Forty Part Four

Betsy flew up the staircase as if all the hounds of hell were barking, snapping, and snarling on her tail.

Drake stepped out from he and Arianna's rooms, into the hallway, just in time to see the maid's furtive look and her pale, stricken face. Quick as a flash, Betsy wrenched open her bed chamber door and flew through it.

Drake turned back to look at his wife, his face serious, as Arianna looked to him in confusion. Drake had been headed downstairs to get some coffee, and have a pot of tea sent up to her, why had he stopped?

"I believe your former maid may need your assistance, my lady." Drake showed a bit of concern, causing Arianna to drop her hairbrush mid stroke, brushing quickly past her husband instead.

"I will join you downstairs eventually." Arianna told Drake quickly over her shoulder as she disappeared into Betsy's rooms.

Arianna called out, but after hearing no reply, she closed the door behind her and began searching for her friend.

Hearing the awful, retching noises coming from the next room, Arianna's eyes widened as she searched Betsy out.

Betsy wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and lay back slowly upon the coolness of the wood floor. Her arms spread wide, she looked as a victim of crucification, her face deathly pale and she groaned ever so slightly.

"Betsy, are you alright?" Arianna rushed to Betsy's side, sliding on her knees the last foot of her approach, her breeches accommodating her swift movement.

"Kill me." Betsy whispered. Then she opened one eye to peek at her lady.

"Oh my!" Arianna patted Betsy's clammy hand, concern etched deeply across her visage.

"Only wait till the babe is born, I suppose," Betsy suggested. "Violet would not be pleased should you slaughter his firstborn." Betsy closed her eye and panted miserably.

"You are sure?" Arianna inquired.

"What do you think?" Betsy asked, her one eye again opened, her nose wrinkled in displeasure.

"I think you are right." Arianna nodded sagely. "I told you that you would pray for death, did I not?" Arianna rose, beginning a litany of her own, railing at those she loved. "And everyone told me I was foolish, that I would not die, that I had not caught some horrible disease. Only I had, and I did want to die." Arianna dramatized her past malady, her arms swinging wide to emphasize her points.

"Yes, well, I can now see why." Betsy propped herself up on an elbow, eyeing her lady, as Arianna paced the room venting her wrath upon motherhood.

"I do not see how it is worth it,"

Arianna went on, "nor why we must be saddled with this curse, it is not as if I ate the apple in the garden of God."

Betsy laughed, as her belly was beginning to settle down, she realized in that moment just how much she had missed Arianna. "You always say the damnedest things." Betsy shook her head as she sat up, Arianna coming immediately to her side.

"You must move slowly, and take a bucket with you wherever you go, 'twill pass after a while, but, for now, you poor, poor thing, your life shall be positively wretched!" Arianna's dramatics escalated.

Betsy laughed aloud, "I can see why you would think so, but honestly, I am already feeling better." Betsy nodded assuredly.

"Oh no, that can not be," Arianna frowned and shook her head slightly, "it lasts for hours and hours, you simply must take to your bed. I shall get you some chocolate and a hard biscuit, 'tis the only thing that helps, you see?" Arianna began tugging Betsy up from the floor.

"My lady," Betsy used her no nonsense tone, "I only waited too long to eat this morning, I was dressing the King..." Betsy started.

"You were doing what?" Arianna looked aghast at her. "To whom?"

Betsy giggled, "Aye, I dressed him up right and proper, too!" Betsy turned to rinse her face and brush her teeth quickly.

"The King? He let you dress him?" Arianna was still unbelieving.

Betsy rinsed and spat, wiping her mouth dry, she then grinned at her lady. " 'Tis why I needed to borrow a gold hoop, I knew you had a clasping one." Betsy knew that all of Arianna's ear bobs clasped. Arianna would never put herself through the pain involved to have her ears pierced. Betsy laughed at Arianna's disbelieving face. "Just wait till you see him for yourself."

"Well, I most definitely shall." Arianna forgot all about Betsy's illness, marching back to her room to plait her hair quickly, as she wanted to see exactly what Betsy had done to their King.

**********************************************************

The King shook his head as he looked at the nobles, "You men are simply jealous. Your own attire is extremely weak and uninspired. I, on the other hand, had help dressing my part this morning." The King looked down at his soot rubbed arms that were bared by the tunic he wore. He turned aside so the men could see his inking, a black heart outline, the word Mother scrolled across the center. "Why, I even have a tattoo!"

The men about hit the floor laughing.

"I can most assuredly say," Damien looked the Monarch up and down as he spoke past his laughter, "not one soul should recognize you, save those who know you extremely well."

Drake, and Gabriel, both agreed wholeheartedly.

"Marvelous! Then I am ready! Brutus! Let us go!" The King slapped his hands down on the tabletop, before standing and turning to vacate his bench.

Brutus had dressed his part then come back for a last mug of coffee. "I thought you realized you do not give orders." Brutus said out the side of his mouth.

The King laughed, "Old habits die hard, young man. I am sure one day you will see for yourself." The King returned Brutus's stare. "One day you will look around for your captain, and he will not be there. Mark my words, Captain Marks, old habits die hard." The King nodded as he finished, striding to the door, "I shall see you aboard ship, my good man."

"I shell be seein' ye top side, mate!" Brutus called out after the King, while the nobles laughed at the grammatically correct, faux pirate.

********************************************

Betsy and Arianna quick stepped down the stairs, neither wanting to miss the excitement the start of the day should bring.

Halfway, the girls saw the King exit the dining room and stride across the foyer to the front portal.

"Sire!" Betsy called out, stopping him dead in his tracks.

The King turned and smiled at the ladies in their breeches and boots.

Stopping at the bottom of the staircase to curtsy, they then met the King halfway, the King peering into Betsy's face to see how she faired.

"Better?" He asked.

"Much, thank you." Betsy's smile was brilliant, her secret was a joyful one, one she could not wait to share with Violet.

"You realize what this means..." The King raised his royal brow as he awaited her answer.

"It means I must find Violet." Betsy happily told him.

"But not before we eat." Arianna could smell the cinnamon, her belly roiled, her hunger increasing with every whiff. Since her own sickness had subsided, Arianna's hunger had increased twofold. Arianna's need was almost enough to fully distract her from the King's garb, but not quite. Not with the eye patch and the hoop on his ear. And, oh my word, was that a tattoo?

Arianna had began chuckling just as soon as she saw him, but this... Shaking her head at Betsy's inquisitive look, she waved her friend off, not attempting to answer, as she simply could not. She even had to turn her head to the side and not look at him any longer, lest she get caught up in a fit of the giggles she could not control.

Betsy smiled proudly, for she felt she had done a very good job dressing the man.

"We shall eat and join you as soon as we can," Betsy laid a hand upon the King's arm. "do not dare to speak to Violet about this, I want to tell him." She narrowed her eyes upon the royal man, as she knew how he liked sharing his knowledge.

"Of course, my dear, I would not dream of it." The King assured her, mischief sparkling in his ebony eyes.

"Good. I thank you." Betsy gave him a look that told him he had better behave himself.

The King laughed at her, "Do not worry, thy secret is safe with me." He winked at her as he reached out to cup her cheek in his palm. He then turned to Arianna and tugged the end of her braid. "Hurry along, ladies, the time is growing short, you would not want to miss anything."

"Certainly not." Arianna agreed, grinning at his familiarity, even as she continued trying not to laugh outright at his outlandish attire.

*************************************************************

Blessings me hearties!