An eyebrow raised. He could see that she wasn’t fine. “You don’t have to put on a brave face with me, you know that.” Thomas couldn’t help but wonder if the engagement would have been so sudden had they been back in England. He doubted it, somehow. At least had they been back home the arrangements would take longer due to the channel separating the two countries. It would have bought them some time. But here? With everyone all under one roof, there was little reason to prolong matters.
He kissed her back gently, his thumbs brushing over her cheeks. “We must leave here. It won’t be safe for either of us. We won’t be able to return to England either, somewhere else will have to be our new home.” But where? They wouldn’t be able to seek refuge with a country that was allied with England, they’d be turned over to Anneliese’s parents. And of course there would be a language barrier…. unless… “Are you acquainted with the Scottish royals?” There had been bad blood between Scotland and England for generations, and Thomas had heard that the Scottish King was a reasonable man.
“We would have to get married on the way to wherever we travel to, it’s the best option. I’d say we have a week at most to get everything in order. Anything longer than that and we’ll be too much at risk.”
of course she knew that, but anneliese felt as if she would simply break down in tears if she didn’t try to contain herself in some way. if william hadn’t been egotistical and damned classist at that, this wouldn’t have been happening. a marriage to some royal was always in her future, but it would’ve never come so soon if william didn’t get in the way. he’d expressed to anneliese that he didn’t see it fit for her to be spending so much time with thomas, and since he learned the reasoning behind all those lessons, her brother simply snapped. he was always the favorite, so what more could this have done for him?
anneliese stared up at him as thomas voiced his scheme to run away. the two had daydreamed about running off to his countryside chateau whilst reading each other various poems in the past, but this was different. this was an emergency, and the thought unsettled her. however, it was the only option they had to stay together. scotland was one of the few countries who would despise england and stand their grounds should the english come to hunt her and thomas down. and her relationship with the scottish court was nothing like the rest of her family’s. through gentle conversation and similar interests, she had grown quite close to the king and queen in her own right. the fact that it was apparent that the queen of england despised her also helped.
“yes… yes, of course. i shall ask them, i couldn’t imagine they would turn us down-” especially since it would infuriate the english crown and deny them further alliances. the journey would be long, but if they planned everything out correctly, they could at least make it somewhat comfortable for the both of them. she didn’t suppose anyone would drive them, so it would likely be just her and thomas unless he had a different plan. “or we may want to be married before we leave. if anyone stops us, we would at least be together already.”
Thomas shushed her quietly. “Don’t speak just yet. Did you hit your head?” God, what a mess their lives had become in a matter of minutes. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Removing his handkerchief from his pocket, he tucked it into one of her hands. “Here. It’s alright. Just breathe.” He sat down on the floor in front of the settee, his shoulder pressing against one of the legs, his head against the arm Anneliese’s head was propped on.
He pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand once she took hold of his, sighing softly. What were they going to do now? They were trapped within the walls of the palace with no current plans to return to England. Not that it was looking like Liese would be returning with them. What would that mean for him if she was forced to marry? Would he be able to go to France with her? Or would he have to return to England brokenhearted and out of work? They had few options. He couldn’t sit by and see the woman he loved wed to another man, see their plans for the future torn apart.
“I know, I know you can’t.” Thomas had heard whisperings of the French King’s reputation, and he couldn’t let Anneliese be wed to such an odious man. She deserved so much better than that. This had to be a punishment - there was no other reason for it. “Marry me.” The words fell from his lips before he had time to process them. But it was what he wanted. “We can elope. You cannot marry him if you are already married.”
she placed a hand gently on her head where she felt slight throbbing. no bump yet, but that would likely come by the morning. anneliese shook her head grabbing on to both of his hands instead. “i’m fine… i’m-” a heavy sigh left her lips in attempt to catch her racing breath, but nothing was of remedy to this. the king of france was well known, and certainly not known in the best light either. whether it be sleeping with the help or doing other, far more unscrupulous acts, the man was nothing compared to thomas. taking his handkerchief, the girl tried the tears falling down her cheeks.
knowing her mother, anneliese would return to france instead of england without thomas as her tutor. what else would the evil woman do? thomas was the one person who she genuinely enjoyed being with, so it was only natural for the queen to ban him from accompanying her. her new fiancé must not have had the best taste in his mouth about thomas either given how the tutor had scooped anneliese up just as quickly as she fell.
this was punishment. she was certain of it. while the anger she held for her brother was nearly blinding, anneliese’s only concern was thomas. and then she heard those words. marry me. their current circumstances were the furthest from romantic, but her heart ached to be with him. mouth slightly agape in shock, it took a second to realize what he’d just said before simply leaning over to kiss his lips - - enveloping him with as much love as she could give the man. the two had made a promise: to try to stay together for as long as they could. liese had no intention on giving up his ring as it served as a symbol of what they shared together, and if it took eloping to fulfill their promise, then so be it. pulling away, she gave him a small nod as her hand moved up to rest on his cheek again. “we shall find a foreign priest so neither my family nor the french hear of it,” anneliese added - - mind already working to figure out the logistics of this plan.
Despite being in pain still, Thomas had greeted the dawning days in high spirits. Anneliese had accepted his ring and he had been able to slip from her chambers without being noticed. His torso may have been a mottled purple beneath his clothes now the bruising had come out, but not even that could ruin the smile that toyed at his lips. They would be more careful, and they would put William out of mind for now.·
He looked up from the parchment he had been scribbling away at. A soft smile blooming on his face at the way the morning sunlight haloed around her head. If only he could capture that imagine so he could always treasure it. She was so beautiful, and all his. How lucky he was. Breaking from his reverie, he blinked.·“What? Oh, yes. I suppose we should focus more on it.” His lip curled in a grimace beneath his moustache.·“I’ve always found it frightfully dull, but we’ll muddle through, won’t we?” He patted the seat next to him.·“Come on then, the sooner we start the quicker it’ll be over.”
There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, his expression faltering. A sudden summons such as this couldn’t bode well.·“Of course. I won’t let you face this alone.” He gave it a few moments before following, his heart hammering in his chest. Had William told their parents of the relationship? What else could it have been? Surely they couldn’t have arranged a marriage so soon without any prior mention? Thomas was beginning to worry.
She was to be married to the French King. Thomas felt sick. This was all wrong. It wasn’t supposed to happen so soon - they were supposed to have time. Having hovered in the doorway during the exchange, he stepped forward without thinking as she dropped to the floor. He had to get her out of there.·“Let me, Your Majesty.” He began with a bow.·“This is a shock to her. I will take her to the court physician.” Carefully he bent down, wincing as his ribs protested, and scooped her up into his arms, ignoring the protestations of her family and.. fiancé.·“She’ll need to rest, you can discuss this with the Princess later.”
He swept from the room and carried her back to the library, setting her down on the settee.·“Liese, it’s Tom. Can you hear me?”
anneliese felt her head hit the floor but then everything went dark as she laid there on the floor. she was never one to faint, and her entire family knew that. the queen glared at the tutor as he approached her daughter - - protesting for a moment before he scooped her up and carried her out. anneliese’s father and oldest bother were the only two who disagreed with this arrangement, though they dared not to say a thing given the rage the queen had for the girl. it only took a few minutes for her to feel thomas’ footsteps as he carried her down the corridors and back to the library. her senses slowly came back to her, and when he laid her down and called her name, the girl finally blinked her eyes open to see a _blurry _thomas before her.·
it must’ve been a dream. it had to be. however, the way her heart was still pounding in her chest told her otherwise. a hand moved up to her chest to see if her ring still hung on her chain before looking up at her tutor in anxious worry.·“tom-” she muttered, reaching down to take his hand and squeezing lightly. though she didn’t want to loose her composure, tears were already beginning to sting at her eyes. never had she thought that such an arrangement would be had so soon, and yet there they were… all due to her brother. her stomach churned at the recent memory of how that king’s hand snaked its way to her lower back or how close he’d leaned in to her when he spoke.·
her hand moved from his - - up to rest just below his jaw as she looked into those eyes which normally provided so much comfort to her.·“i can’t get married to him-” she stated shakily, her voice already faltering.·“i-i _can’t, _it’s supposed to be you-” liese pulled her hand away from him to wipe away a tear from her eyes.·“i don’t know what to do, what do we do?”
things went as planned for the most part the next morning. the two woke up before sunrise the night he spent the night in her room, and no one suspected anything since thomas had left before the maids could come to her room. things were relatively calm… too calm for her liking - - and it even began to make her feel uneasy. perhaps william hadn’t told their mother about anneliese and her tutor? no, he was too awful to pass that up. liese hoped he found it in his heart to leave them alone though. it wasn’t like they had done anything as explicit as will had with that servant. needless to say, the princess stayed away from her twin brother and chose to spend more time with thomas in their session.
it had been two days since the incident and anneliese was just bringing a mathematics book from the grand oak bookshelves to the table thomas was at. “a boring subject, but i believe i’m falling behind,” the girl explained with a small grin. nothing had happened for those two days… anneliese was slowly starting to convince herself that everything would be fine. all she needed right now was to spend time with thomas and her her mind off of everything. mathematics was so painful that she just knew her mind would be on the numbers instead of her mess of a family.
it wasn’t three minutes into her session when one of the english servants found her in that library and requested her company on behalf of the queen. the feeling was instantaneous - - her body temperature feeling like it hit a freezing point as her stomach dropped to the floor. hazel eyes sought thomas with that worried look which she attempted to contain, and after hesitation, she gave the other girl a small nod. “i shall be there.” while tutors were never permitted to these kinds of things, something terrible told her that today was the day she’d be ripped away. “come with me? you could wait in the corridor,” she asked, setting her hand atop his for a second before finally making her way back to the grand english parlour. the walk felt longer than usual, but liese knew it was the cause of her anxiety rising.
upon arrival, she found more people than expected… her entire family with her mother in the center accompanied by faces she hardly recognized. one man in particular seemed a bit too interested in anneliese’s appearance for comfort, but she just focused on her mother.
“i trust you are familiar with king phillipe bourbon-” the queen started, formalities aside. anneliese stayed silent, simply giving a nod though she had only ever seen the man. “the english and french thrones have come to the agreement that a marriage would be beneficial for us both. you shall be wed at the beginning of next month.”
anneliese heard the words, but she was taken aback. alexandra’s envious glare was lost on her as she simply stared at william - - the brother who actively ruined the one thing in her life she loved. gripping on to her skirt to keep her hands from shaking, the king and her future husband stalked closer until she felt a hand on her lower back. he was at least twenty years older than herself and his touch emphasized all those ill feelings in the pit of her stomach. that past feeling of her body freezing rapidly turned into a blinding heat centered on her forehead, and all of her thoughts combined with the hate she felt towards her entire family built up more and more before the girl lost a grip of her consciousness and fainted right there.
Thomas listened quietly, possibilities running through his mind. If Henry was indeed aware and hadn’t outrightly criticised the relationship then perhaps there was hope. “Do you think he’s worked it out or do you think someone has told him?” He hummed in thought. “Alexandra’s upcoming marriage is not an advantageous one. I daresay that if there were a match on the horizon for you they will either delay Alexandra’s in favour, or speed it through.” Thomas sighed, his shoulders sagging. “I don’t trust your mother. If she catches even a sniff of this she won’t stop until you’re married off. We need to prepared for it, I suppose. A few steps ahead.” It was all they could be. And with all the Royal families in one place… well… the timeline could be far shorter than it normally would be.
“I can’t think of anything beyond blackmail that we could use for leverage.” It was a difficult situation that they had found themselves in. But nothing could be changed now. Could he allow himself to stay? He wanted to, more than anything. But at the risk to her honour? He was exhausted, and the journey back to his room would not be an easy one. Resolve rapidly crumbling, he nodded. “I must leave at first light.” That would give them a few hours at least. “I’ll have to leave before your maids arrive.” He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Goodnight, love.” In the morning they would talk everything over properly and review their options. Thomas wasn’t going to let Anneliese go without a fight, even if it meant another beating from her brother.
❝ i think he’s worked it out on his own… it must have happened a few weeks before we left england i think, but he’s been getting a bit more confident with his theories by the looks of it. ❞ it certainly wouldn’t be the end of the world if henry knew, but anneliese would have rather kept it between her and thomas nonetheless. thomas’ thoughts on alexandra’s marriage was painfully accurate, yet liese was still a bit confused about the whole thing. ❝ yes, but-… i often wonder why such an arrangement even occurred. she is older than i, i would assume that she would get a more powerful match than i could. ❞ then again, her older sister was quite unpleasant. maybe it was her need for a throne that drove all worthwhile suitors away. the idea of blackmail was unsavory, and yet anneliese was definitely not above it if it meant staying with thomas.
if her mother found out that she was actually happy with thomas, she would undoubtedly find the nearest prince for her to marry. it was bad enough that she wouldn’t be able to be with thomas, but there was a large chance that she would need to move to some foreign land and never see him again. the thought was too painful to dwell on, though it motivated her further to find a solution. ❝ we shall resolve this… i promise. ❞ anneliese nodded once at the promise before kissing his cheek. if she had to recruit an italian priest to wed her and thomas in the middle of the night, she would. ❝ goodnight, ❞ the princess replied before leaning over to blow out the candle on her bedside table.
“What do you think your oldest brother would make of it?” It was something that Thomas had wondered more than once. Could they potentially have an ally in the future king? He doubted it, but perhaps it would be worth Anneliese trying to feel out. Things would have been so much easier had she been the daughter of a nobleman, he wouldn’t have trouble asking for her hand then, but at the same time she wouldn’t have had the experiences that made her Anneliese. It was what it was. “I’m glad you like it.” He spoke quietly, the corners of his mouth tipping upwards in a soft smile. “I suppose that we will simply have to come up with a rather time consuming study that will keep you occupied for a while.” But just what would that be? He’d have to look through his books, see if there was something plausibly complicated that they would be able to use as a cover.
“I loathe to say it, but would bribery be a possibility with William should it come to it?” Not that Thomas had much he would be able to contribute. Whilst the stipend he received was enough to survive on, it was not enough to do so comfortably, nor did his father have much interest in providing funds. “It would be difficult for us to return to England without being arrested.” Not that they could go beyond the palace, given the situation with the plague. “You must be tired, the hour must be late now.” He hadn’t a clock in his room, so he couldn’t have said what time William had ambushed him, and he hadn’t paid enough attention to Anneliese’s chamber to see if she had one above the mantle.
❝ Henry? Oh, I-… well if I am being honest, I do think he’s known. About us, I mean. He hasn’t said anything about it, but the look he gives me when he sees us together, and how he asks about you when we talk. I don’t know, it is only a feeling I suppose, but I do think he knows. ❞ Anneliese turned back to face him with a small smile though somewhat tired. ❝ He would be a great ally though. He speaks well of you and he is sympathetic to my situation with my mother. Besides, I would think that Alexandra would need to be wed before I should be. And while she is engaged, should there not be a wedding? Perhaps I am being too optimistic, but I think we have a bit more time… hopefully. ❞ that was an extremely optimistic view of course, but Anneliese could dream. Turning her attention back to her new necklace and ring, The girl settled back beside him, still looking warmly.
❝ It may be possible, but I do not think we have anything of much value to him. Unless you can think of something? ❞ With a sigh, she leaned up to kiss his cheek. ❝ Never mind him though. I do not even want you to think of that wretch, he done enough tonight. Just rest, attempt to relax. ❞ Her hand gently stroked his chest, mindful of the ribs that were most likely broken from the blows. It killed her to think about her own brother doing this to Thomas. If anything, it only pushed her further in the direction of running off with Thomas all together. Face hidden on his neck, Anneliese just wanted to be close to him. ❝ Stay with me? The hour is late, and I want you to be comfortable. The door is locked, no one will know…❞
His eyes softened, a weight lifting from him. They had each other for as long as fate would allow, and longer, if Thomas had anything to say about it. Letting the chain drop, he took hold of it with his free hand and carefully lowered it over her head. A finger trailed carefully over her collarbone once the chain had settled around her throat. “There, it’s where it belongs now.” He could only dream of the day that he could slide it on to her finger, but having it nestled close to her heart was good enough for him for now. It was safer at any rate. A ring on a chain could be easily hidden under her gowns, but on her hand? No, that was asking for more trouble than they were already. At some point soon they had would have to discuss what the future would hold for them, to come up with suitable plans for every eventuality. But that didn’t have to happen tonight. No, he simply wanted to enjoy her company and attempt to ignore the pain he felt.
“It was my mother’s.” He began, head tilting towards the ring. “It’s the ring my father gave her when they married. She could have given it to my brother, Ned, but I think she knew such sentiments would be lost on him.” Much like Anneliese and William, Thomas and his older brother were quite the opposite in personality. God, what would his mother think if she knew who he had given her ring to? Margaret Neville could be a fearsome woman, and Thomas did not doubt that he could rely on her for support, but even she was no match for the English crown. “However few and far between those moments currently are?” And it would remain that way for as long as her parents kept her unmarried. How much longer that would be for he could not say. Thomas was not privy to those sort of discussions. But he had to be realistic; Anneliese was a young woman in her prime, and England was an eagerly sought after ally for many nations.
Once he had lowered his necklace around her neck, Anneliese moved her hair from underneath the chain and looked at the ring looped in it. His comment brought a small smile to her lips and she brought her gaze back up to her tutor instead. If only she could wear it on her finger – Anneliese would proudly display it for everyone to see. It was simple and elegant; not gaudy like some of the wedding rings people had around here. Best of all, it came from within his own family. The two could not even have an engagement, but she appreciated this promise nonetheless and she would fight to keep it. Reaching down, the girl gingerly lifted the ring to really look at it. Part of her was tempted to slide it on her finger, but perhaps she should save that for when Thomas left.
The two had to have a bit more time before her own parents found a suitor for her. Her sister had already been engaged so naturally, Anneliese was next. The idea of anyone else having her hand in marriage brought knots to her stomach, but her stupidly optimistic mind thought that the best would come from this in one way or another. How could she live apart from Thomas? He had been her only comfort far before this crisis happened and those feelings were enough to let her know that the man was the one she must spend the rest of her life with. Until then, the ring would stay safe on the necklace tucked beneath her clothing – morning or night, Anneliese would wear it always. ❝ However few and far between these moments are… ❞ she repeated with a small nod. ❝ Though I shall try to be with you more often. William is-… he is a damned work, but he would have to loathe me in order to tell our parents. And if he does, then we shall find new ways to be together. I promise. ❞ With that, the princess picked up his hand to kiss his knuckles, lips lingering for a moment.
The corners of his mouth quirked in an amused smile as she picked up the Shakespeare. It had been some time since he had last lost himself in the forest of Arden, and he was quite happy to reunite himself with Rosalind and Celia. Sitting in bed together, reading by candlelight… it was something that Thomas could easily allow himself to get used to. Her low murmur filled the room, accompanied by their breathing and the steady turn of the well-worn pages. It could almost be described as blissful, had the circumstances that had led him to her chamber had been different. They were balancing on a knife edge, that much was obvious to him. Their options were growing even more limited than they had already, and so much now rested on William’s next moves. If he kept his new found knowledge to himself they could carry on as they had been, but if he were to tell the King and Queen… it would back them into a corner with only a handful of options. Regardless of what happened, he couldn’t lose her.
He had lost himself in thought when she spoke. “Do I? Oh, no.” Well, nothing beyond her, that is. “Liese,” He began, wincing as he shifted to face her, withdrawing his arm from around her shoulders. “Neither of us can predict what will happen now, although we can perhaps guess. But regardless of what will happen, I hope you know just how I love you.” Reaching to the back of his neck, he pulled the chain over his head, coiling the chain and ring in the palm of his hand. “I want you to have this. I’ve been meaning to give you this for a while now, waiting for the right moment, although I had hoped it would perhaps be a more romantic one. But,” Carefully, he picked up the ring. “Take this as a token of my affection - a promise, if you will, that I’ll do whatever in me power for us to stay together.”
if only he were not so injured – this might have been a perfect night. no doubt that she would be far too tempted by his lips to read, but anneliese didn’t particularly mind the distraction. but no, she had her duty to care for him, not just give in and kiss him all night like they had a few nights prior. she hadn’t been able to get that out of her mind though… him and her laying on his bed with his hand running up her leg were moments she’s dreamt of since. there were also the occasional nightmares of what might happen if william had actually told her parents what was happening between her and tom. sure, he had went after thomas for having an “affair” with his sister, but had he kept it to himself? if not, the couple would have far bigger issues than a bloodied nose.
he’d said her name, and the princess bent the top corner of that book to save her place before turning her attention to him. those were the exact words he felt. of course she was scared of what was to come; there was no way to predict anything. thomas was her only anchor in the midst of the chaos. ❝ i love you too, ❞ anneliese replied quietly, though her tone still remained full of love. eyes followed his hands to his chest as he pulled his necklace off – something she stupidly hadn’t noticed until now. was this… a ring? for a moment, her heart felt as if it had stopped inside her chest. it wasn’t a proposal, but this was what they could do given their circumstances. actually, anneliese preferred it to a proposal that might not be carried through. this way she could just promise herself to him as long as she could before her mother decided to ruin everything. there were a few seconds where she didn’t exactly know what to say. the girl was at a loss for words and simply leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips before pulling away to look at her new favorite belonging. ❝ and i shall do the same… it will remind me of you even during the short moments we’re apart… ❞ because let’s face it, the two were inseparable. it was bittersweet, but certainly something that anneliese would hold on to forever.
If Anneliese said that it was safe to remain in her chambers then he would accept it. He sighed softly. Would they get any answers out of her twin brother? Probably not. Perhaps they would have to be more careful going forward, but Thomas was not sure what they could do to be more careful. Would they have to cut down their time spent together for a while? It wasn’t an idea he was keen on. Perhaps they would have to invite Alexandra to study with them, at least once, in the hopes that would dispel enough. Hiding away wasn’t ideal, but it had to be done. He didn’t want to jeopardise things more so than he had already.
“Surprise me.” For once he didn’t mind. If Anneliese wanted to read Candide he would happily listen; he knew how fond she was of the novel. Her touch was light on his chest, his skin warming under her gentle touch. As she settled against him Thomas wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You have proved yourself a worthy physician, my love.” He smiled softly despite the discomfort, resting his head against hers. “Now, have you decided what we are to read tonight?” She had yet to pass any comment on the chain around his neck, and part of Thomas wished that he curiosity would not get the better of her, but he supposed that was yet to be seen. His eyes trailed around the room with its sumptuous silk panelling on the walls and the fine view afforded by the large windows. There were certainly worse places to convalesce than the bed of the woman he loved.
AT THIS POINT, SHE PROBABLY COULD HAVE RECITED candide to him from memory, but anneliese guessed that he was probably tired of her rambling about voltaire and would probably like to hear something he liked more. the princess leaned up to gently kiss his lips, hand still lightly lingering on his chest before reaching over to pick up the shakespeare work on her side desk. ❝ and as my patient, i must please you over my own reading preferences, ❞ the girl grinned to herself, settling back into a comfortable position beside him and flipping to the last place she left off. if only these were better circumstances. she’d always imagined thomas in her room, but not in these dark conditions. anneliese would’ve liked him to stay the night for some romantic occasion – not because he had to seek safety from her own brother. god, the nerve of william. she could kill him herself.
the princess read, green eyes glancing over to the man beside her to periodically check on whether or not he was okay with no sides of discomfort. tonight was a definite display of how dangerous their relationship could be. would her mother take similar actions against thomas? never had they punished someone directly, but would they? no… her father would never allow it. her mother was powerful, but she was not the king. leaning over to kiss his shoulder, she took a pause from the reading after a few minutes. ashamedly, him and his lack of a shirt (her fault, of course) were quite tempting to her. although she wished that they would’ve had a moment similar to that of the other time she visited his room, anneliese knew that thomas was in no position to be moving at all. ❝ do you require anything? water? ❞
Thomas wasn’t terribly surprised that the Queen’s obvious preference for William would extend to turning a blind eye to his activities. But the Prince’s pursuits mattered little as long as a fine match was arranged for marriage in the end. It was horribly unfair, but it was how things worked. Thomas hoped that it would change, but he doubted that it would ever be in his lifetime. “If only she would, but that would require for her to have a complete change of personality.” Something that would never happen. “You know I want to, but only if it is safe.” It wasn’t fair to cause any more problems for her. Did any of her family beyond William know about them? And if they did, would they be as displeased? As the second son of an Earl, Thomas was not what would constitute as a fine match to her parents, regardless of how well he and Anneliese worked together. “I am comfortable.”
“In my experience, you’ve never had much in common.” In many ways they were complete opposites. He cast a sidelong glance at her once she had settled on the opposite side of the bed. “I’m not going to break, you know. You don’t have to spend the entire night on the edge of the bed. Come here. If you stay on this side you won’t get my ribs.” Raising his arm, he motioned for her to move closer. “I wouldn’t mind some reading. Candide?” He asked, catching sight of the book in question. “I suppose I’ll allow it this time. Start from wherever you left off, you don’t need to restart on my account.” If only it could always be like this. Well, like this but without his injuries. It was certainly something that he could get used to. “I am sorry to have disturbed you like this, but my first thought was to get to you.”
ANNELIESE WONDERED IF HER MOTHER’S tendencies towards william would extend towards alexandra as well. was her inflexibility for her daughters in general, or just her? she didn’t want to think about it right now, there were far more pressing matters to attend to – mainly tom’s senseless injuries caused by her brother. ❝ it is safe, ❞ she assured him. her staff would never enter her chambers if her doors were locked, they knew well enough not to. if william’s big mouth ran off to tell the entire palace about his sister’s relationship, her servants would definitely know not to bother her too. it was yet another thing to worry about, but the girl didn’t want to add on any more stress. she would deal with her parents and her brother when the time came. perhaps her father would be forgiving as he usually was with her.
green eyes looked over to tom, a small smile on her lips as he raised his arm for her to move closer. ❝ i’ve as you like it as well, ❞ she offered, quickly reaching to her table to collect the book from her lower shelf. setting it beside voltaire’s, anneliese allowed herself to move close to him – head resting on his shoulder and hand light on his chest. ❝ do not apologize. i would never forgive myself if i hadn’t been able to assist you. ❞ she didn’t even fret over whether or not anyone saw him come to her door. her tutor had been beaten by her own brother. her twin brother at that. part of her was still in disbelief that it had happened. with a small sigh of defeat, the princess pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of his jaw and then the top of his shoulder.
