The Bloody Birds of Britain

Chapter 13

It was snowing.

Inside the castle there were throngs of decorations to celebrate the Christian festival. She was unmoved by the joyous racket throughout the castle as though the inhabitants had forgotten the four needlessly lost lives in the past days.

Lady Margaret had been tried, found guilty and then hung the next day. Her husband Jubert had been unmoved by the precedings and had continued to state at her, whether in horror or wonder she couldn't tell. Her opinion of Lord Jubert had simply plummeted after the trials because of his indifference towards his innocent wife's suffering.

It had been snowing the night the two soldiers had been found. Hortense had gone to see them, to stare at their frozen corpses with regret. Her new friend Ann, a new quick witted lady at court, had accompanied her eagerly as if corpse viewing was the greatest event in the world.

Philip White and Jack Bon had been their names. Hortense had found out later, when she asked one of the mourning guards. The guard had viewed her with contempt, as if he knew...

As she sat in her windowsill watching the snow fall she thought of their frozen faces, their blood splattered across the freshly fallen snow like paint.

She decided she didn't really like snow.

Hortense held Valentin's parchment to her chest. Unable to keep quiet about her actions she had sent a message, detailing her crime and was awaiting a reply. It had barely been a minute since she'd written it, but she looked at the parchment eagerly as if would suddenly appear. She knew deep down that he would not reply until much later. Taking an undercover position at court meant actually doing some work so as not to arouse suspicion. She imagined him cleaning out the stables with his fat figure.

"Hortense!" The door burst opened suddenly. It was Lady Ann, huffing and puffing like she always did when she greeted her in the morning. Ann was clearly not a morning person.

"What is it?"

"We're late!"

"We're always late," Hortense rebuked with a small smile. Despite having the mind of a 1282 year old, she found young parts of herself reemerging in Ann's company; flirting with lords for example or spending hours (because she didn't actually sleep) over what to wear the next day. Ann definitely made her feel young at heart.

"I know that," Ann smiled, showing off her radiant white teeth and dimples in her rosy cheeks. She brushed a hand on her light blue dress.

"You spent the night following Jubert again didn't you?" She teased, putting the parchment away under her pillow. Hortense allowed Ann to see this action, because they were friends and so she trusted her, but also because Ann only half knew the parchments importance.

Hortense linked her pale arm through Ann's tanned one and pulled her from the room.

"You must not tease me Hortense," Ann whispered, her cheeks growing redder with every step they took. "For I am deeply in love with him, and as my friend you must not tease me!" She was the first real friend, whom Hortense had made who didn't hold anything back. It was as if two soul mates had found each other, and immediately told darkest secrets to each other in a bid to seal their friendship, catching up for lost time Ann liked to say. As though they'd met before in another life...

"You must tell him my dear Ann," she said as they passed the man himself, busy over papers. They looked over their shoulders on passing and found him staring wide eyed at them. "Look how he stares at you!"

"It's not me he stares at,... It's you he looks at," Ann conceded glumly, "compared to you I am the ugly duckling."

"Why do you put yourself down? We are both beautiful in different ways...And you are beyond doubt not an ugly duckling." Which was definitely true, Ann was comely rather then wonderfully beautiful or ugly. Her eyes were a deep brown, like cedar and her hair a fair honey shade. She was slender, with a willowy figure and narrow hips. Ann's' nose and face were long, which made her brown eyes seem smaller. Ann was in Hortenses' opinion a second glance beauty, a beauty who in a line up would be first over looked, but then a feature would draw their attention, her hair or eyes and beguile the viewer into the feeling of uncontrollable passion. Then she would capture their heart with her kindness and wit. If Jubert didn't see it then it was his loss!

"But he lusts after you," she retorted, still in her glum tone. "Anyway I don't have a chance with him."

"Why ever not?"

"My father has finally found me a husband..." She spat unenthusiastically.

"And who is it?"

"Thomas Grey," she stated with little love, as they hurried into the corridor that led to the Queens chambers.

"Can't say I ever heard of him," confessed Hortense as they entered the Queen's chambers.

"And where have you two been!" Snapped Lady Ellen, Ann's older the sister, at them when she noticed their late arrival. She was sitting by a gilded chair by the door. No doubt she'd been staring at the door for the last hour waiting for them.

The room was empty apart from the stout faced Lady Ellen. The other beautiful chairs and tables closer to the Queen's throne were unoccupied. So they made their excuses to the overindulged Ellen, as they made their way to a seat.

"Sorry we're late-" Hortense began as the Queen entered the chamber.

"Your on time for a change ladies!" The Queen clapped rather too enthusiastically, as she waltz passed the silent Ellen, who shot them both a dark look. "No wait, I'm late!"

"Is something the matter your Majesty?" Began lady Ellen rising from her lone chair, "are you unwell?"

"No my dear lady Ellen," the Queen said taking Ellen's hands in her own. "I am simply happy!"

The Queen swung lady Ellen round and round, as she gleefully began to whistle a merry tune.

"May I ask what is the cause for such happiness?" Ellen choked. The Queen let go of her hands, causing her spin around and circles, then rather hilariously fall on the floor with her legs in the air.

The Queen giggled at her fallen lady, "Lady Ellen my sincere apologies, but you see I'm late," causing Ann to gasp.

"Your Majesty congratulatio-" Ann began jumping to her feet.

"Shhhhh!" The Queen giggled excitedly although there was no one other than a few ladies present. "I wish to tell the King myself!"

"I'm sorry your Majesty I don't understand... Your late for what?" Hortense asked, feeling rather left out.

"My monthly cycle," the Queen smiled sadly, "oh but you must have forgotten about them, i doubt you bleed any more. Do you?"

"No, no..." Hortense replied, suddenly feeling very stupid. How long ago it seemed when Ann made her feel young. She was once more the old shrivelled definitely dead corpse with a new layer of skin on top. Her young heart had been torn out and replaced once more with her own.

She stared at the Queen's figure. She did not seem pregnant, her waist wasn't larger and her smell hadn't changed. Valentin had once told her that a pregnant woman smelt like two people. Herself being the first person, then secondly the babe inside. Hortense sniffed as nonchalantly as she could.

All she could smell were three people, the Queen was not pregnant and she didn't have the heart to take away this new found happiness from her. Especially not after the way her husband openly flaunted his mistress to the court. No, she would allow the Queen this moment and let her find out, alone, the truth. It was a kindness after all.