Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 180: Trying Your Best
30 August, 1360. Westerhaven Palace, Islia.
Camilla was sitting in an armchair not far from her bed, Malcolm on her lap and his tiny fingers wrapped around hers. Now that the pink, blotchy colouring of a newly born baby had faded, she could see his skin was the same peach toned hue as William’s.
Good lord, she mused with wry amusement. Would she ever see any of herself in their child?
Malcolm started to suck on his own fist, a sign Camilla had quickly grown to recognise to mean he was hungry. Even the wet nurse had commented he was a hungry little babe, always greedy for milk.
William strode through the bedchamber doors, Bonnie at his heels and carrying a tray of breakfast foods. His eyes went round when he saw Camilla in the armchair as opposed to the bed.
"How the hell did you end up there?" he asked in a strangled voice.
"They’re called legs, husband."
"You’re not supposed to be out of bed and walking around! What if you’d fainted?" William blanched.
"But I didn’t." Camilla replied calmly.
"But you could have!"
"But I didn’t." she sighed, a little less calmly. "William, it was literally five steps to reach this armchair and as you can see, I managed fine. I feel stronger now, which isn’t surprising given how you’ve been stuffing me full of food. At some point, I was going to have to get up from the bed."
William pulled at his hair in frustration as he glared down at his wife. "Are you trying to give me an attack of nerves? Are you?"
Camilla cleared he throat and looked behind William, where Bonnie stood awkwardly, still holding the tray and looking like she wished she could be somewhere else.
William glanced behind his shoulder and grimaced, clearly having forgotten the two weren’t alone. "You may place the tray down and leave us."
"And Bonnie, if you can please call Marie in here. The baby is hungry again." Camilla asked, thoroughly enjoying the embarrassment on William’s face.
"I can take the little one to the wet nurse myself, my lady." Bonnie offered, clearly looking for any excuse to leave the scene of a brewing quarrel.
Camilla nodded. Bonnie placed the tray on a side table, carefully picked up Malcolm and all but fled the bedchamber with him in arms.
Once Bonnie had left, Camilla looked up at her husband.
I shall not smirk, she told herself. I shall not.
William scowled at her and without any hesitation, picked her up and marched her to the bed, where he put her down as if she’d shatter into a thousand little shards when she touched the mattress.
He got up to fetch the breakfast tray and set it between them on the bed. He handed her a slice of bread piled high with smoked venison. He then served himself the same and took a bite.
"Don’t think that I’m not still angry with you for getting out of bed." he growled between mouthfuls.
"William-"
"Don’t start with me. I had to watch you endure a hellish ordeal and lose copious amounts of blood. I’ll be damned if you don’t let me take care of you properly now." His tone let Camilla know he wouldn’t tolerate any argument.
She nodded meekly and took a bite of the delicious food. She didn’t really mind William fussing over her, relishing the time they were now spending together after so many months of separation.
"And you can stop laughing at me, wife."
"I’m not laughing. I’m simply happy because I enjoy having breakfast with you like this." Camilla replied, stifling a giggle. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
William sulked. "Are you trying to sweet talk your way out of my anger?"
"That all depends. Is it working?" Camilla took the opportunity to tuck a lock of his hair, which he’d cut back somewhat, behind his ear.
Despite his best efforts, William cracked a half smile. "You’re a goddamn vixen, which is quite an unfair weapon when we argue." He grabbed a handful of strawberries and placed them onto Camilla’s plate.
Camilla laughed. She’d never felt like less of a vixen, sitting cross legged in front of William in only her nightgown, still tired and with her hair in an unbrushed tangle. But at least her back and belly muscles no longer ached to the point of tears, and her voice was no longer hoarse.
In comparison, William looked spectacularly handsome. Of course he did. He had left his sun bleached hair somewhat longer than he typically wore it, after Camilla had mentioned she rather liked it long. He’d shaved off the scruffy beard. A few weeks of eating proper meals had left him back in his usual robust good health, his frame starting to fill out again to its usual lean but muscular build.
Next to him, she felt like an exhausted, wilted flower forced to grow alongside a rose in full bloom. At least William hadn’t said one word of reproach to her about it. And he seemed happy in her company.
William insisted on eating breakfast with her every morning and begging off as many dinners in the banquet hall so that he could eat with her in the evenings as well.
He was also trying to be as helpful as he could with Malcolm, though the way his face had paled when he’d first seen one of the nurses change his linen, had made Camilla laugh to the point of tears. She’d even caught him rocking the baby to sleep in his arms and humming once or twice, when she’d awoken from a nap.
Camilla had just observed him quietly in those moments, not wishing to break the spell between father and child. She could see William was doing his very best with the baby, despite the fear that often crossed his face. He had confessed more than once that he saw Malcolm as a fragile, breakable little creature.
But she loved him for trying, despite his fear.
And if William would also stop watching her as if she were dying of an incurable illness, Camilla’s was convinced her happiness would be complete.
- - -
William gulped down a mouthful of berries and washed it down with warm, honeyed ale.
The day after Malcolm had been born, William had run to Tession’s quarters and begged him for every strengthening and healing tonic he had. The old man had been happy to oblige when he realised the help was for Camilla and not her infuriating husband. Tession had also recommended Camilla drink hot ale and honey to restore her voice.
William had begged her to drink so much hot ale that after a couple of days, she’d started complaining about feeling queasy from too much honey. At least her voice was now back to its usual strength.
And she’d threatened to dump the entire pitcher over his head if he asked her to drink any more of the ale. He took that as a sign she was feeling better.
He watched as Camilla would beam every morning and evening when the maids would bring food for the two of them to share. She happily ate everything set in front of her and her enthusiasm reminded William she’d been half starved on vinegar gruel for weeks before giving birth.
When he’d confronted a couple of the maids about it, they’d explained it was to keep the baby lean so that it could be born more easily. William had asked if it was worth it, given the great risk of weakening the mother.
The maids had then shrugged as if uninterested. They’d happily admitted the life of the mother wasn’t usually a priority, especially not one with foreign enemy blood.
William had yelled and cursed at them until they were both sobbing.
The whole discussion still made his entire body throb with rage. But as Camilla had herself said, there was nothing gained from dwelling on those things that couldn’t be changed.
So instead, William tried to focus on the here and now, on the good things in front of him. The baby seemed healthy and his wife seemed to be regaining her strength. She looked content.
She was also making him a little uncomfortable by looking so sinfully desirable. William had no intention of disturbing her health by laying his hands on her before the thirty days’ recovery period ended. But it was going to make for an uncomfortable few weeks.
He silently watched her through his lashes as she ate, her pouty lips tinged pink by the strawberries she was biting into. Her skin glowed and she was all ripe, lush curves.
He was responsible for that, he realised. Bearing his child had made her look like the sweetest, most tempting fruit in the entire Garden of Eden. The thought made his head swim with a mixture of pride and hunger.
Camilla caught him staring at her and after a moment, ducked her head down as if bashful. William nearly mauled her there and then. He could only conclude that she was teasing him by pretending to be shy around him.
It was working.
