章節 1: Prologue - Changing the Rules
8 July, 1353. Port Canfirth Palace, Moraigth
Prince William Devon walked through the palace gardens aimlessly, unsure how he would fill the empty afternoon hours until he was summoned to dinner with King Kenneth of Moraigth and his court.
It was his first time travelling outside of Islia and his first time taking part in a diplomatic mission to another country. As a lad of only thirteen summers though, William wasn't expected to really do much. His role was to stand or sit as quietly as a statue while his father, Prince Johan, did all the actual talking with the great lords of the Moraigthian court. The men spoke of battle tactics, weapons, crop yields and other things that held no interest for him.
William knew however, that making even the smallest sound during those discussions would earn him a brutal cuff across the head from his father. So he stood silently at his side every day, masking his utter boredom. He wasn't even sure why his uncle, King Edward of Islia, had insisted William be part of the foreign visit.
Prince Johan Devon was known for his ruthless negotiating skills and as King Edward's younger brother, he had his monarch's absolute trust. However, everyone knew he loathed his son and the feeling was mutual.
William was happy to be left alone that day and escape the endless debates and discussions for at least a few hours. Happier still to be away from his father and also the Moraigthian king, who was a vulgar, boorish giant of a man.
William turned into a small courtyard which had wide stone steps that lead up to one of the palace wings. On the steps sat a young girl in an amber coloured dress. She had long dark hair and her hand pressed to the side of her face, her expression scrunched into a frown. She looked up at the prince as he approached.
"What happened to you?" William asked. Prince Johan had cuffed him on more than occasion for speaking bluntly and without preamble. But William figured he was at little risk of being hit by a girl.
"Nothing." she grumbled, looking away. William raised his brows but said nothing.
The girl looked at him again, sighed and removed her hand slowly to reveal an angry red handprint on her cheek. "I just got slapped by my lady Queen."
"Why? What did you do?"
"I showed Her Majesty great disrespect by appearing before her with my hair loose and not pulled back in braids."
William shook his head. "I didn't realise that was disrespectful." The women in his country also braided their hair, though he'd never heard of anyone being slapped about something so silly. "And I've seen your queen. She wears her hair loose and so do all her ladies."
"I know!" The girl looked outraged. "No one thought to tell me that the queen has changed the rules and that these new rules only apply to me!" The girl sighed again and said, "She shouted that I'm not to appear before her again until I am presentable and no longer remind her of that cursed foreign woman."
"Who's the cursed foreign woman?"
"My mother. She was a westerner." The girl's voice was quiet.
"Well, can you tell your mother what happened? Perhaps she can help you keep your distance from the queen. Or help you braid your hair."
"My mother is dead." The sorrow that marred the girl's face was obvious. "She died over three years ago."
William frowned. "Are you saying the queen is angry at you because you resemble your late mother? That's absurd. It's not like you can help it. Why is she still even angry about a woman who has been gone for years?"
"She has never explained it. But I think it's from envy. My mother was praised by everyone for being beautiful. And Her Majesty…is not."
William nodded and said slyly, "I understand. But your queen could easily improve her looks by wearing a veil and making sure she pulls it over her entire face."
The young girl looked at him for a moment, then started to giggle. William laughed as well.
After a couple of moments of silence, she looked at his face. "Who are you? I haven't seen you around court before and you speak with an odd accent."
"My accent is odd?" William snorted. "I'm Prince William Devon. I'm here with my father for a series of diplomatic meetings with King Kenneth. We represent the Crown of Islia."
"That all sounds rather boring."
"It is. I'd much rather go riding or practice my jousting with some of the boys I've seen here. But I'm not allowed."
"My brothers would usually be here, practicing at the training grounds as well. But they've all been sent out on campaign in Ypritan Islands." The girl looked sad again as she grabbed a handful of her hair and started braiding it. When she finished all her braids, she stood up.
"I should head back inside. Even though Queen Antonia doesn't like me being around, I don't want to give her any excuse to hit me again." She picked up the hem of her long skirt and started climbing the stone stairs.
Pausing before she reached the top, she turned to him and said, "A pleasure to meet you, Prince William."
He nodded and replied, "The pleasure's all mine, Princess Camilla."
Her mouth dropped open, making him laugh. "What? You thought I had no idea who you are, didn't you?"
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