"Wine or juice?"
"Neither. I prefer whiskey." the Countess of Hensbury replied with a triumphant smile.
Giselle pursed her lips in a polite smile, nodding briefly to the attendant standing nearby. Lysara was seated to her left—thankfully—and Vivienne sat across from her with Eleanor and Corrine beside her. It was a cloudy morning with the sun peaking behind white clouds. A perfect afternoon with just the right amount of sun; a beautiful day for lunch with a friend.
"Isn't it too early in the day for whiskey?" Lysara asked, her eyes widened comically.
"It's never too early to have fun, my dear." the blonde said, smirking, "Besides, I don't like wine, especially red ones."
The silence was only broken by the clattering of forks on ceramic but the dangerous tension remained. Giselle ate without responding to the women's thinly veiled barb but the innuendo didn't fly over Lysara's head either. Her wide eyes darted between the two women; she could almost feel the ire wafting between the two.
"What grievances do you have against red wine? It is a very popular drink to have at lunch. In fact, it is a tradition in this Kingdom to have one during lunch." Giselle finally said.
"Ehh…it's too dry and boring. Very forgettable once you try a tastier drink." Vivienne took the shot glass from the attendant and gulped it down almost immediately, throwing her head back. "Mmm, it burns down the throat really well too."
Giselle stabbed her steak with a barely disguised murderous expression.
Lysara raised a brow, swallowing food that suddenly felt dry in her mouth. She had a feeling they weren't simply talking about red wine. Eleanor and Corrine were still smacking away noisily, seeming blissfully unaware of the brewing storm before them. Whether they were simpletons or completely innocent of this world, Lysara didn't know. What she did know was that if she didn't take it upon herself to steer the conversation towards brighter topics, it could escalate into something worse.
She cleared her throat.
"So… summer's coming to an end soon—that means a new wardrobe." Lysara said.
Eleanor perked up, "Oh, yes, I've got my tailor–"
"Where are you from, Countess Vivienne?" Giselle interrupted. "I don't believe we've met on any of the previous parties or balls hosted in the palace."
Lysara stifled an exasperated sigh.
"Surely you've heard of my late husband, Gods rest his soul, the Count of Hensbury." Vivienne said. "Before that I was from a well-off family with my mother being the Marquess of Derry."
Giselle nodded wordlessly, a far away look in her eyes.
"Any other… information her Highness wishes to learn about me?"
The red-head's smile was lackluster but polite.
"I've learned everything I need to know about you, Vivienne. How are you enjoying the food?"
The Countess faltered, clearly not expecting such a coolly spoken response.
Lysara once again glanced at the two posturing women nervously. It was no secret what the Court was whispering. The King had called on Vivienne rather than his own Queen on her own debut and earlier, there had been rumors of an unknown omega emerging from the King's chambers. Well, maybe Lysara had eavesdropped on one or two gossiping servants to hear the full story but it didn't take much to put two and two together.
What all of the Court didn't understand, and Lysara as well, was how a couple that was said to be passionately in love all their lives behave like hateful strangers towards the other. The King especially was rumored to hate his wife. It just didn't make sense to Lysara.
"So, how are you finding Royal life, your Highness?" Vivienne was saying. "And your Court? It is said that a Queen's closest friends are her Court."
"True. But so are her enemies, which every monarch is sure to have."
"I'm afraid none of us at this table couldn't help but hear the…rumors."
Giselle slid her hand under the table to mask her shaky hand. She couldn't look away from Vivienne's blood red nails.
"What rumors?"
"Well…I'm not sure if I should say… it's just the silly whispers of a gossip-driven Court anyway–"
"No, it's alright. Their business is mine as well, what are they saying?"
"Well…there are those who are questioning your competence as our Queen. You see, the King didn't call on you throughout the session which is rather unfortunate as I'm sure it slipped his mind–"
Eleanor cut in with her annoying high voice, "–Yes, then he called on Countess Vivienne instead of you which I'm sure is was very surprising–"
"Indeed."
"Are you trying to say the King hates his Queen, Vivienne?" Lysara tried to hide the disdain in her voice but barely.
"Oh, definitely not. I am merely repeating what the people are saying, something I'm sure might be too much for a lady like you to understand."
"–a lady like me, I beg your pardon–"
"It's alright, Lysara, I'm sure Vivienne wasn't implying that. Besides, the King already knows of my…apprehension with speaking in public. I am very grateful that he called on you instead of me. He is very loving despite how cold he may seem in public." Giselle practically spat the last sentence, hoping that the scheming woman didn't see right through the lie.
Vivienne smirked, setting down her fork and knife.
"Hmm. Perhaps I should try some of this red wine everyone loves so much."
She abruptly reached across the table for Giselle's wine glass without asking the attendant for some. Her fingers brushed the glass and tilted over, splashing all over Giselle's pastel blue dress.
"Oh, my!–"
Someone gasped. Giselle moved away from the edge of the table, knocking her seat over.
"Your Highness, I am so sorry! That was so clumsy of me!" Vivienne screeched exaggeratingly. "Here use this to clean it up a bit!" She handed her a silk handkerchief.
Lysara rushed to help Giselle dip the cloth in some water.
"Well? What are you waiting for!?" Vivienne sneered at the attendant. "Her Highness needs a scarf to cover up the stain at least!"
After Giselle had cleaned up, lunch resumed but never fully recovered. Lysara, Eleanor and Corrine did most of the talking while Giselle and Vivienne ate quietly, exchanging glances from time to time.
By lunch's end, Giselle was mentally exhausted. She thought about the earlier days when she would simply attend etiquette class with Madame Maeve without having to worry about vicious aristocrats breathing down her neck.
"Well then, I must take my leave, your Highness. Thank you very much for inviting us to lunch. I look forward to becoming a valuable member of your Court." Vivienne curtsied, her eyes twinkling.
"Certainly. Oh, here's your handkerchief." Giselle handed the cloth back to her.
"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly after all the trouble I've caused. Have a wonderful day."
The trio curtsied again before leaving the open pavilion.
Giselle unfolded the handkerchief. The Royal insignia was embroidered around the edges further cementing her suspicions.
She wondered how she could have a 'wonderful' day after that.
"I must be leaving as well, your Highness, I–"
"Join me on a walk, Lysara." Giselle said. "I need fresh air more than anything right now."
They walked in silence for a while until they reached the lower gardens. Giselle glanced at the spot where Leandra and her servants had carried her from after the incident. Her stomach turned even more.
"I take it that the entire palace knows?"
Lysara slowly nodded as if she knew exactly what Giselle was asking her about. Because she did.
"I'm sorry about Countess Vivienne. Like I said yesterday, she's usually like this so it's nothing new. Everyone's used to her being a scheming bitc–"
"It's alright, I saw it coming when I invited her. Really." Giselle almost laughed aloud at Lysara's shameless cursing. She really was one of a kind.
"May I speak freely, your Highness?" the brunette asked. Giselle nodded, pushing back her loose hair from the afternoon breeze.
"No omega deserves to go through what you're going through, Giselle, but you will find that it is very common here. I can't imagine how it must feel since I heard that the pain is even worse for mated omegas. But what I do know is that the Court would be looking at you, some may even be hoping for your downfall. Now more than ever you must be strong and persevere, don't let them have the satisfaction of seeing you fall."
"Haven't they already? I have barely been in this place for two weeks but I'm already a laughingstock."
Lysara's hand on her shoulder was grounding and familiar.
"If you think you are a laughingstock, then you are. But if you know that you're Queen and answer to no one, then whatever the Court thinks cannot hurt you. I can't tell you how to handle his Majesty the King, actually I despise alphas very much–"
"–I don't blame you."
They laughed at the same time. Giselle suddenly felt much lighter than before.
"–But I would tell you not to let him break you. He is a King, he's used to getting whatever he wants without having to ask for it. No matter what he thinks of you, you're his Queen, his equal. Don't make him think you are anything less than that." Lysara said.
Easier said than done, Giselle couldn't help but think.
But the more she pored over what Lysara said, the more she discovered some truth to it. Yes she may have had a hand in deceiving the King and posing as her sister at the wedding but surely it didn't mean that she deserved a lifetime of pain and suffering. But how could she ever stand up to him when just one dark look from his Majesty paralyzed her? How could she ever show her face in a Court that probably whispered horrible things behind her back?
You just have to, her voice whispered back. She had no choice but to survive.
"Thank you, Lysara. You're a good friend and I appreciate your advice."
The conversation Madame Maeve had with her the other day flashed in her mind.
When picking your lady-in-waiting, don't be hasty by any means. She mustn't just be a well-bred lassie from a noble family, she must be your match in every way as well as kind, hardworking and above all, loyal. Loyalty is hard to find amongst aristocrats.
Giselle looked at the other woman. She was an unconventional beauty; almost a head taller than her now that she looked closely with a permanent smirk that promised mischief and fun. Lysara wasn't just any other omega from the palace. She was now a friend.
She didn't need to think about it overnight. She'd made her decision.
"Lysara, I want you to serve as my lady, if you would like to."
The brunette gasped. "Really?"
"Yes. Truthfully, I had already made up my mind yesterday when I met you."
"I'm flattered, truly. It would be an honor to serve you." Lysara bowed respectfully. "Wait, don't you need to check my resume or something?"
"Does being a good friend require a piece of paper? As long as you know the role of a lady-in-waiting, I think it's alright. Or you might have to suffer through etiquette class as I did."
"E-etiquette class?"
Giselle chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't throw you to the wolves just yet. Besides, I might go insane without your help in this palace."
Lysara interlinked their arms together and they promenaded down the grassy path.
"Go insane? Oh, we can't have an insane Queen running around the palace, now, can we?"
The two women basked in their familiar aura, like long lost friends just finding each other after a long time.
"What do you think about what Vivienne said? About the rumors? Should I be worried that some Court members think me incompetent?" Giselle asked.
"I think it doesn't matter what they say. A time would come when it would matter but for now it shouldn't. Since the King's ball is in a few days, you can give them some to really talk about."
Giselle looked at the devilish smirk on her face and how she was rubbing her hands together in a plotting way.
"Something to talk about, huh? Tell me then, what do you have in mind?"