Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 247: Violet: Winter Chamber

6 December, 1347. Thierre Manor, Duchy of Orravalo, Islia.

"Vy! Vy! Where are you?" Ilse’s voice echoed through the manor’s upper floor.

"I’m in the winter chamber!" Violet called back, pulling a fur throw tighter around her shoulders as she watched snow falling from the lead coloured clouds. Her stomach rumbled quietly with hunger.

Ilse rushed into the room and threw herself into the window seat, facing her sister. "What are you doing here? I’ve been looking everywhere. Who are you hiding from now?"

"Silly goose! I’m not hiding from anyone."

"You must be! Don’t deny it." Ilse insisted. "Why else would you be in here when this room is so freezing?"

Violet laughed and let go of one end of the fur throw, so that Ilse could snuggle under it too and they could share at least a little warmth. "It’s no colder than in the rest of the house. At least here, I can sit in front of a nice picture window while I feel the blood in my veins slowly turning to ice!"

Both girls giggled. It had already been a stormy couple of months and the worst of winter was yet to arrive. Despite the biting cold, Lord Thierre had announced that firewood was to be strictly rationed within the household due to his strained finances.

If she was going to be so cold that her teeth chattered regardless, Violet preferred to spend her days in the winter chamber, which at least had enormous south facing windows to capture the sunlight, rather than in the cramped bedchamber she shared with her sisters.

"Why were you looking for me?" Violet turned to her twin. "Has something happened?"

"Have you spoken to Father yet? Have you heard the news from court?" Ilse asked.

"No, you know Father never tells me anything like that." Violet replied a little petulantly. "What have you been told?"

"Crown Prince Leo’s betrothed has died! He was set to marry a princess from the Kingdom of Tyre at the end of this coming summer, but she died of red fever last month."

"Oh, poor lady. But what does all that have to do with us?" Violet frowned.

"It means the prince will be looking for a new betrothed! So King Edward has announced that this spring, he’ll will host the most spectacular series of events the Islian court has ever seen. Tournaments, balls, plays and anything else you can think of! The king has extended the invitation to all the noble families, for them to send their most eligible young ladies to court for the season!"

Violet looked into Ilse’s excited face, herself momentarily caught up in thoughts of how wonderful it would be to be part of such a season. Then her shoulders slumped in disappointment as ugly reality crashed upon her. "Well, so what? We won’t see any of that. You know Father has barely enough gold to feed us, let alone send us off to court."

Ilse shook her head, her excitement undimmed and her eyes wide with delight. "He’s sending us, Vy! Father says he has an agreement in place to borrow money from Viscount Tamar so that he can send us! He says it’s too good an opportunity to pass up, especially given he has two daughters of an age to be married. You and I shall be at court this spring!"

"What? Are you sure?" Violet felt her heart leap into her throat. "That doesn’t sound right. You didn’t just misunderstand him, did you Ilse?"

Laughing, Ilse threw her arms around her sister. "I promise you I’m sure, Vy! We can go find Mother right now and ask her if you like. But just imagine - in a few weeks, we could be in a royal palace! No more hunger and no more rationed firewood! We’ll finally be able to enjoy ourselves!"

Violet choked out a disbelieving laugh and hugged her sister back. She quickly forgot her irritation that their father had felt comfortable sharing such plans with his pretty dove Ilse, without ever bothering to tell his other daughter.

"Then we need to find Mother right away." Violet wriggled out from under the fur and jumped to her feet. "I have to hear it from Mother’s lips before I can believe you. And if I find you’ve lied to me, sister, I swear I’ll empty all the chamber pots into your clothes chest!"

Ilse kicked off the fur throw as well and let Violet grab her by the hand. The two girls laughed as they raced down the cold, dim corridors. When they reached the doors of the duke and duchess’s bedchamber. Ilse rapped gently on the heavy door. "Lady Mother, are you there?"

After a long pause, their mother’s chilly voice replied, "Come in."

The two girls entered the shadowy chamber to find their mother lounging on her day bed. The duchess sat up and waved her hand over the head of each bowing girl, in a half hearted motherly blessing.

Violet couldn’t fail to notice her mother’s hand lingered a little longer over Ilse’s head than over her own.

"Lady Mother," Ilse began breathlessly. "Violet and I hoped you might let us know what plans Father and you have for us? Is it true we’re to make our court debuts in these coming months?"

Lady Thierre gave a curt nod, her expression severe below her cream veil. "Yes. You’re both to go and serve as ladies-in-waiting to Her Majesty Queen Celia, as is your due. Every noble in the country will be sending their unwed daughters to court this spring, if they haven’t already. We cannot afford to be left behind. You girls bring us no benefits by moping around here, unmarried."

Violet wanted to clap her hands and scream with glee, but forced herself to stand very still and keep her expression bland. Her mother was known to hate outbursts of emotion. "Thank you for this opportunity, Mother. We’re both truly grateful." she said quietly.