Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 53: An Exchange
1 January, 1359. Westerhaven Palace, Islia
Camilla sat at the large round table that had been set up in Queen Celia’s luxurious presence chamber, which was decked in a golden tablecloth and held platters of fruit and sweets. Pitchers of warm spiced ale were clustered in the centre. It was an Islian tradition for the royal family to exchange gifts around the table on New Years Day.
The celebration would typically occur in the main banquet hall but as the queen was confined to her rooms due to her delicate health, King Edward had instead announced that the celebrations would be brought to her. Queen Celia’s rooms had been decorated by the servants with gold silk hangings and boughs of winter greenery and holly, while a fragrant Yuletide log burned in the grand fireplace.
Though duly invited to take part as an honoured guest, Camilla felt like an outsider, interloping on a private family occasion. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and watched quietly as gifts were exchanged and opened around her, trying not to look ill at ease.
Princess Violet dramatically opened a green velvet box handed to her by her husband and crowed loudly when she saw the contents. She lifted out a silver fox fur stole, which was heavily decorated with gold beaded tassels along its seams and was lined with crimson silk on the inside. The princess then shot the other women at the table a look of smug triumph as she wrapped the extravagant stole around her shoulders.
Camilla smiled placidly in return, which seemed to dampen Princess Violet’s wide smile a bit. Privately, Camilla couldn’t picture herself wearing something so ostentatious. She’d look ridiculous. She much preferred the simple but beautiful veil of silvery gauze that Prince James had gifted his own wife.
Camilla remembered how on one New Years Day, her father had filled her mother’s bedchamber at Arlen Castle with fresh lillies of the valley. Hundreds upon hundreds of them filled every corner and surface in crystal vases. They had been her mother’s favourite flower but near impossible to find during the winter. Prince Robert had always been one who favoured sentimental gifts over expensive ones.
She remembered how her mother had screamed in surprise and delight, drawing her children running into her rooms to see what had caused such a commotion. To Camilla’s childish eyes, the room full of the creamy flowers had looked like something out of an impossible dream. She remembered the way her mother had squealed and covered her father’s laughing face with kisses. He had refused to reveal how he’d gotten his hands on so many lilies, no matter how much they had all begged him to tell.
Lost in these thoughts, Camilla was jolted back into reality by the king’s uproarious laughter at something one of his sons had said. While most people’s attention was diverted, she quietly picked up a flat box she had placed under her chair and placed it on the table in front of Prince William. He looked at her with eyes full of genuine surprise.
"You bought me a gift?"
Camilla smiled and said in a low voice, "Isn’t it said that if you don’t properly thank someone who has saved your life, you’re doomed to lose your life at their hands? You’ve saved my life twice now. So consider this gift as a way for me to protect my own neck."
William laughed and started tearing into the box like an eager child. When he removed the lid to reveal the contents, his eyes widened. He carefully lifted one of the gilded darts in his hands to admire it. It was exquisitely crafted, cast and gilded to resemble a golden feather. Half the darts were tipped in emerald green enamel and the other half in a deep inky blue.
"Are those Biscayan darts?" the king’s booming voice asked, drawing everyone’s attention to the gift in William’s hand. The men leaned closer and exchanged impressed, envious looks.
"Will, you must let me challenge you to a game this very evening!" Rufus leapt up from his chair and leaned across the table to try and touch the box of darts, almost knocking his wife’s goblet in the process. He ignored her shocked gasp.
William deftly pulled the box out of his cousin’s reach and stared at Camilla, completely astonished. "Where the devil did you source these?"
"I have my ways."
"You have chosen very well, Princess." Queen Celia’s gentle voice warmed Camilla’s ears. "It’s rare to see my sullen nephew smiling like a little boy."
Camilla smiled back at the queen and then ducked her head, blushing. She had never been truly comfortable with being the centre of attention, especially not since she had been in Islia. She could feel several pairs of eyes upon her, so she waited nervously for someone else to present a gift and take the attention away from her.
The exact opposite then happened. William reached down and then nonchalantly tossed a slim flat box on the table in front of Camilla. "Here you go then."
It was Camilla’s turn to be shocked. Why would William ever choose to gift her anything? Most of the time, he could barely tolerate her.
William raised a brow at her and smiled slightly. "Are you going to open it or just stare at the box all night?"
Nodding hesitantly, Camilla slowly untied the silk ribbon around the box. A terrible thought then struck her - was the prince doing this to mock her? What if he had placed something awful in the box to humiliate her in front of the royal family? Surely he wouldn’t be so cruel, would he?
She quickly made up her mind to smile and thank him politely for the gift no matter what the contents of the box were. Knowing she was being watched by every person in the room, she lifted the lid with trepidation.
She gasped at what she saw inside.
