Three Peach Roses

Soft

Chapter 10

Mahogany was anxiously waiting for her brothers to arrive. She sat next to the window over looking the courtyard, tapping her foot impatiently and nibbling her lip. Harry had always tried to overpower her as a child, even though she was the oldest. They fought eachother in the nursary for the best toys, they pushed and pinched each other at the dinner table and they competed for their Father's affection. 

Mahogany felt a mix of emotions welcoming Harry to court. She liked being in charge but she knew the moment Harry arrived he would take her place. Being the eldest boy, Harry had been brought up as the most important and he believed himself above his sisters. However, Mahogany knew he was needed. The more Devereaux's at court the easier it would be to take over. They needed eyes and ears everywhere if they wanted to take down the King from the inside.

"Nervous?" A voice said, coming from behind Mahogany. She turned to tell the person as politely as she could to go away and mind themselves but she stopped dead. Her mouth wouldn't work. It was Alexei. He smiled dazzaling at her.

"Yes." She answered, composing herself. She was beginning to act like Marianne when she thought of Alexei which wasn't good. She needed to be strong and impenetrable like stone, not soft like melting butter. A soft heart would get her nowhere. Alexei budged up her feet and sat next to her. He was so close, Mahogany had to fight not to reach out and stroke his ebony black hair.

"I hear your brothers are arriving soon." Alexei remarked.

"Yes. Harry and Marcus." Mahogany replied.

"I will be glad to meet them." He said, Mahogany smiled warmly.

"Do they look like you? You and your sisters are quite similar in looks." 

"Marcus and Magnolia are identical but I think Harry looks like Marianne. They have the same caramel hair."

"Your family are famed for being beautiful." Alexei said, laughing. Mahogany smiled. "Especially you." He carried on. Mahogany giggled softly. The sound of horses drew Alexei and Mahogany away from their intimate conversation. In the courtyear Harry, Marcus and their company had arrived. Mahogany jumped up immediately. She very almost forgot herself and ran downstairs to greet them, but instead she took a breath and smiled at Alexei.

"Sir Glazkov, I bid you Goodbye." She said, curtsying. Then she turned and walked down the stairs gracefully, meeting her sisters at the entrance doors.

They all went out into the courtyard to greet their brothers. 

"Harry! Marcus!" The girls shouted.

"Dear sisters!" Marcus said, smiling. He ran and hugged them each. King Dimitri had been watching from his window and came to greet Marcus and Harry.

"Well, nice to finally meet you. Your sisters are very fond of you, they talk about you often." King Dimitri said, keeping an eye on Marianne and grinning boyishly as she blushed. Harry and Marcus nodded and agreed but it was clear they were uncomfortable with their new King. Mahogany acted quickly, like she always did.

"Yes, your Highness, we do speak of our beloved brothers often. And now we are glad they have met their wonderful King! May we be excused to help them to their rooms?" She asked, in her sweet low voice. King Dimitri smiled at the compliment.

"But of course. You will all dine with me at my table this evening." He said. Marcus and Magnolia left first, chatting together in Italian then they were closely followed by Harry and Mahogany, who were already arguing. Marianne and King Dimitri were left in the courtyard.

"My Lord, thank you for welcoming my family so kindly." She said quietly, daring to gaze up into his soft brown eyes. He smiled.

"Anything for you, Marianne." He reached out and carressed her face gently. Marianne closed her eyes to feel the warmth of his fingertips on her cheek. The King bent his head down to her and whispered so only she could hear.

"Say you'll come to me tonight." Marianne opened her eyes and looked at him for a while, her eyes glowing with a soft warmth.

"I will, my Lord. Of course I will."

Marcus, Harry, Magnolia and Mahogany sat in the girls bed chamber as they prepared for a family meeting. Mahogany and Harry continued to argue.

"Harry! You have been here for only a few minutes, pray tell me, why should you get to hold this meeting and not me?" Mahogany asked irritably. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Because, dear sister, this is my crown we are playing for and you have no idea how to handle this situation of power and responsibility." Harry replied haughtily.

"You are being childish. I have been handling this extremely well so far. And do not pretend the crown has no effect on the family. We all have things to play for, Harry. Let me handle this." Mahogany said.

"You cannot handle it!" Harry shouted.

"Oh yes, dear Brother. Because your rebellion wen so well!" Mahogany laughed coldly. Harry went quiet. "We shall begin. So far we have made her way up the social scale- very quickly, I might add, and we have become the closest friends of the King. I will not let you ruin it with your indelicacy with him. You men! You cannot pretend at all, can you? You cannot manipulate or scheme. You just fight and kill and hope for the best!" Again, harry and Marcus stayed silent, she was right. Their brute force attack to seize the throne had failed and they knew they needed to be more cunning ways of their sister.

Marianne entered the bed chamber breathlessly.

"He wants me...he wants me to come to him tonight." Marianne said, closing the door carefully.

"Who?" Marcus asked. Magnolia sighed and rolled her eyes at her twin.

"Who? Who do you think? Marianne this is very good news." Magnolia said. Harry's quietness was beginning to wear off and he began to get angry again.

"Marianne, you are not going to his room tonight." He said in a slow and hard voice.

"Yes she is." Mahogany answered defiantly. Marianne's hands began to shake. She hated arguments.

"No she is not. I will not have my sister ruined by that man. Him! The pretender! The one who took my throne!" Harry's voice began to rise. Mahogany did not back down.

"Oh, please Brother! You think that really matters? That we spoil precious little Anny's worthless virginity! What is more important to you, Anny or the throne?" She asked. Harry didn't verbalise his answer but it was clear what it was.

"Exactly." Mahogany said triumphantly.

"How exactly will it help?" Harry asked. Mahogany sighed deeply as if it was the stupidest question in the world. She layed down on the bed, flopping dramatically and signalled with her hand for Magnolia to take over.

"All Marianne has to do is get him to trust her and care about her. She must get him to love her. Then we will use whatever personal documents we can find about him to turn his friends and his country against him. We re-start the revolution." Magnolia said.

"And kill him." Mahogany added. Marianne's head snapped up.

"Kill him?" She whispered uncertainly, refusing to accept her feelings of dread. Mahogany glanced up at her, a small smile on her lips.

"Once you are his mistress you will be around him constantly. It will be easy to slip some undetectable poison into his body."  Marianne was about to protest, but something stopped her. She refused to be soft and weak anymore, she was carving herself out of stone.

"Yes of course. Or I could smother him." She said. Mahogany's eyes widened for a moment but then she laughed.

"Good idea, sister."