Chasing Royalty

10

The crowd screams in agreement. They didn’t come for justice or mercy, or a debate over a fair trial. They came to see a death for sickening entertainment and they got exactly what they wanted. Public trials and executions aren’t as common in our kingdom as they are in other kingdoms, and it’s been too long since the last.

Emilienne and I find each other’s distraught eyes. She only shakes her head slightly, before reconstructing the flawlessness of royalty. Violette stares straight ahead, her arms shaking on her lap.

A single tear traces its way down Alexanne’s cheek. Is she happy that the kingdom is free of the murderer or is it something with her illness? Maybe she thinks the man was innocent too.

William raises his hands again, recapturing the crowd’s attention, “Now that justice has been provided, this trial is commenced.”

William marches from behind the podium, Victor at his side. We stand from our thrones in unity, curtsy again to the crowd, and stride back to our carriages.

I collapse into my seatin the carriage as soon as the door closes behind us, shielding us from the public eye. I lay my head in my hands, ignoring everyone around me. Silence fills the carriage all the way home, occasionally interrupted by a sniffle from Alexanne.

●◊●◊●

All four of us princesses are gathered in the Sitting Room, but none of us say a word. We pretend to read, write, or listen to the soft music provided by the musicians, a trio of lutes. My thoughts are far from the Sitting Room, back at the trial.

Violette abruptly stands, “I’m sorry. I just need to say. Emilienne, Admira, I’m sorry. For what I said last night.”

I nod, “Me too.”

I want to say more, but it’s likely that the musicians and the guards outside the doors are listening in.

Emilienne says, “I as well. Let’s just…try to focus on the competition, right?”

Alexanne bobs her head in agreement, but doesn’t say anything. Her red rimmed eyes are hidden behind a book.

Although we’ve voiced our apologies, tension fills the room. I can’t take it anymore. I stand, “I’m going to go get a breath of fresh air.”

As Grace pulls the door open for me, Emilienne calls out, “May I come with you?”

I hesitate before saying, “Of course.”

Emilienne hurries with me through the halls. Grace trails a couple paces behind, giving us respectful privacy. Emilienne doesn’t talk until we get out into the courtyard.

“I wanted to tell you that I don’t think he was guilty. I’m not going to stop looking for the truth. Not that the official investigation is over, we should be allowed back into the courtyard. I plan to go there tonight, when I’m supposed to be sleeping, and see if there’s anything else I can find,” Emilienne whispers.

“What if someone finds you there?”

“I’ll say that I was mourning the girls’ deaths or something. Besides, no one’s going to catch me. I’m going to be careful.”

She doesn’t say it, but we both know what she’s truly asking. Am I going to come help her?

I press my lips together, “I don’t know, Emilienne. Let me think about, I’ll let you know by supper, okay?”

“You know that’s not what a queen would do,” Her disapproval is clear in her voice.

“I never said I wouldn’t do it, I just said I wasn’t sure. I’m losing the competition right now, so I’m not sure that it matters whether I have queen-like qualities at all.”

“Maybe you won’t become the official queen, all that matters is that you act like one. Is a social position more important to you than justice?”

“Please don’t make this more dramatic than it already is. I told you I will think about it and let you know by supper.”

Why does Emilienne have to guilt me into this? I need to focus on the contest if I want to do well. Does she think Violette and Alexanne are too dutiful to sneak out at night with her?

“Of course.” She turns on her heel and marches the opposite way.

I consider going after her, but I don’t have the energy.

Grace takes her place at my side, “Is everything alright?”

I bite my lip, “Sometimes I wish Emilienne would just…”

“Be less dramatic?”

“A little bit. Things are intense enough as it is, does she have to make it worse?”

“It’ll get better, just be patient. The trial is over, now you can focus on the competition.”

“The competition that I’m losing.” I shake my head. “I don’t understand how everyone can have higher scores than I do. What am I doing wrong? I’ve spent almost the entire last two days with Emilienne and Violette doing exactly what they do.”

“I wish I knew how the competition works, but I swear I don’t. I’ve asked every servant I know, and no one has the answer.”

We fall into silence as I make my way slowly around the courtyard. It’s getting colder as the afternoon progresses, but I don’t want to go back inside the suffocating castle walls.

Grace says, “You told Emilienne about my theory about the true murderer, didn’t you?”

I think back to their reactions when I told them that I though William could be the murderer.

“And Violette,” I say apologetically, “but I didn’t tell them that it came from you.”

“That’s okay, I trust them as long as you trust them. They can’t spread the ideas around without the risk of being caught themselves.”

“Do you think the man who was executed today was the true murderer?”

Grace scans the courtyard for any groundskeepers, but it’s empty. “I don’t know. I thought it was suspicious how they didn’t allow him to tell his story and there were no judges present. Deciding a man’s fate through a bloodthirsty crowd hardly seems fair.”

“And your opinion of the investigator?”

“I suppose I can see why you wouldn’t like him, but that was only my first impression.”

“Believe me,” I say, “your second impression wouldn’t have been much better.”

She rolls her eyes. “However, there was some reason behind the evidence against the man.”

“If it was true. Victor might have made it up.”

“I’ll talk to the kitchen staff and see how many of them support it.”

“Good, can you do that before supper tonight?”

Grace frowns, “Supper is served within less than an hour.”

“So, if you leave now, you might be able to just catch some of them in conversation…?” I smile at her.

Grace reluctantly agrees and we walk back to the castle.

●◊●◊●

I absentmindedly flip through the poetry book Augustine gave me. I’m supposed to have read it by tomorrow, but maybe he’ll excuse me due to the trial. Probably not, but I can hope.

The door to my room opens and my gaze locks with Grace’s as she hurries inside.

“So,” I ask, “What’d they say? Did Justin fight with Evette or not?”

“Never. What Justin said was true. He was like a father to her and supported her through everything she did. No one believes that he killed her.”

“Did anyone at all back up the story?”

She shakes her head. “Nobody. Some of them didn’t know the exact charges behind him. When I told them the accusations, they laughed in my face and told me it couldn’t be possible.”

“He must have been just the scapegoat then,” I say.

“Unless he was unstable and no one knew it.”

“I can’t just turn a blind eye, can I? Once you find a piece of the truth, you must find all of it, right? Isn’t that what my tutor is always saying?”

Grace laughs, “I thought I’d never hear to quote your tutor.”

“Don’t expect it to happen again. Then I’ll have to meet Emilienne in the courtyard tonight. Will you stay with me in my room and help me stay awake? You won’t actually accompany me to the courtyard, I couldn’t put you in that kind of danger.”

Grace firmly shakes her head, “If you’re going, I’m going. Besides, it’d be more suspicious if you were without your lady in waiting. Let me help you. Emilienne won’t mind.”

“Grace, I’m not letting you do that. You’ll be staying in my room while I’m at the courtyard.”

“I doubt it. We should get to supper, don’t you think?”

I press my lips together, but don’t say anything more.

Grace’s fingers fix my hair and readjust my dress. Once I’ve reached her standards, she allows me to leave the room. I hurry through the corridors until I reach the private dining table.

The room is empty, everyone else still preparing. For once I’m the first person to arrive somewhere, and it won’t count for anything in the contest. I impatiently sip from my cup, waiting for some company.

The door swings open. Violette hurries inside, wordlessly taking a seat. Should we invite her tonight? She said that she didn’t want any part in this, but after today’s trial has she changed her mind? She apologized, but I’m not sure whether that means she wants to help again.

Alexanne enters next, almost collapsing into her chair.

“Are you feeling better? What did the doctor say?” I ask.

“The doctor couldn’t find anything wrong. He said it’s probably just stress. I just need to focus on being relaxed and getting enough sleep, and I’ll start to feel better.”

“Good,” I say firmly.

Emilienne walks through the door and catches my eye. I give her a small nod. The corners of her lips turn up for a second, before she presses away her emotions.

She sits down, and begins some small talk. The servants bring in our meal, distracting Violette and Alexanne. Emilienne catches my eye and silently mouths, “Midnight.”