Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 332: Violet: Falling From Grace

Things didn’t quite happen the way Violet expected them to, however.

At that night’s dinner, William and Camilla sat side by side at the high table, as usual. But now, William refused to so much as look at her.

Violet had to stifle a laugh as she watched. My, my. How quickly things can change.

Had he lain with the foreign girl that very afternoon and already lost interest? So very typical of a prince of Islia, if that were true. It would seem William’s attention span was even shorter than his cousins’.

And the poor wench next to him...well, she looked completely confused. She sat in her chair like a perfect royal lady in the lilac silk gown that clung to her curves, with her hair now pinned up instead of in the loose tumble it had been earlier. She nevertheless looked bewildered that the man who’d held her in his arms just a few hours ago, was now ignoring her.

Poor, silly girl.

And she has far bigger things to worry about, Violet thought. Any moment now, King Edward is going to be be pulling her aside to have a word, to tell her he was most displeased with her unchaste behaviour. He was likely to tear into the princess when he found out from Tession that she’d let the promiscuous William touch her like a lover.

Nothing of the sort seemed to happen, though. Not that night or the following one.

In fact, the days continued to slip by, one day much like the next.

Spring would soon start to gradually take over the landscape, with sunnier, milder days. But for the Princess of Moraigth, there seemed to be no sudden fall from grace.

She continued to float around the castle and gardens with her ladies-in-waiting, quiet and elegant. The object of so many men’s dark desires, yet indifferent to them all. Their Majesties continued to treat her with the same respect and she maintained an annoyingly warm relationship with Queen Celia.

It was making Violet rather furious.

Had Tession not seen William and Camilla that day? Or maybe he had seen them but decided to keep quiet.

Speaking of William and Camilla, Violet saw how they continued to ignore each other every single night. Whatever had flared hot between them, had definitely ended.

However, anyone with a keen eye would’ve noticed that the dynamics between them had changed over time.

It was now the pagan girl who was refusing to acknowledge him.

The chit would smile and carry on pleasant conversations with whoever approached her, while William sat at her side and looked more and more irritated.

Violet wondered if the girl would really receive no punishment for behaving like a whore.

Life truly was unfair sometimes.

- - -

Then again, Violet had other issues weighing on her mind. Such as the recent arrival of a Haviettenese princess to Islia,supposedly for diplomatic reasons.

It wasn’t the princess so much that drew Violet’s interest. She was just another spoiled young girl, puffed up in her own importance. It was the significance of her visit.

King Edward didn’t bother issuing invitations for foreigners to his court without knowing exactly what he wanted to get from them in return.

She’d asked Leo what his father wanted from the Kingdom of Havietten and he’d just given her an evasive shrug. It made her even more determined to find out the truth.

She knew the Devon men thought themselves the cleverest minds on the continent, but they weren’t really. Violet knew their endless lust for power often blinded them to the obvious.

Never mind. If her husband wouldn’t tell her the truth, she’d just have to sidestep him and go directly to the source of all knowledge.

Violet had gone and petitioned the king himself for an audience.

It was a tactic she seldom used but when she did, it was usually effective in getting her whatever information she was after.

As a daughter-in-marriage, King Edward had no interest at all in speaking to her privately.

As Crown Princess of Islia however, the king couldn’t ignore her outright.

At the scheduled hour for her audience with the king, Violet used her sweetest voice and asked Leo to escort her to his apartments. The fool did, never once questioning her motives or why she wanted to speak to his father.

She entered the king’s presence chamber on Leo’s arm and noticed King Edward slumped in his gilded chair, already looking bored and irritable. It seemed like the man wanted to be rid of her before she’d even opened her mouth.

Good day to you too, dear Father, Violet thought sourly. She kept her expression neutral as she bowed to him respectfully.

"What is the reason you wish to speak to me?" the king said abruptly as he gestured to a chair for Violet to sit.

So much for feigning polite conversation or even a greeting. Very well. If he wanted to great straight to the point, that’s what she’d do.

"Well, Sire. I wish to understand what the real purpose is behind the Princess of Havietten’s visit. Because even though my husband refuses to explain anything to me, I suspect it involves me or my children in some way."

Leo had been walking towards the doors but stopped suddenly. Violet saw the way his broad back stiffened a hearing her words. She dropped the false sweetness from her voice. "Perhaps you should stay too, my love. It’s probably faster for both of you to explain your plans together."

King Edward sighed. So did Leo, who then slunk back towards them.

"We’ve been assessing potential marriage alliances between the Houses of Devon and Tralhamir." the king admitted.

"Very well, as expected." Violet nodded. "Who’d be involved in these alliances?"

There was a short pause, but that’s all it took for her to be sure that one, if not both, of her daughters were being drawn into these plans. So she jerked in surprise at Leo’s next words.

"Given Sarai is King Aron’s eldest unmarried daughter, we thought she might be well matched with William. They’re of a similar age. And marriage might curb his restless ways."

Violet nearly laughed. As if marriage had ever curbed any young man. William would likely kick and scream in protest, given he was already infatuated with another woman. Still, she admitted the match made good enough sense from a dynastic point of view.

"A sensible decision, Sire, husband." Violet nodded at each man, without missing the quick glance they exchanged.

They thought they’d just mollified her by sharing a partial truth and that she could now be sent happily on her way. That she’d be none the wiser.

Such stupidity.

"And now, if you please, tell me what other matches you’re considering. Because we all know your plans will involve more of our kin than just William." she continued smoothly.

Leo clicked his tongue and rubbed a hand over his face as if her words were wearing him down. "Goddamn! Why must you always-?"

"Always what, husband? Ask obvious questions?" Violet gave him a shallow smile.

"Fine. We’re also discussing a possible match for Celia." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"With who?" Violet was proud of how calm she kept her voice, despite the anxiety building in her chest and closing up her throat.

"King Aron’s boy."

"You mean the one everyone calls the little butterball?"

"Well, yes. The prince’s name is Tobin, by the way." King Edward muttered, scratching his cheek in discomfort. "He’s the heir to the throne, regardless of what insults they use behind his back. Havietten isn’t a large kingdom, but it’s an important one. The match would be a useful alliance."

Prince Tobin was known to have been born with an unusually large appetite. According to those familiar with the Haviettenese royal house, he was only growing rounder and more bow legged as the years went by. It was rumoured the boy already weighed more than lads twice his age.

The epitome of romance, Violet shook her head in disbelief. He’ll probably grow up to be too fat to mount a horse, let alone lead his army.

Did Leo and his father really think it was a good idea? To marry him to her innocent daughter, who wasn’t quite ten summers old?

"Explain this to me then. What appeal would such a union have for my Celia?" Violet saw no point in not asking the most important question.

King Edward pinched his heavy eyebrows together, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was arguing with him. "Her future will be secured, of course. She’ll be a queen and she’ll never want for anything. Isn’t that what every mother would want for her daughter’s future?"

"I don’t know. Is it, Your Majesty?" she replied in a clipped tone. "I’m not so inclined to agree."

She would’ve once agreed with the king.

Now she knew better.

"Why would I want to see my daughter wedded to a boy who I’m told, already waddles when he walks?"

"Why do you think you have a say in this matter, daughter?" the king replied, voice equally clipped.

Violet turned and faced her husband, to appeal to his soft side. "Is this match really what you want for Celia? The child you’ve fussed and doted on since the day she was born?"

"It’s a good offer, wife. All princesses must marry. As Father says, she’ll be well looked after and wield great influence in Havietten." Leo argued. "Besides, this is diplomacy. We’re not in the business of arranging love matches here."

Violet raised a brow.