A Stroll Through the Gardens

Catherine was fanning herself impatiently when Luciana arrived at her luxurious suite. Catherine snapped her fan shut when she saw her and scowled. “Finally. I’ve been waiting in this oppressive heat for ages. Fetch my yellow dress from Angel and help me get ready. The prince is taking me on a tour of the gardens this afternoon.”

“An honor, my lady,” Luciana responded mechanically.

“He has asked a few other ladies who just arrived last night, but that’s only to keep up appearances, I’m sure. Our prince is nothing if not proper.”

Luciana thought about her conversation with him in the healing ward and wondered if Catherine would consider that proper. “I’ll fetch your dress right away, my lady,” she said, curtseying. She hurried down to the adjoining suite where Angel was brushing out Rachel’s gowns.

“You’re back!” Angel exclaimed, hugging her tightly. She pulled back and searched Luciana’s face. “You look better. You don’t have bags under your eyes.”

Luciana smiled. “I spent most of the time asleep,” she confessed. “Do you have Catherine’s yellow day dress?”

Angel gestured over to the handsome wardrobe in the corner. Luciana opened it and sorted through the dresses until she found the desired garment. The dress was made of pale yellow silk, with tiny brown topazes sewn onto the bodice. The square neckline was deep and edged with expensive lace. Luciana dug out the matching gloves and squeezed Angel’s hand as she left.

After helping Catherine into the dress and piling her hair on top of her head, she attended her mistress as she made her way through the corridors and out into the gardens. Mason was there, surrounded by four or five other ladies all in silk dresses like Catherine’s. Mason himself was dashing in a green jacket and brown breeches, his thin prince’s circlet glinting in his hair. He bowed politely to Catherine and, almost imperceptibly, he bowed to Luciana too. Luciana stumbled in surprise, but Catherine was too busy to notice. She curtseyed gracefully and looked up at the prince through her lashes. “You honor me with your invitation, your Highness,” she simpered, rising elegantly. Mason smiled politely and offered her his arm. Luciana feared that Catherine might swoon from excitement as she threaded her arm through his, but her mistress remained upright as they began their walk.

Mason pointed out various plants and decor as they went, the ladies oohing and ahhing sickeningly. Sometimes Mason would turn his head slightly in Luciana’s direction, as if he was speaking for her benefit alone. This discomfited Luciana, and she fell farther behind as they approached the center of the gardens.

A graceful fountain splashed gaily in the middle of an enclosure of hedges, and a silk pavilion was set up in the shade of an immense oak tree. Servants guarded a table laden with pastries and lemonade, and the ladies descended upon it immediately, fretting over which delicacy to try.

Catherine remained on the prince’s arm, her hand clenching his sleeve possessively. “What a glorious fountain,” she cooed at him, gesturing with her unoccupied hand. “The craftsmanship is unmatched by anything I’ve yet seen.”

Mason glanced at Luciana, who stood a respectful distance away. She didn’t meet his eye and pretended to be studying the tree. It was beautiful, with gnarled branches that spread out in all directions. She saw movement behind the leaves and looked closer, trying to see what it was. Instead of a squirrel or robin, she saw an arrow poke out slightly, the sunlight reflecting off of the metal head. She looked back at the prince swiftly and understanding dawned.

“Your Highness, get down!” she cried, running towards him. She barreled into him, knocking him and Catherine into the fountain and tumbling in headlong after them. The arrow whizzed by harmlessly and sailed into the hedges. The other ladies screamed and soldiers came running from all directions.

“The tree!” Luciana spluttered, rolling away from the others and climbing out of the fountain.

The soldiers shot arrows of their own into the tree’s dense foliage and the shooter fell from the branches, dead. Two of the ladies fainted, though no one really noticed.

Mason sat up awkwardly, Catherine’s skirts billowing around him in the water. Catherine clawed at the fountain, sobbing hysterically. Mason took one look at her and laughed heartily, almost falling back into the water.

“What shall we do with him, Your Highness?” one of the soldiers asked.

Mason regained his composure. “Take the body away and make sure my guests are seen to after their fright,” he decided, hauling himself out of the fountain. He offered his hand to Catherine, but she was too angry to notice.

“You!” she hissed, pointing at Luciana. “This is all your fault! You are the most useless wretch of a servant!...”

She clambered out of the fountain and before Luciana could duck she gave her a backhanded slap, sending Luciana into the dust. Luciana tasted blood and her vision blurred.

“That is enough!” Mason roared, grabbing Catherine’s offending hand. Everyone hushed, waiting to see what would happen. Catherine blinked in surprise. “Your Highness, she is my servant and I can discipline her as I see fit.”

Mason dropped her hand. “Look around you, woman!” he said angrily. “She is the only reason I stand here breathing and not bleeding out into the dust. You are both my subjects and I command you not to touch her!”

Luciana closed her eyes, wishing she was anywhere else. She opened them again and Mason was bent over her, his hand extended. After a moment’s hesitation, she took it and he pulled her up gently. He brushed her wet hair back and examined her face. His mouth became a hard line and he paused to compose himself.

“Guards, escort Lady Catherine and the others back to the palace. Inform my father of these events and tell him that I shall return shortly.”

The guards bowed and soon had the enclosure cleared out, Catherine giving Luciana an evil look over her shoulder. Once they had all gone, Mason helped Luciana sit down on the edge of the fountain, still clasping her hand. They sat in silence for a moment, the water unnaturally loud in the stillness. Suddenly Luciana began to heave great, racking sobs that shook her body. Mason looked up, alarmed. “What’s the matter?” he asked quickly.

Luciana put a hand up to her mouth, then winced when it brushed her torn lip. She took a shaky breath and looked him in the eye for the first time. “Thank you,” she whispered, and on an impulse threw her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder. “No one else has ever done that for me before,” she said, her voice muffled against his jacket.

“Never?” Mason asked, incredulous.

Luciana sat up, wiping her face. “William wanted to. He wanted to every time she did it, but he couldn’t. No one that cared could, and no one that could cared.”

She realized what a display she had just made and her face reddened. Mason ran his fingers through his damp hair. “Say, do you see my crown anywhere?” he asked, looking around. Luciana saw something glinting in the water and reached down, pulling the bauble out of the fountain. She gave it to him and he placed it back on his head, the gold much more prominent against his soaked hair.

“I’m going to change things, Luciana,” he said quietly, looking over at her intently. “When I’m king, I’m going to make life better for you and everyone else.”

Luciana smiled despite her lip. “Then I’m glad I saved you,” she teased. Mason laughed and they stood up to leave. He offered her his arm and she hesitated. Mason smiled. “If anyone has earned the right to lean on the prince’s arm, it’s you, Luciana.”

She took the proffered limb gingerly, as if it might bite her if she held it too tight. They walked back up the path, the afternoon sun their only companion as they headed back to the palace.

*      *       *       *       *        *      *

Luciana returned to Catherine’s suite and changed out of her wet clothes. Catherine was sulking on her bed in the next room, too humiliated to come out and berate anyone. Luciana breathed a silent prayer of thanks and worked quietly, first cleaning the room from where Catherine had destroyed it in her anger, then laying out her ball gowns on hanging racks. A loud rap on the door jarred the stillness, waking Catherine from her brooding.

“Tell whoever it is that I’m unwell!” she barked, pulling a pillow over her head. Luciana rolled her eyes and opened the door. A young herald was standing on the threshold, his distinctive red cape tossed over one shoulder. “Are you Lady Luciana?” he asked gallantly.

Luciana blushed. “My name is Luciana, but I’m not a lady. My mistress is Lady Catherine, but she’s unwell and unable to receive any visitors now. May I carry a message to her?”

The young man shook his head. “My message is for you, madam, from Prince Mason himself.”

“The prince!” Catherine came into the room quickly, her face still blotchy from crying. The herald bowed politely. “Yes, milady. She is to come with me at once.”

“But she’s my maid! What am I expected to do without my maid just hours before the ball?” Catherine demanded.

“His Majesty has sent a replacement to tend your needs, provided that she is treated with respect and dignity,” the herald replied, stepping aside to reveal a young woman behind him. The new maid curtsied and stepped forward. Luciana let her pass, too surprised to say anything.

“Madam?” the herald asked again. Luciana nodded mutely and followed him, not looking back once.

The herald brought her to a light, airy room that opened out onto a pillared balcony. A man paced on it, the wind ruffling his brown hair wildly. The herald bowed to Luciana and left, closing the door behind him.

Luciana hurried out to the balcony and paused on the steps. “William!” she called softly. William looked up and his worry lines disappeared. “Luci!” he said, relieved. He bounded up the steps and pulled her close, squeezing her tightly. “I thought something horrible had happened!” he said, releasing her.

“Something almost did,” she replied breathlessly. “Someone tried to kill the prince in the gardens this afternoon. I managed to push him out of the way and we landed in the fountain,” she added, gesturing to her damp hair. “Catherine was on his arm and she fell in too,” she said, smiling. The memory of Catherine scrabbling at the sides of the fountain made her laugh so hard she had to lean on William for support. William began chuckling too and soon they were both sitting on the steps, tears pouring down their faces as they laughed.

“Oh! She must have been fit to be tied!” William gasped, wiping his eyes.

Luciana’s smiled faded slowly. “She was very angry,” she said quietly, remembering the scene. She looked at William seriously. “She struck me for knocking her into the fountain, and the prince seized her arm and ordered her to stop, in front of everyone! Then he sent her away and promised to change things, for us.”

William shook his head. “Sounds like you’ve got quite the champion,” he said, looking away. His pained tone pierced Luciana’s heart and she opened her mouth to respond, but the door opened again. They stood up quickly as the prince came in, servants in tow.

“I had William brought here so that he could be made aware of the events of this afternoon before they became gossip,” Mason said without preamble. “You’ve already done this, I trust?” he asked, looking at Luciana.

“Yes, Your Highness,” she replied, dipping her head respectfully. Mason turned his attention to William. “Your friend has proven her worth to me many times over these last few days, and her love for you is all the proof I need of your own good character.”

William blinked in surprise. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he murmured.

“I wish to honor you, Luciana, for saving my life today, so I have brought you both here to ask if you would be my guests of honor at the ball tonight.”

Luciana and William glanced at each other. “Why me?” William asked. “I had no part in this. Why do you want to honor me?”

“It’s clear to me that Luciana cares for you more than anything else in this world, so by honoring you I can increase her reward tenfold.”

William seemed taken aback by this and Luciana squeezed his hand excitedly. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said happily.

Mason inclined his head graciously. “These servants will attend you and help you prepare for the ball. Your duties have been taken care of until then. There is food, wine and baths here, and I’m placing you both under strict orders to enjoy yourselves. I’ll see you tonight.” He bowed and left them standing thunderstruck on the balcony stairs.