Title: Fondness of the Heart
Main Story: The Mondian Chronicles
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Chocolate #28
Word Count: 1,232
Rating: G
Summary: Fernando and Elisabeth get to know each other.
Notes: This story will make more sense, if you read
Your Duty which was written for the land comm
writerverse and the other stories written for
origfic_bingo tagged under
the mondian chronicles at my writing journal.
“I’m worried about the princess.” Fernando said, speaking to his advisor.
“What is worrying you, my lord?” Advisor Ortiz asked.
“She just looks forlorn and she constantly has a worried look on her face.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Send one of your men to tell her lady that I would like to speak to her.” He said.
***
Helene received the advisor’s man.
“His Majesty would like me to tell that he wishes to speak to his betrothed.” The man said to Helene.
“Of course, I’ll tell my lady right now.” She said.
Helene closed the door and then turned to the rest of Elisabeth’s maids of honor.
“You are all dismissed.” She said.
One by one, the other eleven ladies walked out of the room. After they had left and the heavy door had been closed, Helene called for Elisabeth.
“My Lady,” Helene called out.
“I’m in here.” Elisabeth said, walking out of the bath chamber. She had on gray dressing gown over a white chemise.
“What is it, Helene?” she asked.
“The King would like to speak to you.”
“But I’m improperly dressed.” Elisabeth said.
“I don’t think it matters, my lady.” Said Helene anxiously.
Suddenly there was a knock at the chamber door. Helene ran to get it.
“Helene, who is it?” asked Elisabeth.
There was silence. Elisabeth walked back into the main chamber and saw Fernando standing there.
“I hope you don’t mind that I dismissed your lady.” He said.
“No, not at all, my lord,” She said offering him a seat.
He plopped down into one of the red plush chairs and said, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“So I’ve heard.” She mumbled.
He chuckled at that.
“I’ve been wondering, my dear. Is there someone that you left back in Monde that still holds your heart?”
She gulped. He couldn’t possibly know, could he? Did he know about Sieur Jehann?
“Why do you ask?”
“I was once in love, you know.” He said gazing at her.
Elisabeth couldn’t help herself. She scoffed.
“You don’t believe me?” He asked.
“Pardon me for saying this, Your Majesty. But I really don’t.”
Fernando laughed. He stood up and walked to the window.
“I was twenty. My family and our entourage had traveled to Illia for the warmer climate,” he started.
Elisabeth came up behind him and said, “But Albabias is known for its warm climate, my lord.”
He turned to her and suddenly he smiled. He pinched her nose. Surprised she stumbled back and gingerly rubbed her nose.
“Yes I know, I’ve lived here all my life. But in that year, 1120, I believe, a particular fierce winter had hit us. I also believe that my father was seducing a noblewoman in that particular county, so off we went.”
Elisabeth looked up. She had only heard good things about the late King, but she wasn’t surprised that he was a womanizer like her own father.
“We arrived at our host’s manor. It was then that I noticed the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Excluding you, of course.” He said suavely.
Surprising herself, she laughed. “You don’t have to flatter me, my lord.”
“I mean it.” He said coming closer to her.
Elisabeth found herself staring into his dark eyes. She wanted to tell him that he had beautiful eyes. But was that the correct thing to say to a man? And not just any man, a king at that.
“Continue with your story.” She said stepping back and steadying herself on the bed.
“Well, I was instantly smitten with her. She however, thought I was pompous jerk, which at the age, I admit I was. I remember I followed her around the manor for days before she would speak to me. She was a maid, you see and she had work to do. But one day, I finally convinced her to sit and talk.”
He stopped and ran a hand through his hair. Elisabeth noticed that his eyes had taken on a sad look.
“You don’t have to continue, if you don’t want.” She said softly.
“No, I want to. Anyway we spent every waking moment together. We would sneak off and talk for hours. While I wasn’t a virgin and I certainly felt a deep passion for her, we never consummated our relationship. I was happy to just watch her.”
“What happened?” Elisabeth asked.
“Well, my father noticed that I had been sneaking off and he put two and two together. I came back to my rooms one day and he was waiting for me. He bluntly forbade me from seeing her again. He told me ‘You will never marry this girl. You are a royal and she is a peasant. Marriages like that don’t happen in our world. ’”
Elisabeth suddenly felt herself raging at the late king. How could he say such a thing to his son? She wanted to hug Fernando. For the young man he had once been.
“I never saw her again after that. We left the next day and returned to the capital city.” He finished quietly.
Elisabeth went up to him and she squeezed his hand. She could sympathize with him
.
“There was someone back home.” She whispered, lowering her head.
He tipped her head back up and said, “Tell me about him.”
“Well, he was a chevalier in my father’s court. He first came to my notice when my cat had climbed up a tree. He coaxed her back down and after that I was smitten with him.”
He gripped her hand tighter.
“What was his name?”
“Jehann.” She said.
“Did he return your feelings?”
Elisabeth smiled bitterly. “No. I don’t think I was ever anything to him besides the little thirteen year old princess with the cat.”
“But surely after he saw how you blossomed-?”
“No, he was in love with another; it was my older sister, Marie.”
“Ah, I see.” He said.
“I had already held a grudge against Marie. But knowing that she had the love of Sieur Jehann,I just couldn’t forgive her.”
“Did they marry?” he asked.
“I don’t know. When I left Monde to come here, Marie was still unmarried. I don’t know what became of Jehann.”
“It seems that both of us have loved and lost.” He said rubbing her shoulder.
Elisabeth nodded and looked down. She felt him place a hand on her shoulder.
“But the question is, are you open to loving again?” he asked.
Elisabeth looked into his eyes and compulsively fingered one of his dimples.
“I’d be willing, my lord. But it will take some time.” She said.
He bent down and gently placed a kiss on her lips.
“I’ll wait. But your father wants the marriage to happen soon.”
Elisabeth had almost forgotten about her father.
“Yes. Just give me two months. After all, I’ve only been here for two weeks.”
He let go of her and she found herself missing his touch. She turned to watch him go.
“I’ll tell the Mondian ambassador to write to your father.”
She smiled at him.
“That dressing gown really brings out your eyes,” he said opening the door. “You have the loveliest eyes.”
The door closed and Elisabeth ran to her vanity. She had forgotten she was in her nightclothes. She must look a fright. She resolved that the next time she saw him, she would be properly dressed.