Discovered

“What in blazes is this?!” a British male voice demands loudly, dragging me out of an unusually restful slumber. Do I want to know who that is? Doesn’t matter. I’m awake now, and I’ll have to fact him eventually.

Wesley stands in the doorway to my chamber, irate and glaring at me.

“Whatever do you mean?” I inquire sleepily as I try to stretch, only to be prevented by a warm, restraining weight around my middle. Something behind me stirs--Dmitri. That’s what.

“What the…OH. Father, I swear, this isn’t…what it looks like,” Dmitri adds, startled awake. Don’t bother, Dmitri. It’s too late.

“Not what it looks like?!” Wesley storms over to the bed and yanks Dmitri out of it by one arm, causing his son to yelp. I wish I could melt away into the mattress. “Fie, boy, you’d best have a better explanation than that for turning up in your fiancée’s bed the morning after the ball celebrating your engagement. Couldn’t wait until the actual wedding, could you, eh lad?”

“I promise you, my virtue is intact!” I protest, colouring hotly at this insult.

“I’ll vouch for that,” Juniper affirms, stepping out of a corner as a most unexpected champion. “I came up after settling the guests in bed and they were both in bed, fully clothed and sound asleep, sweet looking as can be. It wasn’t in me to rouse them, so the other maids and I have simply been keeping watch all night by turns.” A bit creepy, that, but I won’t remark on it, seeing as she’s potentially risking her employment to save our necks. Crazy woman. Perhaps I’ve been a bit harsh towards her.

“And what d’you s’pose they did before you got here?” Wesley challenges Juniper with palpable rage.

“Well, given that they were both, as now, fully clothed, the bed was relatively un-mussed, and that the room had no scent or other sign of anything inappropriate...I’d say they went straight to bed. I heard all about last night’s festivities, and how Aerys learned quite a lot of sensitive secrets. I’m sure it was quite a strain for her delicate, ladylike sensibilities, to the point that she actually fainted from the stress. Perhaps this is the first time she has wakened since.” I never thought I would be grateful for Juniper’s ludicrous ideas about my “ladylike sensibilities.” I certainly never thought that they would come in handy to defend me from accusations such as these. Wesley regards Juniper with one arched eyebrow, clearly contemplating her unusual burst of logic, before turning back to Dmitri and me.

“Regardless of what may or may not have actually transpired, both of you have compromised your sacred honor through this unchaste behavior. Your wedding will have to take place as soon as possible to minimize the damage to our reputations,” Wesley decrees. I can feel the blood drain from my face and I am grateful that I am still in bed, else I would have crumpled to the floor from shock and horror. I had hoped to have most of the next year to prepare myself for the foreign and frightening idea of marriage.

“How absurd. Father, the only ones who even know of this are Juniper, the other maids of Aerys’ chamber, Aerys, yourself, and myself. We can easily keep this under wraps. I trust Juniper has warned her subordinates to hold their tongues. And to hold a wedding so soon after the ball celebrating our engagement would surely cause more damaging gossip than rumors from this single, isolated incident,” Dmitri argues.

“The servants have already been abuzz about much less. How in blazes do you intend to keep something like this under wraps?!”

“Father, please be reasonable,” Dmitri pleads through gritted teeth.

“Your Lordship, you only had to say the word and I would have had the servants silenced,” Juniper adds. “They mean nothing by their gossip, only to add some entertainment to their mundane daily routines.”

“Juniper, you’ve no place in this argument,” Wesley hisses, “and given your fondness for enforcing etiquette, you’re the last person I expected to take their part.”

“Your Lordship, please understand, I know the children have acted…less than honorably, but no real harm’s been done, and if I may be frank, I have no desire to plan a wedding any sooner than necessary, nor in a rushed fashion...particularly under the direction of Lady Berkeley.” This latter idea is what causes Wesley to freeze, his rage turning to terror as he contemplates the idea of his wife directing rushed wedding plans.

“Surely you also have no desire to subject anyone to such a vile fate?” Dmitri ventures, noting his father’s changed state of mind. This turn of events is encouraging enough that I decide to sit up, rather than continuing in my ineffectual hopes that hiding in the bedcovers would somehow cause Wesley to disappear.

“The idea heretofore had not crossed my mind,” Wesley admits, a bit of his anger returning as his gaze falls on his son. “Thank you, Juniper, for your wise insight. The wedding plans shall not be rushed, but they shall commence immediately. That is my final judgment, and it is without chance for redress or review. Dmitri, come with me. You shall be responsible for informing your mother of this change in plans. And Juniper, see to it that Aerys spends the morning contemplating the platitudes concerning ideal feminine conduct and virtue.” Wesley’s tone and stony face permit no protestation and Dmitri follows him out of the room, trying admirably not to show his fear. I would not want to take on the responsibility of telling Zinaida anything, let alone something such as this. Juniper shuts the door behind the two men and then turns to me with an expectant expression.

“Well? Whatever made you think that letting him sleep here was a good idea?” she demands imperiously.

“He was so kind to me when I woke up from fainting, and I’d had the strangest dream.... I simply wasn’t myself, and he asked repeatedly for that or even more inappropriate privileges. I guess I never thought what might come of my decision in the morning. I never thought that Lord Berkeley would have any business in my chambers, to be sure,” I explain softly, head in my hands as I contemplate all that has transpired in the past twenty-four hours.

“You swear your virtue is intact?”

“On my life and any honor I may yet possess, unless he acted most dishonorably whilst I slept. I will submit to an examination to be sure.”

“No need for that; I’ll swear I examined you and that you spoke true. For now, wash up and I’ll have Malina fetch your breakfast. She’s the one who helped you dance in those shoes yesterday. And let’s take as long as possible getting you ready for the day. Perhaps we’ll not have to spend terribly much time on those platitudes.”

“I thought you’d be quite pleased with that order of His Lordship. Do the platitudes not please you?”

“They speak contrary to my religious beliefs, and I feel that you would loathe them as much as you seem to loathe all other trappings, signs, and admonitions belonging to your position and gender. I am tired, from standing watch most of the night and all of the preparations yesterday, and have no desire to endure any further conflict.”

“Then you should by all means have the day for rest. Simply send someone more rested in your place, that I might not incur more wrath of His Lordship, and the day is yours to do with as you see fit. I’ll inform His Lordship that you are indisposed.”

“Truly, milady? You do not jest?”

“It would be marvellous cruel of me to jest with she who saved me from a far worse fate than the reading of a few silly platitudes. Yes, truly. I know how hard you work, as all servants do, and how under-appreciated you must feel. And I apologize that my distaste for the trappings of nobility does not suit you, though I cannot apologize for my own nature, which I fear is unchangeable.”

“Never mind that. You do well enough when the situation calls for it. I’ll be off to enjoy my leisure now. Malina has had the most rest of all of us. She’ll be up with your breakfast to help you with your penance shortly.”

***~O~***