The courting trap

Gossipping Court

"Good morning Mrs Roggers." I smile politely on this way too early and bright morning. Here comes the hour of hell.

"Good morning your grace." She grabs our embroidery from last time, her's is nearly finished, mine looks like some random strings. "We have a double session booked today, so astound you asked for it. And very proud of you, challenging yourself and learning new things is very important." She starts on her work.

"Yes thank you...wait what? Double session?" I wonder what she's talking about, I never booked a double session. "I don't mean to be rude, but I don't remember asking for one."

"Well, no dear. Your fiancé arranged it for you, he said it would make you very happy." Her word choice makes me cringe, but she smiles in a way I don't want to break it to her.

Nicholas, little lying pig. He will pay for this. I will have to waste not one, but two hours if my life because of him.

"Yeah, the best mornings start with embroidery." I lie as I attempt to make my smile convincing.

"That's the spirit." She says as she is now working on yet another flower.

"I'm going to smother him." I think to myself.

"Excuse me, did you say something?" Mrs Roggers looks up from her work.

"Hm?" My eyes widen. "No I was just talking to myself." I wave her off. Turning to look at Estelle who's staring at my wide eyed.

'I heard that.' She mouths.

As soon as class was over, I got up and stormed out of the room, doing a quick nod mid-walk when the teacher bowed for me.

With now a few holes in my hand, I made my way up to his room.

I knock the door so hard, I swear I could've broken my finger. The door shakes at the impact.

I try to keep my anger under control as my breath shakes with fury.

The doorknob rattles, "Oh Victoria, what a pleasant surprise!" Nicholas exclaims sarcastically as he leans on the door frame.

I attempt to show him with my eyes how 'pleasant this surprise' is, if looks could kill he would be long gone. Pushing past him, I knock into him with my shoulder yet he doesn't move.

His room is very dark. All the walls are grey and the furniture in dark wood. He has two big windows in his bedroom with large red curtains draping off them, from the ceiling to floor. There's also a red, round carpet in the center of the room. Apart from that his room is really messy, there's a desk in the middle on the left side with papers all over it. There are also two big bookcases which I don't remember being filled to the brim like they are now. The only light in the room is a candle on his desk, and one on his night stand.

"Could I talk to lord Nicholas in private please?" I ask
his butler, who immediately obliges and says something along the lines of 'of course my lady' but I couldn't hear him from all the steam blowing out of my ears.

I cross my arms waiting for the butler to leave as Nicholas stands across from me, leaning on the table and grabbing his drink, which I assume is liquor, and taking a sip while keeping his eyes on me. In his eyes is this excited spark and it makes me want to hit him over the head with the goblet.

As soon as the door closes I scoff. Leaving the room in uncomfortable silence for a while before speaking up, "How did my fiancé know I love my embroidery classes so much?"

"People talk." He smirks.

"Oh really? I heard some things too." I have not.

"What? You're making me curious now." He raises his eyebrows in a mocking manner, awaiting my reply.

"I-I won't tell you.." I accidentally stutter, he must know I'm lying now. "It's a surprise,  just like you gave me one today my dearest." I smile challengingly.

"Is that so?" He stands up from his leaning position on the table, glass down by his side, head turned towards the floor and his shoulders shake when he chuckles. He raises his head to look at me as soon as he speaks, "Let me remind you, there are two people here who know me. One is my father, who wouldn't talk badly about me to you, and two is my butler, who's sworn to secrecy. You on the other hand, have a whole court here, who love to gossip."

I clench me teeth, taking a step forward and pointing a finger at him, "Maybe, but that doesn't mean I can't ruin your little reputation you hold so dearly."

He takes a big step up to me, our feet are almost touching as he tries to intimidate me. "You have nothing against me." I have to look up at him as he's now towering over me.

I can't lie, I am a little taken back by the close proximity, but I won't give him the pleasure of knowing that.

"But I do." I cackle, "and even if I didn't, I have great imagination and a dedicated courtship whom, like you said, love to gossip."

Suddenly his green eyes turn darker. "You better keep that little mouth of yours shut." He grumbles in a lower voice as usual, "And again, you have nothing against me. I'll make sure of it." He points at my face with the hand he's holding his cup in.

Who does this man think he is? I'm an heir to the crown, I won't be talked to like this.

I hit the cup out of his hands and it clatters to the ground. He turns his head to the fallen goblet, then it slowly turns towards me.

Suddenly he lurches forward, grabbing ahold of the same wrist as last time.

A small smile creeps up my face.

"You think this is humorous?" He says as he's holding my arm firmly between us.

"Yes," I lower my sleeve. "See this is what I hold against you." Now showing the blue fingerprints he left on my skin last night.

His eyes fixate on the mark he left and for a second his grip seems to soften, right before he roughly lets go of my hand.  "You have no proof that's from me."

"I'm never left alone around men without a chaperone, except for you, right now. Estelle is outside, with your butler, she saw me walk in here and I'm sure a few servants walked by and heard our heated argument."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into Victoria." His voice sounds dark, and dangerous, like it should definitely be taken seriously, but I won't give up that easily, I won't feel intimidated by a person like him. He needs to know his place

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into!" I pull my sleeve down and walk up to the door, stopping in my tracks and turning back one last time. "Goodnight prince Nicholas the third." With that I shut the door, letting a tear roll down my face and grabbing ahold of my 'painful arm'.

"Are you okay your highness?" His servant asks.

"Yes I am fine, things got a little out of hand." Right when the words leave my mouth, we hear thumps and glass breaking from the other side of the door. I pretend to flinch and bid the poor man goodnight.

Right as I turn my back towards him and Estelle puts her arm around me, my frown turns into a smirk.

"How did it go?" She asks full of hope.

"Exactly according to plan."