Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 184: A Pleasant View

23 September, 1360. Westerhaven Palace, Islia.

William paced impatiently within the presence chamber, straining to hear what was taking place in his bedchamber. All he could hear were faint murmurings. The incense from inside, however, reached him strong and clear.

He’d always disliked the scent.

It was the day that Camilla’s confinement would end and there were currently two priests in the bedchamber, reciting prayers and purifying the room with incense. Allegedly, the intent was to cleanse the mother of the sin of childbirth.

William thought the whole thing sounded ludicrous. Why was childbirth a sin, especially within marriage? Why didn’t he need purifying as well, since he was the father?

He said nothing, however. If it meant he got his wife back, William was willing to tolerate it and not pick an argument with a cantankerous priest.

Finally, the bedchamber door swung open and a cloud of incense smoke wafted out, stinging William’s nose. He ducked his head respectfully to the two elderly priests that shuffled past him.

He bounded into the bedchamber and found Camilla straining to open the window. She looked over her shoulder at him.

"Can you please help me open this? I can barely breathe in here." she grumbled.

William stared at the lines of her slim back in an emerald green gown, realising he’d gotten used to only seeing her in nightgowns. He was going to miss those simple, thin shifts, he realised sadly.

He spun Camilla to face him. "We have to get out of here. Quickly."

"Why?"

"Because if we don’t, I may throw you down onto the bed and never let you leave this room." William smiled down at her, then kissed her lips while patting her backside.

A moment later, he grabbed her hand and tugged her out of her little cocoon of privacy and into the daytime cacophony of the palace.

- - -

As Wlliam led her through the halls and dramatic arched galleries, Camilla felt like she had been away for years, not a mere couple of months. As they walked, familiar faces crossed their paths, including several ladies who glared in disappointment when they saw her at William’s side, before openly admiring her stunning husband.

As she accepted their false smiles and syrupy congratulations on the birth of a son, Camilla wondered how many of them had wished she’d died in childbirth so they could sink their claws into William.

"I’d forgotten how the ladies all look at you." she murmured. "I’m sure they’re all bitter about my confinement coming to an end."

William ducked his head and turned pink, much to Camilla’s glee. He didn’t blush often but when he did, it made her want to cover his adorable face with kisses.

"Well, I’m bitter that for the first year you were in Islia, you never looked at me at all." he replied sulkily, a petulant child through and through.

"Are you still holding a grudge about that?" Camilla sighed while trying not to smile. "I’ve told you, more than once, that I did actually notice you. But if I’d wanted to get anywhere near you, I would’ve had to beat off several ladies with a club. And I think that would’ve upset you because you used to take great delight in flirting with them all under my nose."

William pulled her against his body, oblivious to who might see them. He’d never been one to care about others’ opinions and clearly wasn’t about to start now. He bit her earlobe and whispered, "What’s upsetting me now is having to wait all day until I can tear your dress off."

Camilla gave him a reproachful look. "There will be no tearing, husband. The seamstress spent a long time on this dress."

William laughed and planted a kiss below her left ear, where he knew was always guaranteed to make her shiver. She jolted and pushed him away as he laughed harder.

He linked his fingers between his again and kept leading her through the castle.

Camilla realised they were heading towards the stables. "What do you have in mind? We’re not going riding, are we?"

"You don’t wish to?"

She laughed awkwardly, glancing at her light dress and silk slippers. "I’m hardly dressed for it, am I?" What she didn’t tell William was that the thought of sitting astride a cantering beast wasn’t something she liked the idea of, only a month after giving birth.

William gave her a sly grin. "I know exactly what you’re thinking right now, even if you won’t say it. And you’ll be pleased to know, I’ve no intention of suggesting you hop on a horse on your own. You can sit side saddle with me. That won’t be so bad, will it?"

Camilla’s face flushed so hot, she was sure it must be giving off steam. "I’ll probably never make it onto the horse. The embarrassment I’m feeling right now is likely to kill me first."

With a burst of boyish laughter, William pulled her along until they reached the stalls. The stable hands bowed respectfully and scrambled to follow William’s cheerful instructions to get his favourite steed ready.

Camilla stared up dolefully at the enormous chestnut coloured stallion as she watched her husband mount it with ease. He then extended his arm out to her.

"The horse’s name is Everitt, by the way." William seemed to tower a great height above her.

She slid her foot into the stirrup hesitantly but before she could tell William she thought this was a terrible idea, he’d pulled her up swiftly in front of him.

William wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a grin, looking rather pleased with having her leaning back, her shoulder nestled against his chest and her slippered feet hanging down the left side of the horse’s flank.

Camilla wrapped her arms around him, nervous she’d be bounced off when the horse picked up pace.

"Nonsense." William replied confidently over the sound of the steed’s trot when she voiced her fears. "If you didn’t fall off in the past, it’s doubtful you’ll fall off now." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"I’m glad you’re so sure but I’ve never actually ridden a horse this way before." Her father had insisted she learned to ride astride when she was very young.

"Ah, you think that but you just can’t remember." William replied cheerfully as the main gates of the entry courtyard passed by them in a blur. A moment later, they were surrounded by the wild, swampy greenery typical of southern Islia.

"Can’t remember what, exactly?" Camilla said with suspicion.

"How we crossed the border into Islia, after the sacking of Arlen Castle. You travelled on my steed like this."

"You carried me all the way to Magdaline in this fashion? Surely you’re making that up." she asked, shocked.

"Well, how else was I supposed to do it - ask you to walk?" William retorted with a laugh. "You took one almighty blow to the head. You didn’t wake up for two days or so."

Camilla squirmed with discomfort. She had no recollection of those days at all, only remembering waking up in terror in a strange room, in a strange castle.

"That must’ve been an uncomfortable journey." she eventually replied.

"Not really. It’s not like you could protest or cause any trouble. Besides, they way you were positioned in front of me meant I had the pleasure of being able to look down your dress."

"William!" Camilla shrieked. "Why are you like this? Truly, why?"

She felt his delighted laughter rumbling in his chest as well as heard it.

"For fuck’s sake, wife. I’m just teasing you! Mostly, anyways." William spurred Everitt on a little faster.

After a while longer, the steed slowed down and then stopped altogether. William hopped down and gripped Camilla by the waist to help her to her feet.

She looked around. They were in a small, green clearing fringed by mangroves and other drooping greenery. A creek cut through the clearing. All she could hear was the cooing of birds and the tranquil burbling of the water. "What is this place?"

"Just a quiet spot, away from all the noise and courtiers. The creek joins into the St Clement River about five miles from here and the river then reaches the sea about half a day’s ride away." William looked into the distance.

"You’ve seen the ocean?" Camilla asked enviously. She was determined to see it at least once in her lifetime.

"Twice." William smiled. "It’s too impressive to describe. I’ll take you there one day."

He tied Everitt to a nearby tree and lead Camilla towards the creek edge. "I thought on your first day of freedom, you might enjoy something a bit more peaceful than the usual crowd of court bitches."

She beamed at him. "This is lovely." She kicked off her slippers and gathered the hem of her skirt in her hands, before stepping carefully into the creek. The water was surprisingly cold.

William sat himself on the grass, pulling off his boots and outer tunic. "We’ll have to return well before dinner, of course. But at least for today, we can forget about being royals and just be, well..."

"Us." she finished his sentence with a smile.