It had been raining for days. The steady streaming of rain down the windows and the never-ceasing patter on the roof made the whole atmosphere so dreary and depressing that everyone seemed to go about the castle with gloomy expressions. Caroline sat in her usual place at Queen Edith's side, desperately trying to look unconcerned and complacent as her fingers moved restlessly with the tatted lace she was working on. But her thoughts were far away and she found she had strayed far from the pattern and would have to tear it out again. With an impatient sigh, she dropped the lacework into her lap.
"There is a terrible draft!" The queen cried with a start. "Close the window!"
"The window is closed, Aunt Edith," Caroline murmured. She worried for the elderly queen. In the past year, she had seemed to lose more and more consciousness of her surroundings and her statements were often irrelevant to the conversation. Still, she had her lucid moments and Caroline still loved her in spite of her quirks.
"Would you like your shawl?" Caroline stood to reach for a thick, woolen shawl that had been draped over the back of a vacant chair. As she wrapped it around the queen's shoulders, the old lady reached up a withered hand and patted her arm.
"You're a good girl, Caroline." she smiled. "Better than all the rest." Caroline smiled and nodded. She moved as if to return to her seat but the Queen took her hands and pulled her down to kneel beside her.
"Let us talk," she continued. "They think I am a crazy old lady," she laughed. "But I see more than they think I do. And I can see that you are unhappy. Will you tell me why?"
"I... I am alright, Aunt Edith." Caroline attempted a bright smile but was afraid she had failed exceedingly.
"No, you're not," the queen contradicted in her shrill, warbling voice. "Something's wrong. What is it?"
Caroline hesitated. She wasn't quite certain why she was upset. Perhaps it was the much-dreaded arrival of Prince David. Perhaps it was John's kiss that she could almost still feel on her cheek. Perhaps it was that sad, longing, wistful look in his eyes.
"I am nervous," she said earnestly, "About Prince David's arrival. I... I don't want to marry a foreign prince and move away from home. I barely know him, Aunt Edith!" There. She had told the truth without betraying the hidden secret of her innermost heart. The queen nodded understandingly.
"He's a pompous old windbag," she said ungraciously. "And doesn't deserve my lady Caroline. Take my advice, Child, and don't accept him. Show that son of mine and his silly wife that you won't be passed off like so many other girls have been."
Caroline looked down, smiling in spite of herself.
"Of course, I've no intention of accepting him," she replied. "But there'll be another after him. And another, and another..." her voice trailed off into a sigh.
"Now, I think what you need is to fall in love with some nice young man in Euphrania." Queen Edith continued, tightening her grip on Caroline's hand. "That way you'll always stay close to me. Pity that young friend of Edward's isn't a knight. He's nice enough, and handsome too. Now that would be a good match. Far be it from me to question the whims of fate but I will persist in thinking it rather ungracious to him. He must think the world of you."
Caroline blushed. Had the queen noticed? She had hoped that no one knew.
"Fate is never fair." she replied softly. "It makes nobles of those who wish to be servants and servants of those who wish to be nobles. The world is such a dreadful, mixed-up place... no longer the fairyland I once thought it was." she sighed and leaned her head against the arm of the queen's chair. "The only thing that remains constant in this life is the Lord. I must cling to Him, for all other hope seems so far away. Oh, Aunt Edith, I just don't know what to do!" she lost her feigned complacency and burst into tears. The old queen placed a hand on her head, comfortingly, silently praying and hoping for the girl's future happiness.
oOo
Prince David of Beauvai arrived in all due pomp and ceremony one brilliant winter's day while the snow was softly falling, turning the world white. Caroline was in her room with the Lady Allison, who was helping her arrange her hair.
"Oh, Caroline!" Allison cried enthusiastically as she completed the finishing touches. "You look like a vision! And oh, I'm so jealous, I just wish I were you! To be courted by Prince David! I've heard he's terribly handsome!"
"Looks aren't everything," Caroline smiled ruefully as she stood in front of the mirror and smoothed the folds of her pale blue silk gown. Queen Elinor had insisted she look her best when she met Prince David. She was most certainly not looking forward to the meeting, but she complied with the queen's wishes and wore her best gown. She could hear the trumpets from outside announcing the prince's arrival and glanced toward the window nervously. As she looked away again, her eyes fell on the little table by her bed... the table that held her Bible, her copy of Shakespeare's sonnets... and John's rose. Carefully dried and treasured, she had laid the rose across the open book of sonnets, right over the words that meant more to her with each passing day.
"Love... is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is not shaken."
"Are you ready?" Allison was saying eagerly. "He's here now!"
Caroline nodded mutely as she straightened her lace fichu and turned toward the door.
"God give me strength," she whispered as she stepped out into the hall to join the page who had come to escort her down to the throne room where she was to meet the prince.
oOo
Prince David of Beauvai was handsome. He stood over six foot high and possessed thick, wavy dark hair and piercing black eyes. But those eyes, as Caroline observed as she curtseyed before him, seemed rather filled with cold indifference and proud disdain. He had not changed much since she had met him three years before except, perhaps, to become even more vain and difficult to talk to. Surely, she reflected, her aunt couldn't possibly expect her to accept such a person. But Queen Elinor was all aglow with excitement as she welcomed the foreign prince and told him how she hoped he would stay long. Caroline was not of the same opinion.
"Lady Caroline," his voice was carefully polished and reserved. "It is a great delight and honor to meet you again."
"Your Royal Highness," she returned, "The honor is all mine. Welcome to Euphrania." As she spoke, she felt an intense annoyance with the formalities that she knew she must perform. She certainly didn't mean a word she said. But... she had to say them.
As dinner was announced, the prince offered his arm to Lady Caroline and she took it, though not without reluctance. He swept her into the banquet hall and seated her at his side. For a moment she felt alarmed, knowing she should be with the Dowager Queen. But Lady Allison had taken her duties that evening and sat in Caroline's old place.
To Caroline, the elegant dinner was a dreadful affair. Prince David could talk of nothing but his own accomplishments and wealth and she hardly knew how to respond. She longed to switch places with Lady Allison who was having quite a time of it, jumping nervously at every word Queen Edith said and, consequently, making the elderly queen more and more dissatisfied and angry with each passing moment. Prince Edward sat across the table from her and kept making sympathetic glances her way. She wished he wouldn't for it made it difficult to keep her composure. John was seated beside Edward, as usual, but was strangely silent. He said nothing, and hardly even looked up from his plate. Although once, when Prince David's head was turned, Caroline almost thought she caught John glaring at the prince. But she could never be sure. At any rate, she was extremely relieved when the king rose from the table, signifying the end of the meal, and the rest of the company rose as well.
The next few days, however, were just as trying of an ordeal for the poor Lady Caroline. She longed to simply return to her duties but found she was hardly allowed to and was forced to spend nearly every minute with the visiting prince. And his company grew more and more disagreeable every day.
"Your Highness," Caroline suggested impulsively one day as they sat to the side in the throne room while the king and queen were conversing with the Chamberlain on the endless matters of state, "Perhaps you would care to go for a ride?" She knew it was highly improper for a lady to pose such an invitation, but she was bored to death and longed for some diversion.
"In this weather?" the prince scoffed. "Surely, Lady Caroline, you do not intend to go mucking about in all that dreadful snow!"
"I think the snow is lovely," Caroline returned heatedly. She had had quite enough of this Prince David of Beauvai.
"And so cold!" the prince continued as if she had not spoken. "I assure you, milady, I have no intention of going out today. I'll have quite enough of this horrid damp and cold when I return home. For now, I intend to stay inside where it's comfortable."
With a sigh, Caroline leaned back in her chair and cast a longing glance at her book. She was slightly relieved, when she thought better of it, that he had not accepted her invitation. That meadow out there held special memories for her and she did not want to spoil those memories by dragging that dreadful prince over it. Besides, she thought, trying to suppress a giggle, Regina would probably not care to make his acquaintance anyway.
"Ah, your Royal Highness, how good to see you again! And sister Caroline, how do you do? Rather nasty weather, I must say. But how charming to come in out of the cold and find oneself in the presence of such delightful company!" The newcomer who thus spoke brought a smile of relief to Caroline's face and a grimace of distaste to Prince David's.
"How did he get in here?" the king called from across the room, frowning with annoyance. Caroline rose with a smile and gave her hand to her brother.
"Charles, I am so glad to see you!" she cried earnestly. "Come and sit with us, I long to hear all the news of home!" Deliberately seating him between her and the prince, she returned to her own chair with satisfaction and picked up her book again. As she turned the pages back to find her spot, the Duke of Montague paused in his long monologue to look at her in confusion.
"I say, Caroline, I thought you said you wanted to hear the home news?"
"Yes, yes!" Caroline smiled at him over her book. "Pray continue, and don't mind me." It was now Prince David's turn to be exceedingly bored and miserable as he suffered through Montague's chatter while Caroline lost herself in the relief of her book.
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