Guardians of the Throne; Part I
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well and was twirling us both around in circles as we giggled.
You’re both getting so big; before I know it you’ll be as big as my son William.” He put us both down.
“Twirl us again,” Catherine begged.
He smiled at us. “I actually have to go see the King now, but I promise to take you both out riding later.”
We both squealed. Catherine and I were both fascinated with horses, and Sir Walter often took us out for riding lessons. I liked Sir Walter better than the other adults in my life because he wasn’t constantly reminding me of my manners. You see when you’re a princess, you’re a princess first, and a child second in the eyes of everyone around you. But when I was with Sir Walter, I was always a child first.
“Girls, it’s time for your chores,” Mother said ushering us towards the entrance for the stables. She said goodbye to Sir Walter, and as soon as we were out of ear shot, she stopped to give me a lecture about etiquette. “You’re getting too old to behave like that,” she warned. “For one, you are no longer to run up to people like that, you are the heir to the throne, and you are to approach people the way a princess does; especially people of rank. How many times do I have to tell you to curtsy? And for the last time, it’s rude to ask people if they have presents for you!”
I cowered into a corner. “I’m sorry Mama,” I whimpered. “Am I in trouble?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, not this time, just please don’t make me tell you again. Now come on, let’s go find William.”
When we found William, he was busy cleaning out horse stalls. At first he didn’t notice us, and then finally, Mother cleared her throat. He dropped what he was doing, and bowed. “Your Majesty,” he greeted her.
“Good afternoon, William,” she said tapping him on the shoulder smiling as he came up from his bow. “Perhaps you can teach my daughter some of your manners.”
My face flushed with embarrassment, as William stood there, unsure of what to say.
“I haven’t seen you in quite a while,” my mother said. “Why have you not been to any banquets recently?”
William fidgeted.
“I see,” My mother said intuitively. “I know that court events may not always be the most exciting place for a young boy, but it’s important that you start to go at a young age. You children are the future of court, and it’s important that you learn court etiquette.”
“Yes Majesty,” he said. I felt bad for him; I didn’t enjoy court events either.
“You must start coming more often,” she warned.
“Yes Majesty,” he replied.
She smiled. “William, has the King spoken with you about why the princesses are here today?”
“Yes, he has.”
“Well, well then. You are to make sure that the princesses work hard, and you are not to do their work for them,” she said looking over at us. “While it is not usually proper to give orders to a princess, in this case you have our permission.” She turned and walked out of the stables.
William looked us over for a second awkwardly. “The stalls need to be cleaned” he informed us. “You’ll want to change your clothes for that.”
I shrugged. I had no interest in doing any of the chores but I knew that I would be in trouble if I didn’t do a better job helping this time. If I was going to work, I might as well put work clothes on, no need to ruin my dress.