A Fine Line (Being Rewritten into The Pursuit of a King)

Insecurities

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“Are you sure this is a wise decision?”  Matthew asked pacing back and forth on the stone floor. The noise echoed throughout the room and set Phillip’s nerves on edge. He had a headache and his ally’s repeated questioning and doubt irked him.

“Of course it is a wise decision!” he snapped massaging his temples “There is no way it could go wrong”

“I am only concerned”

“What about?”

“Your motivations for choosing Lady Harlington” Matthew replied warily “It has not escaped me that she is both beautiful and captivating. If things do not go as planned I fear you will not be able to…”

“Things will go exactly as planned” Phillip interjected glaring up at his co-conspirator “Violet will…”

“Violet?” Matthew asked incredulously “I fear you have become infatuated with this girl-”

“You forget your place” Phillip snarled rising to his feet. Matthew shook his head and folded his arms over his chest.

“Just take care” his friend sighed, “the Duchess is not as innocent and malleable as she seems”

“I do not need your warnings. She will do as she is told.”

***

“Oh William be silent!” Violet hissed collapsing back onto the familiar bed “We shall be leaving Elereld for Rington shortly”

“Something does not seem right” William muttered fiddling with the stitching on the settee

“Will you cease your worrying?” she sighed, “It is so tiresome. I wish you would concentrate your efforts on more masculine pursuits like gambling…or dying in battle”

“And would it please you wife to know that I had died a glorious death on the battlefield?” William asked wryly. Verbally sparring with his wife was much more interesting than mulling over why a carriage was taking so long to fix and why it had broken in the first place.

“Well you would leave me as a young and wealthy widow” Violet smiled “I would still have my youth and I could begin again. You really ought to go fight in the King’s name as soon as possible”

“Well my darling I would hardly say you still had your youth. I see a fresh line upon your face every day”

“What!” Violet shrieked jumping off of the bed and leaping over to the mirror. William chuckled, he was of course lying, however he adored exploiting his wife’s main weakness: her vanity.

Now he could see the paranoia in her expression as she twisted this way and that, desperate to find the imperfections he had mentioned. Violet’s looks were her most powerful weapon and any suggestion that she was losing them would send her into a bout of despair.

“Violet, come away from the mirror” he sighed once he had had enough of watching her squirm. If he did not intervene she would remain this way for days, poking and prodding herself into madness. It was a cheap blow to attack her so, but the reminder that if she left him she would be available to re-marry somehow struck a nerve with him.

“Violet you look as beautiful today as the day I met you”

“Do you really mean it?” she cried turning from the mirror to look at him. Her eyes had begun watering with unshed tears. William knew immediately that he had gone too far.

“Yes my love” he smiled warmly standing and putting his arms around her waist “You are more beautiful than any other woman on Earth”

It was at times like this that he realised how fragile his wife’s countenance was. Her beauty seemed to be the only asset she thought she possessed, and losing it would leave her with nothing.

“Well I already knew that” she replied stiffly and extricated herself; having got the assurance she needed from her husband. William reminded himself never to confuse her vulnerability with affection as she walked away from him and sat back on the bed. Violet was an extremely complicated woman that even he could not fully understand.

“Do you not think it strange that our carriage broke so suddenly?” William asked as he sat back down on the settee. He would keep their conversation casual, the closer he seemed to get to Violet the more her rejection seemed to hurt him.

“No” she replied in a bored tone “Those things break all the time. Lady Greenfield was telling me how just the other day…”

“Yes, but I had looked at the thing the day before we left-“

“Well perhaps, darling your eyesight is not what it used to be. You are after all getting on in years” Violet retorted with a glare reminding him that she would not easily forget his previous slight.

“If you wish only to be a viper this afternoon, I will go and see how this magically broken carriage is faring” he snapped getting up and brushing himself off.

“Fine, leave then”

“Fine, I shall”

A sudden knock at their chamber door stopped William in his tracks.

“Enter”

The door swung open as Phillip sauntered in flanked by a handful of guards. Violet gave a little yelp before getting to her feet and re-arranging her skirts. William saw the heated look the man gave his wife and clenched his fists in fury.

“Forgive me sir I did not know you were coming” she smiled tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. Phillip seemed momentarily stunned by the sight of her and did not immediately reply.

“Well…no matter” he responded “It is always a pleasure to see you Lady Violet”

“I was just going to check on the carriage” William began in an effort to excuse himself. The last thing he wanted to be privy to was the overt flirtation between his wife and the captain of the guard. The sooner he saw to the carriage the sooner they would leave this place. Phillip suddenly met his gaze and his expression conveyed a sudden focus as though he had just remembered the reason for his visit.

“I am afraid I cannot allow that your Grace”

“What?”

“You see” Phillip smirked unsheathing his sword “You and Lady Violet are currently my prisoners”

I promise the next one won’t take nearly as long mes enfants!