Isabelle felt embarrassed about the incident and hid away in the greenhouse where no one would find her, at least for a while. She felt the burning gazes as she left the dining room. She suspected that Annette intentionally tried to sabotage her. But she thought it was a silly accusation.
Isabelle sat down in the corner of the greenhouse, sobbing quietly, thinking of how much shame she brought to herself and her husband. She didn't want to believe that king's kindness was truthful as she was afraid of getting hurt.
Once the night has set, she returned to the castle and to her chamber where she readied herself for bed.
As the morning came, Matilda appeared earlier than usual.
"Good morning." Isabelle said quietly. She didn't attempt to conceal her hair from Matilda now. There was no point.
"Good morning, Adeline." Matilda smiled as she approached Isabelle. "May I assist you?"
Isabelle nodded as a response. Matilda gently brushed Isabelle's blue waves.
"I am unsure of how to cover it. I have left the wig in the dining room and I haven't got it back yet."
"There is no need." Matilda smiled even more warmly. "His highness wanted me to pass on that there is no need for you to hide your hair. Perhaps we could just braid it today?"
"I should at least try to curl it up." Isabelle answered although she knew that there was no hope for it.
"Your hair must've been affected by the lightener. I am not sure if it will hold the curls very well."
"Do as you seem fit." Isabelle felt defeated. She looked down at her hands as Matilda braided her hair into intricate shapes that was like a halo around her head, with waves freely escaping below it.
Isabelle barely glanced at her reflection before she looked away.
"His majesty requested your company over the afternoon tea." Matilda informed Isabelle.
"I have prepared a dry mix for his majesty yesterday and left it with Anthony in the kitchen. If his majesty requests it, please can you brew it for him? Ideally with some honey to sweeten it."
"Of course."
"Thank you."
"Do you need any further assistance this morning?"
"No, thank you, Matilda." Isabelle tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes.
Matilda left Isabelle alone not long after. Isabelle was glad to have a few moments of solitude before she was going to go down to breakfast. She knew that Annette was go to hate her hairstyle anyways, so she tried to brace herself for it.
She walked out of her room when she heard someone open the door to Cassian's chamber. Automatically she took a step back to remain out of the view. It was Annette. It was unlikely that Cassian was in his chamber at this time, but it didn't make Isabelle feel any better. Once Annette was gone out of the royal quarters, Isabelle waited a few minutes before she walked out herself towards the dining room.
Once she walked into the room, she found Cassian already there. She was right. Cassian wasn't in his chamber at the time when Annette was sneaking around.
"Good morning, your highness." Isabelle curtsied before taking a seat. They were alone. Isabelle looked down at a set of cutlery neatly laid beside her plate. She felt Cassian's burning gaze on the side of her face. She hoped that the ground would open and swallow her whole at this point.
"Good morning, Adeline." Cassian said calmly. And indeed, he watched Isabelle curiously and with admiration. He couldn't deny that her new hair made her look like a faerie or other fantastical creature. "I-…" Cassian stuttered and coughed. "Your hair."
"It has been a misfortune, your highness. I will try to conceal it as well as I can." Isabelle replied apologetically.
"There is no need to." Cassian replied shortly. "It is perfectly fine as it is."
Annette arrived, her cheeks lightly blushing from under the powder, reminding Isabelle of what she has seen.
Isabelle bit her lip and went silent, only speaking to welcome the king, barely acknowledging Samuel's arrival. Samuel seemed to be the only one to enjoy the shifting moods at a table, presumably a bit too much.
After breakfast, during which Annette repeatedly scowled at her, Isabelle vanished in the greenhouse. She put her mind to a better use by carefully collecting cuts of the herbs and with utmost care grinding and blending it into a smooth gel like substance. She then proceeded to find her way into the kitchen where she mixed it with oils and walked back towards her chamber where she intended to leave it to set before she went for her lessons.
As she walked into the royal quarters and walked along the corridor, she noticed maids which giggled as they left Cassian's chamber after routine cleaning. Isabelle instinctively took a step back and his round the corner, just enough to hear the giggles and an exchange between the maids.
It didn't take much for Isabelle to work out that they were talking about their discovery. They found woman's undergarments in his room.
Isabelle clenched her hands on the pot with ointment, her knuckles turning white. She was angry. She couldn't explain it but she was furious. And she felt hurt.
A few deep breaths and she composed herself enough to continue with her intended plan. She placed the ointment in her chamber and then walked to the classroom, acting as if she knew nothing.
After hours of dull poetry and yet another lesson on folding napkins, Isabelle went to see Samuel with Jane shadowing her.
Samuel welcomed her and offered her tea without question, not showing that she disturbed him.
"Why are you making an effort to join the meals?" Isabelle asked after initial pleasantries.
"Am I not welcome?"
"You never bothered before."
"That is true."
"What has changed?"
"Honestly?" Samuel carefully thought of an answer as he sipped the tea. "Her grace."
"What's your concern?"
"I suspect that she is trying to sabotage you."
"I see." Isabelle looked in the distance as she drunk the tea. Her eyes looked at the distant shadows of the trees that danced in the wind.
"You don't seem surprised."
"She has been in Cassian's chamber again."
"When?"
"Earlier today."
"Cassian has been in the study and then training grounds."
"I-…" Isabelle stuttered.
"I haven't worked out what she did last time in his chamber." Samuel grumbled.
"I did." Isabelle admitted. "She left her earrings in Cassian's chamber. And today… she left her undergarments."
"Weird." Samuel mumbled but then his face changed. "I think I know what she's trying to do."
"Yes?"
"She wants YOU to think that Cassian and her are a thing. She wants to split you up."
"Why?"
"So she can take your place." Samuel shrugged.
"That's stupid." Isabelle grumbled.
"Uh-huh." Samuel agreed. "I'm going to keep an eye on this and I'll see if we need to do anything. Cassian has become more vigilant recently but I don't think he sees it quite as what it is. He still thinks that Annette is incapable of anything like that."
"What happened between you and Annette?"
Samuel went silent at first as if he considered whether he should answer that question.
"I worked out a long time ago that she isn't the kind of a person that she paints herself as. I know that while she was courted by one of the noblemen, she had an intimate relationship with another man. She was keen to accept the gifts and use these men for her benefit. I-… I was stupid to be one of those men."
"Which one?" Isabelle asked directly which shocked Samuel.
"Does it matter?"
"I suppose it doesn't. I just…" Isabelle looked down in embarrassment. "I feel bad for you."
"Do not pity me, your highness."
"Does Cassian know of it?"
"He… he doesn't. I was too ashamed to admit that I was hurt like this. I was merely courting her. It never was a relationship." Samuel hesitated. "I was trying to be proper with her. I wanted to do right by her."
"You liked her." Isabelle stated.
"I did. But that is not the only thing. She is good at manipulating people and getting what she wants."
"She sounds like a very intelligent woman." Isabelle mused.
"That's an odd take from this."
"Is he has to be to be able to manipulate people so well. I didn't say that it was a good thing though."
"If she were that intelligent, she would have realised that it is futile to get between you and Cassian." Samuel straightened up in the chair.
"Exactly." Isabelle smiled sadly. Her understanding of Samuel's words was different to his intend. She was sure today she meant nothing to Cassian and it meant nothing if Annette tried to undermine her. On contrary, Samuel felt that Annette didn't have any power that could over shadow Cassian's care for Isabelle.
"Besides, the king seems to have taken the liking to you. He will side with you if anything were to happen."
"I highly doubt that."
"You had a series of private visits. He likes you enough to endure someone's presence."
"It was just a tea."
"This is just a tea, is it not?" Samuel's face twisted into a mischievous smile.
"What else do you expect it to be?"
"The king spoke with you more than with anyone else since he arrived. What did he speak with you about? What did he tell you?"
"Not much. He spoke of Cassian as a child. He asked about my childhood. He… he told me a lot of truly encouraging things."
"And that's it? Did he tell you why he is here?"
"Well, yes." Isabelle nodded.
"You do realise that no one else knows, right?"
"Do you not?"
"The king wished to be here to meet you. That is all that we know."
Isabelle went silent before she spoke quietly and cautiously.
"His majesty will be abducting the throne."
"What?" Samuel dropped the empty cup that he still held in his hand, shattering it. He didn't seem to bother to pick it up straight away as he looked at Isabelle. "The king told you that he is abducting the throne?"
"Yes."
"That's a big news. When? How many years do we have left?"
"Years? No. The abdication will be announced during the Spring Equinox Ball."
"Cassian is not ready for this."
"His highness has been running a kingdom for so long. I am certain that this isn't going to change his work much."
Samuel paused. "Who is the named successor?"
"His highness, Cassian."
"Holy shit." Samuel gasped and stood up, stepping over the shattered porcelain. He paced across the window. "Cassian is going to be a king!"
Isabelle looked back at Jane who shifted merely a millimetres but enough for Isabelle to notice the shift in her mood and that she was ready to pass on the gossip.
"What did he say about you?" Samuel turned back to Isabelle. "Did he speak of your role in the court?"
"He…" Isabelle stuttered. "He has said that he wishes that I will take a throne beside his son for the years to come. That the kingdom needs a harmony between Cassian's short temper and my calculated nature."
"And you didn't think of telling me?"
"I still don't understand what is the big deal."
"I guess we'll see what it'll mean soon enough." Samuel seemed to be bouncing full of new found energy. "Annette can go and burn in hell."
"Sam." Isabelle said his name sharply.
"Sorry. Don't worry though. Let's see what she's going to do next."
"We'll soon see." Isabelle agreed as she leaned over and started picking remnants of the porcelain cup.
"Don't worry about it." Samuel rushed to tidy it up himself. "Go and enjoy the short bit of freedom before the duchess gets you."
"Thank you, Sam."
"No, thank YOU." Samuel's face was still curved into a wide grin.
Isabelle left the room with Jane in tow. She didn't expect to bump into Annette around the corner.
"Your grace." Isabelle bowed her head before hurrying away. She didn't notice Annette's spiteful gaze.