Kyla Adrianna King's Story

Elaine sat quietly at her desk, she had just been settled into her new room in the castle. It was now dark and it was getting late when a knock came from the other side of her door.
"Come in" She called, a smile appearing on her face when Kyla appeared in the door closing it after she had stepped in, Elaine got up walking over to Kyla hugging her.
"What brings you to my chamber at such a late hour, Lady Kyla?" She teased, seeing the expression on Kyla's face she put a hand on her friends shoulder. "Kyla, is everything alright?" She asked walking her over to the bed and sitting down beside her. "You look rather unhappy."

Kyla straightened out her dress, smiling wearily to Elaine. They'd been friends since as long as she could remember, Elaine brought her to her senses, to a state where she didn't repulse men. Toned down her tomboyish childhood ways. She pushed a few stray strands of her pale brown hair behind her ears, "Sorry mi'lady." She bowed respectively. She sat down on the bed with a smile, "It's just, everyone settling in, the change, no one has felt very festive." She explained, having not heard a single word from her fellow ladies. They were supposed to help Elaine marry the prince and bear a child, but everyone was sulking currently, "I haven't slept well. It feels so different from our visits here as children." She voiced her concerns, "I haven't gotten a second glance from anyone since we've arrived, "It's almost like French court finds us as a disease.. I'm starting to question if we'll be of any use to you." She played with the fabric of her dress, laughing at her own insecurities. Partially because it had been several days since someone flirted with her. Was she unattractive to the men of French court? She'd been quite popular in Ireland.. Also, the prince as far as she knew was avoiding them as well, "Do we smell or something?" She asked her friend, an amused smile on her face, laughing quite more genuinely. She was loosening up in the presence of her friend.

Her chocolate eyes shifted to gaze upon Elaine, "Did I wake you..?" She asked curiously, biting her bottom lip before continuing, "You need your sleep. How else will we convince this Frenchman to bed you? Not with bags under your eyes, that much is certain.." She teased with a bright smile, "Lord knows these men are playing hard to get." She rolled her eyes in discontent, "French court is quite backwards."

Kyla herself, still was in possession of her virtue, but she was accustomed to at least three men fawning over her at a time. She never got serious with any of the men in attempt to court her, but she possibly was the most experienced in the matter of ensnaring men. Well, with the old fashioned seduction tactic, "Do you think you'll grow to love him, Mi'lady?" She asked with a tilt of her head, long straight strands moving with her head as she asked her genuine question, "I know that's not common for high borns.. but.." She trailed off, waiting for her friend's answer.

Elaine smiled kindly. "You are a beautiful, well rounded Women, any man would be lucky to have you Kyla, just give them some time to warm up, and I'm sure there will be men all over you. Just like it was back in Ireland." Elaine laughed a little happy to see her friends face light up, she was glad she could make Kyla smile, but at the same time her mind was also wondering about Sebastian, she saw the Prince once since she had returned to court, a few hours before when he greeted her and her ladies when they arrived, he didn't seem very interested in her or anyone for that matter.

Elaine sighed, Kyla's question still lingered in the air: 'Do you think you will grow to love him?' the fact of the matter was, Elaine cared for him as a child, and over the years thinking about their future together made her care for him even more, she had already grown to love him, the true question was, would he grow to love her? She nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. "I already have grown to love him Kyla." She finally replied, answering the unanswered question. "The question is, will Sebastian grow to love me? What if our marriage turns out like his parents? If it does, he will find a mistress and after I bare a few sons he will toss me aside, he may never love me. You saw how he looked at me today, he looked at me like we weren't even engaged, like he didn't even know me." Elaine stopped knowing she was rambling. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling about things I wont be able to change, things that simply dont matter."

Luke couldn't help but overhear the conversation. Not through the door, that was too inconspicuous. He was in a secret room located below his brother's fiancée's room. He couldn't help it. She was going to end up his half brother's wife. He wanted to know if he needed to look out for her as well, or if she was safe.

She knew the queen didn't like her. She didn't like him either. He couldn't prove it, but she had tried to kill him in the past. His half brother didn't love her, he knew that. She wasn't wrong. He knew that from experience. He and Sebastian didn't get along much either. But who knows, maybe that would change.

The difference between him and Sebastian was truly love. The King was no longer in love with the queen by the time Sebastian was born. He was definantly, and still, in love with his mother, Lady Caitlin. That was their difference. He was a child born of love, while Sebastian was born of diplomacy. Therefore, Luke was more loving, and more lovable, while Sebastian was more diplomatic. Which is what mused Luke a little. This fiancée of hers was one of love.

As he made his way into the hall, making sure no one was around when he exited through the secret passage. After sealing it up, he walked around for a bit, half expecting to run into Sebastian.

Sebastian seemed to being growing more frustrated with the situation. "Love isn't an option for Royals." He reminded his brother, and he was going to try and keep his feelings for Elaine where they were now, not very strong, barely even there. "We will be wed whether I love her or not, besides I do not have time to court a Lady that is already mine."

The conversation was cut short by a screaming from down the hall, Sebastian ran down and could hear Luke trailing behind him, he opened Elaine's door, to find her in a corner of her room holding onto Kyla, a terrified expression on both their faces, he looked around the room but couldn't find anyone there, so he returned to where Elaine and Kyla were.
"What happened?" He asked Elaine, who was still shaking.
"We were just talking." Elaine started. "When a man came out from over there." She pointed to the door way that led to where she was bathed and dressed, her room was really split into two sections, in the first was her bed and her desk, and in the second was where she was bathed and dressed in the mornings. "I dont know how he got in, but he was holding some sort of Blade, he became more hesitant seeing that I wasn't alone, and spooked when I started to scream and disappeared, the direction he came from, but my guards didn't come, you did."
"Where are your guards?" Sebastian asked her. "They were supposed to be outside your door."
"They were there, when Kyla came in" Elaine replied running a hand through her hair nervously. "I came back, and I was told I would be safe Sebastian."
"You are." He replied. "Your guards will be dealt with, where are the rest of your ladies?"
"In their chambers."
"Alright, its going to be okay." Sebastian said in a more soothing tone than he would commonly use.

Luke was quick to react, following Sebastian into the room. He was quick to analyze the situation, keeping all the facts together. "So, he was already in here then? Did you go into that room before he emerged? As for the guards, there are very few people who could get them to move, unless they were paid enough and not as loyal. Without payment, the captain of the guard, a knight, the king and queen, Sebastian, and maybe myself can get them to move. It would depend on the guard. Anyways, the man could only get in three....two, ways. The door and the window. One floor down, there is a balcony with curtains strong enough to climb up. It takes a bit of scaling, but it's definently climbable. Then through the door. Now, either he hid himself before the guards arrived, or the guards let him in"

He couldn't help but notice what type of weapon was used though. A blade. "Are you sure he ran away from that? A man sent to kill normally is not concerned with a second victim. Not unless he thought the guards were still outside, and would catch him. So, either he is a novice assassin, or he was sent simply to scare you. Fear moves people faster then bodies. It would explain why he ran. He was sent to threaten you, but simple threats do not work if multiple people are in the room".

Luke looked towards his brother. "Perhaps you may want to get her new guards. Guards you can trust. Maybe use some of the ones I can trust. They don't get bought so easily".

Elaine looked at the young boy; he was very smart, very observant for a 11 year old, an 11 year old be she recognized as Luke, Sebastian’s half brother.. "No one was in my room when I came in." She replied putting a hand on her head, it was pounding with a headache caused probably by the mixture of stress, crying, and being scared to death by a man she didn't know, in her room, late at night. "No one, other than myself and my maids, had been in my room before I came in tonight, and Kyla came about an hour or so ago, she obviously wasn’t expected to be here." Elaine thought about her guards, if her guards were gone her ladies guards would have been gone as well, they would have come running after hearing her scream and they didn’t. “I don’t think my guards were bribed to leave. Whoever wanted to scare me, had to of been from a high place, otherwise he would have had to bribe all of my ladies guards as well. They should have come running when I screamed, but they didn’t, which means they must have left as well.”

Sebastian looked at his brother. “I know her guards personally, they were mine, they wouldn’t have left that door unless ordered, and if someone did try to bribe them to leave, one of them would have come to me, or to the King.” Sebastian glanced around the room. “We will get new guards for you and your ladies, until your current ones have been questioned and this has been sorted out.” He turned to leave the room waving his hand signaling for Luke to follow.

“Wait.” Elaine said grabbing his hand. “Stay, please.”
Sebastian turned to face her put a hand on her face and wiped the tears away with his thumb, he sighed. “I have to go, alert my parents, and have more guards sent. I promise to come back though alright?” Sebastian hated how scared she now was, if the task was to scare her, it obviously had worked. “Luke will stay though, he has a way of getting peoples minds off things.” He ran his hand down her hair. “It’s going to be alright.” He said before leaving the room.

Elaine looked at Kyla and then at Luke, she sat on her bed letting Kyla sit beside her, she looked at Luke. “I don’t see why he is so concerned, he doesn’t care about me. At least that’s the message I’ve gotten from him so far.”

"If that is true, then the guards should be spoken to. Asked on who they got the order from..." Luke hated what he was about to say next, because while possible, allowed plausible deniability. "And if it was direct or by messenger. If they were given the order directly, we know exactly who it was. But if a messenger was used, this messenger could have lied to them, making the suspect pool bigger".

The fact it was Sebastian's guards didn't comfort him, actually. Many of them would recognize the queen's authority over him, and his prime suspect was the queen. Though, in all truth, he was a bit shocked it was so direct, and not staged as an accident or what not. Of course, if it was only to scare her, then the directness made total sense, further strengthening he was sent to scare and not kill. He was about to follow Sebastian when he was told to stay with them. He nodded, and say next to Elaine on the other side. He had to choose his words carefully, but he also did not want to deceive her, which was strange considering he deceives others perfectly fine.

In truth, Luke could see Sebastian was not acting himself. It was only a faint sense, but it was there. But then again, this was the person Sebastian was supposed to marry. It could be an act. Hmmm, that gives me an idea. He then refocused on Elaine, however. "'Those who truly live in this world will always make allies and enemies'. You will be fine Elaine. You cannot walk in this world without making enemies, because we are all different and there will be people who agree and disagree".

When Elaine spoke of his brother, Luke found it difficult to explain, but he did his best. "He cares about you. The problem is how he cares. Sebastian was born from a relationship of business and diplomacy. He sees that bond in his parents, who I read are supposed to be our role models. It's not that his parents didn't love him, it's that they did not love each other. However, my mother and father do love each other. They did when I was conceived, and they still do. It's why we are so different to others. In truth, our one difference is the relationship of our father to our mother. Sebastian does care about you, he just doesn't care in the right way. Do you understand that?"

He looked around the room, then out the window. "It's the reason behind the rumor that I am his favorite son. The King knows a relationship of business, and a relationship of love. And if he had to choose, I believe he would choose love. It's why the queen hates me so much..."

Luke clambered when he mentioned the queen. Before either of them had a chance to ask him about her, he quickly turned to Elaine and spoke. "Sebastian doesn't know what that bond of love feels like. But that does not mean he cannot be taught it". He knew if they started asking about the queen, he would be obliged to say his suspicions. But if he did that now, he was afraid she would be scared away. He needed to get them to love each other. Luke felt somewhat rotten for the reasons he was thinking though. A few were selfish. He figured if they got married, his father might let them rule, denying the queen power. Additionally, if Sebastian could learn to love Elaine not out of business but heart, maybe he might warm up to Luke more as well. He did want to see their happily ever after, but he had his own reasons as well. The most rotten possibly being that while Elaine is around, the Queen's gaze would be off him.

"After all, everyone is capable of love" he pointed out, hoping that this conversation convinced her to stay. For his sake, for Elaine's, and for Sebastian's.

Elaine thought about Luke's words for a moment, she was frightened, but had faith that Sebastian would keep her safe, well as safe as possible anyways. She found it hard to believe he cared about her in anyway though, it was true that his parents marriage was simply diplomatic, she really didn't want hers that way though. "I understand, he doesn't care in the right way." Elaine replied. "I'm just wondering if he will ever be able to care the right way. I can try to catch his eye, but there is no point in trying if it wont do anything. Besides the Queen hasn't exactly warmed up to me either." She mumbled the last sentence, she knew the Queen was never fond of her, but it wasn't to the point that the Queen hated her. She may have disliked her, but she didn't hate her, not as a child, now that she was older, she could make decisions, and even though she was a guest at the French court, her opinion did have influence, not much but enough. "And tomorrow, we have the feast, Sebastian and I can dance and talk. Get to know each other again, as you said Luke, anyone is capable of love."

She smiled at Luke, her nerves had calmed a little, but there was nothing guaranteeing that someone wouldn’t come into her room while she was sleeping, IF she got to sleep at all, Sebastian promised he would stay when he came back, that helped a little, knowing that if anyone came in he would be there as well, but no one could promise that it wouldn’t happen again, they could change her guards as many times as they would like, and it could still happen, especially since her suspicions were pointed towards the Queen, and if it was the Queen, Elaine knew she wasn’t safe, she wasn’t safe at all. That thought caused her to shift uncomfortably and look down at her hands. “One person has never really liked me here…” She trailed off looking up. “The Queen, even as a child, she was never overly fond of me, but I cant prove she did this, I cant prove anything.”

"Thank you my lady, as do you like always. I heard about what happened last night, are you okay? You must forgive me for not coming to you, I truly am sorry," Annabelle said as she looked down unable to meet her lady's eyes. She had not actually heard the screaming as she had not even been near the castle at the time. After being gone for so long from her family, she had to check up on them though the results broke her heart slightly and upon coming back to the castle through a side entrance she knew about, she had silently cried until early morning when she fell asleep, exhausted and not wanting her lady to see in her in the state.

Smoothing out her calm day dress, Annabelle looks up concealing her recent discoveries with a broad smile. "Though I heard ones fiancée stayed to chase away the nightmares. Would that be true?" Annabelle asks with a small slightly teasing smile. That too was a rather painful knife to the chest as she said the words in her usual friendly manner, but it couldn't be helped. She had no chance with such a prince being her status, that and he is already engaged, and to a friend at that.

Annabelle was only slightly excited about tonight. It would mean seeing her ex mistress, seeing her childhood dream, and behaving as if none of what happened happened in the town or stables. It wouldn't be extremely difficult knowing that she could talk with Elaine tonight so as not to dampen the lady's day. That would definitely take a load off...

Izzy runs down the hall, her annoying and pinching court shoes doing their job in being torture devices for only Izzy. She was so late to the party which was terrible considering it was her brother's engagement. Her soon to be sister-in-law's engagement. She should have come in from riding early so she didn't have to rush to get ready and get scolded the entire time, having the corset pulled too tight and her hair pins pushed in to be digging at her scalp. Slowing to a rapid walk, Izzy walks to the door to open it to the grand ballroom.

Those tight, annoying, pinching shoes were not all bad as they were her favorite color, blue. The light blue dress she wore was rather tight though it couldn't be helped because of the deal with her maid. Whenever she was late, her maid got to choose what Izzy wore and Izzy couldn't complain no matter what she chose. The blue dress had loose flowing sleeves that draped down to the length of her knees on one side. The bodice was not one Izzy was proud of as it showed too much for her liking though it hardly showed anything as the maid knew very well Izzy would just die of embarrassment. Pearls and gold trim decorated the gown that went down far enough to worry Izzy of stepping on it. The pearls and flowers pinned into her hair maid Izzy groan inwardly as every time she turned her head, she felt that she was being weighed down.

The scene was always one to be welcomed, parties weren't so bad except for the need to dance with any aristocrat that asked not allowing her to dance with the fellow she would really like to dance with. She caught sight of Sebastian and their mother as well as their father, then Elaine and her ladies in waiting including the french one, Annabelle. With a tired sigh, Izzy moves forward, skilfully dodging the men approaching for a dance by weaving through others.

Making her decision at the last possible second, Isabelle turns to go to her brother in hopes of asking him what she had missed. He knew her well enough to know why she was late and wouldn't bother with questions. Sometimes he even laughed upon seeing his little sister arrive as he though it was funny when she came in with hay on her head or dots of mud on her skirts, but only rarely as he also didn't think she should present herself like that. Izzy did consider them friends, one of her only friends as none of the servants seemed to think that she should have any considering her seemingly wild personality.