Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 338: Epilogue: Nothing is New

7 July, 1367. Magdaline Castle, Islia

Excited whispers flitted between Violet’s youngest ladies-in-waiting all afternoon, about the grand event taking place that evening.

The Islian court would be attending a farewell banquet for Violet and Leo’s eldest daughter. The young Princess Celia Devon would then depart the following day for Havietten, where she’d be married to the heir to its throne within the next fortnight.

The betrothal had been in place for years but Violet had never really expected the date of Celia’s departure to arrive. Leo had often joked to her - or perhaps hoped - that Crown Prince Tobin Tralhamir would eat himself into an early grave before he ever reached his fifteenth summer.

He hadn’t. Tobin was now an adolescent and apparently mature enough to be wed. He’d summoned his betrothed and there was no way to deny his request.

Violet could almost feel her chest cracking open from grief but there had never been any question about her daughter fulfilling the betrothal. Having an Islian as the future queen of a neighbouring kingdom was too valuable an opportunity to pass up.

Who really cared if her mother’s heart broke?

It all meant that Violet’s mood had grown increasingly dark during the past few weeks, as the day of Celia’s farewell inched ever closer. Her patience for anyone who wasn’t one of her children, had become well and truly nonexistent.

Violet was now tempted to shoo all her ladies away, sick of hearing them talk about the same things over and over. Whose gown was the most elegant, which men they wished to dance with, the latest piece of nasty gossip doing the rounds at court.

Hearing the shallow young noblewomen giggle about flirtations and eligible men always created a turbulent mix of emotions in Violet’s soul.

A part of her ached to be as free as them. To go back to a time when she hadn’t been weighed down by duty and responsibilities. Way back when there had been nothing more exciting than the possibility of a hidden romp or an invitation to a secret gathering.

Those had been simpler times - because back then, she didn’t know what she didn’t know.

On the other hand, her first year at court had also been one of anguish and self loathing.

Violet now often asked herself if other ladies her age felt the same way about their current season in life. To not yet be troubled by old age, but to have lost the zest and giddy anticipation from the first flushes of youth. To have settled into a sedate pattern of watching the days pass by, where little was truly novel or exciting anymore.

Such was a woman’s lot, she supposed.

She’d never dared to ask anyone if they felt the same way. Truth be told, she had no one to confide in. Court life had never really encouraged female friendship, given everyone saw those around them as competition.

The higher you climbed, the more brutal the competition. The more celebration at your fall.

So ever since Ilse had left her, Violet had trusted no one with her thoughts and feelings. She couldn’t risk being seen as vulnerable.

Eventually, her ladies’ useless warbling and petty quarrels were too much for her to bear. She sent them all away with a wave of her hand, ignoring the pointed looks some of the girls shared when they thought she wasn’t looking. Violet couldn’t care less that she was unpopular.

She was entitled to a bit of peace and quiet in her rooms before having to don her protective armour and attend the banquet, acting as if others’ words couldn’t touch her.

She sat down at her dressing table and looked at herself for a long while. She didn’t look terribly happy, but not sad either. Just... there.

Violet called one of her maids in to dress her hair. While the maid moved the hairbrush in silent, even strokes, she rifled through one of her jewellery boxes.

No matter how much she rummaged, she couldn’t find the earrings she wanted to wear that evening. She clicked her tongue in rising irritation, then snapped her eyes to meet her maid’s.

"Where are my amethyst hoops?" she asked sharply.

The maid behind her was relatively new and Violet hadn’t bothered finding out her name. The peasant girl’s eyes went round with fear as their gazes met in the dressing table mirror.

"I-I don’t know w-which one’s you mean, Your Highness."

"My gold hoop earrings, with the pear shaped amethysts hanging from them." Violet made her voice deliberately slow and dangerous. "They are very precious to me. Where are they?"

"I haven’t seen them, Your Highness. C-could they be in another jewellery box?" the maid stuttered.

"No." Violet stood up abruptly, not caring that her hair was falling loose over her shoulders. "I know exactly where every single one of my gems are. My favourite earrings are always, always in this box. So where are they now? And don’t think I won’t know if you lie to me."

"I swear it, my lady. I’m not lying." the girl whispered, eyes wide and scared.

"Elspeth!" Violet shouted for her most senior maid. "All of you servants! I will speak to you immediately!"

A moment later, Elspeth and her three other maids hurried into the bedchamber and bowed, anxiety marring their faces at her tone.

"I can’t find my gold and amethyst earrings." Violet said as she coldly stared at each maid in turn. "If one of you took them, you’d best tell me and hand them over now before I grow truly angry."

The maids looked at each other, aghast, but said nothing.

"I won’t be stolen from. Who has them? Am I going to have to wield a whip against each of you until I get the truth?" Violet asked quietly.

"My lady, I’ve served you faithfully for years." Elspeth replied, her thin face pale. "And all of the maids under me are honest. I can promise none of us have ever stolen from you."

"Are you saying I’m lying then, Elspeth?" Violet calmly adjusted one of her gold bracelets. "Or that I’m so careless I must have misplaced my earrings and now wish to blame one of you for my carelessness?"

"No, Your Grace! I’d never suggest-"

"I should hope not." Violet stared at the five trembling servants before her. "You will bring me back my earrings. I expect them back in my jewellery box before sundown tomorrow. Or you’ll all be very sorry for it."

One of the maids gave a fearful whimper. Even the usually unflappable Elspeth looked terrified. "But Your Grace! How can we be expected to return something none of us took?"

"That is your problem to solve, not mine. It seems like we have a thief amongst us and I won’t stand for it." Violet’s voice remained as cold and calm as a winter’s lake. "Either you find the thief and return my jewels. Or you’ll endure punishment befitting a thief, on their behalf. I suggest you find the earrings, for your sake."

- - -

She made Elspeth stay behind to finish dressing her hair after her younger maids had shuffled out of her bedchamber, all of them close to tears. Under Violet’s hawkish gaze, Elspeth pulled her hair back into smooth, even braids and gently placed a pearl trimmed veil on her head.

The maid didn’t say a single word but her lips were pinched and careworn hands trembled as she fixed her mistress’s veil in place with a gold circlet.

When she waved Elspeth away, Violet wondered briefly if she’d been too harsh. Maybe her maids had spoken the truth and were all innocent.

Or maybe they weren’t. Such expensive earrings didn’t just vanish.

Having so few friends meant Violet didn’t receive many visitors in her apartments. The only ones who were there regularly were her ladies-in-waiting and even that was out of duty, not affection. She didn’t trust any of those useless women as far as she could throw them, but they always remained in her presence chamber. None of them were ever allowed to enter her bedchamber.

No, it had to have been a servant who stole.

When Leo strolled into their apartments a short time later, he found Violet sitting on the edge of the bed, brooding.

"What’s wrong, wife?" he asked as he looked at her morose expression. "Is there a problem with completing Celia’s trousseau?"

"No, everything has been prepared and packed away to my satisfaction. The Haviettenese courtiers will fall over themselves when they see how well she has been equipped." Violet had spent months ordering and organising everything Celia would need in her new home - from fine clothes and rare perfumes, to golden serving plates.

"Is one of the younger children, then? Is one of them unwell?"

"They’re all fine."

"So why do you look angry enough to flay someone alive?" Leo asked with the gentleness of a catapult lobbing boulders.

"One of the servants is stealing from me."

"Oh?" He raised his brows as he walked into the dressing room. Soon, his voice was muffled as he began changing his shirt and tunic. "How can you be so sure?"

"A set of very valuable earrings is suddenly missing." Violet said.

"Don’t fret. You probably just misplaced them."

"I did not." she clenched her jaw. "I don’t just misplace those kinds of things. I’m meticulous about where I keep every jewel I own."

"Of course you are." she heard Leo mutter. "If avarice were a kingdom, you’d be its king, queen and pope."