Once Upon A Time (Historical Romance) by Constance O'Banyon
Authors: Constance O'Banyon
Tags: Fiction, adventure, Romance, Historical, Adult, Action, England, Medieval, Renaissance, Secret, Identity, King, father, 15th Century, betrayed, Childhood, queen, country, once upon a time, freedom, vengeance, Deceased, Threatened, Murdered, Talshamar, Heir, Prince Ruyen, Falcon Bruine, Common Enemy, Hearts Prisoner
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neck and flung it across the room. She then unfastened her own white overskirt and placed it across a chair.
By now Netta had returned with a water basin and linen towels and placed them on a side table. Jilliana dampened the cloths and laid them on Princess Cassandra, who was writhing in obvious pain.
"Netta," Jilliana said, "Go at once to the Bear and Bull Inn and seek Sir Humphrey." As she walked the servant to the door, she explained what she needed. "Inform him that I want these ingredients at once."
When the maid departed, Jilliana went back to her patient. "If you will step aside, Prince Ruyen, I will do what I can to help your sister. But I can do nothing with you in my way."
He stood his ground. "I have seen many grown men die of this sickness and she is but a child. You cannot help her. No one can."
"Who has stripped you of your faith? Your sister is not going to die," Jilliana said, rolling up her sleeves and wetting a towel. "If you want to be of help, leave her to my care."
Obediently he moved back. Jilliana might appear young, but she was confident and every inch a queen. "Once more it would seem I owe you my gratitude."
She placed another towel on the girl's forehead, all the while glaring at him. "I neither want, nor ask for, your gratitude. My concern at the moment is to alleviate your sister's suffering. I would do the same for anyone—even you in likened circumstances."
He heard the anger in her voice and wondered at the reason for it. He had married her, had he not? What else did she want from him?
By the time Jilliana had finished bathing the girl, she heard Sir Humphrey's gruff voice in the outer chamber.
Hurrying out to him, she took the herbs and potions he had brought and ground them up and added them to a flask of water.
"I see you are using Mother Magdalene's remedy for flux," he observed as he watched her.
"Yes, it always worked for her, let us hope it does the same for me."
Jilliana reentered the bedchamber, raised Princess Cassandra's head and encouraged her to drink. After much coaxing, the girl finally swallowed the bitter medicine.
Ruyen's sister was so young—so pale. Would she survive? Jilliana was not as confident as she pretended to be.
"I have done all I can," she said, turning to Netta. "I will want you to remain with the princess. Bathe her often with cool water and encourage her to drink liquids. In the morning, you will administer another dose of medicine. I'll see that you have a bed so you can rest as well."
Ruyen sat in a chair in the outer room, his eyes worriedly locked on the door to his sister's bedchamber. He had forgotten that Sir Humphrey was in the room until the man spoke.
"Her Majesty will do all she can to help your sister."
"But will it be enough?"
"Only God can say."
"God has paid little heed to me or my sister of late," Ruyen said bitingly.
"Sometimes He speaks and we are so immersed in our own needs that we do not hear His voice."
Ruyen's eyes were stabbing as he looked at the queen's man. "Are you then His voice?"
"Not I. But today you married a young woman who is pure of heart and deed, and I believe God speaks through her. If you will allow it, she can help restore your faith."
"I have had all the help from her I want. Who asked her to interfere in my life?"
Sir Humphrey smiled. "Perhaps God did."
There was a loud rapping on the outer door and Netta came from the bedchamber to open it. One of King Henry's knights stood there, his eyes sweeping past the maid to the room beyond. He had hoped to get a glimpse of the beautiful young queen everyone was talking about.
"You want something?" Netta asked coldly.
"I have a message for your queen."
"Then tell it to me."
He looked disappointed, but complied. "His Majesty, King Henry, is holding a banquet in honor of the wedding of Queen Jilliana and Prince Ruyen. Someone will come at seven o'clock to escort them to the Great Hall, where they shall be his honored guests."
"I will tell Her
By now Netta had returned with a water basin and linen towels and placed them on a side table. Jilliana dampened the cloths and laid them on Princess Cassandra, who was writhing in obvious pain.
"Netta," Jilliana said, "Go at once to the Bear and Bull Inn and seek Sir Humphrey." As she walked the servant to the door, she explained what she needed. "Inform him that I want these ingredients at once."
When the maid departed, Jilliana went back to her patient. "If you will step aside, Prince Ruyen, I will do what I can to help your sister. But I can do nothing with you in my way."
He stood his ground. "I have seen many grown men die of this sickness and she is but a child. You cannot help her. No one can."
"Who has stripped you of your faith? Your sister is not going to die," Jilliana said, rolling up her sleeves and wetting a towel. "If you want to be of help, leave her to my care."
Obediently he moved back. Jilliana might appear young, but she was confident and every inch a queen. "Once more it would seem I owe you my gratitude."
She placed another towel on the girl's forehead, all the while glaring at him. "I neither want, nor ask for, your gratitude. My concern at the moment is to alleviate your sister's suffering. I would do the same for anyone—even you in likened circumstances."
He heard the anger in her voice and wondered at the reason for it. He had married her, had he not? What else did she want from him?
By the time Jilliana had finished bathing the girl, she heard Sir Humphrey's gruff voice in the outer chamber.
Hurrying out to him, she took the herbs and potions he had brought and ground them up and added them to a flask of water.
"I see you are using Mother Magdalene's remedy for flux," he observed as he watched her.
"Yes, it always worked for her, let us hope it does the same for me."
Jilliana reentered the bedchamber, raised Princess Cassandra's head and encouraged her to drink. After much coaxing, the girl finally swallowed the bitter medicine.
Ruyen's sister was so young—so pale. Would she survive? Jilliana was not as confident as she pretended to be.
"I have done all I can," she said, turning to Netta. "I will want you to remain with the princess. Bathe her often with cool water and encourage her to drink liquids. In the morning, you will administer another dose of medicine. I'll see that you have a bed so you can rest as well."
Ruyen sat in a chair in the outer room, his eyes worriedly locked on the door to his sister's bedchamber. He had forgotten that Sir Humphrey was in the room until the man spoke.
"Her Majesty will do all she can to help your sister."
"But will it be enough?"
"Only God can say."
"God has paid little heed to me or my sister of late," Ruyen said bitingly.
"Sometimes He speaks and we are so immersed in our own needs that we do not hear His voice."
Ruyen's eyes were stabbing as he looked at the queen's man. "Are you then His voice?"
"Not I. But today you married a young woman who is pure of heart and deed, and I believe God speaks through her. If you will allow it, she can help restore your faith."
"I have had all the help from her I want. Who asked her to interfere in my life?"
Sir Humphrey smiled. "Perhaps God did."
There was a loud rapping on the outer door and Netta came from the bedchamber to open it. One of King Henry's knights stood there, his eyes sweeping past the maid to the room beyond. He had hoped to get a glimpse of the beautiful young queen everyone was talking about.
"You want something?" Netta asked coldly.
"I have a message for your queen."
"Then tell it to me."
He looked disappointed, but complied. "His Majesty, King Henry, is holding a banquet in honor of the wedding of Queen Jilliana and Prince Ruyen. Someone will come at seven o'clock to escort them to the Great Hall, where they shall be his honored guests."
"I will tell Her
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