Kneel For Me

by Laura Greenwood

  “Would you like this dance, Your Majesty?” His following bow frustrated me and it was all I could do to keep the scowl off my face. In a room full of people, it wouldn’t do for me to go showing my true feelings. Not by a long shot.

  “I’d be honoured.”

  He stepped back and I caught a quick and genuine smirk caress his lips. He held out his arms for me and I stepped into them, my right hand closing around his and my left on his shoulder. The classic ballroom hold was almost as familiar to me as walking. I’d learned how to dance at my mother’s knee and had never forgotten.

  The new song started and Albert swept us into the steps effortlessly. It seemed like I wasn’t the only one who’d learned to dance at a young age. His own grace and surety could only have been born from years of practice and a desire to be more than perfect.

  “Are you enjoying the ball, Your Majesty?” he asked.

  I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t think he’d actually go as far as talking to me while dancing. How uncouth.

  “It’s a lovely evening,” I replied, being careful with my words. I’d rather be anywhere else. Or more likely just getting on with the work I needed to do.

  “The musicians are divine, Your Majesty.”

  “You can just call me Amara.” I was already getting fed up of the formalities. Considering we were only a few steps apart in the Royal Hierarchy, I didn’t think he should be calling me by my full title. It felt unnecessarily formal.

  “I’d rather not,” he replied. At least he didn’t ‘Your Majesty’ me.

  “Whyever not?”

  “It’s not proper.” The horror in his eyes told me all I needed to know. It was going to take more than a dance to have Albert relax.

  I shouldn’t push him past his limits, that was wrong of me. But somewhere deep inside, I saw it as a kind of challenge. I would get him to call me Amara and he would enjoy it.

  A small smile crept over my face as a plan started to make itself known.

  “Would you like to join me in the gardens for High Tea tomorrow?” I asked him sweetly.

  “I would love to, Your Majesty.” He tipped his head in acknowledgement.

  It was hard to work out whether he actually meant it or not, but I guessed that was something else I was going to have to make sure of too. Maybe I should make him fall head over heels in love with me. Though that could come with its own problems.

  Then again…if he loved me and I accidentally fell in love with him, then I wouldn’t need to worry about finding a husband. I’d have one I actually wanted.

  Now, how did I go about making that happen? That really was a question.

  We danced in silence, enjoying the melody filling the room and the graceful movements of two people who’d been dancing their whole lives. This really was a step above the rest. It was rare I got the pleasure of performing a dance with someone who’d been doing it as long as I had.

  “Thank you for the dance, Your Majesty,” Albert said as the final chord played. He stepped back, breaking the intimate hold between us and bowed deeply.

  “You’re welcome,” I replied. “I hope we get to do it again sometime.” And I really did. But if my plan actually worked, then there was a good chance I’d be doing a lot of dancing with him.

  “I do too.” He bowed again, which was a little over the top if anyone asked me. But if it made him happy I was going with it.

  Albert turned away and I watched as he strode across the room towards the refreshments. He did cut a rather dashing figure, especially with his formal uniform. The bold colours and cuts really suited him.

  “Well look who it is.” An amused and somewhat shrill voice cut through my appreciations.

  “Well look who it is, Your Majesty,” I corrected as I turned around. While most people could get away with dropping it, the voice belonged to my cousin Margaret, who was the exception and not the rule.

  “There’s no need to call me that.” She smirked at me, distorting her classically perfect features. She was light to my dark, all blonde locks and light blue eyes, whereas I just had dark brown curls and chocolate coloured eyes. “Yet,” she muttered.

  I lifted my chin and pretended not to have heard her. It was the best way with Margaret. She thrived on conflict, which was more than a little concerning.

  “I hadn’t realised you were back at Court, cousin.” I smiled but was sure she could tell it was forced.

  “I arrived back in time for my engagement.” She waved a hand over to the man standing ever so slightly behind her.

  I gave him a cursory glance, trying not to fixate on how handsome he was. Everything about his bearing screamed aristocracy, though he wasn’t butting into the conversation, which implied he wasn’t as up himself as a lot of the Lords around here. Most still lived in the age where the oldest male child inherited and women were still inferior. I had plans to change that in a year or so. It was one of my major disappointments in life that my mother hadn’t already thought to do so. I supposed it hadn’t really mattered to her. She’d only had one child.

  “I wasn’t aware you were courting anyone.” And that was something that would have come down the grapevine. Or been in the newspapers. They loved everything to do with our family.

  A brief grimace flashed over Margaret’s face.

  Ah. Seemed I wasn’t the only one looking at a speedy marriage. I didn’t know what she’d done to warrant such drastic action but I’d be able to find out.

  “I see. Have you set a date yet?”

  “No,” the man answered. “We haven’t set one yet, Your Majesty.” He bowed his head but no more. A fairly high up member of aristocracy then. That, or he was trying not to annoy my cousin who hadn’t bowed to me at all, despite the fact she should have.

  “I see. You should set one before my cousin gets away,” I warned him.

  This time it was the man who grimaced. Interesting. I wondered how they’d managed to trick him into this situation.

  “Alas, I believe our mothers are the ones in charge of this union, Your Majesty. I’m just a lowly pawn doing what they wish.”

  A light laugh escaped from me. “Aren’t we all, Lord…” I prompted, hoping he’d supply me with a name.

  “Earl Andrew Wellesley,” he informed me.

  “Lord Andrew.” I nodded my head in acknowledgement, my brain already going a mile a minute to try and work out where he’d come from. Last I knew the Wellesleys didn’t have any offspring at all. The Earldom must have changed hands to some off shoot in the past six months or so. I’d honestly been so busy with my mother’s illness and abdication that I’d been lax in keeping up with changes within the peerage.

  “Your Majesty,” he replied.

  He was good. Polite and charming but I didn’t trust anyone associated with Margaret, and he’d be no different, even if I did find myself a little drawn to him. She was a conniving little viper at the best of times and I didn’t want her sinking her claws into anything that was mine. Including the crown.

  In fact, the timing of this was rather suspect. If she was married and I wasn’t, then she could invoke the law and I’d be dethroned to make way for her.

  Now the real question was if Earl Wellesley was part of her plot or not. He looked fairly genuine, if a little out of his depth, but I’d reserve judgement.

  Tomorrow, I’d send them a private dinner invitation. Maybe I’d invite Prince Albert too.

  “I must go do the rounds. Lovely to see you as always Lady Margaret. Pleasure to meet you, Lord Andrew.” I bobbed my head slightly to the Earl, but not to my cousin. I didn’t have to give anyone the sign of respect if I didn’t want to, one of the perks of being Queen, or nearly Queen as the case might be, but I knew Margaret would understand. She wasn’t the kind to misinterpret the gesture.

  Chapter Four

  Morning came before I was ready. The late night for the ball and the mental exertion of talking to so many people was more than enough to cause me to want a lie in. Even so, I needed to get up. I h
ad work to do and a High Tea to organise, plus an invitation to send so I could try and thwart my vindictive cousin.

  I rolled out of bed and got ready for my day, thankful I’d long since insisted on the servants leaving my breakfast tray outside my rooms for me. I found it far too intrusive otherwise.

  I scanned the day’s headlines as I ate my dry toast. Nothing interesting, as per the norm really. But no news was good news. Or that was what my mother used to say. I had to agree. I was dreading the day when I got the call that some national threat had occurred and I was needed to make a speech. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold it together at all.

  A knock sounded at the door and I rose to my feet. That was another rule about my own chambers. No one was to enter unless I opened the door myself and invited them in. Other than the maids to clean that was. I couldn’t have the place looking too dirty, it stressed me out.

  The ornate doors were surprisingly light as I opened it. Like most of the fancy things in the palace, the decoration was just for show and the rest of it was pretty plain and ordinary. It meant it was actually possible for normal people to do things like open doors. My ancestors thought ahead it seemed.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt you so early, Your Majesty, but this has just arrived for you.” The guard handed me an envelope.

  “Thank you,” I replied, nodding at him and waiting for him to depart.

  I turned the letter over in my hand, not recognising the handwriting on it. How intriguing. I closed the door and glanced at the clock. I had a good quarter of an hour or so before I was expected elsewhere. I’d make the most of it.

  Sinking down onto one of the chaises in my receiving room, I opened the letter and almost dropped it the moment I saw the words written there. It couldn’t be from him. It just couldn’t. He wasn’t that stupid, was he?

  Apparently he was. And according to the letter, he was coming to court. Because all I needed while dealing with the ridiculous marriage law was my childhood nemesis. If I knew him as well as I thought I did, he’d purposefully try and sabotage me at every turn.

  I slowed my breathing. Whether I liked it or not, Vincent was coming here and I'd have to receive him with all the grace my mother had taught me. That was what was expected of a Queen and I was under no illusions about how watched I was being by the people of my country. They weren't waiting for me to fail, as such, but they were waiting for something. One little mess up and it’d be headline news for a week. I didn’t want to be that Queen.

  I dropped the letter into the bin. I’d deal with it later. I had enough to occupy myself with today.

  Margaret and her finacé had declined my request for dinner, and to say I wasn’t impressed was an understatement. They shouldn’t be denying me. Or more realistically, she shouldn’t be denying me. I was going to have to send her an invitation she couldn’t refuse. I wanted her under my nose and I didn’t want her marrying her Earl before I could wed myself. That was asking for trouble.

  “Your Majesty.” Albert bowed and took the seat opposite me.

  “Your Highness,” I replied. Two could play at this game, and he was about to discover that I was a world class player. “How has your visit been?” I asked politely.

  One of the servers poured tea for us, while another hastened to bring out the sandwiches. While I loved the idea of having it all on one silver serving tower, and the privacy that would give us, it just wasn’t proper for me to have High Tea that way. Beyond ridiculous if anyone asked me, but unfortunately, etiquette rules were set in stone. Highly weathered stone at that.

  “Very good, thank you.”

  I sipped my tea, hoping he’d supply more.

  He didn’t.

  “How long do you intend to stay?” I asked, picking up a finger sandwich from the tray.

  “As long as Your Majesty will have me,” Albert replied.

  “Can I get you to call me Amara yet?” I really hoped he said yes, this really wasn’t the place for his level of formality.

  “You can try.” A small smile quirked at the corner of his mouth, and while I knew he wouldn’t be giving into me yet, I also knew he would eventually.

  The more we talked, the more I realised I actually could listen to his voice for the rest of my life. He was certainly frustratingly formal, but the lilt of his accent sent soft thrills through me. All I needed now was to make us fall in love.

  A commotion drew my attention and I rose to my feet without thinking, Albert following suit. Damn, I should have thought about that one and gotten up more slowly.

  A man pushed past my guards and understanding dawned. While it seemed I really needed to have a word with my guards about security, it was only Vincent pushing through. He might hate me, but he’d never hurt me. Of that much I was sure.

  “Oh, High Tea, excellent,” he said as he dragged one of the spare metalwork chairs over to our table and dropped himself down on it.

  “How dare you,” Albert accused.

  Interesting. So he did have a side which could be provoked. I liked it.

  “It’s fine, Your Highness,” I assured him. “This is Lord Vincent, we went to school together.” Not that it should give him the right to barge in unannounced, but I was never going to get Vincent to realise that. We’d simultaneously known each other too long, and loathed each other too much.

  Though I must admit, he’d grown into a handsome man.

  “Mar and I go way back.” Vincent leaned back in his chair, grabbing a sandwich and munching on it without a care in the world.

  I barely held back my scowl. He knew I hated being called Mar. Though I said nothing, I’d learned the hard way that the quickest way to get Vincent to obsess over something was to tell him no.

  “Would you like my help removing him?” Albert asked, barely concealed rage in his voice.

  “No, thank you. I’m sure he’ll tell me what he wants and then make himself scarce,” I replied.

  “I’m here for you, Your Majesty.” He did a ridiculous bow which only made his proper addressing of me all the more mocking. “I’d heard you were going to be Queen and thought I’d come lend a hand.”

  “You heard?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh no, is it a state secret?” He fake gasped and I rolled my eyes despite myself.

  Vincent was my weakness. The one way to get me to break with everything I’d been told. And I really did hate him for it.

  I regained my seat and tried not to let my displeasure show. At least I managed better than Albert and Vincent. The former sat in stoic silence while the latter leaned back in his chair and proceeded to eat his way through our food.

  Not exactly the best start to my plan of making Albert fall in love with me. Or me with him, either. Though I did quite like the way he’d stood up to protect me without a moment’s hesitation. Shame I was looking for a husband and not a bodyguard.

  “Your Majesty?” A servant leaned in from behind me and I turned to find out what they wanted. No one would interrupt something like this without good reason.

  “Your cousin has arrived,” she said.

  I nodded once, cursing inwardly, I didn’t want to deal with my cousin, but I was going to have to.

  Chapter Five

  Why was she even here right now? It’s like she waited until she knew I was busy and then made herself appear. It was even more frustrating knowing I’d invited her here and she’d ignored me. But there was very little I could actually do about that except leave the two men behind to do whatever they were doing. Probably a silent comparison of their private parts. I’d never really understood men.

  “Your Majesty,” my cousin greeted, dipping into a pretty curtsy.

  Alright then, something was definitely up. She’d never do this if there wasn’t.

  “Your Majesty,” an older voice echoed.

  I smiled slightly as I took in the figure of my Aunt Lisbeth. Despite Margaret’s inflammatory personality, I actually enjoyed my Aunt’s company. Though she was almost as old as my own mot
her, she was a lot more active.

  “Auntie.”

  “Are you well?” she enquired, dropping my title as was her right as a Princess of the realm. I’d always wondered why Margaret hadn’t been honoured with the title of Princess too. Historical precedent would suggest she should. Maybe someone knew what her personality was going to be like.

  “As I can be. Yourself?” I took a seat, indicating that she should too. Without waiting for my say so, Margaret followed suit.

  “Well enough. I saw your mother yesterday.”

  “How is she doing?” I asked, rubbing my hand against my leg to try and soothe my nerves. I tried to visit as often as I could, but with a country to run, it was difficult to spend the time I wanted to at my mother’s bedside.

  “She’s holding on. Told me to tell you she’s proud of you.” My Aunt leaned across and placed her hand over mine, giving it a soft squeeze. I smiled at her warmly, grateful for the update.

  “But that’s not why you’re here,” I guessed.

  “No. It seems Margaret has found herself a fiancé.”

  “Yes, Earl Wellesley, I met him last night.” I didn’t like where this was going.

  “You’ve met?” Her eyes widened and a little smugness welled up inside me. That wasn’t what I’d expected. I’d presumed that my mother had given Margaret permission to bring her man to court and everyone had just neglected to tell me. I certainly hadn’t expected her to keep everyone in the dark about it. There was an interesting development if I’d ever seen one.

  “Yes, Margaret brought him to the ball. He seemed...pleasant.”

  “He is rather charming,” my Aunt replied.

  “I can formally accept his introduction to court if you wish?” I offered.

  “I don’t think there’s any need for that.”

  Margaret shuffled uncomfortably in her seat as the two of us talked. While she’d do just about anything to defy me, I doubted she’d want the talking to her mother was sure to give her for breaking protocol. Those breaches never ended well. For anyone.