Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 189: What Belonged to My Brother

William’s reply was cold. "Out of consideration for your loss, you find I’ll tolerate a great deal, Countess. I’m not one to typically scold a bereaved mother. But I won’t tolerate disrespect towards my wife, is that quite clear?"

Deafening silence followed.

William continued, his voice a shade softer. "Anyway, we digress, talking about my wife. The matter at hand for us to discuss is the arrangements made for Lord Henry. Is there anything else you wish to know about it?"

"It just seems odd, Your Grace, that Henry is to serve in another prince’s battalion instead of yours." the earl said. "Given Richard and Your Grace were so close, I would’ve expected our Henry’s training to be a matter of your great interest."

"It is. My cousin Rufus is an exemplary knight and leads some of Islia’s greatest warriors in his battalions. Lord Henry will benefit greatly from learning under them." William’s voice was steady.

"You seem determined to place distance between Henry and yourself, Your Grace. Why is that?" Lady Bentworth asked boldly. "Is it the same reason why Richard wasn’t at your side on the battlefield? Had he been, perhaps he would’ve survived just as you did."

"With all due respect, Lady Bentworth, there is no guarantee that Rich would’ve survived even if the two of us had fought shoulder to shoulder. That’s simply not how a battle works. We were facing hordes of barbarians. You think I didn’t witness men directly at my side, being savagely felled?" Camilla could hear that William was trying to be patient but was quickly reaching his limits. "Besides, Richard’s nature in battle was bravery to the point of recklessness."

More silence.

William finally added with a melancholy sigh, "I felt his loss more than you’ll ever know. But I ensured he received a proper burial and gave alms so that prayers could be offered for his soul. That was the best I could do under the circumstances."

"Why did you send my son away from court, then? If he meant so much to you, how could you do something so cruel?" Lady Bentworth cried.

Ahhh, the heart of the matter is finally revealed, Camilla thought.

"Margaret-" the earl tried to interrupt his wife.

"It’s the truth! Your Grace’s actions broke my boy’s heart!" Noisy sobs followed. Camilla crossed her fingers the wailing wouldn’t startle Malcolm.

Because your boy broke William’s heart first, Camilla was tempted to yell back. She pressed her hand over her mouth.

William’s voice was toneless. "We had a falling out. The reasons why aren’t important."

"The reasons had something to do with her, didn’t they, Your Grace?" Without missing a beat, Lady Bentworth’s sobs abruptly ended, replaced by a sinister hiss. "It can’t be a mere coincidence that his exile and your betrothal occurred on almost the same day."

"I won’t further sully the name of the dead by giving you explanations. Richard knew my reasons and knowing that we can now never reconcile, is something I have to live with." William suddenly sounded weary to his soul. "What is the point of dwelling on things that can’t be undone?"

There was another long silence and Camilla had thought perhaps that was the end of it. Perhaps the Bentworths had spent their venom and could now just leave, knowing that William had at least heard them.

Another voice then piped up, stuttering slightly as the words spilled out.

"Richard s-said that the Moraigthian girl was his mistress...but that you stole her away out of p-p-pure jealousy." Lord Henry stammered out.

Camilla dug her nails painfully into the oak door against her palm as the shock rippled through her. She had surely - surely! - heard Richard’s brother wrong.

Undeterred, Lord Henry continued, "Your G-grace, a man of your status can command any woman to his side. Why couldn’t you leave well alone what already belonged to my b-b-brother?"

Camilla heard William’s furious roar.

Malcolm burst out crying.

- - -

William forced himself to breathe in very, very slowly as he tried to quell the itch to strike down the youth before him.

"What did you just say about my wife?" he hollered.

Through the bedchamber door, William heard Malcolm suddenly start crying.

Henry started to tremble, glancing over at his formidable mother once again.

Holy fuck, William thought in disgust. Can’t the boy even take a breath without looking to his mother first for permission?

The youth shuffled on the spot and stared at his feet while mumbling, "Richard, uh, he t-told me there was already an agreement in place between him and that chit, uh...the princess, I should say. But that you wanted her for yourself, so you s-sent him away..." Henry’s voice trailed off when he looked into William’s eyes, hunching his shoulders down fearfully.

Lady Bentworth’s face reddened as if she’d been personally offended. "For shame, Your Grace! It was hardly worth ruining your friendship for a barbarian slut, was it?" she cried. "You probably could’ve still had her once Richard had tired of her-"

The countess’s voice was cut off by the resounding crash of William hurling a valuable crystal vase from the side table next to him, at the wall.

Dumbfounded, the Bentworths stared aghast at the shower of glass shards now scattered all over the floor. Malcolm’s little wails grew louder.

"My wife is no whore. Nor has she ever been Richard’s or any man’s mistress." William barely raised his voice above a hateful rumble. "I was willing to shield you from the truth about your son but since you’re content to slander an innocent woman, I won’t hold my tongue any longer."

He took a step closer to the Bentworths, using his greater height to tower over them all. As William expected, Henry began to cower. William sneered at him in disgust.

The earl, who William had always considered a fairly weak man, also stepped back. The countess however, gave no quarter. She stared back up at William, chin jutting out.

William pondered the woman for a moment. She had always been fiercely proud and used to dominating everyone around her, including her spineless husband and their children. She had no idea what kind of son she’d raised.

"I exiled Richard because he was a rapist. He preyed on innocent women. I’m sorry to say I turned a blind eye to his habits for longer than I care to admit, because I loved him." William felt shame with he thought of all the times he’d tried to excuse Richard’s behaviour. "But I couldn’t do it anymore. A man who acts that way with no remorse, has no business in the king’s court."

"You lie!" Lady Bentworth shouted, eyes bulging. "Why would my Richard need to do such a thing? Why would he need to force anyone when he had much to offer any lady-"

"Because he enjoyed watching their suffering!" William snarled back. "He did it for the pleasure of hurting women and making them cry! That was the kind of man you raised at your bosom, Countess. Does knowing that make you proud?"

"Who told you such filthy lies about my boy? It was her, I’m sure!" The way Lady Bentworth’s nostrils flared reminded William of a furious little pig. "Loose women have always tried to smear the names of good men with their words-"

William started laughing. He laughed until his sides started to ache and he clutched at his ribs. When he finally regained some control, he glared down at the stocky, wimple clad woman.

"I saw him, with my own eyes, trying to rape the princess. And she wasn’t even the first woman I saw Richard attack." William dropped his voice. "The worst part of it all was that if I hadn’t confronted him, Camilla would’ve never told me. She feared I wouldn’t believe her because Richard and I were so close."

The countess gaped at him, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. The earl however, straightened his shoulders and replied, "If what Your Grace says is true, I admit it’s less than ideal-"

"Less than ideal? Did you just justify rape to me as less than ideal?" William had to blink away the dark spots that appeared before his eyes as the rage started to flood him again. He looked around the room for something else to smash to splinters.

"She probably tempted him! Who knows what whoreish barbarian tricks she employed-" the countess regained her voice.

William’s mind was briefly filled with images of Camilla the first few months she’d been in Islia. When she’d been too shy to speak to barely anyone at court, refusing to dance, always standing back from the crowd to avoid drawing attention to herself.

Whoreish barbarian tricks?

"Shut your mouth now before I shut it for you! All of you!" William finally yelled with the ferocity he saved for the battlefield. He gazed wildly at the Bentworths.

The room went completely silent again, apart his little son’s wails on the other side of the door.