Alexandra

3

Question of Eternity

After spending a long time in the moonlit garden, we headed inside to a much small party. Many people had headed upstairs to the guest rooms or gone home. It was late, really late.

"Your Majesty," Leopold, Duke of Tortmain was waiting for us. "There's a slight problem."

"Please, don't say that. And what's wrong." I said, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"Well, the Camden family were shouting how they didn't want to acknowledge you and are threatening to overthrow you."

I took a deep breath and turned to Wilhelm. He stared blankly and said, "You should turn in, take it one day at a time."

We decided to turn in, and I walked up the marble staircase to the landing. It was gone at midnight, so it was acceptable. I was also exhausted after tonight's events.

"Good night, ladies and gentlemen, thank you kindly for attending tonight's ball, it was possibly one of the most eventual," I said.

A chorus of goodnights echoed across the room, and Wilhelm left with me. He turned to walk to the carriages waiting patiently outside.

"Are you going home?" He nodded in reply.

"Stay here, please, I really could do with your help to get through tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

He walked back over to me. I opened the doors at the far end of the corridor and headed upstairs.

"Do want you a quick tour?" I asked, smiling. He nodded

"Are you finally going to tell me more about yourself?" I asked Wilhelm as we walked down the corridor.

His brow crumpled in thought. "I am Wilhelm Annenburg, this second son of the 7th Duke of Annenberg. that's about it." 

He smiled and we started in the portrait room, where I had stood with my uncle only a few hours earlier. I opened the towering white doors and the candlelight flooded through. Many painted faces of powerful figures stood smiling down at me. I pointed to a painting on the far side, next to my mother. It was of his father, next to my late cousin, Prince Friedrich XVI of Geogina. He smiled sadly and came and stood beside me. After we had been through the rest of the floor, to the library.

I hauled the ladder over and started to grab some books, I couldn't face sleeping so wanted to keep busy. I reached for Question of Eternity by Franc Dupont. It was such a strange read, it was written by my father's closest friend, and it contained what seemed to be an eternal number of questions and solutions - even Franc didn't know how many were in it.

We left the room, and I led him to a bedroom to the left. As the fire crackled in the hearth, the rain started to fall heavily. As it pounded against the window, I drew the curtains and left him.

"Thank you, Wilhelm,'' I smiled. "Goodnight."

I shut the door and went to my room. As Rose helped me remove my crinoline and unlaced my corset, I took a deep breath. Rose could tell something was off but didn't say much. We talked as we did normally, discussing the events of the day. She left me and I started to read the book.

I must have dozed off as Rose came in and shook me awake.

"Alexandra, are you all, right?" She asked. "You woke me up."

I apologised and spotted the heavy books laying on the floor, I had knocked them off and the noise woke her up.

"Sorry, my bad, don't worry,' I said, smiling.

She left and I fell back asleep. I didn't sleep well; I was in a receptive nightmare of my uncle's demise. It would go dark as someone put their hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming.

"Alexandra, Alexandra."

Someone was shaking me. I sat up and something touched my hand. It was Wilhelm.

"You were screaming a lot. Are you all, right?" He said, holding my hand.

"Yes, I am fine. I am so sorry." I said.

He sat down at the end of my bed and lit a candle. I got up and walked to the window. Through the gap in the curtain, I could see a tiny red sliver rising over the lake. We stood and watched the sunrise together; it was my favourite time of day. The lake always looked so stunning.

A knock at the door broke the silence, and Rose entered.

"Alexandra? Oh sorry, I didn't realise you had company."

I froze, and to avoid further scandal. "Don't worry, Wilhelm heard me screaming."

"Your presence is requested in the study," Rose said and began to get clothes from my wardrobe.

"I only have my clothes from last night," Wilhelm said. "I don't think that white tie is ideal for daytime wear."

"Give me a few minutes to change, then I'll help you find something."

As Rose tightened my corset and buttoned my shoes, I caught a reflection of my face in the mirror. The black crepe of my mourning dress made me ghostly pale. After pulling my hair back, I walked out of my room and down the corridor. Wilhelm was standing staring at a painting above the fireplace. It was of my father's racehorse, Nightmarish Being, a stunning bay stallion.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" I said. "Are you ready?"

He nodded and we walked down to my uncle's room. There were countless pencil sketches of plants, women and faces scattered everywhere. I opened the wardrobe and rummaged through the shelves.

"You can either have a morning suit or a Hussars uniform?" I grinned.

"I'll take the suit." He replied.

Once he changed, we walked in silence to my uncle's study. His aide, Thomas, greeted us in his usual manner, in absolute silence and his beady eyes staring at me. He wasn't a very interesting man, all work and no play.

"Your Majesty," he said, in his monotonic voice. "We have a few problems to resolve upon your succession."

I nodded in reply, and Wilhelm sat in my uncle's chair and draw a deep breath in thought.

"And what would those be? I asked.

"Well, there are a few gaps to be filled in the household, your uncle recently fired the head cook, two gardeners and your head of household. Also, the Archbishop needs you to take an oath of allegiance. But Emlyn Camden was spotted on the grounds, he is the Camdens' proposed replacement for you." He said, locking his stare with mine.

I sank back in my chair. There were a few problems that I could resolve but Emlyn Camden wasn't one. But Thomas was right, Emlyn was thirty years older than me, thus being more experienced and much more ruthless than me. But he wasn't getting the crown from me at any price.

"Concerning the positions, bring back the old gardener and head cook, they were fine. And make Alice, the Dowager Duchess of Tortmain my head of household." I said.

Alice had been my childhood best friend. So levelheaded and calm. Through her marriage a couple of years previously, she had been forced to marry the elderly Duke of Tortmain. He was a sleazy, scheming gambler and womaniser who died last winter in the influenza epidemic.

"I shall visit the Archbishop tomorrow afternoon. And for now, increase the guards on the grounds, if you find Mr Camden, bring him to me.'

I thanked Thomas and he left us.

"What are we going to do?" I cried. "What have I done?"

"It's going to be fine. Plus I may know one or two things about Mr Camden." Wilhelm had a sparkle in his eyes as he said that.