There we stood. For a moment I wished that I would drown into the muddy water as the Devil walked closer to me. He stepped unashamed into the room, his face was white, his eyes dark, his beard unshaved, his hair looked as horrible as mine. I can’t believe that this man was walking closer to me while I was naked in the bath. This is a scandal, if anyone would find out it would be horrible. My reputation is more ruined than it can ever be so there is no talk about scandals.
“My, my, how dare you run off after what you did with the King? Thought I wouldn’t find you?” He fumed. I can’t believe this is happening, I can’t get out of the bath and fight him without him seeing me naked. I noticed something shining from under his sleeve, at that moment I knew that this could be the end, my fiance was carrying a dagger.
“What wrong presumptions you make. I haven’t thought of you since I hoped you would die at war.” His facial expressions change, his lips are pressed tight against each other, he has clenched teeth, his pupils dilate. I notice him sliding the dagger out of his sleeve directly into his hand.
“I tried to have a proper conversation with you, but it seems that you try to outsmart me with that disgusting mouth of yours. So I have no other choice but to finish this, your debt will be paid, don’t worry, I think I’m doing everyone a favour.” He thundered before launching his hand with the dagger towards my neck. I ducked into the muddy water so he would miss.
“You stupid girl!” I didn’t care that I stepped naked out of the bath, he stared at my body, totally distracted, which was stupid of him. I walked closer towards him, the courage I have right now is unthinkable. I know that this will be his last time seeing anything so it doesn’t really matter. I take step by step closer to him, it seems like he is in some kind of trance, isolated from anything around him. The power of women. I take him by his collar and push his head into the muddy water, that does it for him, the trance is broken and he’s trying to breathe. He will suffocate soon enough. His hands are all around the tub, splashing water around. His hands slow their movements and the dagger slips from his grip onto the marmer floor. As I release my grip cautiously, in case he is pretending, his head floats. I lift his head and I see that he is indeed dead, his lips white, his eyes opened, the colour of his face is white. I let it fall into the water.
It feels like some weight is lifted from my shoulders. The debt is paid, Edward was the only heir of his bloodline, without his parents or cousins, it means now that I’ve ended the Kircher line. I never expected that coming here could have these consequences. I killed someone, it was self defence, but still. I am a woman in this society, Edward had many followers, still has. What I try to say is, I have no power, no one will believe me, Edward looks nice in public, he tries to get people’s attention, in the right way, but he is awfully cruel inside. I can promise you I did someone a favour. I hope he died well, at least he could enjoy the view.
I tied the robe around myself and screamed in horror after hiding the dagger and coming up with a reasonable story. Soon enough guards ran in, I was sitting in the corner of the room crying. A few maids ran in and some comforted me. Guards lifted Edward’s limb body and I ran towards him, for the show, and thankfully, according to plan, the maids stopped me.
“It will be alright, my Lady.” A maid whispered to me. Yes, it will finally all be alright.
[]
“Victoria, wake up.”
“Wake up.”
I heard noises around me as I was laying in my bed. When I opened my eyes, memories flooded into my mind, from Edward, I remember his head floating, his face pale, his eyes opened. I shake my head and open my eyes once more to see, everyone. My brother, my maids, Arthur and Cornelia. They all look with a blank expression at me. My brother sits down beside me on my bed and puts his cold hand on my forehead.
“I am alright.” He moves his head away slowly before staring at me. I feel uncomfortable, everyone is staring at me. James moves away from the bed and whispers something in my guard's ear. The guard leaves.
“You don’t look alright.” Arthur speaks eventually. I barely look at him. I feel angry at him, I know I shouldn’t but I can’t wrap my thoughts around the fact that he knew where I was that night when I ran away. He knew the entire story.
“I am, I feel fine.”
“You saw your fiance dead in your tub! If anyone would see that they wouldn’t be alright!” James shouts at me. I massage my head with my hand.
“You will have to explain yourself, how did this happen Victoria?”
“Explain myself? He tried to kill me, I did what I had to. You know what he was capable of , James.” I shouted directly at him. Arthur and Cornelia left the room with my maids and it was only me and my brother. James was aware of the situation between me and Edward, he knew how much I had despised him and wished he would just disappear into thin air. He walked towards my window with his back turned towards me.
“I know that you killed him, everyone does. But do you really believe that everyone will stand by the fact that you, a woman, killed a high diplomat in this society?”
“Of course not.” I whispered. I already thought about that, but I can’t change things now, and I am quite relieved that I am free now, not depending on anyone.
“Victoria, I want you to promise me something.” I looked at him intently. What is he up to now?
“Tonight is Cornelia’s birthday, you will attend the ball and pretend you are sad and a widow,” I am not a window thank the lord it hasn’t come that far yet. “After the feast is over, you will talk with the King and ask him to release you so that you can return back to Bordeaux.” I understand I have been a bother while I am not even two weeks here but this is my life, I plan, I work.
“You are trying to send me away.”
“And you find that surprising? You were rumoured to disgrace her Majesty, rumoured that you are the King’s mistress and after that you ran away and to top this off you killed a diplomat!” He screamed in frustration. I laid down back on my bed and started once more at the patterns of the canopy.
“Victoria, you must understand my decision, this can’t go any further or you’ll be disgraced, we will be disgraced.” He walked towards my bed and sat down. He stared at my face even though I didn’t even spare him a glance. I could hear him sign at my lack of a response, before walking away and shutting the door.
My maids run around my room as I tell them about everything. I wasn’t exactly prepared to kill my fiance, so there is chaos in the lack of me not having any black clothing. Some of the maids are cursing and some are throwing my clothes on my bed in hope that there is something black, I told them that I don’t need to wear anything black because I don’t have something, but truly I don’t want to honour that bastard.
“The Queen Mother Hortensia Valois.”
The Queen mother, what is she doing here? I rise from my seat as the former monarch stalks into my room. Her presence is power, she is one of the richest monarchs. She wears her golden crown with a red and with black embellishments on her dress. Her gaze immediately has the whole room quiet.
“Your Majesty.” I bow to her. She walks closer to me and studies the maids who are trembling.
“Leave.” She orders. The maids bow before they leave.
“Now!” She orders and the maids run out. She had an abnormal barbarous presence. She stood straight and it felt like her posture made her stronger than she really is.
The question now is what does she want?