The Lady of My Choosing Chapter Five

 Chapter Five

In Trouble

    The king and queen were rather surprised and offended when Caroline behaved so uncharacteristically and left the room in such a fashion, but they let her go. Likely she would just return to her room and cry it out. She'd come to her senses once she had thought it over, the best thing to do was leave her alone.

    The court was dismissed shortly after and Lady Allison accompanied the Dowager Queen to her private chambers. The poor old lady was extremely cross and kept insisting that they bring Caroline to her. In distress, Lady Allison finally gave in, though she hated the thought of disturbing Caroline at such a time. She had some idea of what her friend was going through, having narrowly escaped a betrothal to the middle-aged and pompous Lord Montrose. Thankfully, he had decided she wasn't wealthy enough.

    Lady Allison knocked at Caroline's door for some time before she decided to open the door and enter the room. She stood in the doorway a moment, frowning with confusion at the empty, dark room. Perhaps Caroline had joined the royal family in the library?    

    When Lady Allison reached the library, which by now was cheery and warm, the fire having been restored, she was frightened to find that Caroline wasn't there.

    "Your Majesty," she began, curtseying before the queen. "The Lady Caroline is not in her chambers."

    "Well, where on earth could the girl be? Moping about somewhere?" The king interposed, frowning. "Let her alone and she'll come to her senses."

    "But, your Majesty, I am afraid for her. It is not like her to disappear like this."

    John had been sitting in the corner, reading Shakespeare's sonnets, and Edward had been sitting in another corner, frowning at him over a copy of Gulliver's Travels. Why on earth John should be so interested in Shakespeare's sonnets was a mystery to him. In fact, though Edward didn't realize it, John wasn't reading at all, simply staring off into space, though he kept his nose in the book. He had opened it at the 116th sonnet but he already had memorized that one. Not a single other of the sonnets had he ever even read. At Lady Allison's announcement, however, he dropped the book and stood, alarmed at once.

    "She could be in trouble, your Majesty," he interrupted. "Perhaps we should find her."

    "And how on earth could she be in trouble here, in the palace?" the queen frowned at him. John shook his head. He couldn't say why but somehow... he had a vague feeling of uneasiness that he couldn't shake. Something certainly was wrong. At his insistence, the pages were sent throughout the palace to try and find her and a few of the guards went over the courtyard and outbuildings. John went to the stables. Just as he had feared, Regina's stall stood open and the horse was not there. Her bridle was not hanging on the wall, but the sidesaddle remained. Leading his own chestnut gelding from the stall next to the empty one, he mounted and rode from the stables, not bothering even with a bridle. As he turned out of the stables, he heard a horse's cry and there stood Regina, cold and wet, her knees scraped and her eyes rolling in fear.

    "Master John!" a page was running up to him even at that moment. "The Lady Caroline is not to be found anywhere in the palace. They're sending a search party out."

    "She's left the palace grounds," John answered. "Tell them to search the meadow!" Spurring his horse on, he sped through the gates and galloped on toward the meadow. He could see the torch lights and hear the voices of the others as they spread out over the landscape. As he rode on, he felt certain that he knew exactly where she would have gone. And so, he turned the gelding toward the highest summit of the meadow, urging his mount on desperately.

    He had not far to go and reined his horse to a sudden halt as he caught sight of a snowy form stretched out on the ground. Praying silently that she was alright, he jumped from his horse and ran to her side. Caroline was unconscious and still as death, blood trickling from a wound on the side of her head. Pulling off his coat, John wrapped it around her and lifted her from the ground just as a few other riders cantered up.

    "You've found her?"

    "Yes, but she's hurt badly. Someone ride for the doctor, someone else get the news back to the king and queen. Quickly!"

    One of the guards shot off toward the village to find the doctor while the others rode in the direction of the palace. One took John's horse and led it along as he carried her back. John moved quickly, nearly frozen with fear as Caroline seemed to lie lifeless in his arms. Although he knew he loved her, he never realized it more fully until that moment. He could never hope to win her, but he knew that if she died, he couldn't go on living. And so he prayed, desperately, as he held her close.

oOo

    Not until he had taken Caroline back to the palace and seen her safely in the care of Lady Allison and Lady Susan did John realize he had hardly breathed since the news first came that she was missing. He slumped against the wall of the corridor just outside her room and willed his heart to stop beating so quickly.

    Hurried footsteps and anxious voices announced the arrival of the doctor. John moved on down the hall, wishing he could stay close to her but knowing it would not be wise. Intent on returning to his own room, he started towards the stairs and paused as he met, of all people, Prince David.

    "The Lady Caroline has been found?" the prince asked without concern. Just for that, John hated him, as if he didn't already.

    "Yes, she has been found," he replied automatically.

    "Rather foolish of her to run off that way. Never seen such ridiculous behavior," the prince scoffed and shook his head. John's blood was boiling. For once, he let himself forget his place and spoke disrespectfully to royalty

    "She is not the foolish one here," he returned, angrily. "There are far greater fools in this situation." he spoke meaningfully as he glared at the prince. "What I find ridiculous behavior is forcing someone into a marriage that would make them unhappy. She ought to be allowed to decide her own future!"

    "And I suppose you are not entirely indifferent in this matter, eh?" the prince folded his arms and eyed John with laughing contempt.

    "I don't know what you mean." John brushed past him and started down the stairs.

    "You know exactly what I mean!" Prince David called after him. "And you're a fool yourself! She is too high above you, you're nothing but a servant and always will be!"