"My lords!" Podan continued his address "We must remind the people that the increased taxes are necessary to aid the war effort and their sacrifices will not be forgotten"

Elara stood beside the other ladies who in turn stood quietly behind the Princess as court was held. The nobles had gathered that morning and for quite some time already, they had been busy discussing legal and administrative matters.

Elara knew she was meant to focus, after all this was the very purpose she was sent here for but she hadn't been able to focus much on anything since last night. Olmund had completely unnerved her and continued to do so by repeatedly looking in her direction throughout the court’s proceedings. She’d narrowly escaped last night and he was making it clear that he wasn’t finished with her yet.

Aoife had noticed their repeated exchanges and tenderly held her hand. They hadn’t said much to each other last night, Elara had been in no state to talk. Her mind raced instead, time and again, she replayed the night’s events in her head. She replayed Beorn’s entrance in her head.

Very unlike the King, Lord Beorn had not once looked in her direction all morning. So much so that she thought he might have been actively ignoring her.

“Furthermore, anti-war sentiments and gatherings remain punishable under the law and every citizen is obligated to report any known perpetrators. Our established way of life as well as the legitimacy of the monarchy is being threatened by the usurper and we cannot sit quietly or ignore those who sow discord regarding the war effort” Podan’s booming voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the Great hall and perhaps beyond.

“Are you okay?” Aoife asked her. She’d grown familiar with that question and responded with the usual well-meaning nod.

“Speaking of the war,” Podan continued, “Lord Beorn”

The somber man cleared his throat before turning to face the court. Elara hung on his every word as he addressed the crowd bringing them up to speed on the latest updates from the battlefield. It turned out that while Olmund’s forces had won several skirmishes and secured some strategic locations, they had simultaneously suffered another major defeat similar to the recent one dealt to them by Colonel Harlan’s 5th Battalion.

“Now more than ever, we need King Luis’ reinforcements” Beorn finished.

“Where is the envoy?” Olmund spoke for the first time in some time.

“Awaiting your summons, sire” Podan answered.

“Bring him in” Olmund ordered.

The court was quiet as the envoy was fetched. Beorn had returned to his position with the other lords and once again stared purposefully away from her. Despite not yet having that much-needed confirmation, she felt deep down that he was avoiding her. Couldn't he see that last night was of no fault of hers? She couldn't very well ignore the King's summons.

"Your Majesty!" Elara heard a shrill voice ring out shortly after the hall door opened and closed "I am Ramiro, I come bearing gifts from the great King Luis."

"What news of our reinforcements?"

"Departed and on their way, Your Majesty. Alongside Her Highness, Princess Catalina who is eager to meet you" Ramiro announced.

"And I, her" Olmund replied "We will have a feast upon her arrival to welcome her"

Elara had considered the insensitivity of having a feast immediately after raising taxes out of necessity but she kept her thoughts to herself. If anyone else had had similar thoughts, so did they.

"I will remain here until she arrives and she is able to learn the language for herself" Ramiro added.

"Of course, you are most welcome" Olmund had agreed but there was no fooling him. It had been a sleek play with a good reason that he couldn't disagree with, but he knew the envoy meant to serve as Luis' eyes and ears in his court.

"Then I will take my leave" Ramiro replied with a bow and moments later, the great hall doors opened and closed signaling his exit.

=^..^=

Court would proceed and carry on as they further discussed other economic and foreign matters but eventually, Olmund would call the session to a close.

Like many of the lords present, Aurelia had remained in the hall to mingle. Elara knew she shouldn't have passed up that opportunity to get to know the nobles better and see what information she could pry free but she'd spotted Beorn making a quick exit from the hall and just had to talk to him. She needed to apologize.

"May I return to my room?" Elara had asked the Princess "I'm afraid I'm not feeling well"

Princess Aurelia had only nodded her approval before engaging in conversation with some fat lord, her other ladies in tow.

Elara walked as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself, quickly making her way toward the large door Beorn had just disappeared through.

At the end of the hallway, she saw him just before he made the turn. She began to call out but a servant came around the corner. Instead, she sped up to catch up to him. She turned the corner quickly and came face to face with him. He'd stopped, he'd waited for her away from prying eyes. She didn't know when a smile crept onto her face, but he wasn't smiling.

"Lady Elara," he started, "I suggest you return to the hall before you are sought after"

"I wanted to apologize - about last night. That must have been awkward for you" she replied "It was certainly awkward for me"

She didn't know why she felt like she'd betrayed him, or why she felt the need to apologize. He was just some man who had helped her a few times, a man who had only done so because he thought she was something she wasn't. Unlike him, she was under no illusions about who he was and yet, it felt wrong to disappoint him.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Beorn told her "I really must go, there are important matters of state to attend to"

Beorn had turned his back to her before she could respond and was quickly on his way.

"Okay," she muttered under her breath. That was the first time he turned his back on her.

=^..^=

The second time would arrive only a few hours later. In typical fashion, she'd found herself free of responsibilities since the Princess remained resolute in keeping her away so she'd taken to exploring the castle grounds.

Along her journey, Elara had made a surprise discovery, a man stood alone on the archery range relentlessly shooting arrows into a target at the end of the range. The man was none other than Lord Beorn and by the number of arrows on the target as well as his tunic drenched in sweat, Elara surmised that he'd been going for a while.

"Important matters of state" she scoffed.

She watched him retrieve another arrow from a nearly empty quiver, nock his bow and pull which caused his already glittering muscles to bulge. Her heart rate quickened at the sight which left her feeling confused and yet unable to look away.

It felt wrong watching him like this. It screamed taboo to admire the way his drenched tunic did little to hide his form and yet the feeling was new and exciting.

It took everything she had to will herself away, but in an attempt to turn and leave quietly, she'd tripped and fell causing a short sound to escape her lips just as Beorn fired the arrow. It flew wildly off target impacting the wall behind the target.

His eyes turned to meet Elara who had never been more embarrassed. She thought he might have made the journey to help her back to her feet but instead, Beorn simply retrieved another arrow and readied his bow.

Among her options in that moment, she could have left with her tail between her legs but that is not the option she chose. Upon reaching her feet, she made for a nearby rack and retrieved a bow of her own. She borrowed one of Beorn's arrows without so much as a word and situated herself on an empty track of the archery range.

Beorn paused his shooting to watch her, utterly confused. He watched her awkwardly nock the bow before bringing it up to her face to take aim. She pulled as hard as she could which admittedly was nowhere near full draw and fired. The arrow was sent flying but quite unremarkably landed in the sand several feet short of the target.

She let out a frustrated sigh but was undeterred as she made her way back towards Beorn's quiver and retrieved another arrow.

This time, as she prepared her bow and arrow, so did he. He hadn't said any words but he'd paused long enough between each crucial step of the process allowing her to follow along. She'd brought her bow up to her face mimicking his actions. Together, they fired at their individual targets.

His arrow maintained a steady speed and flight path before lodging itself dead center of the target while hers collapsed in the sand.

While the girl sulked at her repeated failure, Beorn noticed that while the arrow hadn't made it all the way, it had remained on a straight path, unlike her first attempt. This range was ambitious for a first-timer but still, she showed promise.

He nodded in her direction, replaced his bow on the rack, and left. It was the second time he'd turned his back on her.

=^..^=

Elara was a mess by the time she got back to her room and Aoife could easily tell. She was worried about what the young girl might have experienced with the King the night before but knew nothing of it because she just wouldn't say. Aoife knew how tactless lords could be and could only assume that Kings would be far worse. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else was bothering her.

This time, instead of asking if the girl was okay and inevitably get the same answer, she decided to focus on cheering her up. She retrieved her makeup kit and a clean cloth and crawled over to Elara's side of the bed. Without a word, she wiped away the dust from her face and set to work.

Little by little, she set off painting the confused girl's face, shushing her whenever she thought to complain or inquire about what was going on. She used a generous amount of powders and oils as the base for her creation before applying various pigments to her eyes, cheeks, and lips. The last step was using charcoal to create a dark, dramatic layer around her eyes.

It wasn't the first time she was doing the girl's makeup but there was something different about today. She had a plan and as it materialized, a smile began creeping onto Aoife's face.

"Why are you doing my makeup?" Elara asked after Aoife stepped back to admire her work.

Barely able to contain her joy, she packed up the entire makeup kit into a bag and rushed to her feet before pulling Elara out the door.

"Where are we going?" A confused and a bit panicked Elara asked.

"You'll see"

Aoife led her down the beautifully designed hall to another door and knocked ecstatically. Sybil answered the door, took one look at Elara, and began laughing. Elara was so hurt, she started to pull her hand away from Aoife's.

"It's okay" Aoife assured her.

Alicent rushed to the door in search of the commotion and when she found it, she covered her mouth in her hand. Elara wished the ground would open.

"It's perfect" Alicent exclaimed.

"It is" Sybil replied with an expression filled with wonder.

"May I present, Lady Celia" Aoife spoke in the exaggerated voice of an announcer. Her face held a proud smile.

"They look so much alike, how did I never see it?" Alicent wondered.

"Can you do me?" Sybil asked to which Aoife answered enthusiastically.

=^..^=

"I am very confused" Elara announced as soon as all four girls were seated on the bed in the room Alicent and Sybil shared.

At that point, Aoife had already unveiled her makeup kit and was already hard at work painting Sybil's face.

"Celia was one of Her Highness' ladies" Alicent explained "I think it was a ball?" Alicent asked and Aoife nodded in response.

"Yes, so she had a nasty fall the evening before the ball, a really terrible bruise, and I promise we tried to tell her just sit it out but she wouldn't listen. She tried to cover it up with makeup and came out looking like that." Alicent pointed to Elara's face. "Caused quite a scene and ruined the entire party for Her Highness"

"Is it that bad?" Elara asked concerned.

"Yes!" Sybil answered quickly with a laugh.

"Stay still!" Aoife hissed.

"Sorry"

"It was pretty bad though" Aoife agreed, "I don't know what she was thinking"

Elara was concerned about sitting there looking so horrid, but it didn't feel like the girls were laughing at her. The more they talked about it, the more it felt like they were sharing a laugh.

"She embarrassed Her Highness on an important night so of course, she let her go"

"I wish I could see what I look like," Elara said to no one in particular.

"I think there's a fountain in the garden. We can go there so you can get a good look" Alicent told her with a smile.

"No!" Elara exclaimed causing Sybil to laugh and Aoife to once again reprimand her. Aoife's work on the girl's face was starting to take shape. She'd applied a generous quantity of charcoal to one side of her face and used different pigments to draw intricate lines. It was haunting and yet gorgeous.

"Um, Elara" Sybil called to her while doing her best to keep her head still.

"Yes?"

"What's going on with you and Lord Beorn?"

The question had caught her off-guard and with Alicent watching her closely, it took great effort to keep an expressionless face.

"Nothing" She answered. It felt truthful enough to say because the man wanted nothing to do with her. "Really, there's nothing"

"Too busy with the King?" Alicent asked.

The question brought flashes of the previous night to her mind which caused her to shrink into herself.

Aoife glared at Alicent and non-verbally scolded her for saying that.

"What?" Alicent asked with a hint of concern on her face.

The King was many things but what he wasn't, was good at hiding what girl had his attention. It turned out most of the castle already knew that Olmund had an eye for her, but what they didn't know was how she felt about it.

"I'm afraid of him," Elara said. It was the first time she'd spoken about it to anyone, even Aoife.

"Did he do something?" Alicent asked, her look of concern remained despite their history.

"Nothing yet but he keeps pushing" she answered. How could she say that all he'd done was invite her for a drink, and he'd even apologized when he became too forward? Many girls might have wanted to be in her place, but she wasn't a girl. Not really.

Might she have welcomed his attention if she had all the right parts to satisfy him?

She was shocked when Alicent reached out and touched her hand. Aoife had put down her brushes and pulled her into a hug. When Sybil had tried to join in, Aoife had hissed at her to stay away and not ruin her masterpiece which caused Elara to giggle.

"Sometimes," Alicent squeezed her hand, "I really can't stand men."

"I thought you liked the King?" Sybil asked her.

"I mean I wouldn't say that, it's just - if I absolutely have to be stuck with a man, I'd rather it be a King, you know?"

Sybil gave her friend an understanding nod just as Aoife was stepping away from Elara.

"I'm fine" Elara answered before Aoife had the chance to ask the question.

Aoife gave a small smile before returning to her brushes.

Eventually, Aoife finished her designs and Alicent and Elara gawked in wonder at how talented she was. After repeated pleas, Alicent had agreed to be the next canvas. The girls talked, laughed, and lost track of time until there was a knock on the door.

Aoife, the only one who still looked like a normal person by that point answered the door.

"Lady Aoife" a servant girl spoke, "I beg your pardon, I am looking for Lady Elara. Is she here?"

"She is"

"The King summons her"

With a bow, the servant girl had made her departure leaving Aoife with an even more worried look as she turned to face the girls. They'd heard and all had similar expressions on their faces.

Elara was petrified. Another meeting with the King's searching hands threatened to unveil her ruse. It was a reveal that certainly meant her death.

Sybil saw Elara's face turn white and compassionately rubbed her shoulders.

"I should take her back to our room and clean her up" Aoife announced.

"I had a nice time, thank you," Elara said as she stood. Why did it feel like goodbye?

=^..^=

Elara made her way through the halls of the castle towards the King's chambers, clad in a fresh pink dress and makeup to hide how much she'd been crying. Aoife might have thought it an overreaction to be that upset over a private audience with a doting King but despite that, she was sympathetic the entire way through.

Now though, she was on her own as she approached Olmund's chambers.

"Lady Elara has arrived, Your Majesty" the guard announced.

"Show her in"

Elara walked into the familiar chamber and bowed, "Your Majesty"

"You must have been shocked at the news this morning" Olmund spoke quickly as soon as she made her entrance.

"Shocked, sire?"

"About Catalina. But I assure you, it is entirely political. You need not worry about being replaced."

She was confused. Did he truly believe that she was so enraptured by his attention after one or two meetings that she would be distraught at the news of another woman?

"I am fine, Your Majesty"

He smiled, "Good, good. Come let me look at you"

Just like the night before, she approached cautiously.

"Go on, sit" Olmund gestured to the same chair from the previous night, "You look so beautiful, so pure"

She obeyed and took the empty chair across from him. Olmund quickly placed a cup in front of her and filled it to the brim with wine.

"Drink, drink" he hurried her along.

With no options, she brought the cup to her lips and drank slowly. Olmund quickly stood and approached her. She began to replace the cup on the table but he stopped her and guided it back to her lips with his hands.

Without just enough force to keep it from being obvious, he helped her drink.

"I want to show you my Kingdom tomorrow," he said as she drank "Will you come with me?"

She tried to pull the cup away but he kept at it until she couldn't drink anymore and coughed, spilling the red liquid on their hands, her dress, and the table.

"Apologies" he offered, "Women are not able to drink as much as men. I should have known that"

"It's fine, Your Majesty," she said as she looked for a clean cloth to clean the spilled wine.

'Allow me" he used a beautiful silk cloth and began wiping the wine from her hands. When he was satisfied, he brought the cloth to her lips and chin while looking deep into her eyes.

"T-Thank you" she muttered.

Slowly, but surely, Olmund brought his lips to hers and Elara had her answers. Even if she had all the right parts, she would still want nothing to do with him. Everything about the act disgusted her but more than anything else, she hated the exaggerated moans he made as he pressed his face into hers.

"Mmmh" he moaned as their lips separated. When she laid eyes on him, he was smiling the most horrible smile.

"Can I return to my chambers?" she tried.

No response except a hungry look in his eyes.

She watched his hand make for her chest and she had tried to stop it but this time, he wouldn't be deterred. He pushed her hand away and made contact with her flat chest.

The confusion on his face was immediately evident. His hand rushed quickly downwards and to her dress skirt in search of answers. It didn't take him long to feel the answer to his question. His eyes widened in horror.

=^..^=
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Hiya, thanks for reading as always. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter :)