His Secret Slave to Scandalous Queen

Chapter 231: I’ll See You Tonight

God help him, he had almost forgotten the impossible softness of her skin. The kiss lasted far longer than either intended, until at last they drew apart, their breaths were uneven, lips swollen.

Only then did Livia step back. A mental groan passed through him. Livia lowered her gaze, smoothing the edge of her bodice back into place with trembling fingers.

Henry wanted to kiss her again.

Naturally.

He drew in a slow breath. "I..." He cleared his throat, attempting to recover some portion of royal authority. It was difficult while staring at her mouth. "I must go and see the Lord Chancellor. There is much to smooth over."

"Yes," she said softly. "I imagine there is."

"Shall I come back?" he asked.

The hope in his own voice embarrassed him. Livia lifted her eyes to his. He saw the struggle in her clearly.

She gave the smallest nod. "Of course. I shall go and see Lady Bella in the meantime...Surely she has some gossip for me."

Henry’s mouth curved. "You have joined Whitehall’s gossip wagon, then?"

"It would be a dreadful life without it, Sire. How else is news expected to travel?"

He smiled and stepped closer once more, drawn by the warmth still lingering between them. He wanted another taste of her but settled for pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I’ll see you tonight."

*****

Lady Bella was still furnishing Livia with the finest ruinous details from Westminster Abbey when her maid appeared at the door.

"My lady," the girl said, dipping into a nervous curtsy, "Princess Madeleine—"

The announcement had barely survived the air before the princess herself swept into the chamber.

She was still dressed in her bridal gown. Livia had to admit, even through the shock of seeing her there, Madeleine looked beautiful. The French gown was a masterpiece of cloth of silver and pearlwork. Her jewelled hood sat perfectly upon her hair, her mantle still trailed behind her, and her face—without the fury presently twisting it—might have inspired poetry.

"You whore!" Madeleine lunged towards Livia.

Her French maid, Elodie, moved quickly, catching the princess by the arm. "Your Highness!" Elodie cried.

Public rage was never flattering on royalty.

Bella rose at once. "Princess Madeleine," she said coolly. "You will compose yourself."

Madeleine ignored her, eyes fixed on Livia with hatred. "You think you have won," she snarled. "You think because I am disgraced, you have triumphed."

Livia remained silent. Not because she lacked a reply. But this was Bella’s apartment.

"I will have you ruined," Madeleine hissed.

Elodie tightened her grip. "Madame, please."

Madeleine wrenched herself. "You both played your game so well...So very well. You fooled me. taking the king from beneath my nose."

"My lady," Bella said, "I do not understand why your anger is directed at Livia or me. We had nothing to do with His Majesty leaving you at the altar." She delivered the sentence with a straight face.

Madeleine’s eyes flashed. "You bitch!" She lunged again, this time for Bella.

Elodie caught her once more. "Madame, please!" Elodie cried. "Think of yourself."

Bella’s gaze dropped to Elodie’s shoes. Words vanished from Bella’s tongue. The maid wore narrow slippers of dark embroidered leather, the toes slightly pointed, the sides stitched with a pattern of silver thread. They were not remarkable but Bella had seen them before.

Or rather, she had seen them fleeing the night she had been stabbed on the upper gallery, pain had stolen most of the world from her. She had remembered a flash of skirts, and feet running away. Those shoes.

She had been right. Madeleine had tried to have her killed. Madeleine had not held the blade herself. But had sent someone else to do it.

Madeleine was still speaking, raining curses upon Livia. Livia noticed then that Bella had gone deathly quiet.

"My lady..." Livia began cautiously. "I do not know why you accuse me of today’s events. What could I possibly have done? I was not even there."

"I know all about you, whore," Madeleine spat. "I may be leaving England, but I shall see that you pay with blood. You both made a fool of me. You let me believe this bitch was the one I should fear." She pointed sharply at Bella. "All the while, it was you. You useless, filthy slut. I will have your head."

"My lady," Livia said, "your anger is misdirected. I would advise you to take it to the person who earned it. I may not be permitted to strike back at a foreign princess but I do have a voice. Lady Bella will agree with me that it is time for you to leave. If you do not, I shall summon the guards."

Madeleine’s mouth curled. "You have no idea what is coming for you. None," Madeleine whispered. "You think you are safe? Trust me, Livia Valenti, it will be too easy."

The way she said it chilled the room. Then, with one final look of poison, Madeleine turned and swept out. Elodie followed quickly.

Only when the door closed did Livia turn at once to Bella, whose silence now frightened her far more than Madeleine’s threats.

"Bella?"

Bella did not answer.

Livia crossed the room and gripped her shoulders gently. "Bella, what is wrong?"

Bella’s eyes lifted to hers.

"Bella," Livia whispered, shaking her again. "Speak to me."

"I was right."

"About what?" Livia asked.

Bella swallowed, her fingers tightening around Livia’s wrists where they held her shoulders. "She did try to kill me."

"Bella, you have said this before. Why is it coming back now?"

"Because now I know."

"What do you know?" Livia asked.

Bella turned her head slowly toward the door. "I recognised the shoes. Her maid’s shoes. I saw them that night...The night I was stabbed. I only saw the hem of her skirt and those shoes."

"Bella, surely she cannot be the only woman in Whitehall with shoes like that."

Bella shook her head. "I would not have remembered them if they were common."