The Royal Seamstress | ONC2020

Chapter 9: Margaret's Unhappiness

All day I had worked on the second of the three dresses; the King had ordered. I only had one week left to finish the task, and I had to hurry. I had chosen to make the dress of moonshine from silver. It gave the dress a shiny look of the cold nights with a bright moon hanging low, lighting up the landscape. Tonight, I had to go to the King's room, and I was afraid. I didn't know what to expect. Sometimes it would have been practical still to have a mother, who could have given me the information I needed. I missed having a mother, especially now.

As I stitched the last silver pearl on the dress, Margaret came in.

"Is it done yet?" she asked, looking at the dress.

"Yes, I've just sewn the last pearl on the skirt. What do you think?"

"It's beautiful," she said with a smile. She hadn't spoken to me since I had told her of the plans the King had made for her. I didn't know if she was angry or just needed some time to swallow the whole situation.

"How are you feeling?" I asked quietly. "Are you mad at me for making that agreement on your behalf with the King?"

"No, not at all. I just have a hard time to adjust to the new circumstances. I never thought to be in this kind of situation."

"I understand, I am also nervous. I don't know what to expect later when I go to the King's rooms." I sighed in desperation. Thinking of the fact I was going to lose my maidenhead. "Margaret, do you know anything about what goes on in the marriage bed?"

"You mean how it feels to get the virgin flower plucked?" she said without hesitation. I looked at her with a bewildered stare. She laughed. Like she knew something I didn't. Had she tried it?

"Yes, that's exactly what I refer to," I answered in a restrained voice. "You look like you're familiar with the whole process. Have you seen it done?"

"No, I have tried it myself," she laughed.

I didn't know what to say. She had sinned. Given her maidenhead to someone who wasn't going to be her husband. On the wedding night she would have a problem. She had to bleed, that was the only thing I knew. Otherwise, she would be called out as a whore.

"But what about your honor and reputation now that you're getting married?"

"I didn't know that at the time. The man, who took my maidenhead was my fiancée. I didn't see anything wrong in it, we were to be married."

I did see her point. She had obviously been engaged to the male she had shared the stolen moment with. She was very young, I wondered when it had taken place. She had been a court for nearly half a year by now.

"Why did you not marry then?" I asked her. The look on her face instantly grew darker. Tears formed in her eyes slowly. Her breathing became unsteady. She shook her head. "What happened?"

"He stole some bread," she said in a low voice. I could barely hear her. "His family was poor just like mine. He had done this many times, but this time he was discovered. Suddenly everything escalated and he got accused publicly of heresy too. He was burned on the stake."

I got sad on her behalf. The world wasn't a fair place. It was a men's world controlled by the nobility and the rest of the population just had to go by their bidding. Her fiancée had had no chance of defending himself and he had been punished on unjust grounds. I felt like crying though I should be comforting the young girl in front of me instead, who was sobbing at the memory of her lost lover.

"Did you see him before he was burned?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, I visited him in the Tower. He asked me to be at his execution. I had had no intention of being there, but it was his last wish to see my face before he departed this world, and how could I refuse him that?."

"How long had you known each other?"

"Since we were children."

Then she broke down. She fell to the floor, crying. I rushed to her side, sitting beside her. Drew her into my arms and held her tightly into my body. Trying to comfort her.

"How are you feeling then with the plan ahead of you?" I whispered. I didn't really know what to say. I had never had any lover. My mother had raised me in the belief that love was a rare thing. She had always preached it only existed in strong marriages. I had often asked her what a strong marriage was, but she had never clarified it. Obviously, she wasn't going to explain it. She had always been reserved in giving information about the life of matrimony. I had figured my mother had meant a strong marriage was a union between two people with good connections and fortune and she had meant love could grow on a hopeless ground with no foundation other than money. In my option she couldn't be more wrong. Love was real, the world just wasn't made for it to be a part of it yet, since money and status were more important. Margaret had had a chance of having a husband who would love her forever. She had had the chance of having what most women only dreamt of.

"I don't know," she sobbed. "I still love my first love. After his death I got sent to court. My family couldn't keep me with them anymore. They couldn't afford it."

"I'm sure the King will do his best to find you a good husband, but I know he can't replace what your childhood love meant for you but give him a chance."

"I know I don't have a choice and I will go through with it."

I nodded. I knew she didn't have a choice, but I would talk with Henry tonight on her behalf again. I wished for her to have a husband, who would treat her well and I prayed that Henry would let me into the decision of choosing the man for her.

Word count: 1064 words.

Total word count: 10398 words.