Hardly a Lady

XII

3 months later

A sound of soft, calming music filled the veranda under which Giselle kept her court. A small, 4 piece band sat in the shaded corner, plucking at the strings and blowing into the pipes of their instruments gently in the background as all the ladies Giselle had invited to enjoy her hospitality sat about chattering quietly.

Giselle herself laid out upon a chaise longue, an umbrella over her face to shade the sun from her eyes and Blair sat beside her, reading from one of the Princess's favourite story books. Some ladies had gathered around also to hear Blair read, who had one of the most mellifluous and enchanting voices Giselle had ever heard.

The day was hot, and Giselle felt weary from the heat and the weight of her growing stomach. She had passed her fifth moon now; her pregnancy was now clearly visible, the child within her occasionally kicking sharply to remind her that he was ok and full of life. Giselle had swapped her heavy silk dresses and corsets for chiffon and taffeta gowns a moon past, enjoying the extra freedom they allowed her to grow and relax. Some of the more wealthy women at court had followed suit, seeing the gowns that their future Queen was wearing and rushing out to the nearest seamstress to order 5 dresses in the very same style. It entertained Giselle to know that whatever she would wear - no matter how ghastly - there would always be somebody who copied her.

The women of court used to copy Elsa, but that was when she was the only woman in Will's life. Now they watched his wife's every move, desperate to learn her accent, her mannerisms, her walk and her smile, all in a desperate attempt to be just like her. Giselle didn't mind; better there be a hundred versions of her walking around than a hundred versions of Elsa.

The ladies all laughed at a joke in the book, and Giselle spared a smile of approval, encouraging Blair to keep going. Behind them, Ash stood with an impassive face, his hands folding over the hilt of his sword, which hung defensively at his waist. Giselle blushed as she thought about them both, and felt stirrings within her that she never got with Will. After the first time she had kissed him, following her fight with her husband, Ash had warned her of the dangers. Suppose one of your ladies walks in, he had told her, and upon seeing us they are fearful for their own life if they don't tell. What if in order to save themselves, they condemn us?

Giselle had hushed him at that point with another kiss, and from then their relationship had blossomed. Although their liaisons could never see the daylight - it was always banished to the night when the castle slept and the few rare moments they could share alone - the feelings they produced burned brighter than anything Giselle had ever felt before. Perhaps it was the thrill of knowing she was getting Will back (although she took care to ensure that he would never know) that fuelled the fire between them. Whatever it was, Giselle knew that she was addicted to the way she felt around Ash, and she would not relinquish that feeling without a fight.

Blair reached the end of the chapter, and Giselle motioned for her to stop reading at that point. Blair graciously curtsied as she stood up, before disappearing off to help Allina serve little cakes from the kitchens. Kendra was off tidying Giselle's room, and it was Fausella's day off. As for Lady Tressema, she sat not too far away, conversing with some of the older ladies politely about the weather or something of similar importance. Giselle sighed and laid her head back, shutting her eyes as she stroked her stomach. She felt tired a lot of the time now, the additional weight of the baby making her back ache if she stood for too long. Although the sickness had stopped many weeks ago, other symptoms had taken it's place; fatigue, leg cramps and cravings to name but a few. Giselle kept telling herself that it would all be worth it in the end, when she held her baby in her arms.

A guard strode down the narrow pathway which led to Giselle's sanctuary, and instantly the Princess knew him for one of Ash's men. He bowed deeply to her, before shuffling stiffly towards Lady Tressema. He bent down and whispered something in her ear, and Giselle watched curiously as the warm smile on the older woman's face faded to one of shock. She nodded and dismissed him, standing up slowly and brushing down her skirts, after which she moved to behind Giselle.