The King's Daughter (High Born Book 1) (13 page)

“Are you ok with James while I alert father?” George looks between us both.

I look to James and then smile, “Yes, I am perfectly safe now.”

George nods to James, who inclines his head in respect, “I will guard her with my life George.”

“I will let your Ladies know,” George adds before leaving to tell the King what has happened.

“Are you really okay?” James asks me when we are alone. “He didn’t hurt you did he?”

I place a hand over my cheek, which I now notice is stinging a little, “He hit me, and threatened me with his blade but apart from that, there’s no damage.”

“I cannot believe he was going to do that. I’ll see to it myself he gets what is coming to him,” James growls under his breath.

“James,” I speak. “I am so glad you are here.” Tears roll down my cheek, I do not know if I would feel as safe without him here to comfort me.

“Hey,” James uses his thumb to wipe away the tears. I look to his eyes, the dark colours soothing my fast beating heart. He rests his forehead on mine, breathing me in and I hold him tightly. James softly kisses me on the top of my head. “I am so glad I heard you.”

“You did?” I ask.

James nods, “I was on my way to George’s bedchambers, I wanted to ask him about something important when I heard your screams. I told the guard closest to me to fetch Prince George and while I was on my way, Arthur was running in the direction of your room too.”

I look to the door, thankful that I did scream when I had the chance. James looks back to me and slowly places his hand over mine, which is still on my cheek.

“He didn’t touch you? He asks, looking me over.

“No,” I quickly answer. “But he made it very clear what his intentions were.”

James’ face darkens, “I will kill him.”

“No,” I insist, sitting up to my knees and not caring that I am only in my thin nightgown. “Please, don’t become like him.”

James then deeply looks into my eyes, “Grace, don’t you see? I will do anything for you. I will do all that I can to keep any form of danger away from you.”

The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice sends chills all over me, for all the right reasons. We are still looking at each other when I hear my Ladies voices coming towards my chambers and James regrettably stands a little further from me as they enter.

“Grace?” Louisa asks, looking between James and I.

“What has happened?” Asks Jane. “George had said we were all urgently needed.”

“Sit down,” I pat the bed, they need to sit down for what I am going to tell them.

My father paces back and forth, his face screwed into a furious expression.

“He will never see daylight again!” He shouts at the top of his voice.

My mother has her arm on my shoulder and keeps dabbing away at her tears. As soon as George had told him about what had happened he went down to the cells. I’m not sure what happened, but when I saw him, I am certain I saw blood on his clothes. James had left my room not long after my Ladies had arrived, but he didn’t go too far because he wanted to wait outside my door along with three guards. Mother arrived not too long after and she was very pleased to see that James was watching over me. When I confirmed what she had been told by George was correct, she cried and my Ladies left us alone.

“What about the Spanish? They need to know what happened before we do anything,” George insists.

“You can’t kill him,” Mother adds, making Father cast her an angry look.

“Are you mad?” He roars, causing me to jump. “Their Prince has tried to rape your eldest daughter! Our daughter who we have raised to become a future Queen and you want to spare him?”

Mother then cries some more, “They will start a war with us if we do not tell them what has happened first.”

“As much as I want to rip his head from his body, Mother is right. We need to alert the Spanish of Antonio’s actions to let them know before we decide on any course of action,” George pleads with our father.

The last thing I want is for all of this to start a war between England and Spain. No matter how much I despise Antonio. There’s a knock on the door, and Thomas walks in as soon as father shouts for him to do so. “Your Majesty, Prince James is wanting an audience with you.”

“I am unable to entertain him now,” he shouts again.

“He insists you need to hear what he has to say,” Thomas nervously asks.

“He did help save Grace,” George adds and with those words my father nods his head to Thomas, allowing him to let James in.

When James enters, he looks straight to me and smiles. I immediately feel calm and do not remove my eyes from him as he walks bows to mother and father before revealing what he has to say.

“Thank you for letting me join Your Majesty,” James speaks to my father.

“What is it that you so desperately need to say?” My father asks.

“It’s about Antonio, the truth is that I already know the Prince and I suspected that he might have tried this with Grace,” James announces and my father immediately stops his pacing.

“And you didn’t warn any of us?” My shouts at him.

James holds his hands up, “I realise that I should have, but I was worried that if I had then Antonio might have found out I was here.”

“Why would you being in England matter to Antonio?” George asks.

James flashes me a look before he replies, “I knew Antonio would come here because he told my sister he would. He tried to seduce her last year when he was staying in Scotland, but when my sister didn’t return his forced feelings, he took it into his own hands and did the same as he tried to do to Grace.”

“Oh my!” My mother gasps.

“It is fine,” James assures us all. “Just like Grace, she was saved but he ran away and the guards did not catch him. Before he left, my sister told us Antonio revealed he should have gone to England and never bothered with her. I was already planning to visit because I had heard of Grace’s entry to court, so I brought it forward and stayed hidden to see if Antonio showed his face.”

“And he did,” finishes the King, looking right at James. Father then sends me a look and sadly smiles before continuing. “Even though I think you should have made yourself known sooner and told us all about this, I am thankful you saved my daughter.”

“I did what I thought was best,” James nods to the King. “And I hope I can include myself on his payback.”

“And none of this was in favour of you wishing to marry the Princess?” Asks George, ever the protective brother.

“I admit that my intentions were to come to court for Grace, but when I heard what Antonio was planning I could not let that happen,” James answers and then looks across to me. “However, I do want my feelings of wishing a marriage between us known.”

My mother then gasps again, “That’s amazing news.”

I roll my eyes and I see James silently laughing.

“Do you feel the same Grace?” My father asks and everyone in the room looks to me.

“Yes father,” I answer truthfully.

“Then it’s settled, if you two still wish to marry then I give my permission,” he announces and I am stunned into silence.

My mother clasps in excitement and James bows to the King, “Thank you.”

“Do not thank me James, I do this as a thank you to saving my daughter. I know you will do a fine job in protecting her,” Father then looks to me, his eyes glistening. “She is my eldest daughter and holds my heart dearly.”

Tears fall down my face. Surprising to say that after what I have just been put through, I am the happiest I have ever been.

“We are forever in your debt,” George says to James.

“Then as future Kings, we shall be friends,” James shakes his hands and I can see in George’s face that he truly likes James and I have to say, so do I.

When everyone leaves my father’s quarters, I am left with him and watch him as he goes to his drinks cabinet.

“Was that the right decision?” I ask him.

“I guess that you mean allowing James to wed your sister,” Father looks to me after having to pour his drink. We don’t allow any servants or guards in here unless we feel the need to do so. What was just discussed in here is highly private business.

“Yes,” I answer and accept the drink he hands me.

“He has earned the trust of our family and his country will do us a great deal,” he says as he sits on his chair. “Scotland is richer than England my son, and their army is the most loyal army in the world. I think Grace will do wonderfully as the Queen of Scotland and when it is your turn to be King, you will rule your countries together.”

“You thought all of this through already,” I point out.

At this he laughs to himself, “The King of Scotland and I often write to one another, although I am disappointed he didn’t inform me on the events last year, he did tell me about his powerful son. He doesn’t think he has much longer to live and James will quickly become a great King, his father knows that already and I suggested Grace as his Queen and he agreed. However, I didn’t plan on James sneaking to England early and hiding out in the castle grounds and staying with his distant cousins, but that worked out wonderfully.”

“How do you mean?” I ask, slightly confused.

Father flashes me a proud smile, “I knew Prince James was here all along, and I also knew that Grace met him one day in the stables. They would have had no clue as to each other were and my guess was, they didn’t reveal it to one another because I saw the looks on their faces the day they met in the throne room.”

“You mean to tell me, Grace and James met thinking it was their little secret. Possibly letting Grace thinking she has fell for a common boy, only to find out he is in fact a Prince?”

“Who then saves her,” Father adds. “A fine start to a great love story, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I do indeed,” I shake my head with a smile, amazed at how much father knows.

“She must never know that I knew all along,” Father orders.

“Of course,” I agree.

“I want all my children to be happy, even though we are royals we still deserve to be happy,” he then takes a mouthful of his wine and I begin to wonder are both my parents happy? And then my mind wonders to Lady Jane.

“I will need your help when King Alonso arrives,” Father interrupts my thoughts.

“Of course, I take it you have already sent word?” I ask.

“Indeed and you being his English nephew, I am hoping you being here softens the blow,” Father grunts.

“I will do everything I can,” I offer.

“Glad to hear it,” he nods. “Alonso isn’t a forgiving man and I’m yet to discover how he feels about what has happened.”

King Alonso may disagree with his son’s actions, but he is after all his son and will do anything he can to save him.

After the family meeting in my father’s quarters, I left to get some more sleep and this time my Ladies stayed with me. They comforted me and were amazed by what James had revealed. I was worried about the next morning, surely news about Antonio would be known and I would be the in the middle of everyone’s gossiping. I was not looking forward to that, but I knew that my Ladies would be there for me, just like they are now.

Thankfully today is my father’s birthday and everyone will be excited about what the day brings. After all, the King likes to show off on the day of his birth. I decide that I will try to keep hidden as much as possible and to try to not add to the rumours.

As it is Father’s birthday, the day will start with a family breakfast. I usually look forward to these, but even more so for this one because all of my siblings will be attending, well the royal ones of course. My mother would be sure to have a breakdown if Arthur and Bridget joined us all. Which reminds me, I still need to figure out why my brother will not talk to anyone.

“Oh girls,” my mother talks to Isabella and Elizabeth whilst we eat breakfast. “Your sister has exciting news!”

I breathe out a frustrated breath, “Thank you mother.”

“What is it?” Asks an excited Isabella.