Ash. For whatever reason, she felt as if she could trust him, but as of yet she wasn't sure about where her ladies' loyalties lay.

"Who is who?" Ash replied mockingly, amusement clear on his face. Giselle glowered with all her might and stopped walking. "You know who. The girl who came in during my meal with the Prince last night."

Ash raised his eyebrows and stood up. "Why, are you jealous of her?" he retorted, stepping closer to Giselle. A shiver went down her spine, but Giselle stood her ground and crossed her arms across her chest. "Why would I be? I am a Lady and soon to be a Princess. She is clearly some common harlot."

Ash smirked. "Her name is Elsa. The Prince has been in love with her since they were children."

Giselle clenched her fists. "They were children together?"

Ash nodded and ran his fingers along his dagger nonchalantly. "Of course. Elsa is the daughter of Sir Lansley."

Giselle's heart stopped. She remembered Sir Lansley mentioning his daughter when they were at Forest Castle, and how the girl was of a similar age to Giselle. He hadn't mentioned Elsa's close acquaintance with Will.

"Sir Lansley has been Will's principal advisor all of the Prince's life, and so it is only right that Elsa should have grown up at the Prince's side. She is very good friends with Princess Serrena, the Prince's sister, and is practically a part of the royal family herself. People bow when she enters a room and vie for her attention, since she is so close to the Prince. She is quite influential."

Giselle sunk into a chair and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. It angered her that this 'Elsa' could be so beloved by her future husband, when he could barely spare a look for Giselle herself. What did she have that Giselle didn't?

"I cannot compete with her, then," she murmured, ready to accept defeat before the fight had really begun. Ash stayed standing, towering over her as he returned his dagger to its sheath and sighed. "My lady, if I may be so bold as to say, you were chosen as the Prince's bride, not Elsa. She is a friend of mine - I will admit that - but I have always thought that Will's infatuation with her was unhealthy. They could never be together, after all."

Ash shuffled closer, his voice lowering to being no more than a whisper. "Besides, my lady, if the Prince isn't entranced with you, then he doesn't know what he is missing."

Giselle remained perfectly still as Ash reached forward and gently twirled a lock of her hair around his fingers. She ought to stop him, but she couldn't, wouldn't. The way he made her feel was dangerous, and Giselle could not let it progress any further, before she got hurt.

"Thank you Captain," Giselle stammered. Ash shook his head. "Please, my lady, call me Ash."

Giselle stood up suddenly and glared up at Ash. "Captain, it is your job to protect me from danger, and yet by continuing and speaking as you do, you are merely placing me in it. What would people say?"

Ash smiled softly down at her, and for a moment Giselle could have sworn she saw guilt flicker in his eyes. "I would never endanger you, sweet lady," he breathed, his words no more than a gentle caress. Then, to prove he was a man of his word, he turned away from Giselle and left, without so much as a goodbye.