The Kiss that Saved Her - Page 25/27

Spring finally came to the Kingdom of Bow, and the days were warm again. Queen Joanna allowed her lady-in-waiting, Maria, to return home for the month prior to the scheduled ball to see her family because she was homesick again. It was a long winter and travel had been impossible until the spring thaw. The ball was scheduled on the Saturday after her birthday. Joanna invited Frank, George, Louis and Dom to attend as her special guests. Dom arrived on her birthday, but would not stay long. She was disappointed that the others were not with him. She understood why they declined her invitation. The castle was not a comfortable place for them since they were commoners, and she could not return to the cave. It was a bitter fact that life moved on for everyone. The day after her birthday, Dom joined her for a stroll in her gardens. Joanna dismissed her servants since she wanted to enjoy her visit with Dom and not have anyone gossiped about. They walked past the white rose bushes that lined the stone path out near the wooded area of the garden. The small, white, tear-shaped buds braved winter after winter only to burst open each spring with their beauty which led her to conclude all things struggled to survive. Joanna looked down at the roses and knew they would dispense their fragrance soon and after they bloomed; the wind would carry their fragrance over the earth to fill the air with sweetness. “This garden is so beautiful, Joanna. I can see why you love it here,” Dom said. “I will miss it.” “Why Dom, why won’t you see it again?” “You don’t need me anymore, Joanna. The others need me, but you do not.” “I do need you!” She stopped walking. “Joanna, we would be pretending instead of facing the truth. You are a Queen. You have a job to do and I cannot help you with it.” Dom put his hands behind his back as if in thought. They continued to walk in silence for a few minutes. Dom said, “You probably do not even know it, but you have healed.” “What? I do feel fine.” “No, I mean from the loss of David.” “Oh, no. I have not.” “I think that you have. It doesn’t mean that you love him any less, you know, if you would love another.” “What are you talking about, Dom?” “You and the Prince of Ott.” “Oh, you of all people don’t believe gossip.” “I do if the gossip is true!” She stared towards the sky for a moment then addressed him. “I feel very happy around Samuel. To love him, I am not sure. I miss him when he leaves. I long for his return. But when I loved David, it was different.” “My dear, sometimes love is quiet. It never happens in the same way for everyone. My wife was so lovely,” Dom told her. “You had a wife?” “Yes,” he said then paused. “I was married for two years when I was twenty. But she died; she was walking in the forest and sat down on a rock. A poisonous snake was under the rock. I could not save her. That is why I became a doctor. I am always looking for a cure. I thought that I would die of the grief after she died. I did survive. The others helped me and when David arrived, I was happy. He was like my own son. I miss him terribly, but I will see him again, in the next life, and I will see my dear wife.” Joanna wiped away tears from her eyes; she hadn’t thought of the sorrow that Dom had lived through. “I did not tell you this to make you cry. I told you this to show you that life is for the living.” “I know that, Dom. Sometimes I just feel so guilty.” “That David died and you survived. “Yes. Why am I still alive when he died?” “This is the mystery of life; we do not have the master plan in front of us! We must try to live a life that is worthy of their memories.” He patted her arm and she reached for his hand, and held it for a moment as if to thank him. They continued to walk. They were silent because no words were needed. Joanna knew that they shared a common ailment of loneliness. Dom left for home the next morning. Somehow she knew that Dom would never return. She walked with him to his carriage and horses which she had given him as a present. The glorious marble statues that her stepmother installed were removed from the front of the castle at Queen Joanna’s orders. She ordered instead simple flags depicting the symbols of each of her country’s regions to fly in front of her castle. She wanted everyone who entered her castle to know that power did not lie within these walls, but rather she received her power from her subjects’ trust in her. It was against protocol to leave the castle to escort a guest; yet what was protocol compared to saying good-bye to him, the man who guided her throughout these trying years? She knew that without Dom’s guidance she would not have had the strength to continue after David’s death. It was his words that brought her comfort, his words that corrected the course that she had set, and his words that soothed her wounded heart so that it could heal. He was leaving. She understood that Dom had his own family to return to and they needed him just as she had. She waved good-bye as the carriage pulled away. After Dom left, Joanna’s dreams became increasingly vivid. In her dreams she walked through the forest to a cave and when she knocked on the door, David answered, but as she reached for him she awoke. * Joanna was relieved when Maria returned. She had many tales to tell her Queen. The two friends walked the rose garden, passed the white blooms, and sat under a trellis. Queen Joanna had ordered her servants to bring lunch on a silver tray. She had missed the lively Maria and wanted to hear all the news. “Oh, the Princess of Segal is such a fashionable Royal! All the gold in the mines will not pay for all the clothes she has bought! I do not think the Grand Duke considered this when he demanded Duke William marry her.” Maria did not disappoint Joanna with her story. “I thought that The Duke of Seine had the power to choose his own bride?” Joanna thought of William’s kiss and regret became her companion for a minute. “He could refuse, I believe. Of course, he would need to offer an alternative bride in order to avoid any unpleasantness in his family. He rejected at least three of the ladies that his father suggested. Duke William used up all the Grand Duke’s patience.” “Where did you hear all this?” “The other ladies-in-waiting at my brother’s castle told me.” Joanna understood William a little better. “The real gossip is about who has won your heart, my Queen.” “Let me guess, do they say William?” She imagined he would have told someone. “No, Prince Samuel. But what is this? Did something happen at the ball at Seine last fall?” Maria was very curious. The wind blew across the garden quickly and knocked over the empty silver cups which rolled until the wind suddenly stopped. Maria rose from her seat and picked up the cups off the ground and place them back on the tray. Joanna stood up and said, “Samuel?” “Yes, it seems that the soldiers stationed with you at your villa told the entire town about your sending away the staff to be alone with Prince Samuel. The Princess of Segal seemed most uncomfortable with this gossip discussed at my brother’s party.” “He was ill. The maids hadn’t planned to stay and I felt sorry for them. Did you tell them?” “Yes, I did tell them about his illness and I promised to have the soldiers horse whipped for saying anything against my lady’s honor!” Maria said. Joanna kissed her cheek. “I am so stupid. I should have followed protocol and made the maids stay. I felt sorry for them. They have children in the village and I did not want to take them away any longer than necessary.” The pair sat back down on the bench. “What was strange was Duke William defended you as well.” “What did William say to defend me?” she asked with great interest. “He said it was nothing since you had lived in a cave and didn’t know any better!” “That would be how William defends me.” Maria took her hand and squeezed it gently. “He added that he had a note from General Stuart explaining the circumstances of the Prince’s illness, and the rest was simple gossip from rough commoners. He remarked that you invited him to stay as well, but he could not join you,” Maria told her. “Duke William must hold you in high regard to come to your defense.” “I am indebted to the General, and to William!” “Did you invite William to the villa?” “Yes I did.” “And you did not tell me?” “It was a complicated situation, and I was following protocol.” “That would explain the Princess of Segal; she was very rude to me. I do not think that she was happy that you invited the Duke to your villa. The morning after the Duke had so gallantly come to your defense over idle gossip, she told me to tell you that she was in charge of the social calendar for Duke William and she would be sure that you would not be invited to any functions. I informed her that our cousin was the type of man who enjoyed flirting with the ladies and she should be prepared for it if she went through with the marriage. I explained that you have no interest in the Duke and I think that she believed me.” “Thank you Maria.” Joanna pushed her hair back. The sun moved from beyond a gray cloud and made its presence felt with a burst of heat. “But I do not believe me!” “Maria, if I tell you the truth, will you promise not to tell anyone? I think the truth would disappoint you and make me less worthy of your defense.” “If you have something to tell me, my lady, please tell me!” Maria took Joanna’s hand. “William kissed me at the ball.” “Is that all? The Duke of Seine kisses all the girls!” * Joanna traveled to the center of Pantor to shop for the food for the royal ball. Her carriage and horses pulled up in front of the baker’s shop and she ordered many items. The town was astir as no Royal had ever before decided to use the local bakery instead of baking in-house. Queen Joanna knew the businesses had been crippled by the winter weather and she wanted to show her support of the merchants. It was a festive atmosphere as she walked the streets of town. Many people lined up to see their Queen. She greeted them and asked them about their occupations and families. Queen Joanna saw the children playing a game with their sticks and she went up to them and shook the children’s hands. Her soldiers tried to stop her but General Stuart intervened. He liked to see the Queen in charge of her kingdom. He knew that Queen Joanna was not like the other monarchs and this was in his country’s favor. She had deep love for her people. General Stuart remembered that not too long ago an evil Queen had ruled and he had no hope for the future of the kingdom. He remembered the abandonment that the people felt. Queen Joanna was loved by her people because she was a commoner, maybe not by birth, but rather by circumstances. Queen Joanna had lived their lives, and she understood their needs, their hopes, and their fears. Joanna stopped when she noticed a wood carver’s stand. She saw that the young man and his father had many items to sell, bowls, cups and boxes. She hesitated for a moment. General Stuart went to her side. He had seen the sorrowful look that crossed her face as she stopped to see the wooden goods. General Stuart had read the report about her husband, David, and he personally helped search for any flutes that David had made to bring back to Queen Joanna. He imagined it was a pain that would never heal, but he would try to soothe her just the same. “Are you all right, my Queen?” “They are so beautiful.” “Would you like to meet young Thomas?” “You know him?” “I do. I pass by this shop quite often and I know his father.” General Stuart continued, “We could leave, it is not necessary to address anyone.” “No, I would very much like to meet them.” Joanna turned towards them, and the General motioned for the pair to approach. The older man and his teenage son seemed quite nervous to meet the Queen. The two of them bowed to her. She reached out and shook each of their hands, which went against protocol. “I am delighted to see your work, young Thomas,” she told him. “Thank you my Queen!” “Your flutes are beautiful,” Queen Joanna addressed his father. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness. May I present you with a gift?” General Stuart nodded. The father took from his bench a beautiful flute and handed it to the Queen and bowed. “Thank you so very much. How did you know that the flute is my favorite instrument to hear played?” “I did not know, my Queen, but I am overjoyed that my gift is acceptable to you, for I made it with my own hands,” the father said in an excited voice. “I will treasure it forever.” Queen Joanna walked back across the square and into her waiting carriage. She wiped away tears from her eyes as she was driven back to the castle. She studied the flute. It was lovely, and had an etching of a rose, like the one that David had given her. She thought of her David and how he wanted the people to be free of her stepmother so that they could live in peace. Joanna realized that was what he had done for them by killing her stepmother to save her.

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