The Sisters Of The Court

Chapter 7: Scarlett

We were now standing in front of the door to my room. "I must go now." I said to him with a pretty smile and put my hand on the doorknob. His hands were on my waist and our lips were inches from each other."Must you?" He asked moving closer. "Yes." I said as I opened the door and moved inside. I flashed a smile and shut the door. After I shut the door I sank down to the floor and put my head in my hands. What are you doing? I asked myself. He's married and the king of England for Gods sake it wouldn't go anywhere. My mind was racing as I changed into my nightgown preparing to go to sleep. Then I heard a knock on my door I opened it very slowly expecting to see George again but it wasn't. It was Alice. And tears were streaming down her face. "Alice? Whatever is the matter?" I asked her softly. We never really got along just sort of acquaintances not even when we were children.  "Can I come in? I couldn't find Katherine and it's Alix's wedding night." She explained softly to me. Even though we weren't close what she said stung. I was a last resort behind all of our cousins. "Of course please come in." I say as nicely as I can to her. She walks into my brightly lit room and I realized she was wearing her nightgown as if she had already gone to bed. She slowly sat down on my bed and looked at it as I she were judging it. "I'm so sorry for bothering you at this time of night." She said timidly her eyes refusing to meet mine. I was starting to get annoyed her eyes were looking everywhere but at me. I wanted to scream at her to look at me but since she was upset I was able to control myself. "Please tell me what is wrong" I said as softly as I could even though annoyance was starting to tug at my voice. "Well you see-" And then she went off into a rant about some man that she had met tonight and how he had hurt her and now she's losing sleep over it. It seemed like hours of tissues and crying and me saying that he was too good for her and internally I was praying to God that it would stop soon. As she was crying my memories started taking hold again. It was a warm sunny day and I was walking and talking with Alix in one of the gardens at Hesse and we were discussing a new book that one of us had started reading. Then all of a sudden several of Alix's noble friends came up to her and started pulling her away to come play with them instead. I saw Alix shoot me an apologetic look over her shoulder to me and I gave her a halfway smile back. Then one of the girls looked over her shoulder to me and called out "Have fun cleaning our muddy dresses later." This day was stuck in my head for the rest of my life. "Do you think I did right Scarlett?" Alice asked me and jerked me out of those horrible memories again. I nodded silently not completely out of my memories yet. "Scarlett do you mind if I sleep here tonight? I'm to upset to sleep by myself." She asked me her timid eyes still not meeting mine. I nodded silently fully understanding that I would not be sleeping well if at all tonight. Alice fell asleep pretty quickly and I stayed up reading in my armchair until I eventually nodded off. I woke up when the sun was high in the sky my neck hurting like nobody's business. "What time is it?" I say to myself. I look at my watch which I forgot to take off last night. Five o'clock? Darn it why didn't anyone wake me up? I quickly got dressed and started running to Alix's rooms. I quickly got there and I bowed low to her. "Your majesty." I said quietly. Everyone was staring at me and my cheeks blushed red. Luckily dear Alix didn't humiliate me even more and bid me to sit down with the rest of the ladies. As I was walking to my chair I caught a glance at myself in a mirror and I looked positively frightful. As if I had done something improper with someone. I saw Katherine looking at me if she thought exactly the same thing. The rest of the day went by In a blur of manners and serving Alix. And as soon as Alix wasn't watching I saw another lady in waiting looked at me as if I were a prostituite and this went on all day long. If only it weren't for Alice people wouldn't be looking at me like that. Dinner was a blur of gossip and conversation about Alix's wedding and about the bastard child who everyone now thought was an improper lady. I slowly walked back to my room thinking about last nights and today's events. It was almost midnight when I was about ready to turn off my light and then came a knock on the door. "Alice you are not sleeping here again" I mutter to myself. As I opened the door it was not indeed not Alice but George! I stopped into a low curtsy and he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "You couldn't stay away could you?" I said with a little smile. "Of course not Miss Scarlett." He replied with a smile and kissed me passionately on lips and down my neck.