My Sister's Prince

Chapter Twelve:

     As soon as Alaric and Eulalie returned to the palace, it was as if a cannon had blasted; the entirety of the court was running around as if they were chickens without heads. There were papers to sign, agreements that needed revision, table settings to approve...

     Eulalie and Alaric had barely had time to get used to their news before they were thrust back into that familiar sense of obligation. So far, nobody knew about the baby except for the soon-to-be parents. If Eulalie had her way, that's the way it would stay. She was terrified of her mother-in-law's potential reaction to the news, and wanted to keep the news of the baby between herself and her husband-where she felt it belonged.

     But there was a side of her, the practical side, that understood that this wasn't just hers and Alaric's child. This baby would be the heir to the throne of Absalon. This child would be the kingdom's child as well. Sharing the baby that rested within her womb was an inevitability, but one that Eulalie was trying to forget. It was for these reasons that she'd been hesitant to start a family in the first place.

     As soon as they returned from Navira, Eulalie had been stuck in bed. Her morning sickness had weekend her, in addition to slowing down their ride home. Alaric, caring husband that he was, doted on his wife as often as his schedule would allow. 

     From her position within the fluffy covers of hers and Alaric's bed, she watched as Elisabetta and Muriel became fast friends, the two gushing over dress patterns and teaching one another new ways to style hair. 

     To the rest of the court, Eulalie was recovering from exhaustion from the journey. She hated how delicate the excuse made her sound, but she supposed that for the next nine months, she'd have to accept that her athletic and strong frame will change and become more fragile as the baby grows.

     On the second day of her bed rest, she and Alaric called the court physician, Meadows, to verify what the physician in Navira had suspected. With a nervous stutter at having to diagnose what he referred to as "women's problems," the fidgety Doctor Meadows agreed that the Queen was, in fact, with child. 

     He advised her to stay in bed for as long as she needed to feel rested, and prescribed her several tinctures to assist with her sickness. On pain of imprisonment should he reveal to the court the Queen's news, Alaric threatened the wide-eyed physician into secrecy. It seemed that he, too, wanted to keep the news of the baby a secret for a little longer.

     It wasn't until the Queen-Mother had knocked aggressively on their door several mornings after their arrival, did Alaric and Eulalie realize they needed to share the news. Violet had pounded on the ornate doors of the room, demanding to be let in to see the Queen. "The court is worried that something has happened to her, my son. We need confirmation that Her Majesty is okay," she said. 

     Internally, Eulalie rolled her eyes. Violet just seemed to be sticking her nose where it didn't truly belong. Snuggled together in the calm and safety of their room, she dreaded leaving their peaceful little bubble. "She has a point, I'm afraid," Alaric begrudgingly mumbled.

     Eulalie moaned and held a hand to her still-flat stomach. They were about to be a family of three in less than a year. Weren't they the only people that really mattered? "Can't the outside world wait?" She begged.

     "If you think you're well enough, my love, we should make an announcement to court soon. But first, we should tell my parents so they're not surprised. My mother...she doesn't take well to surprises," he said with a grimace.

     Terrified of her mother-in-law's reaction to the news, Eulalie hesitated, but ultimately agreed, if only because she was wary of the progression of Violet's actions should she continue to be kept in suspense.

     An hour later, Eulalie, fully dressed for the first time in days, was being escorted to the palace's library with Muriel on one arm and Elisabetta on the other. As they helped her sit down in an overstuffed chair beside Alaric, in front of Alaric's parents, she couldn't help but think how foolish she must look. 

     As Elisabetta tucked a blanket around her knees, Eulalie didn't miss Violet's nose sneer at the Naviran girl. Eulalie shot daggers back at the Queen-Mother. "Thank you, Elisabetta, that's quite enough," Eulalie gently assured her. The girl left after dipping into a slight curtsey. 

     Eulalie couldn't have been happier that the young girl had agreed to follow her back to the palace. During her time in Navira, she couldn't help but feel that they had become so close. She couldn't imagine going back to navigating the palace without the supportive and fiery young lady. 

     "Surely you cannot expect to continue keeping us held in suspense," Violet said, more of a hiss than a statement. The former King Rudolph held a dark, affirming hand over his wife's, offering a supportive squeeze. 

     "Calm yourself, Violet," he said, his deep voice visibly relaxing his wife. Violet sat back in her chair. Rudolph cleared his throat and turned back to his son and daughter-in-law. "What is it you've called us all here for today, my son," he said, "daughter," he added with a nod and smile to Eulalie.

     She liked King Rudolph. Perhaps it was because she saw so much of Alaric in him. Where his wife was vengeful, cold, and calculating, Rudolph was none of those things. The old King was kind and patient, and happy to call Eulalie his daughter. 

     Alaric reached for and held Eulalie's hand, kissing her knuckles before he spoke. "Eulalie and I have an exciting announcement that we wanted to share with you both before we told the rest of the kingdom..." He looked to Eulalie, who smiled sweetly, encouraging him to continue. "We're expecting a baby!" He cheered gleefully, looking to all the faces in the room, each one sharing a different expression.

     His wife was pleasant and calm, as this wasn't news to her. His father clapped his big hands together and smiled, shaking his head incredulously. His mother, however, seemed to be gripping her chalice a little too tightly. Her pink fingertips whitened with the force of her hold, and the delicate crystal burst into pieces from her force. Her face had darkened, and her eyes had narrowed into beady little slits.

     "Mother!" Alaric called, rushing to his mother's side with his handkerchief at the ready to wipe the wine and glass from her lap. Trickles of blood stemmed from her sliced fingertips, and as the rest of the room scrambled, Eulalie stayed seated, glaring back at the former Queen with nearly as much force. She was pregnant, remember? She needed to conserve her energy...

     When the Queen-Mother was cleaned up, she sat back down, visibly flustered. Eulalie wanted to shout, or return back to the safety of her chambers, but her husband had resumed his grip on her hands when he returned to his seat. This was just like her, she thought, here we were with news of our own and she's found a way to turn the attention back to her. 

     "What joyous news!" Violet called out, her hands clenched into fists. "That is, this is what you wanted, right? To keep the baby?" 

     Anger flooded Alaric, Eulalie, and Rudolph's faces as they turned to her in shock. "How could you say such a thing?" Eulalie exclaimed, speaking up for the first time during that dreadful meeting.

     "I'm just saying," Violet said defensively. "If this isn't what the two of you wanted, you could always ask for my help..."

     Eulalie freed her hand from her husband's and fled the room, Alaric calling out behind her. "Eulalie, wait, she's just trying to be helpful," he said, catching up to her. They had attracted the attention of all of the courtiers around them, but she didn't care.

     "Make whatever announcement you want to the court, but keep that bitch," she shrieked, "away from me." 

     While Eulalie couldn't see the shadow of her mother-in-law in the doorway of the library behind her, Violet could see her. Like a lion stalking its prey, Violet's mind began scheming, finding ways to spin this new course of events to her advantage. With a sly smile, Violet muttered under her breath, so no one would hear.

      "I'm going to make sure they eat you alive."