(Queen's palace)
Maria took a sip of her tea, the aroma of jasmine filled the air around her. The Empress's court ladies were having tea in the Queen's palace. Well, outside of the Queen's palace, they were at the point where the King's palace met the Queen's with an open hallway and garden nooks on each side.
Berry was sitting in Abigail's lap, she was feeding him snacks, so naturally he picked her as a favorite for today.
Diana stared blankly in the distance. She was on her third cup of tea. They were all tired from yesterday and given that they haven't had any rest for the last few days, they could use a vacation.
"Should we go check on Katherine?" Maria asked to kill the silence. The three of them came here quite a long time ago, now it was almost noon and they barely spoke a word to each other.
Diana stretched her neck, "Let's get her to rest as much as possible." She took a sip of tea.
"The lady is not in her room." Abigail said suddenly, both Maria and Diana looked at her. "Princess Neftali asked me to prepare a tea for them to have at the greenhouse. That was a few hours ago."
Diana covered her face with her hands. "Of course she can't just rest."
Maria put her tea cup down. "Well she was bedridden for a week."
"And haven't healed, let's not forget that." Diana took a cookie from the tray, Berry popped his head from Abigail's lap and stared at her. "You ate enough." Diana said without even looking at him. The calico cat then turned back to Abigail and pureed, which was enough for her to give him a cookie.
"Can't she take care of herself for once? Just once!" Diana put her hands together and asked Maria. "Is there a prayer, a curse? Anything to make her stay inside?"
Maria almost laughed. "If there is a prayer it clearly doesn't work."
"Perhaps we pray for rain, a tornado, then she will need to stay inside."
"I don't mess with those things."
"Even for a good cause?"
"A good cause always creates a mess."
"Let's just all die then."
This time Maria actually laughed.
"Nothing is funny." Diana protested.
"Everything is fine Diana, we just have to let her be." Maria took the tea cup, "That has proved to be the most effective method."
"I agree with Maria." Abigail added. "Also, Sir Leo returned, I hope our lady will be more cheerful now."
"Abigail!" Diana shushed her without a moment to waist. She almost slammed her hand on the table but was stopped by Maria, both of them turned to look around. It looked like they were alone, but you are never alone in a palace.
"What did I say?" Berry pooped his head up, even he looked at her.
Diana took a deep breath. "Abigail, please don't mention him and our lady together, in any way possible. In fact, don't mention him at all." Diana drank the rest of her tea. "That is for the best."
Maria nodded her head but Abigail still looked at them confused. "Did they-" she stopped to think of a better way to ask her question, "Argument?"
Maria shook her head then looked around again. "Abigail," she said gently, "didn't you hear anything last night? At the ball, about our lady?"
"No? I was with princess Neftali most of the night."
Maria said in the quietest voice with a hand over her mouth. "There is a rumor going around that our lady is pregnant."
"Pre-"
"Ap." Diana stopped her before she could say anything.
Abigail took a breath and placed her hands over her mouth. "Could she be pregnant?"
"No." Diana answered right away. "She and Evan don't meet."
It was like the puzzle finally got completely in Abigail's head. "Oh." She shook her head. "I won't speak about that person ever again."
Diana placed her hands on her heart. Both her and Maria were asked that question many times last night, too many times. People notice things and then they start to talk, when they realize that they have noticed the same thing, theories start to form. Situations that had no relevance whatsoever, now have every hidden meaning known to mankind.
"We should speak to her about this." Maria said to them. Preventing rumors from spreading should be their top priority. Before it gets to ears that should not hear about such matters.
"Both of them." Diana added. "Oh the mighty god, why do you always bring trouble to me!" She pointed at the cross Maria was wearing around her neck. It was a silver cross tied on a brown string rather than hanging from a chain. "Maybe if I start wearing that he will leave me alone."
"It," Maria corrected her. "Will never leave you alone."
"Ah!" Abigail yelled out. Both of them turned their attention to her. Abigail looked around and covered her mouth before speaking. "The Emperor got a gift for Katherine."
Diana almost laughed out loud. "A gift? He never gave her a gift. Where have you heard that?"
"I heard Sir Sullivan talking about it to the High priest at the ball. I think it is a necklace."
"He wants to give her a necklace? Now?"
Diana leaned in her chair. "I need another vacation." She looked at them.
"There are a lot of people in the palace. The seating arrangement last night already got him a bad reputation. Too many of them saw it for the first time. A gift would be a way to show affection, show everyone that she is his wife."
Maria looked at her half empty tea cup, "So that is what the banquet is for."
"Showing off?" Abigail who always had a sweet look on her face almost looked discussed.
"Maybe he wants another child." Diana laughed from how upset she was. "What is another child? Rumors are already there, he visited her at night, perhaps he wants another son? To assert his dominance."
"Let's calm down." Maria took a deep breath, "Let's just get rid of any rumors that may spread."
Diana snapped her fingers. "Let's just say she is infertile."
Abigail shook her head. "Her monthly came in this morning." Another confused look from all of them. "Princess Neftali told me to prepare a calming tea for pain, she told me that this morning."
"No, no, this is great!" Diana clapped her hands. "News spreads like wildfire, if Neftali told you, all the maids know about it. Rumors will die on their own!"
"If they don't lead to miscarriage." Abigail added quietly. Silence filled the air. They already knew what she was about to say.
"I didn't understand what they were talking about, but I heard a few maids in the kitchen mention a miscarriage."
They sat in silence for a while, "Abigail," Diana finally said, "Next time we meet, bring me something stronger, I don't want to drink tea anymore."
*
"Where were you?" Gabrielle asked angrily when Maria entered her new room located in the Green palace. It was much smaller than the one in the Queen's place, unlike there this was a single room with a bed and a dining table and two armchairs next to the window. The room was really far away from the Queen's palace, but also very far away from the King's palace.
"I had to deal with those servants by myself! Do you know how incompetent the staff is here? I will fire them all."
"I'm sorry my lady. I will unpack your luggage right away."
"Forget it, I already did that." Gabrielle sat in one of the armchairs next to the window. Maria looked around the room, she did actually unpack everything. All the toiletries were on the powder table, neatly aligned, her paper and quill were on the dining table, they were still the same ones that Indrig got for her when Gabrielle stayed in The duck's for the first time. Two of her travel trunks were opened, one was full with shoes and the other was full with clothes, both were neatly folded and organized.
"Where were you?" Gabrielle asked again.
Maria debated whether to say the truth or not. If she tells her mistress what she was doing in the town and what she had talked about with Gurtha, she won't ever hear the end of it. Maria chose the safest option, to lie. "I had prepared something."
"Oh really? What would that be?"
"A way to find what we need."
Gabrielle sat straight in her chair, a curious look on her face inviting Maria to come and sit next to her. "Do tell."
Maria had actually thought of a way to get what they needed on her way back to the palace. Gurtha's words gave her that idea, she finally understood what the two of them were supposed to do in the palace, who they were supposed to befriend.
"It will be the best to show you tonight my lady," Maria didn't sit down next to her, she remained standing in the middle of the room. "You should just focus on getting ready for the banquet."
Gabrielle rolled her eyes, "What is the use of telling me that you have a plan if you won't tell me the plan?"
"This way it will work the best, I will tell you what you need to know. Believe me, my lady, you will get the results you want, I swear on my life."
Gabrielle stayed silent for a while, she was thinking, Maria could tell exactly what she was thinking about, debating if she should believe her words. They were tight on time, three days left in the palace needed to be used in the best way possible, the outcome had to be positive. This time there is no coming back, the Marquise will make sure that both of them go back home and once they step foot in the Favre residence, they will not leave until he allows them to. He will probably lock Gabrielle in her room and throw the key until she stops thinking about seducing the Emperor. As for Maria, he will probably send her home for a while. This is a positive outcome for Maria, but it will only be temporary. When Gabrielle manages to convince her father to let her out again, Maria will return to the Favre residence and stay there until Gabrielle's parents decide to marry their daughter to some noble man. Who knows how many years that will take?
"Alright." Gabrielle said at last. "But don't waste my time Maria." She got up and walked to the trunk with her dresses. "Should I get a new one for tonight's banquet? Something flashy, something that woman would wear. You know Maria, I never thought she dressed so flashy, so much for a humble empress, I guess even peasants desire to hide their past with pretty dresses. But no matter how hard she tries, I can still see her dirty blood. Who would tell that the court allowed her half-blood son to be next in line to the throne?"
Maria smiled and placed a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, "No need my lady, you will outshine that woman tonight, I will make sure that happens."