Her Crown

XXIII

Victoria walked into her bedroom and placed her red coat over the end of the bed. Heading over to the large bay window to the right of the bed she took a seat looking out. She could see the greenhouse Gulliver had gifted her in the distance barely visible as the sun began to disappear from the sky. Sighing she lent back against the wall and looked up at the moon and smiled.

"Oh Francis please help me. Is Xavier the right one?"  

Throwing her head in her hands she sighed in frustration as the door to her bedroom was opened. 

"Sorry Ma'am is this a bad time?" Miss Florence asked backing away out of the room.

"No. Not its fine Miss Florence what do I owe the pleasure." Victoria says glancing over at Miss Florence. 

"Its Aurelia ma'am she is sick." Miss Florence states and almost instantly Victoria rose 

"You can't go in there ma'am what if she makes you sick." Miss Florence continues as she follows  Victoria down the corridor to the nursery. 

"She is my daughter. I want to be with her." Victoria says opening the nursery door without stopping heading straight over to her daughter's cot where Miss Harriet and the doctor were talking. 

Touching Aurelia's face lightly her eyes began to well up when she saw her pale little face. The life she once had drained from it. Victoria looked over at the doctor and screamed. 

"Do something. Anything. please" Victoria begged as he opened his bag taking out a towel ordering Miss Harriet to fill out a bowl of cold water. 

As , Victoria gently put her arms around Aurelia taking her out of the cot to hold her in her arms. Against  the doctor's orders. Victoria took her over to the rocking chair sitting down she held her body close. 

"My angel." Victoria whispered as she watched the life slip away from her in her arms. 

The doctor watching closely as Aurelia's eyes began to get heavy leaning forward to take Aurelia from Victoria's arms she held her closer her skin almost bonding with Aurelia's. 

"Do something! She ... just... please doctor anything..." Victoria sobs as he pries Aurelia from her weakening arms checking her heart rate that was almost no existent. 

"Ma'am I think you should leave." Miss Harriet suggests and Victoria shakes her head watching over as the doctor checked Aurelia one last time. 

"She was fine. You said she was better. You ... " Victoria mumbles as Miss Harriet continues to help her out of the room and away from the nursery. 

"I need some air. don't follow me." Victoria warns hiding her face as she rushed outside. 

Ignoring the calls of everyone telling her not to go. Heading straight for the pond falling to the ground Victoria screamed out her voice echoing through the trees startling a few birds. Pulling at her hair in the tight bun she had no care for looking perfect anymore. It wasn't worth it. A few of the ducks swam over to her before turning away her cries seeming to scare them. The bottom of her dress covered in mud and grass stains much to the annoyance of any of the maids. Her chest ached gripping the bodice of her dress pulling at it to free herself but it wouldn't budge at all. 

Her hands covered in blood as she looked down at her dress screaming closing her eyes hoping it to go away but it didn't. Looking down at her stomach she cried even further knowing she was carrying her two little angels , now her one little angel. Her hair disheveled as the blood disappeared but her heart still scared for ever more. 

"Take good care of her." Victoria sobbed her gaze up to the stars that were faintly present in the sky above her. 

Suddenly a guard charged over to her and Victoria turned sharply to greet him in no state he had ever seen her before. 

"oh ... Ma'am you need to go back inside a storm is brewing." The guard informed her and she shook her head. 

Trying her best to tame her hair but it was no use the damage was done. It was a mess she couldn't fix just like what had just happened to her. 

"That doctor is a liar and a traitor I want him banished from this house." Victoria demands pretending to still be in control but a sob still echoed in her chest waiting to escape once again. 

"Ma'am please." The guard begs holding his black gloved hand to Victoria which she took helping herself up. 

Reluctantly she went back inside the house , thankfully Johnathan and Alessandra were too young to fully understand what had happened tonight. But Victoria prayed Johnathan didn't start asking questions about her like he did his father. Her heart broke further and further every time he did. Everytime she saw little Francis esque quirks in him her heart felt heavy and now to know one less legacy of Francis was no more she vowed to protect the two even if it meant she herself had to put herself on the front line. The house was going to go under lock down for not her safety but the safety of her children and house. 

"Everyone who is not part of this house I want locked out of this place. No one goes or comes without going through me. No suitors no nothing. I don't care who comes for the crown that lay on my head. Let them come for me. They will not take anything more from me." Victoria demands and the guard nods rushing off quickly to make sure her orders are dealt with. 

The house fell silent as each house member saw the state of Victoria. They had seen a similar state only briefly when Francis was brutally murdered but this was different. It held more weight than just Francis as this little being was one of the three precious pieces she had of his memory. Many of the house members talked at her but it fell on her deaf ears heading straight to her bedroom slamming the door. Ripping the corset bodice as best she could throwing it to the floor beside her as she collapsed again in front of her bed. The bed that held so many dear memories for her as not only a mother but as a wife to Francis. Victoria was now going to play the game her way even if it was against the court wishes. Her family was more important than the stupid crown and she would damn well rather have her family than this stupid game any day.