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The Silent Princess - Chapter 46

Published at 7th of April 2019 09:19:35 PM


Chapter 46

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"My love, you must wake,"Arren's voice again, soft, through the haze of her sleep as she crossed back from the Veil into the waking world. She looked up at him, a cough breaking through her.

He frowned, distressed as he touched her face, "We'll arrive shortly. This will be over very quickly. I have no intention of playing any court games. I will address their concerns and return you to bed."

She nodded as the carriage stopped. She pulled away from him and looked to Haribit.

Her friend reached over, pressing the few strands of her hair that had escaped behind her ear. Next she took a handkerchief and patted her face and chest, wiping away the sweat that had built there from the fever.

This is just like when I came to be married, Isilla thought, smiling at the woman attempting to calm her.

Arren left the carriage and held his hand out for Isilla, just as he had done the last time. She frowned as she carefully attempted to step down. She stumbled and he caught her, the concern in his eyes fleeting before his cold expression returned.

Just as before they walked arm in arm through the large doors. The room before them as it had been, the same chairs, the same men minus Lehan who still laid in his bed, healing from his injury. And one other.

Elixabete sat, smiling gently, to the side. Her hands folded over her belly as she watched Isilla enter the room.

Arren let her take her chair, Haribit behind her.

"I see my brother was not required to be here today," Arren's voice carried throughout the room.

"He must stay in bed to heal, there are still some, ah, complications from his injury," Basajaun explained.

"And you could not extend the same courtesy to my wife?" Arren asked.

"She is not a Crown Prince. Her role in our realm is slight and today's charges happen to cast doubt on her ablities to perform what little duty she has," the man responded.

Isilla coughed into her palm as Arren sat down beside her. He did not look in her direction.

"What is this about?" Arren asked, his voice even, as if he were bored.

"I will be brief as it is clear that Princess Isilla is not well," Basajaun started.

"Are we still calling her a Princess?" Istoz voice came smug from his seat.

Basajuan raised his hand, signaling for the man to stop before he spoke again. "It has come to our attention," Basajaun said slowly, "That the Princess Isilla may have a lover which she has taken to bed. If this is the case she will be confined to the Rose Tower."

Under her skirts, Isilla could feel Arren's shadows, like silk, wrapping themselves around her ankles. She turned her eyes to him, he leaned away from her, his head propped on his hand his stance letting the Council know that he considered this a waste of his time.

"What proof do you have of this?"

"These letters," he said, lifting the bundle of Arren's letters, "found in the personal items of the Princess. She seems to have been speaking to some other man in our Realm. What is your explanation, Princess?" Basajuan asked.


With Haribit's help she stood to address the men before her. Haribit handed her the book and pen to her and she wrote, her words scattering across the page with each cough.

"Those are the letters sent to me by the prince during our courtship," Haribit read for her.

"They don't match," Istoz replied.

"Excuse me?" Arren said.

"The letters the girl held and the ones in the royal records, they don't match. If they are the letters from the courtship, why don't they match?" he asked her.

She shook her head, writing.

"I don't know. I only found out that someone else had written my letters when I arrived," Haribit read.

"Then why keep them?" another member of the Council.

Isilla shook her head again, staring down at the page. She didn't know why she had other than they had meant so much to her.

"Love letters from a particularly amorous and sneaky page are no reason to leverage such claims against the Princess," Arren said quickly.

"I found a man's handkerchief in her sheets," Elixabete's voice, clear as a bell came, drawing their attention. "I thought it was her husband's at first but her maids confirmed that he never visited her bed."

"What do you say to that, Princess Isilla?" Istoz asked, her name and title dripping with contempt.

"Who brought these claims to Council?" Arren asked before she could respond.

"The Lady Elixabete," Basajuan answered.

"Drop them, Elixabete," Arren said.

A rumble went through the table in front of them.

"You expect them to just be dropped? For what reason?"

"There is no reason to upset the treaty over these claims. A few papers, some ink, and piece of cloth, all of which could be easily falsified. This is a waste of time and the Princess really should not be out in her condition. But I have no wish to continue this game. What is it you want, Elixabete?"

"I want my rightful place, by your side," she spoke her voice clear in her conviction.

"Fine. Drop this. Stop your vendetta against Isilla and I will make you my official consort. It is more than you should hope for in your condition," he said evenly.

Arren, no, Isilla thought, turning her gaze, wide eyed to him. His eyes stayed focused on Elixabete.

"So you admit her guilt? Istoz sneered.

"No," Arrren said. "The Princess Isilla is true but this will drag on for weeks over a lovesick girl. There is no reason for it and Isilla cannot withstand such a long trial at this time. I doubt that you will allow them to hold off on it so I am offering a solution. I will take your daughter as my consort. Her bastard will be given a title and she will be allowed to raise it. What more could you want?"

The older man opened his mouth to speak as Elixabete stood. "I am sorry for troubling you all with such a silly matter. I was mistaken," she said quickly.

"Haribit, take your lady back to her rooms and put her to bed. Her death would be troublesome for the Realm," Arren said, dismissing them. "Let us record the Lady Elixabete's new standing before the Council."

Harbit took Isilla's arm and pulled her away from the hall. Weakly she fought against it, her head spinning from what had just taken place. For the first time since they'd arrived he looked at her. "Go," he repeated, his voice softer then it had been before, his eyes full of concern before they iced over and he turned back to the men behind the table.

Elixabete smiled, crossing the room, placing his hand on his arm as Isilla turned pulled by Haribit back to where their carriage waited for them.

Settled in the carriage, hot tears fell from Isilla's eyes while Haribit comforted her throughout the ride. "He doesn't love her, Isilla," Haribit repeated over and over again but she couldn't stop the tears.

Ilun met them where she had left him waiting. The animal immediately came to his mistress, sensing her distress. He licked the tears from her face, lowering his body for her to climb on. Exhausted, she fell onto him, Haribit helping her balance so that he could carry her into the castle and down the long halls until finally she could slide into bed.

He's not just mine, she thought as she laid down in the bed, the horrible taste of the medicine chasing her back into her dreams.

The door slamming open against the hinges tore Isilla from her dreams. What, she thought forcing herself up. Ilun jumped from the bed, placing himself between Isilla and the intruder as she moved her frail body into a sitting position.

Elixabete stood triumphant in the doorway, a wide smiled plastered on her face. "All alone, you're so weak. Just that beast to protect you."

Ilun seemed to double in size, taking up more space in the room, many mouths opening on his from, all of them reaching for Elixabete.

"Stop it, Ilun," Isilla ordered. "Go get Haribit." She did not want to see him hurt again but she needed help.

He turned, a low woof, before he slid under her bed, disappearing into the shadow to find her friend.

"Good of you to call him off, you're smarter than I thought," the woman said crossing the room to stand by Isilla's bed.

"I'm his consort now. Do you know what that means you weak little thing? I'll tell you. It means if you die then I will be his wife. If you cannot produce a child then I will take your place. It will be no trouble to make you disappear. Maybe you'll get lucky and just die in this bed from your illness. That would be for the best."

"Get away from her!" Haribit yelled from the door, Ilun's growl chasing her words.

Elixabete turned away from Isilla, smiling. "I was only checking on the Princess. After all, we are like sisters now."

She walked away from the bed.

"Let her pass," she said to Ilun. The animal slunk out of the way, rising his body to a larger size, many eyes appearing to watch the woman leave the room. Haribit rushed to Isilla's side.

"I'm sorry! I only left for a moment to help plan your meals and speak to the staff!" Harbit panicked voice drew her away from her thoughts as the woman helped her sit back in bed.

Isilla reached for her book. Please tell those three maids to leave. How long have I been resting, she wrote.

"Almost the full day. Elixabete only just returned with Prince Arren. The maids have already been let go. Prince Arren dismissed them right away before going into Elixabete's rooms. Isilla I'm so sorry!"

It's fine, she signed to her friend.

It was foolish of me to believe I would be anything more than just an obligation to that cold man, she thought as she collapsed back into bed, closing her eyes to hold back her tears.




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