Her Royal Match

My Tutor's Fee

The guests and their host assembled at the dining table, each admiring the decoration and elaborate dishes before them. Pleased with the arrangements that were up to mark, Lady Helen thanked Mr. Hawkins with a nod and requested her guests to take their seats. While the King discussed trade with the twins, Martha noticed Marine’s absence and grabbed Lady Helen's attention with a whisper.

“Uhm…dear Helen, don’t you find something missing?” she whispered.

“Oh dear, I felt everything was in its place, Mr. & Mrs. Hawkins tried their best to make the dinner table appealing,” Lady Helen got tensed and wondered where they had gone wrong.

Martha cleared her throat to grab her attention once again and gestured with her imploring eyes to look in the direction of the vacant chair near Prince Henry.

Lady Helen gasped after realizing the absence of her daughter and surveyed the hall to see where she had gone. On the pretence of ordering another helping of salad, she called Mr. Hawkins and whispered, “Send Eliza to call for Marine.” “And in the meanwhile, why don’t you start serving our guests with the main course?” she added and smoothened the pleats of her dress.

Mr. Hawkins obeyed and raised his head to pass on the order to George but to his surprise, he was nowhere to be seen in the dining hall except for Mrs. Hawkins’s two helpers who had hastily replaced their porter’s attire with the butlers’ uniform after carrying the twin’s luggage to the rooms allotted for their stay.

“Now where did that fool go?” Mr. Hawkins grumbled and left the dining hall in search of George and Eliza. Marching down the flight of stairs that led to the kitchen, he found Eliza and Clair helping his wife serve the dishes in silver bowls. “Eliza the Queen has ordered you to find the princess and bring her back to the dining hall, hurry!” His rough voice startled her as she burnt her fingers.

“Where did the princess go?” She raised her brows in astonishment and gasped.

“That’s your job to find out, now hurry up and find the princess,” Mr. Hawkins muttered and watched till she left the kitchen in frenzy.

“How is everything upstairs? Are the Lord and Ladyship happy with our presentation?” Mrs. Hawkins asked with eagerness in her eyes while she mixed the cake batter.

“So far so good, but with George around, I feel we’re far from getting any appreciation from the family. This lad is worse than the two boys you defend so dearly,” He retorted and clenched his fist as he looked around the dingy kitchen.

“Don’t say anything about my helpers, they’re like my sons you promised ages ago when we were young. It’s not my fault you could never give me one,” she flared her nostril and complained before he lost his temper and walked away. Multitasking was much better than getting into an age old argument with his wife, convinced that it was no use wasting time on searching George, he decided to head back to the dining hall and make do with the two helpers.

While poor Eliza clutched her black skirt and searched every chamber and drawing room, princess Marine rested her head in the crook of George’s arm like a baby. Lying there motionless, in the comfort of his warm arms, she remised the night her elder sister Emma had disappointed her father. Likewise George argued in his mind whether or not to reciprocate to her touch. The hands that had initially turned numb when Marine held on to them were now tempted to feel the smoothness of her skin. He felt her heart beating against his chest while her eyes had a faraway look. Her tiara sparkled in the moonlight that entered through the window and dimly lit the dark wine cellar.

Admiring her figure like any decent man would do, he failed to hold back any further and caressed her gently with the other hand. He felt the softness of her back as he carefully glided his hand back and forth over her silk gown, fearing that she would snap at him any moment for getting to close, but on the contrary the princess did nothing. Lingering his hand over the nape of her neck, he wondered if the princess had fallen asleep and thus gently raised her head only to meet her sparkling eyes.

George froze with fright and withdrew his hand as she pulled away from him and sat upright. None of them spoke, there was an awkward silence between the two until Marine murmured. “What am I supposed to do now? I can’t go before them like this…I’ve failed everyone again.” She looked at the case and felt disheartened.

“No you won’t, not if I were to help you,” George whispered.

“You mean to say you can avert the disaster I’m going to cause?” she asked with a grave look on her face.

“As long as you do as I say, princess. Trust me, no one will find out that you emptied a whole case of liquor. Stay calm and quiet at the dining hall, don’t drink the wine I’ll be serving at the table or you’ll get drunk easily…Oh dear, that reminds me, I’m needed at the dining hall!” he suddenly paused and widened his eyes in disbelief.

“You believe you can help me not make a fool of myself in front of the guests?” She asked softly and stared at him suspiciously as she wasn’t too convinced by his words.

“I believe I can make both the prince fall for you if you follow my advice. Take it as my way of repaying you…teacher…” he smiled and helped the princess stand on her feet.

“Teacher…so the tutor’s fees is a promise in return,” She said and tilted her head innocently.

“No it’s one of the royal hearts in return,” he replied when all of a sudden Eliza opened the cellar door and called out to the princess.

“Princess! Her ladyship calls for your presence in the dining hall…” she exclaimed and paused when her gaze fell over George. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be serving at the table?” she changed the tone of her voice and enquired suspiciously.

“I was selecting the best wine to serve our guests, what else did you expect me to do in a cellar?” he remarked and walked past her as he left the cellar. Eliza stayed calm and shifted her gaze at Marine who was adjusting her hair.

“Princess, I guess we shouldn’t keep her Ladyship waiting,” she suggested and made way for Marine before closing the cellar door. Eliza was tempted to know what transpired in there, but felt it unjust to ask her at the moment.

Managing her tiara with clumsy steps, she strutted back to the dining hall and met her mother’s furious gaze that followed her like a prying panther. The men as usual stood up in courteousness as she took a seat adjacent to her father. Sitting on the seat next to her, Henry attempted to strike a conversation with her but she turned her back and looked elsewhere. Avoiding her mother’s stare she looked around for her new advisor, George.

A sense of assurance surged in her when she spotted him preparing the tray for the next serving. Her face lit up when he turned and smiled at her. “He makes it sound so easy,” she thought.

“Cough! Princess Marine, I must say your cook has prepared the finest meal I’ve ever had. There aren’t such talented cooks in Guernsey , which make me wonder, have you visited Guernsey before?” Prince Henry coughed and asked her curiously while Marine gave him an absent minded look.

“What has my cook’s talent got to do with me visiting Guernsey or not?” she counter questioned him and made him conscious. Lady Helen heard her daughter’s impolite remark and coughed to grab her attention after which she raised her brows and gave a subtle warning to behave.

“I meant I’ve never been to Guernsey before, though I would love to visit it someday,” Marine immediately added and faked a smile. Her smile was so enchanting that it instilled Henry to go on a boasting spur that made her repent.

The after effects of the liquor seemed to take a toll on her, half of what he spoke went over her head , but she remained calm. George’s subtle reminders, kept her composed as she’s had entrusted the responsibility on him. It wasn’t long before Prince Darwin’s bitter remark about Wales grabbed her attention.  “I never heard much about Wales, but when I did I found it interestingly disturbing, how does one manage a princely state where he isn’t looked upon?”Darwin asked and infuriated her.

“And what makes you think the Lord Gandalf  isn’t looked upon by his people?” Marine clenched her fist and retorted before  George politely interrupted.

“Some blueberry tarts?” He served and subtly warned her to control her tongue while her mother and Martha cringed in embarrassment. “Would you have some too, ?” He faced Darwin and served him as well.

“Uh...I would call that a bit of ignorance on the milder side, not that it’s your fault since the newspapers fancy stretching stories out of proportion. In fact you should take a visit of our town and villages, like they say seeing is believing, don’t they Helen?” Lord Gandalf smoothly replied and smiled without flinching.

“Yes, my Lord, you’re absolutely right! In fact I believe it would be a wonderful idea to let Marine take  them down town next morning, You won't mind, would you?” his wife shifted her gaze at Marine and prayed that she would agree.

“Yes why wouldn’t she, she knows the capital better than a shepherd,” Martha supported and spoke in favour of the princess who wasn’t too pleased.

“Interesting to know that a princess is aware of her roots, from what I’ve heard, you’ve been perusing a course in London if I’m not wrong,” Darwin remarked and looked at her questioningly.

She was about to answer when George gestured her to keep quiet. Pleased that she wasn’t answering the question she had dreaded, her mother replied, “Oh that’s just a petty stitching course, Marine fancies homely activities,” she smiled and commented nervously.

“Yes, I fancy stitching bodies,” Marine added and shocked the guests including her family. George let out a soft chuckle and immediately pleaded her to stay tight-lipped.

“Actually the princess is perusing her higher education in medicines, which she intends on completing soon this year,” Lord Gandalf stated and crossed his hands.

Darwin kept a straight face and adjusted his glasses as if to show what Marine did hardly mattered. “Uhmm...Where are the rest of the royal family, I was expecting the Queen and her sister to join us too this evening,” Lady Helen hurriedly changed the topic and asked Martha.

“They will be joining us in a day or two, after all the Christmas celebration in Wales is something they mustn’t miss at any cost,” Lady Martha replied with an air of pride. The rest of the evening continued with a discussion about trade and future plans of Wales while Princess Marine pretended to stay ignorant just the way her mother wanted. Though it did seem hard to resist at first, with George’s constant warning, she managed to fit into her mother’s expectations, at least for the moment.

When the dinner party came to an end, the twins were guided to their rooms. Queen Helen thanked the Hawkins and the remaining staff for putting up a good show, not to mention the relief with which she saw her daughter. “I won’t say well done, but you were better than last time. If you continue to behave more feminine you will soon be walking down the aisle,” She smirked and shifted her gaze on Martha who was getting ready to leave.

“Where are you heading, Martha?” she asked in astonishment. “The weather isn’t quite right for you to venture back home, stay in the fortress tonight, I’ll arrange a chamber for you,” she added and forced her to stay over.  George heaved a sigh of relief for he was meant to drive Martha all the way back to town in the rough weather.

As for Marine, she was glad to enter her chamber and dive into bed since she was extremely sleepy. The thought of showing the twins around town tired her already. Changing into her nightgown, she curled under her blanket and closed her eyes. No sooner she closed them, thoughts about George and the event that transpired between them in the cellar crossed her mind. Marine opened her eyes and sighed, suddenly the urge to sleep was nowhere to be felt.

Staring at the angels painted across the ceiling, she wondered what George thought about her after seeing her break down in the cellar. Certainly, it wasn’t pleasant of things to do, but somewhere she felt that she had begun to trust him even more, like a friend. Marine always shied away from showing her emotions, but with George it was different. That brief moment in the cellar was something she hadn’t expected. She couldn’t conjure how to take it, the feeling of his sturdy arms around her fragile body, his comforting words and his intense gaze, they all seemed magical. She was very well awake when George had felt her back seductively, the feeling was unexplainable, something she had never experienced before, but only read in books.

The windows banged as the wind swung them wildly and distracted her. Facing the window, she noticed the heavy snowfall and realised how cold it was outside. Rushing to close the windows, she happened to see the barn and got worried for George. Throwing her shawl over her shoulders, she picked up a quilt and carried it all the way to the barn.

Not caring for the cold, she walked barefoot on the thick snow and entered the barn. Noticing the faint candlelight that flickered from the loft, she wondered how he could manage to stay warm. Noting wasting a minute, she climbed up the ladder and found him fast asleep on the bed of straw with his arms crossed.  Recollecting the way he had helped her stay composed at the dinner table, she smiled and spread the quilt over him. She stared at him for a brief moment before heading back down when all of a sudden he called out to her.

“Thank you for the warm quilt, princess...” He said and startled her.  Her face glowed in excitement as she saw him smiling from above. Acknowledging him with a smile she turned and went away, while George looked on dreamily. Was this the beginning of a new relationship or was it something uncalled for that would affect two people from different walks of life.