She could forget about this. She could forget his frosty dismissal, the curious glances of the crowd, the way they hid their faces from him but not from her. She could flick off this incident like lint and continue her day. She could store it in her mind and recover it later.
She could turn to him now, and demand an explanation.
A hand on the forearm was all Francis needed to turn his head towards her. He wore an indulgent expression, and Elise couldn't quite understand why it annoyed her. She tried to speak. Spit stuck in her throat, and the moment broke.
She stared hard at the floor in shame, and wondered if it would crack open and take her in, when she felt a small tug on her dress.
Alfred stood at his full height, reaching just below her hipbone. His blue eyes sparkled. “Are you the new queen?”
Elise swallowed and bent on her knees to look at him in the face. She had seen him and Francis's other children on their wedding night; but they had been sleeping soundly then, and she had not had the time to visit them properly for the past week. “Why, yes I am. And who might you be?”
Alfred puffed his chest. “I'm Alfred! I'm a knight!”
Elise laughed. “A very handsome one.”
Alfred then turned very red, and his tiny hand began pulling at the pink ribbon on his collar. He wore what looked like a girl's petticoat. “You're very pretty too.” He held out a chubby fist, and Elise saw that he was clenching a crumpled sunflower. “For you.”
It was the sweetest token anyone had given her, and Elise felt a rush of affection as she took the flower from his hands.
She felt it was prudent to acknowledge Michelle and Matthew as well, who hovered behind their brother and stared at her with wide eyes. Not knowing what to say, she smiled at them warmly.
Michelle toddled forward, a white sack clasped to her chest. She brought her face close to Elise's, as if she were evaluating the contours, then leaned back and thrust her sack forward.
Elise blinked and looked at the sack—no, not a sack, but a fish. It was filled with sand and tied off at the end to resemble a fish's tail, and two black buttons were sewn crudely onto each side. Unsure, Elise stroked the fish with her fingers. Michelle hummed happily and smiled, showing small stubs of teeth.
“She must really adore you,” Francis said from behind. Elise felt his breath heavy on her neck as he bent down near her. “She hardly lets anyone touch her fishy.”
“Fishy!” Michelle nodded. Her pigtails bounced on her shoulders.
Matthew didn't move.
“Come on,” said Francis, extending an arm. “Greet your new queen.”
Face half-hidden by his stuffed bear, Matthew shuffled forward. He peered at her through violet eyes, and then, to her amazement, executed a perfect little bow. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty,” he said.
He couldn't be older than Alfred. Elise looked at Francis, who laughed. “Grows up pretty fast,” he said, ruffling Matthew's hair. “I get a bit worried sometimes.”
Matthew looked at his father reproachfully, and then tried to fix his mussed hair.
For the first time in days, Elise had a sense of peace. Her nerves thoroughly calmed, she came up with an idea. “Why don't we go out for a picnic today?”
Francis looked wary. “I might not be able to...”
“I want to go!” Alfred jumped up and down, his dress flouncing around him. “Let's go to the meadow Papa! Please?”
“It's a beautiful day,” Matthew offered shyly.
Francis sighed. “I know, but Papa needs to work. He has a lot of angry people behind him right now, so--”
That's when Michelle climbed onto his lap, her legs dangling down as she perched herself on his knee, and kissed his cheek.
Within an hour, three horses and a two large baskets of bread and cheese were prepared, and they set off for their picnic.
A Diamond and a Cross (32/?)
She could turn to him now, and demand an explanation.
A hand on the forearm was all Francis needed to turn his head towards her. He wore an indulgent expression, and Elise couldn't quite understand why it annoyed her. She tried to speak. Spit stuck in her throat, and the moment broke.
She stared hard at the floor in shame, and wondered if it would crack open and take her in, when she felt a small tug on her dress.
Alfred stood at his full height, reaching just below her hipbone. His blue eyes sparkled. “Are you the new queen?”
Elise swallowed and bent on her knees to look at him in the face. She had seen him and Francis's other children on their wedding night; but they had been sleeping soundly then, and she had not had the time to visit them properly for the past week. “Why, yes I am. And who might you be?”
Alfred puffed his chest. “I'm Alfred! I'm a knight!”
Elise laughed. “A very handsome one.”
Alfred then turned very red, and his tiny hand began pulling at the pink ribbon on his collar. He wore what looked like a girl's petticoat. “You're very pretty too.” He held out a chubby fist, and Elise saw that he was clenching a crumpled sunflower. “For you.”
It was the sweetest token anyone had given her, and Elise felt a rush of affection as she took the flower from his hands.
She felt it was prudent to acknowledge Michelle and Matthew as well, who hovered behind their brother and stared at her with wide eyes. Not knowing what to say, she smiled at them warmly.
Michelle toddled forward, a white sack clasped to her chest. She brought her face close to Elise's, as if she were evaluating the contours, then leaned back and thrust her sack forward.
Elise blinked and looked at the sack—no, not a sack, but a fish. It was filled with sand and tied off at the end to resemble a fish's tail, and two black buttons were sewn crudely onto each side. Unsure, Elise stroked the fish with her fingers. Michelle hummed happily and smiled, showing small stubs of teeth.
“She must really adore you,” Francis said from behind. Elise felt his breath heavy on her neck as he bent down near her. “She hardly lets anyone touch her fishy.”
“Fishy!” Michelle nodded. Her pigtails bounced on her shoulders.
Matthew didn't move.
“Come on,” said Francis, extending an arm. “Greet your new queen.”
Face half-hidden by his stuffed bear, Matthew shuffled forward. He peered at her through violet eyes, and then, to her amazement, executed a perfect little bow. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty,” he said.
He couldn't be older than Alfred. Elise looked at Francis, who laughed. “Grows up pretty fast,” he said, ruffling Matthew's hair. “I get a bit worried sometimes.”
Matthew looked at his father reproachfully, and then tried to fix his mussed hair.
For the first time in days, Elise had a sense of peace. Her nerves thoroughly calmed, she came up with an idea. “Why don't we go out for a picnic today?”
Francis looked wary. “I might not be able to...”
“I want to go!” Alfred jumped up and down, his dress flouncing around him. “Let's go to the meadow Papa! Please?”
“It's a beautiful day,” Matthew offered shyly.
Francis sighed. “I know, but Papa needs to work. He has a lot of angry people behind him right now, so--”
That's when Michelle climbed onto his lap, her legs dangling down as she perched herself on his knee, and kissed his cheek.
Within an hour, three horses and a two large baskets of bread and cheese were prepared, and they set off for their picnic.