Royally F**cked

XVI: Sēdecim

Lavinia had been prepared for it, had expected it even. But nothing could brace her for how quickly the Queen had called for her audience once again. The minute she stepped off the carriage, holding Delvin's hand as he led her down the small steps for chivalry's sake.

A woman had come up to her, one of the handmaidens Lavinia had recognised from the first meeting with the Queen. She'd ask for her to follow, beckoning with a hand as the handmaiden left. Lavinia looked up to Delvin for permission? For acceptance she wasn't sure but when he nodded, she deftly followed the handmaiden.

They lead her to the same room the Queen had been in last time. All Lavinia wanted to do was rest, three days then had been in that carriage almost nonstop. The stale air had began to stink, sat with two large men in such a small sweaty place tended to have that effect.

Lavinia wanted to soak in the bathtub, fill it to the brim with dried lavender and salts and call it a night. But of course, life had other plans for her. Moving through the extravagant double doors, opened up the sitting from. The Queen was sat exactly where she had been before, drinking from the same tea cup.

However, this time all four handmaidens were in the room with her. The atmosphere was so thick she could barely breathe. Each and every handmaiden seemed almost scared somehow? Looking only at the floor, their hands placed demurely on their laps.

"Sit down, Tabatha," The Queen spoke to the woman that had guided her here. The Handmaiden with blonde hair, did exactly as she said. The women were all sat in one line, demurely, like polercian dolls that could only move at their masters' bequest.

"Lavinia, how was the delegations?" The Queen asked, looking directly at her. Lavinia shifted awkwardly.

"They were fine. The Prince managed to get the property back under Vespertines rule." Lavinia echoed the words Delvin had told her to say in the carriage ride back. She hummed speculatively into her teacup, taking a delicate sip.

"That's good. What about the state of the Kingdom?" The Queen said, tilting her head. The Prince had warned her that she would ask this. She'd want to know every weakness and fragility between the cracks of Havenvale to take advantage of. And so they'd give her exactly that, lure her into a false sense of security.

"They're suffering. The Kingdom's running out of its natural resources. Soon it will fall pray to food shortages alongside minerals and metals. The citizens are at unrest." Lavinia recited, folding her arms across her chest.

Not deigning to even look at her, the Queen smiled. There was a pause, and distantly she could hear the early morning birds chirping. At the stark reminder, fatigue began to seep into her very bones as she stifled a yawn.

"Did my son tell you to say that?" The Queen blurted out. She froze instantly, her heart dropping to her stomach. Quickly she shook herself out of her stupor, if she failed now, if she even so much as slightly twitched in the wrong way Lavinia knew she would blow Delvins cover.

And that was unacceptable.

"Why do you say that?" Lavinia asked innocuously, hunching her shoulders just so to make herself seem smaller. Less stronger. Less of a target. The Queen finally looked up, her smile never wavering.

"Hmm, no matter." She waved off, standing up and brushing off the invisible dust of her pale blue dress. Lavinia barely repressed a flinch as the regal woman took three strides towards her. She was taller than the Queen but that did nothing to diminish the aura of pure power that surrounded her.

"My son.." The Queen began, as she started to circle her. Like a predator sizing up the prey. "He gets bored terribly easily. I wonder how long it will take till he's bored of you?" Lavinia's shoulders slumped as she looked towards the marble flooring. Her words pierced her, a snake bite directly to the heart.

Whatever had been building between her and Delvin, whether it was just simple attraction or something more, fell flat at that moment. She'd been way in over her head, not just any Prince but The Prince attracted to someone like her? A farmhand at worst, a simple maid at best. It dug right into her own personal insecurities, of not being enough, not being important. Just being less than.

Her mother abandoning her was just the cherry on top of all of this.

"He'll tear you apart. He'll rip you to shreds the minute you're no longer useful. You think I don't know? That i'm some fool?". Lavinia's hands began to shake, did she know? Did she really know of Delvin's planned treason? The Queen's hand brushed her shoulders, her nails digging in like claws, as she placed her lips near the tip of her ears. Lavinia grimaced against the pain.

"I can tell that you desire him. Do you want the throne? Or are you truly just that simple?" The Queen mocked derisively. The relief she felt far surpassed her annoyance at the insult. A waft of air hit her as the Queen danced away from herself. She went to sit back down next to the still statues that her handmaidens had become.

"That'll be all for today, thank you," She said softly, switching so fast it gave Lavinia whiplash. Despite the confusion, she took the out as soon as she saw it. Rushing towards the door, Lavinia only paused for a second to hear the women's parting words.

"Oh yes, Lavinia. Watch out for the Swans, will you?"

-----

Instead of reporting straight back to Delvin, Lavinia headed back to her room to make good on her promise to soak in the bathtub. She tried to convince herself that she wasn't hiding from the Prince, that his mother's words hadn't got to her. 

It wasn't really working though. 

The bathtubs water ran hot under her fingers, the aromatic smell of lavender and roses filling up the steam coated room. She sighed, grimacing as her uniform slightly stuck to her skin. That's what she got for travelling three days non-stop. She dipped her toes in first to check the temperature, and satisfied she sunk into the water.

Sighing gently as the hot water soothed her aching muscles. With a huff she gazed up at the ceiling, intricate designs swirled across, patterns of flowers and roses. It was beautiful, and it was decisively not her. Lavinia had never known luxury.

Or money, or power. The gap between her and Delvin was miles wide. He was more suited to some foreign Princess than a dumb maid. She didn't know why she was getting so worked up about it anyways. Delvin had more priorities to deal with. Besides that, he hadn't even shown a true interest in her until they left for Havenvale.

Did she even want a man like him? His mother was right in one way, Delvin would eat and devour her the minute he saw fit. He was the type of man, that once you give him an inch, he would then take a mile.

But something of him called out to her, like a song. Maybe it was because she could relate to him, even if just a little. Lavinia had always been drawn to the darker side of life anyways. Hidden deadly desires kept close to her chest like secrets.

Her reverie was cut short as a loud popping noise burst her ears. Lavinia didn't even scream, she simply stared at Delvin's dishevelled form.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. 

----

Authors note:

The spicy part of this story begins! It's gonna start picking up real soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What are you thinking of this book so far? Id love to know. Thank you for all the reads so far! Its a bit of a shorter chapter today but i thought it was a fitting place to end it off <3 

Thanks again, 

Lots of love, 

Sam.E