Three Peach Roses

Cold

Chapter 8

Olga and Marianne had spent the past few days together, when Olga wasn't with the King. They enjoyed each other's company and spent their time together talking and studying.

"Marianne I do miss out discussions at dinner. Would you join us at the Royal Table?" Olga asked, sweetly. Aleksandra looked up, her eyes filled with rage.

"But Olga, there is no room for her!" She said. Olga glanced at her.

"Then we shall make room." She answered, sharply.

"Where? Will you magic her a place? Or perhaps she would prefer a bowl for a hound on the floor. She is a mutt after all." Aleksandra restored cruelly. Everyone in the room stopped dead, as if time it's self had frozen. Magnolia and Mahogany, who were sat not far with Valentina and Anzhelika, snapped their heads up. Mahogany, who was more fiery than Magnolia, rose with a look of fire on her face. This delighted Aleksandra and she carried on with her insults.

"You will have a Devereaux, known for being treacherous, near the King's food Olga? He'll be dead within the night! Oh, wait. A Devereaux never succeeds, do they?" Aleksandra laughed. Magnolia stood, slowly and gracefully, and held protectively onto her sister's arm.

"I will admit, Lady Moscov, that our Family have been at fault in hue he past and the war is still fresh in people's minds but we are not below you. We are not mutts because we are Ruscovan, French and Italian. Our heritage is something we take pride in. Your spite fullness is much more shameful than our ancestry." Magnolia spoke in a dignified voice. It had weight that made everyone listen. Aleksandra opened her mouth to speak but Olga cut her off.

"Aleksandra! You will leave at once. Go back to your chamber." Aleksandra laughed again.

"Oh! Queen Olga you have surfaced! Do not forget that I am your older sister. You do not tell me how to behave." She snapped. Olga tried to remain calm and composed like Magnolia but anger spilled out of her as if she was a volcano erupting.

"Aleksandra! You may not to speak to me in this manner. You may not speak to anyone in this manner! I am not Queen but you know I can have you removed and not just from the Palace." Olga said, her voice reaching a shout at the end. Aleksandra's face dropped, the fire had gone from her eyes and left only fear. She swept out of the room, leaving awkward silence in her wake. Olga took three deep breaths and tried to compose herself, like a Queen but her hands shook with rage.

"Marianne, I am truly sorry. Aleksandra...she is...she is angry with me. Please join me for dinner this evening, there will definitely be a space for you."

Marianne sat just three seats away from the King that day with her sisters close by on the table below. She laughed with Katerina and drank fine wine that Olga gave her. After dinner, Marianne took Magnolia and Mahogany to the King's drawing room.

"Do any of you know how to play chess?" The King asked. He had just had a beautiful chess set made from heavy wood. Chess was not very popular in Ruscova but Marianne had been playing ever since she was a girl. Mahogany was about to say this for her when he saw Marianne rise and say,

"Your Highness, I can play." King Dimitri pulled out the chair next to him.

"Well we must play then! Listen men, a woman knows how to play chess and you do not!" He joked.

"Shame upon you!" Magnolia whispered to Sir Thomas. He laughed heartily and took her hand.

"My Lady I cannot bare to think of you ashamed with me. I will learn chess. I will learn chess as I speak French! For you I will do anything." Sir Thomas said, jokingly and sending himself up. Magnolia laughed, her head tilted back and her face illuminated by the glow of the candles.

King Dimitri was impressed by Marianne's chess playing and her conversation. Initially he had seen her as a nervous little thing that he could trap and tease, like a cat playing with a mouse. He realised as he spoke with her she was as intelligent as the old scholars he had met but witty and merry like his favourite women at Court. The wall of her shyness had begun to fall down and her gleaming personality was shining through. He was laughing as she moved her piece and said triumphantly: "Check mate!" Everyone watched, King Dimitri was pampered and spoilt and did not take losing well. However this time he smiled and sat back, relaxed.
"Well if I was going to lose to anyone, I'm glad it was you Miss Devereaux."

The girls had received a letter from their brother which the read at their nightly meeting. It was written by Marcus, Magnolia's twin, and it urged them to hurry up.

"Harry is becoming unbearable!" Marcus wrote. Magnolia sighed and put the letter into the box with their meeting book.

"Father and Harry are so angry we haven't got them to court yet but we've barely been here any time at all!"

"I will try to talk to King Dimitri tomorrow; there is a big tennis match." Marianne said desperately, trying to get Magnolia to feel better.

"And say what? Good luck with your match, please can you bring my brother-who tried to steal your crown and murder you- to your court?!" Mahogany said sarcastically.

"Why not? He might say yes." Marianne replied, slightly hurt by Mahogany's dismissal.

"Don't be so stupid Marianne. He'd refuse and you'd just scare him away from you. You must be more cunning. We have to turn him away from his closest friends and make him trust us." Mahogany said.

"But how?" Marianne asked exasperatedly.

"By turning him against Sir Thomas. And by replacing Olga." She said, suddenly quiet.

"With who?" Marianne asked, drawn in by Mahogany's voice.

"One of us."

"Mahogany we cannot! We must stay virtuous for marriage! Father would be furious!" Marianne was panicked, she couldn't believe what her sister was saying.

"Father would be grateful! Honestly Marianne you are such a child. You think Father sent us here to make friends and read poetry and stroll around the gardens? He knew exactly what he was doing sending us and we have a job to do." Mahogany shouted, her voice sharp and harsh.

"But Mahogany, what about marr..." Marianne began, still horrified.

"Do not speak to me of marriage! Do you think anyone wants to marry us anyway? Our family is a joke! We are poor and disgraced. Men want to marry for money, not our virginity. Olga and her family get everything, they get power and riches. We need to get as close to the King as possible." Magnolia put her arm around Marianne as she sat beside her.

"She's right, Anny. We must do this for our family. We can help get Harry on the throne where he rightfully belongs." Marianne nodded obediently.

"Which one of us?" She asked, hoping it wouldn't be her.

"It doesn't matter. We all need to try." Mahogany said with authority but Alexei's face flashed in her mind. Magnolia nodded.

"We must displace Olga, too." Marianne frowned, worriedly. She had begun to like Olga.

"For goodness sake Marianne. Olga is not your friend, you family are your friends. Honestly, you are far too warm. You must become colder is you want to succeed." Mahogany said, "We will spread a rumour about Olga. Say she bedded Sir Thomas. Tomorrow at the tennis match." Magnolia nodded. Mahogany settled down to sleep.

"Magnolia, blown out the candle and Marianne, stop worrying. It will get you nowhere."