II - Punishment

The doors to the throne room swung open as she approached, three guards, including Ackley, followed closely behind her.

"You asked for me Father?" Georgiana called out, her voice void of any emotion. She was bored. She and her father had had this conversation many times before, she was almost certain she could guess what he was about to say.

King William of England looked up from the table he was stood behind and met the gaze of his troublesome daughter. With a wave of his hand he dismissed the group of noblemen whom he had been discussing business with and glared at her.

"Again, Georgiana?" He said through gritted teeth.

Georgiana nodded and turned her head to glance over her shoulder. Ackley stood to attention a couple of steps away from her, his eyes locked on the King. The other guards that had escorted her into the throne room stood by the door awaiting orders.

"Speak when spoken to." The King shouted. Georgiana jumped as his voice echoed around the large, high-ceilinged room. She wasn't afraid of her father but she kept a watchful eye on his raising temper.

"Again, Your Majesty." She said with forced sweetness as she curtsied. She held in her laughter as she went to hold her dress but remembered her attire was that of a man's.

"When are you going to stop acting like a young, adventurous boy and start behaving like the Princess of England?" King William asked crossing his arms over his chest, his glare still heavy on her face.

"Girls like to be adventurous too. Not all of us like to be cooped up in a castle day after day."

The King raised an eyebrow at his daughter's fiery attitude, "I think you would find that plenty of girls your age strive to have the life of a Princess but you are nothing but an ungrateful little girl."

"I am not a little girl. I am ten and seven."

"Start acting like it and maybe then I'll believe it." The King chuckled and from behind her, Georgiana heard Ackley snigger to himself. She felt her cheeks redden in anger.

"It is a waste of my time and everyone else's time sending search parties looking across the country for you." The King continued.

"Then don't do it." Georgiana bit out before she could stop herself.

"Silence! You sharp-tongued little girl, I have had enough of your disobedience and lack of respect-" The King's outburst was interrupted by the throne room doors opening once more to reveal Queen Clarissa as she glided gracefully into the room.

Queen Clarissa was adored by the people. She listened and cared unlike her temperamental husband. Georgiana beamed at the warming sight of her mother.

"Oh darling you're back safely." She clapped her hands together as she walked towards her daughter. The extravagant blue gown she wore sparkled in the rays of sunlight that filtered into the room. She pulled Georgiana into her arms for a loving embrace and shot her husband a warning glare over her shoulder.

"As much as I support this rebellion phrase, I'd much rather you wear a gown around the palace and not this stable boy attire." Clarissa whispered into Georgiana's ear as the two of them pulled apart.

Georgiana smiled after her mother as she moved towards the King and whispered something in his ear. The King grunted in disagreement and mumbled a reply in which the Queen laughed and patted his arm.

"You will stay in your chambers for the rest of the day." The King announced and Georgiana had to refrain herself from smiling too much.

"That's it? That's my punishment?" She asked, shock written across her face.

"I will not repeat myself." The King said firmly. "Ackley, escort the Princess to her chambers."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ackley bowed low before leading Georgiana towards the doors. Georgiana looked over her shoulder at her mother and caught the quick wink that she sent her.

***

Georgiana felt his presence as soon as she entered her chambers.

Two servants hurried into the room after her, each carrying a large bucket of boiling hot water for her bathtub. Georgiana pretended to be oblivious to his presence and threw the leather satchel she held onto her bed before slipping off her boots.

She had grown accustomed to his spontaneous visits over the past year and could easily detect when he was near.

"Your bath is ready, Your Highness." One of the servants said. With a nod of dismissal from the Princess they both curtsied low before slipping quietly out of the room.

Georgiana waited for the young Prince to reveal himself but when he didn't she frowned. He was waiting, hidden in the shadows. She raised an eyebrow at his game and lifted the hat from her head and slowly shook her hair so that the long, brown curls fell down her back.

When there wasn't any sign of movement she started to undo the buttons on her waistcoat. She moved cautiously over to the bed and placed the item of clothing onto the covers. She could feel his presence but was unaware of his location; a shiver of excitement ran down her back.

"Francis, I'm not going to undress in front of you." She announced to the seemingly empty room.

No movement.

"I mean it." She said folding her arms.

Silence.

Crossing the room in a few light steps she swung open the balcony doors and peered outside. The afternoon sun was shining and the only noise came from the birds who occupied the sky. Georgiana frowned. The contrast between the bright outside and the darkness of her room made her squint as her vision altered to the difference.

"I know you're in here." She said closing the doors to the balcony, "this game is getting rather dull, Prince, so come out, come out wherever you are." She attempted to look bored, keeping her facial expression neutral but kept a watchful eye on each corner of the room.

"Not even close, Princess." The deep voice made her stomach tighten in excitement. She spun around as the Prince revealed himself from his hiding place.

"Liar!" She exclaimed watching as he pulled back the curtains that hung at the side of the balcony doors, "I was so close!" She couldn't hide the smile that flashed across her features.

The Prince grinned and raised a challenging eyebrow, "I wouldn't class that as close."

Georgiana saw red. "How was I not close? I looked out on the balcony; the curtains are right next to it." She stated, pointing towards where he had just emerged from.

Francis crossed his arms over his chest, his grin didn't falter. "But you didn't check them did you?" Georgiana threw her arms up into the air and turned away from his smug face.

"No because it's such an obvious place to hide. Not very original if you ask me." She said struggling to keep her voice down as to not attract attention from the guards outside her chambers.

"No one asked you."

Georgiana turned around and glared at him. He winked back at her.

"Out." Even as she said it she knew he wouldn't pay any attention to her order. She turned her back to him and walked towards the tub.

"I don't want my water to go cold, Francis." She warned. There were sounds of movement behind her and she slowly turned back around.

"Francis!" She hissed when she found him lying down in the centre of her bed, propped up on his elbows gazing at her with the same cheeky grin on his face.

"Pretend I'm not here." She could see the satisfaction in his eyes as well as in his voice.

"Fine." She said sharply and began to unfasten the button on her breeches. She looked up through the hair that had fallen across her face at him. He had stilled on the bed and his eyes were locked on her. She held back her smile.

She played with the bottom of her cotton shirt, prolonging his internal torture. Her body felt alive under his heated gaze. She caught his eye once more before pulling the shirt up over her head, flashing him her bare back as she glided gracefully behind the safety of the changing screen. She smiled when she heard his frustrated groan from across the room.

"You're such a tease." He said and Georgiana could imagine him running his hands down his face in irritation.

Now that she was hidden behind the changing screen, Georgiana swiftly disposed of the rest of the masculine clothes she was wearing and then grabbed the edge of the screen. She pushed the screen across the floor, remaining hidden at all times, so that it stood in front of the tub of hot water. From across the room she heard Francis mumble something under his breath.

She carefully lowered herself into the tub and found that the water was still at the correct temperature. She sighed in relief as she let the water cover her body and wash away all her problems. Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander freely.

"Why did you run away this morning?" His voice startled her but Georgiana kept her eyes closed and released a breath.

"You know why." She replied.

Silence filled the air once more. Georgiana opened her eyes and let her hand skim across the top of the warm water. "You've never made it all the way to the coast before." She heard him say, more to himself than to her.

She shrugged her shoulders, "What can I say, I wanted to push Captain Ackley's limits."

"That's not the real reason." Francis stated.

"Of course not. I wanted to-"

"-Run away, like always." Francis interrupted, earning an eye roll from Georgiana.

"I was going to say I wanted to watch the sunrise over the ocean. And I don't run away, that makes me seem childish. I escape. I escape to feel free. To feel the freedom of the wind racing through my hair and to feel free from watching eyes. You wouldn't call it running away if my father actually let me leave the house every now and again."

"You're the Princess of England, he's protecting you." The statement earned him another eye roll from the Princess.

"Just like Alex protects you and I protect-"

"Ah," Georgiana exclaimed causing his sentence to hang unfinished in the air, "but Alex lets me join in with activities like hunting. God forbid if father found out I knew how to use a bow and arrow or how to skin a rabbit." She smiled fondly over the memories of Alex teaching her all he knew about hunting throughout their childhood. "He lets me get my hands dirty whereas father would prefer to keep me indoors with a needle and thread in hand."

"Like I said, he's protecting you, I think-" This time instead of listening to what he was going to say next Georgiana gripped the sides of the tub and dunked her head under the water, successfully drowning out the rest of his words.

Although she hated to admit it, she knew what Francis was saying was correct. Her father was just protecting her. This she was fine with but what she didn't agree with was how he went about it. Keeping her cooped up in the castle and restricting who she could talk to was what flared her temper. She was surprised that she was even allowed to talk to Francis, maybe that was because he was her brother's greatest friend and not the fact that he snuck, undetected into her chambers from time to time.

When her lungs began to burn, she pushed up against the heavy water and opened her eyes. Taking in a deep breath of air, she rubbed her eyes and turned her head to the side, jumping when she found Francis stood a few feet away with a bathing towel in his hands.

"I didn't look." He said squeezing his eyes shut as if to back up his statement. Georgiana stood up letting the water drain off her body as she snatched the towel from his outstretched hands.

"You really do test my patience sometimes, Francis." She said wrapping the material around her body.

"As do you, Princess." The smile touched the corner of his eyes as she shoved him away from the changing screen. With the towel wrapped tightly around her body, she stepped out of the bath and picked up the fresh undergarments that had been placed on a nearby chair for her by one of the servants. She peered around the side of the changing screen and spotted Francis over at the far side of her chambers, inspecting her book collection. She slipped past the screen and began rummaging through her many dresses.

"Your Highness!" The voice made Georgiana jump and she hurried to tie up her dress. Her eyes scanned the room in panic, looking for Francis but the Prince was nowhere to be found.

Why is he so good at hiding?

"Come in," She called and the doors to her chambers swung open and Katherine, one of her Ladies, ran into the room.

"Lady Katherine, Your Highness." The guards announced a little too late as Katherine had already crossed the room and stood in front of Georgiana.

"What is it Kat?" Georgiana said taking in the panic-stricken look on her Lady's face.

"Your Highness, Benjamin was taken from the stables this morning." Dread consumed her mind as Kat went on, "they've taken him to the outer courtyard where he'll serve his punishment."

"Where's Abigail?" Georgiana whispered.

"With him." 

  ***  

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