Chapter 50: Motherly love
In the early morning Juniper was finally released after days of imprisonment in the infirmary of the royal house.
But he was only briefly and long enough for the fitting of his wedding clothes.
He was thus escorted by the royal guards into the room already occupied by tailors in order to model and improve the groom's suit on his body.
There was a need to tighten his dark trousers since during the time he spent in the infirmary he had lost weight, becoming too thin for his age.
He had eaten little in those days and had spent his time praying that everything would go well.
The young baron knew that one day death would overtake him too, he was sure of it but he prayed for enough time to live on this earth.
Juniper was reflecting on how his own future might be and while his thoughts were directed towards the future, the idea of the Scottish reconquest hadn't crossed his mind at all.
He had heard and word had spread among the British people that the revolution was already in the air, news that at first brought the shivers and continuous paranoia to his young cousin who was already struggling in the war campaign against the French.
In those days Isabelle had begun to be restless, not sleeping, spending hours if not whole nights walking back and forth inside her rooms, things that are usually done by people who had already lost their minds.
Either way Juniper knew that restless shouting of the people would soon lead to something greater, and perhaps that might be the war his deceased mother had hinted at in the dream.
He was frightened because he knew well that a revolution against the crown would condemn the princess and every noble who lived in the castle to certain death.
Was this perhaps the purpose for which Isabelle kept all of them trapped inside the castle walls? It could perhaps be that she did not feel like abandoning this life alone taking innocent people with her.
But this was not a fairy tale nor a story where good would prevail over evil in any way and indeed, in this story it did not even seem good and evil could be easily distinguished.
Thinking about this everyone had very specific reasons for acting as they did.
Isabelle was just a wolf in sheep's clothing, so scared for herself and her child that she eliminated any opponent of her, despite being herself an insecure person that had suffered the death of her father at the age of ten.
Henry, Isabelle's older half brother was a good person, a good prince and most likely a good ruler but he was weak and too often suffered from depression.
Abigail, he had nothing to say about her, she was sixteen, and like many young women she had been a victim of love with a man who soon turned his back on her, but she was still a good person.
The Dustins were strange characters, identical twins, rebels and troublemakers, it was better not to talk to them.
Francis was a frightened, insecure young man with quite evident family problems, a father who beat him and his younger half-brother killed pushed out of a window, he would have sacrificed everything for the people.
And then there was Brooklyn, a lord that it had not yet known, he was shy and did not seem to love the company of others very much, but he knew well that the time would also come to get to know him.
Soon Juniper would receive a bastard child, not his, from Abigail.
The young duchess had already reached the sixth month of pregnancy and by now her belly was evident so that it was necessary for her tailors to model her a dress that did not tighten her belly.
She already imagined if it was male or female, she was already starting to think and create possible names in her head.
Juniper didn't care what gender the baby would have, for him it was the same but it indulged his thoughts.
He believed it would be nice to call the baby Rudolph, in honour of his godfather, the third and last younger brother of his deceased father or if a girl was born to call her Ella, a name full of light and splendor, his mother's name.
In archaic English the name Juniper originated from the "juniper" plant, a needle-like plant which in winter produced small and round blue fruits, the colour of the ocean, and the colour of the young baron's eyes.
Juniper hated the colour of his own eyes, he had inherited it from his father and this was by no means a compliment.
Yes, he had beautiful curly hair, the colour of gold which he had inherited from his mother, in addition to the pale color of his skin.
But the colour of his eyes, he just couldn't accept it.
At that point he felt strongly against his abdomen that the precious leather belt was getting tighter and tighter.
He had become very thin, he had to do something not to collapse from hunger.
At that precise moment the door suddenly opened leaving a look of bewilderment and amazement in all the tailors present there.
-Get out...- ordered that faint voice -you all get out of here...-.
At those orders both tailors and courtiers prepared to bow respectfully before the princess and soon without any comment or discussion leave the room.
Juniper took a look at the small and frail figure who had entered there and recognized it immediately.
-Isabelle...- came out of his lips almost like a whisper.
But her did not seem to be in great shape nor to have the look to smile so she just sat on a heavy padded chair.
-Everybody sees me as a tyrant- admitted the princess putting one of her little hands wearily on her cheek slightly lifting it -now every person who lives in this nation or hears about me feels towards me a great resentment...- ended up clarifying the young woman.
At those words Juniper was struck.
So wasn't that her goal? To insert fear and anger in her enemies.
-When governing it often ends up causing displeasure to certain individuals- the young baron calmly tried to explain his cousin by reflecting his own figure inside the long mirror -on the other hand, one cannot expect to be appreciated by everyone-.
At those words Isabelle did not seem at all convinced, slightly shaking her head here and there and with it the long and wavy golden hair that covered it.
-If only I could please everyone...- she complained -if it really was so then I shouldn't have trouble in my regency-.
Juniper with the delicate and precise touch of his fingers moved a small tuft of his curly hair to the side of his head, behind his ear.
He was too caught up in his own problems and thoughts to take care of the complaints of a proud and domineering person who still owned everything.
-The truth cousin, is that I feel they will kill me, every day, I feel my end getting closer and closer ...-.
At those frightening words the young baron let his own little ivory comb fall from his hands and fall to the floor.
He couldn't believe what he had heard, Isabelle always confident and brave, felt fear for the first time in her life.
But it wasn't fear just for herself, but for something bigger, deeper.
-I am pregnant Juniper, I fear above all for my baby- came out like a hiss from the soft lips of the young woman.
The young man heard those words, they were sincere and a sort of fear suddenly rose in his body.
He never believed it could ever be possible, his cousin cared for something else besides herself, her own well-being and her power.
-I want you to promise me one thing, Juniper...- the princess asked this time raising her big eyes towards those of the young baron.
On the other hand, that could not deny something to a princess, so he slowly limited himself to nodding yes, thus making some of his curls fall back on his forehead.
-Promise me- she began to speak slowly and decisively -that if something happens to me you will take care of my child-.
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