Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 226: Unknowns

That evening, Camilla insisted on joining William at dinner with the rest of the court. He had suggested she stay in their apartments and rest but she’d refused.

"Soon enough, I’ll be unable to leave our bedchamber for weeks at a time and I’ll want to pull out my own hair from boredom. I’m not starting that early." she had said to him.

William hadn’t looked convinced, even after she’d downed one of the vials of herbal tonic Tession had prepared for her earlier that day. As soon as the familiar pungent taste filled her mouth, Camilla felt as it had only been yesterday when she’d been carrying Malcolm in her belly.

She’d then called Bonnie and Matilda to the apartments, to help iron out the creases from her velvet skirt and to brush out her hair.

Camilla now bowed to the king and queen, before taking her seat. Queen Celia looked at her briefly, before flicking her eyes towards William and back to Camilla, forehead puckered in an unspoken question.

Glancing at her husband, Camilla sighed inwardly. She really needed William to change his expression. Otherwise, rumours would soon be flying around the entire court that the heathen princess was either with child again or in the final throes of some deadly disease.

One of those rumours at least, would make the court lady population very happy, she smiled grimly.

William carefully cut a portion of steamed trout and vegetables into tiny bites on his plate, before placing them on Camilla’s. He did the same with a portion of bread.

She raised her brows at him, screaming with laughter on the inside. "Husband, I’m not sure you cut this quite small enough." she said, piercing a tiny cube of carrot with her fork and waving it in front of his eyes.

William heaved a sigh. "Well, I don’t want you to choke on anything! That can’t be good for the baby."

"No, you’re right. You’re quite right, William." Camilla replied with great solemnity. "But if choking truly is your greatest fear, may I ask why you didn’t think to also cut each of these in half?" She gestured to the green peas on her plate.

Her looked at her with a face like thunder. "Do my efforts amuse you that fucking much?"

"William." she began, whispering from the corner of her mouth. "I love you. I really do. But you sitting there looking at me like I’m about to be struck down by a demon, won’t do. Apart from nausea in the mornings and some tiredness, I’m perfectly fine. Stop fussing. Stop cutting my food into toddler sized bites. And get rid of your funeral face!"

"Sorry." he muttered. "But this whole situation makes me anxious. You know how much I hate the unknown."

"And you know that women have been having babies since the Garden of Eden, don’t you? I managed alright with Malcolm." A memory of when she’d nearly miscarried flashed through Camilla’s mind but she quickly chased it away. She knew how to better look after herself this time.

"I couldn’t care less about what other women do. I only worry about you."

She impulsively leaned over and kissed his cheek, ignoring the scandalised gazes of the courtiers at such an open show of affection. "I’ll be alright, I promise. You’ve got to relax a little, though. Otherwise, June is a very long time away for you to spend all your time worrying and cutting peas in half for me. The fussing will wear you down and by the time the baby is born, you’ll be a tired old man." Camilla gave him a teasing grin. "Imagine yourself as old and slow as Tession, but with a baby and a little boy both crawling all over you and pulling at your beard."

William stared at her, eyes wide and horrified. "Oh fuck, no!" he yelled a little too loudly.

She kissed his cheek again. "Then try to worry less, this is supposed to be a happy time in our lives. And once we finish eating and the tables have been cleared, dance with me."

William looked at Camilla as if she’d suggested performing acrobatics while blindfolded, on the back of a galloping horse. "Absolutely not!"

She shrugged. "Very well. If not you, I’ll find myself other dance partners."

William bared his teeth, eyes flashing dangerously. "Wife, I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear that. There’s absolutely no fucking way you’re dancing with anyone else here besides me."

"Alright then. If those are your wishes." she said mildly. Men truly were the most easily manipulated creatures. It was laughably simple to do. She peered coquettishly at William through her lashes.

She knew she’d be dancing tonight.

- - -

A couple of weeks later, Camilla was sitting at William’s desk and thumbing through one of Tession’s books, when William stomped in, thoroughly soaked by the heavy autumn rains.

Camilla stood up to fetch him a towel from the dressing room, which he accepted gratefully.

Even standing there splattered in mud and with his wet hair plastered against his face, William was strikingly beautiful. Camilla felt herself blushing uncomfortably.

"I’m assuming you know, then?" William asked in his usual abrupt manner as started rubbing his dripping hair with the towel.

"Know what?"

"About Lady Meg Vere and Robin."

"What exactly is there to know about them?" she asked evasively. "What have you heard?"

William pouted. "That he’s been courting her for the past couple of months and now they’re betrothed. Did you know that?"

Camilla nearly opened her mouth to correct him and say Robin had actually been seeing Meg for far longer than that, over a year. She didn’t think that would be a helpful comment, though. "Yes, I did."

"Do many other people know as well?" William’s voice was slightly muffled by the towel but she still heard its irate tinge.

Most of the court had known for months but again, Camilla kept that knowledge to herself. "I’d say it’s fairly common knowledge, yes. I believe Meg has her heart set on a springtime wedding. Sometime in May, I believe."

William gleamed at her with narrowed eyes. "If they’ve already set a wedding date then this has been going on for a lot longer than a couple of months. Why am I always the last one to find out about these things?"

Camilla chewed on her lip to stop herself laughing out loud. "You were probably told about it more than once, you just didn’t bother paying attention to it. You have a well known habit of focusing on you and yours, and being fairly blind about the rest."

"No, I’m sure Robin kept silent about it!" William insisted, pulling off his sodden tunic and dropping it carelessly onto the floor, followed by his linen shirt. The muscles in his chest and arms flexed and Camilla suddenly felt her mouth go dry. She swallowed.

"Maybe he thought you’d tease him about it too much." she said lamely, trying to keep her gaze on his face and not his bronzed shoulders.

"Well, now he’s earned himself an utter thrashing next time we’re at combat training. I’ll skewer him."

"How charming of you." Camilla snapped, suddenly feeling like the room was far too warm. "You men make no sense whatsoever. Can’t you just be happy for your friend?"

"I am! And I can show him with the edge of my sword." He grinned his brilliant white smile as he sat on the edge of the bed and started pulling off his boots. "Trust me, wife. It’s how us men show that we truly care for each other. Besides, Robin’s the last one of us in our childhood group to be shackled by marriage, so we have to send him off with all due ceremony."

"Shackled, is it?" Camilla folded her arms across her chest. "Is that what you call my patiently putting up with your temper and all your quirks?"

William stood up from the bed and tipped his chin down to look at her. "Why, yes. And now, my little shackle who seems to somehow know everything that happens around us, tell me. Is there anything else going on that you think I should know about? Since as you say, I’m not the most observant man?"

She looked up at him, gaze lingering on his mouth. She had a burning temptation to cling to him and bite his lower lip. "I don’t think so, no."

"Are you sure about that?"

Apart from the fact that I really want to tear all of your clothes off right now, Camilla asked herself? No, there’s nothing else you need to know. "Quite sure."

The moment he started unbuckling his belt, Camilla turned away in a hurry and went to find one of the maids so they could run William a bath. She was worried that if she just stood there any longer while he was half undressed in front of her, she might leap on him and give him the fright of his life.