Days passed, and Anastasia quietly collected samples of the late king’s handwriting. She also searched for royal commands bearing his seal to use for comparison. While she was gathering evidence, Dorothy was on the verge of going mad.
Since being accused of harming the queen, the king had not stepped into her courtyard. She wasn’t even allowed to take a walk outside. The nanny and two maids, who had once shown her the utmost respect, now dared to display their displeasure.
Although they didn’t go too far due to her pregnancy, this was not the life Dorothy had envisioned. She had believed she would beco a respected lady, how could she accept such a fate, especially when she had done nothing wrong? The maids had beco disobedient, and Dorothy began looking for a way to see the king. She believed that if she could explain everything again, he would surely believe her.
The king had only sent a single ssage, instructing her to eat and rest in peace. If she was truly innocent, he said, he would investigate and deliver justice.
"That wicked queen," Dorothy cursed. She believed that Physician Nathan and the queen had plotted together to fra her. She had thought the queen was weak and kind, and she had regarded Physician Nathan like a grandfather. The more she thought about it, the angrier she beca.
"I want to take a walk," Dorothy said, feeling suffocated from being cooped up in the courtyard for so long.
"My lady, it’s not good. The king asked to take care of you and your unborn child. If sothing were to happen while you were out, how would I explain it?" the nanny said. She cursed Dorothy silently a thousand tis but dared not speak aloud.
Walter had personally brought a ssage from the king, instructing her to care for Dorothy and ensure nothing happened to her or the baby. However, Dorothy was not allowed to wander the palace, nor was she permitted to see the queen. So, the nanny hadn’t let her leave the courtyard.
"Do you think I won’t hit my head against the wall and die if you don’t let out?" Dorothy threatened. She could not accept this prison she was placed in the na of protection.
The nanny’s heart skipped a beat. She silently cursed her misfortune for being assigned to soone like Dorothy.
"My lady, I say this for your own good. The queen has already plotted against you once. What if you have an accident and lose the baby? Your only protection now is the little one growing inside you. You have to endure it," the nanny advised. She didn’t truly care what happened to Dorothy—she was only thinking of herself. These words went against her conscience, after all she also thought Dorothy was guilty but she feared Dorothy might do sothing drastic and drag her down as well.
Dorothy paused at those words. Even if Anastasia and Nathan were working together, she believed there was a possibility the queen might not allow her child to be born, especially if she herself couldn’t conceive.
"You have a point. I won’t wander. Just a short walk outside the courtyard," Dorothy said. She once again believed that the king loved her deeply—why else would he assign such a wise nanny to her?
Dorothy gently touched her still-flat stomach. She yearned to see the fruit of her and the king’s love.
The nanny breathed a quiet sigh of relief and ordered the maids to help dress Dorothy properly. The maids did as instructed, and soon Dorothy stepped outside. As promised, she didn’t stray far from the courtyard.
The evening breeze felt gentle on her skin. As she enjoyed her walk, she overheard two maids whispering while glancing in her direction.
"Is that the evil woman who climbed into His Majesty’s bed and tried to harm the queen?" one of them asked loudly, not bothering to lower her voice.
"Quiet! I heard she managed to charm His Majesty," the second maid replied.
Dorothy burned with the urge to confront them and stepped forward, when did she climb into the king’s bed? In her heart she and the king fell in love when did it beco a cri to love? but the nanny quickly held her back.
"You’re pregnant. If anything happens to you, even if they lose their lives, you’d still be the biggest loser," the nanny warned. Since she was responsible for Dorothy’s care, she could not allow any harm to co to her or the child. Even if Dorothy never regained the king’s favor, at least she would survive this ordeal.
Dorothy bit her lip. She rembered that the nanny had been personally assigned by the king. She also recalled her grandmother’s words: A mistress walks on thin ice in a noble household. Once again, she was forced to swallow her pride.
The two maids began to walk away, but Dorothy still heard so of their parting words.
"Why can she do such a thing and get angry when others talk about it? In my opinion, she’s not even a tenth as beautiful as the queen. Who knows—she may have used so forbidden dicine on Her Majesty," the first maid said boldly. She was confident Dorothy didn’t know her and, now that Dorothy had been confined, believed she wouldn’t suffer any consequences.
"Enough! Watch your mouth," the second maid warned. Though she disliked Dorothy as well, she noticed that the woman still had servants attending her. If the baby turned out to be a son, Dorothy might regain favor. So, she dared not speak too boldly.
"More beautiful..." Dorothy sneered softly. "What’s the use of being beautiful if you can’t keep your man? What good is a lovely face if you can’t bear children?" Her words dripped with bitterness. She had always felt a bit inferior to the queen, so hearing others praise Anastasia provoked her into speaking without thinking.
The nanny and the maids quickly lowered their heads.
One of the maids, who had been assigned to cleaning duties before Dorothy moved into the secluded courtyard, overheard the remark. She had been placed there by Lady Mary to keep an eye on Dorothy.
Hearing Dorothy mock the queen, the maid was disgusted by her malice. She silently vowed to embellish the words when reporting back to Miss Margaret later.
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