Philippa Roseborn: Part 2

Princess Alexandra: “I recall that you prefer this attire to my dresses. There is no use looking away. I know how much this turns you on.”

---

‘Clean the linens, sweep the floors

Shut your mouth and do your chores

Scrub the dishes in the sink

No one said that you should think’

The haunting nursery rhyme had wormed its way back into Philippa’s head. The tune was a crude reminder of her time at the orphanage and how the children mocked her whenever she was seen slacking or tired from exhaustion.

‘Clean the linens, sweep the floors

Shut your mouth and do your chores’

Time at the palace its lustre faded and she found herself returned to her knees, scrubbing floors. The maid candidates passed their chores onto Philippa without even an impression to hide the malicious they had for the girl. The young women’s hearts were rotten with jealousy for the girl’s success in the trail of honesty.

‘Scrub the dishes in the sink’

Philippa came to the point where rest eluded her and failed to keep up with the workload, resulting in the candidates being in trouble with the palace servants. In turn, Philippa would be the object said young women’s to cast their resentment upon.

Philippa apologising in their own pathetic way usually appeased them but one didn’t spare the girl. Elizabeth, only known for her **** sense of superiority over the other candidates, truly hated Philippa. She was the overconfident girl who stuck out from the rest, believing the position denied to her the moment she lost to Philippa. She sought to torment the girl whenever she could.

“How can a scrawny bitch like you get ahead of me!?” Elizabeth didn’t resort to cheap acts of bullying and often started a conversation with Philippa by striking the girl across the face. She wanted to see the fear in her eyes.

“I’m sorry…”

“I don’t want your sorries. I want to know what you said to her highness.” Elizabeth pushed the weak girl onto the floor with ease. “It must have been something, a promise you made to her to give you a leg up, maybe? Tell me!”

“I’m sorry…” Philippa lost her ability to even question why she was even apologizing anymore.

The docile response only brought out Elizabeth’s anger and her foot down onto the girl’s stomach. “What did I just tell you!? Why are you being so secretive?” She looked down at the girl below her and laughed. “Wait, don’t tell me what the prince said was true? You’re in love with the princess.”

“N-no…” Elizabeth’s web of questions caught Philippa utterly and without mercy.

“You stupid girl, so did you promise that’d you warm her highness’ bed if you became her maid? Royals go in for that sort of thing, it wouldn't surprise me if she swings that way, I might even give it a shot.”

“He was just a stable boy. I didn’t know he was actually a girl!” Finally, Philippa admitted to herself and damned herself in the process.

“Look at you you’re pathetic, nothing but an insert who crawled their way into this palace out of sheer dumb luck. Do you really believe you’re worthy enough for her highness?! You make me sick just die already!” Elizabeth ended the conversation with another crushing stomp on the girl’s stomach.

‘No one said that you should think’

The palace walls held no secret for long, soon rumours spread throughout the household and servants, her seniors started to give Philippa a look of disgust whenever they crossed paths with them.

This continued until the entire household staff and beyond the princess’ chambers knew of Philippa’s infatuation with their mistress, an infatuation which was so blown up out of proportion that even Philippa couldn’t comprehend what their true feelings were.

The only time the girl had any semblance of freedom was whenever she was alone. However, even in isolation with her thoughts, she felt no more ease than she was being bullied. She questioned what would happen when the princess heard the rumours. Hearing that the princess had left the palace to visit an acquaintance. Philippa never knew the absence of one person and the waiting for their return could fill her with such dread.

The longer she waited to know what her fate would be the more the girl began to break down. She repeated the moment in the stables again and again in her head, each time her imagination changed the princess from her stable boy attire to something more fitting of a person with royal blood.

The more she pictured the girl’s beautiful face the more she came to desire it. She longed to feel the sensation of being held in their arms and feeling safe. But no matter how much she wanted it she knew it was an impossibility for a princess to love a servant, for a girl to love another girl. Philippa broke down into tears when she came to the conclusion, wishing she could cast her feelings aside but the orphan’s heart was truly and utterly captured.

“You should know this by now. I am a glutton for victory. That’s why I enjoy fighting you so much I always win.” The pining girl’s chores were interrupted by the chatter and the clattering of wooden training swords. Philippa spied two combatants sparing in the courtyard beneath the window she was cleaning.

“Do you ever stop talking?!” The boy roared in frustration and struck the girl. His arm turned what appeared to be a simple attack into the blow of a cannon shot.

“I thought you’d like a nice conversation before I beat you for the umpteenth time.” The girl caught the blow by holding the back of her blade with her forearm. She kept momentum and control by regurgitating her opponent’s strength as a weapon against him by shoving the boy away who spent most of his energy on that one blow.

“I only need to beat you once to prove my point. You're not invincible Alexandra!” He regained a strong stance but it was painfully clear he was running out of breath.

“I’m close enough.” The princess chose an aggressive posture to meet her opponent. Leaving herself wide open for an attack but her intent was clear. She thrust forward without pause aiming for her opponent’s chest for the killing blow.

In a blink of an eye, the princess had closed the distance and already presented the boy with an attack. He would've been foolish to be anything but afraid. However, this Richard Cobalt and he hated losing to Alexandra.

Philippa watched the display with shock and awe grasping her cleaning sponge in a tight grip in excitement barely noticing the water soaking her uniform. Her full attention was on the moment between the two duelists.

The moment was gone Richard held the princess’ thrust in a vice-like grip in his hand the wooden tip inches away from his chest. The training sword strained viscously wanting to be free to do its work.

“Princess watch out!” Philippa screamed she didn’t think her voice could reach such volumes.

She looked to where the voice came from but only saw the flat of Richard’s pommel being directed to her face. She raised her hand and halted the strike to her face with the palm of her hand before grasping her fingers around the pommel.

Both Alexandra and Richard fought the other’s strength like lions clashing, they hungered to come out victorious.

Richard fell first from exhaustion still holding onto the sword he brought Alexandra down with him as she fell on top of him. The couple panting unintentionally embraced each other with heated breath and sweat before their weapons clattered beside them.

“So another win for me?” The princess was the first to talk.

“You can’t be serious? This clearly is a draw.”

“I’m not the one flat on my ass.” Alexandra gave a soft chuckle and shifted herself so both of her legs sat either side of the boy and she mounted his waist. “That last move wasn't like you at all, far too reckless if it was a real sword you’d lost your fingers.”

“I know. You’re a bad influence on me. I'm starting to fight like an idiot.”

“Oh, so I am an influence on you now? I am so honoured.” She leaned forward and matched a pair of fingers like a soldier up the boy’s chest, along his throat and finally catching his chin. “So what should I take as my victory prize this time?”

“Ugh not this again, I refuse to run around in one of your gowns!”

“No no we did that last time, now let me think.” She purposely paused for her own amusement before she spoke again. “You know I haven’t managed to steal your first kiss yet!”

“What?!” Richard’s voice fell silent in disbelief at what his rival had just said, before he could move a muscle the lips of the imperial princess were on his. Richard reached a hand up as if to stop her, but even that hand fell back to the ground as his eyelids fell and he kissed the girl back.

The moment was brief between the two but it was all the time in the world for jealousy to hook itself onto Philippa’s heart and begin to tug the painful cords back.

The kiss was the innocence of youth, unlike the dual, it wasn’t practised or a show of strength, it was nothing but the sloppy pressing of lips with neither knowing what they were truly doing. However, they hungered to make the kiss last longer if only to keep the taste of the others’ lips upon their own.

The kiss ended when the couple needed to steal a breath. They averted their eyes from each other and remained silent but their blushing cheeks told all that was needed to be said. The silence remained between them until Alexandra broke it.

“Well well well I didn’t expect that from little Richard. I know what I’m asking for again the next time you lose.” She spoke in her playful manner from earlier while the comment brought Richard back to his senses after losing them from the kiss.

“You are insatiable.” He said with an eye roll as he grabbed the princess’ hips, his touch making her joint up and produced a chuckle before he pushed her off him. “Quit goofing around. You’re the Imperial Princess you have a reputation to maintain.”

“You don’t have to remind me.” The playfulness was gone, replaced with a cold tone.

“Really? Then what the heck was that all about just now?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to kiss you. You should be flattered.” Avoiding his question she looked from his face.

“What’s that phrase commoners like to use? ‘Nothing my arse.’ Yes, I believe that’s how they say it. What’s wrong with you?”

“Can we just leave it at me feeling frustrated, you happened to be there and good looking enough?”

“Frustrated about what?”

“Father.” Alexandra spoke it so plainly but the very mention of the Emperor was a gunshot to Richard’s ears and he gave the girl his complete attention. “He’s already planning my coming of age debut, meaning in other words he's getting ready to present me for marriage on the world stage.”

“Ah… I see.” Richard gave pause to look at Alexandra's melancholy expression, a sight he rarely saw on the princess. The boy wanted to reach out but couldn’t find the words.

“Alexandra. I’m sorry… Sorry for the poor bastard that ends up having to marry you…” Richard fiercely turned his gaze from Alexandra, biting his tongue knowing perfectly well that wasn’t what he truly wanted to say to the girl. Too prideful he grasped his training sword and held it tightly as he picked himself up.

“What about you?” Alexandra’s question was a gorgon eye to him and stopped him on the spot.

“What about me?”

“You’re the son of a Duke and from a family that has been loyal to mine for centuries. A family that has provided more than it has taken for the empire.”

“No!” A chill ran down the boy’s spine as he understood where exactly she was going with the conversation.

“I’m just saying you are a prime candidate to become my beloved.” She said calmly while smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

“Don’t even joke about that!” The brave boy who fought the girl from earlier was completely gone hearing nothing but wedding bells inside his head.

Richard tried his best to regain his composure but ultimately knew he was bested by both his rival’s strength and wit. “You’re impossible.”

He stood tall and bowed his head to the princess. “Despite how many times I lose to you I will beat you princess Alexandra. That is my promise.”

“And I will be always waiting for your challenge.”

The couple’s last words left the courtyard silent. The girl alone waited a moment to make sure he had truly left before she allowed herself to breathe. “It wasn’t a joke you idiot.”

She cursed him as she crossed her arms and looked longingly in the direction he had gone as if she was expecting him to return and say something different. “You can come out now.”

The command was directed to the window where Philippa had watched the display. The girl remained a statue covering her mouth with her hands as if a single breath would get her caught by the princess. However, the allure of the princess’ tone and voice made the timid girl come out of hiding.

“How much did you hear?”

“Some of it… all of it your highness.”

“So much for the victor of honesty. Get down here.”

The princess’ command brought a noose of apprehension around the girl, she could do nothing but gulp and obey. Philippa, never a victim of choice, raced down to the princess without question.

Philippa paused for a moment before their opposite. The setting sun seemingly slowed to a crawl on the princess’ face reminding her of a church saint, an addictive purity all unknown, the sight made her remember how she felt catching the unearthly beauty hidden in a sable boy’s attire. She suddenly had the desire to touch the girl’s face knowing that she loved them, and it seems she could feel the laughter from the palace walls but as she allowed herself to enjoy the bliss of the moment, she no longer cared.

“You saw nothing.”

The cold voice made the lie a fact as she shivered from the implied threat and replied in a submissive tone. “Your Highness. I swear this won’t pass my lips.”

The sentence was cut short by a hiss of pain as Alexandra raised her shirt slightly to reveal a bruised strike just below her ribs but the injury only brought back the cheerful side she kept with Richard earlier. “Well look at that? He's getting better.”

“Are you hurt?” The sight of the injured girl she had fallen for brought Philippa from her passive expression and for the first time in her life felt anger towards another person. “He did this to you.”

Alexandra surprised by the venom in Philippa words brought her shirt back down. “Well yes we were sparring, injuries are expected. Why does it bother you so much?”

“You are the imperial princess and he struck you!”

“Lie to me again and I will have your tongue ripped out.”

This **** the girl to bite her tongue. She was never good at lying, but she lied to the princess was lost the moment she heard their response.

“Kidding.” She followed by losing her threatening tone towards the girl. “But again for the person who won my trial, honestly you sure lie easily.”

“I just know the pain, your highness I don’t wish to see you receive it…”

“Pain? Show me.” The bluntness of their request brought Philippa’s cheeks to crimson but again she obeyed and slowly unfastened her uniform top half, where Alexandra invaded the girl’s personal space, to sate their curiosity.

The princess brought a pair of fingers and felt around the bruises the girl had received, she shivered to their touch as brief as it was she wanted the inspection to last longer.

“You're skinny.”

“What?!”

“Don’t shout. I am just saying you need to get some meat on your bones, you look half dead.” The princess didn’t question the girl about her injuries, thinking it may have been a kindness to allow them to have their secrets. “Tell the cooks in the kitchen that you have permission to eat anything you desire and whenever.”

“B-but..” The princess’ finger silenced the girl's protests which unintentionally caressed her lips.

“But nothing, if I don’t see you put on a healthy amount of weight by the end of spring, you are gone. Do you understand? I won’t have a skeleton for a maid.”

---

The trail of Loyalty

He was handsome in his stoic way, one or two of the girls’ eyes found themselves lingered upon him, surprisingly the princess’ eyes were among them.

“What’s he doing here?” Philippa standing in a line among the rest of the maid candidates eyed Richard with curiosity and spite.

“He is here to **** me.”

“I wish you didn’t say that with such a straight face.”

The next month returned both Philipp and the remaining maid candidates back to where they had begun. Lined up perfectly in the princess’ chambers they were greeted by the princess sitting casually in a chair and her companion stood behind them with his arms respectfully crossed to show his discontent with Alexandra’s choice of words.

“Come on handsome it is not every day you get to kill royalty.” The maid candidates were more confused by the couple's back and forth than they were by the collection of goblets on the table in front of them.

“Is that your attempt at getting me excited? I take this as an insult that you think I am low enough to be your assassin.”

“Hush!” She placed a finger on her lips if only to hide her grin. “We have some confused faces watching us. Alright, girls, as you can see there are a number of goblets in front of you, as my maid, you're expected to represent the very pinnacle of loyalty and in this position, you may have to risk your life. Richard has graciously ‘volunteered’ to act as my assassin. He has poisoned one of these goblets and it’s your job to find out which one before I drink it.” Pointing to a sand-timer she continued. “Every minute I will take a goblet and drink from it. The only rule is you’re not allowed to get rid of the water inside the goblet without drinking it yourself.”

“So we’re playing the role of food tasters.” Elizabeth chimed in as confined as ever.

“Correct.” Elizabeth was met by the brick wall that was Richard’s bunt tone. “Any questions?”

“Do we get any clues to which goblet is poisoned?”

“I would hardly make a good assassin if I told my target’s servant where I placed my **** weapon.”

“You heard that girls? He called me his target. ” Unable to resist, Alexandra giggled as she held up her head in the palm of her hand and looked up at Richard. “You should play this role more often. I like this side of you.”

“I suppose killing you would shut you up.” Richard refused to give into Alexandra’s teasing held his ground.

Unexpectedly Philippa asked the next question. “Em excuse my lord, are we allowed to prevent the princess from drinking from a goblet she has chosen, if we think it was poisoned?”

“I suppose you can as long as you’re committed to drinking from the goblet yourself?” The answer left Philippa silent as she didn’t think she was willing to poison herself.

The next question was asked by one of the other candidates and was likely the one everyone wanted to ask. “This ‘poison’ isn't real is it?”

“Begin!” The sand-timer was turned over by Alexandra intentionally before Richard could give the girl an answer.

Elizabeth was the first to approach the goblets and without warning took one in her hand before she drank from it. The maid candidate who asked the last question attempted the same before staring blankly inside the goblet she had chosen and fear took control. “I can't do it. This is too much!”

Richard eyed the girl without a single emotion made, he raised his hand and pointed his finger directly at them like a hunter preparing to shoot a doe. “Disqualified!”

The shout made the girl drop the goblet and begin tearing up. “Wow. Richard so heartlessly.” The princess watched the display with a dry voice. Her care was not on the girl but more on Richard’s lack of gentleness towards her.

A minute passed and the princess brought a goblet of her choosing to her lips only to be stopped by Elizabeth who had approached them. Philippa’s expression twitched with jealousy as she watched the display of Elizabeth's fingers crossing over Alexandra’s as she stole the neck of the goblet from the princess. “Please, your highness, I must insist I drink this before you.”

The interaction consumed Philippa with a possessiveness she never thought she could have for someone, she ripped her eyes from Elizabeth who caught the princess’ attention with their boldness and way of speaking that she couldn’t even begin to match. All she could do was be of use to the princess the only way she knew how. Philippa walked up to the table of drinks and picked one up.

With a shaky hand she grasped the goblet with her other hand to avoid spilling it, she knew how easily the last girl got disqualified and didn’t want to give Richard a reason to do the same to her. Philippa took a sip from the goblet and continued to drink it entirely. “One down…”

Her voice caught the attention of no one other than Richard who watched Philippa place the empty cup down and then collect another goblet. She repeated this until the several goblets were empty. Each time she feared the next would be her last but always she returned her eyes to her princess and knew what she must do.

The trial ended with all the goblets empty. Alexandra sat in her chair and looked disappointed that she didn't get to drink anything, even though it was water she must have missed the chance to play her game. “Congratulations Elizabeth you have won the trial of Loyalty, for your bravery for beginning the first to drink.”

Elizabeth held her dress and gave the princess a curtsy with a humble tone she replied "I have only the desire to protect and serve you your highness."

“I bet. It’s a shame you didn’t present that commitment in the trial honesty. Anyway, I guess we’re done here?”

“Wait.” Richard from behind his companion. “There's someone else who may have a chance of also winning this trial of yours.”

Alexandra looked up at Richard from her chair. “Really? Alright, I’ll bite. Who else has won my trial?”

Richard looked to the maid candidates. “Stick out your tongues.”

“Excuse me?” They questioned the command.

“Do it.” The princess overruled their question instinctively.

Nervously they all revealed their tongues to the couple and Richard explained. “The ‘poison’ I used was nothing but an alchemic dye that temporarily blackens the tongues of those who consume it.”

Alexandra eyed the line of candidates to see who was the one to get ‘Poisoned.’ Finally resting on Philippa.