Chapter 6 I Must See Him

• Sophia coughs violently unable to continue and Emilia shouts for medicine.
• “The King sent people over to check, evidence was found against your father and the guards took him away after placing us under house arrest.” Sophia continues, declining the medicine bought to her.
• Emilia sighs, angry and worried. She has warned her father severally about taking in strangers, but he believed he was helping the Kingdom. Now that same Kingdom has turned on him.
• “Take your medicine first.” Emilia says after a short silence and Sophia complies.
• Her maid helps her with some water and others look on, fearful of what will become of them.
• If their master is convicted of treason, the entire household could be executed.
• “Where’s Catherine?” Emilia asks, seeing that Sophia is a little better.
• Margaret speaks up this time.
• “She’s in the palace.”
• “Why is she in the palace?” Emilia demands, but the stares around the room make her heart sink.
• “That stupid girl” Margaret utters in anger.
• “She… she was caught in the King’s bed while my lord was being accused,” Hannah reveals with disgust.
• “She even dares to use aphrodisiac on the King.”
• Emilia stares, stunned.
• “That fool.”
• “Because of her,” Hannah continues,
• “People now believe your father tried to plant someone close to the King to aid his evil plans.”
• “Nonsense,” Emilia whispers, horrified.
• “What did the King say? What will happen to her?” she questions.
• Hannah shakes her head.
• “No one knows yet.”
• Emilia stands frozen, her world unraveling.
• Half a day. She was gone for half a day and everything has fallen apart.
• “I need to see Father. Right now,” Emilia says, her voice firm, already heading for the door when a servant rushes in, breathless.
• “My Lady… someone from the palace has arrived.”
• Emilia stops. Her stomach sinks.
• “Let’s go,” she commands.
• They all step outside together. Sophia leans on Emily and a servant for support, her face pale.
• Emilia stands at the front, chin lifted, as the King’s aid unrolls a parchment.
• They all drop to their knees.
• “In accordance with His Majesty’s command,” the man begins, voice cold and formal, “Lord Markham has been found aiding the enemies of the crown and is imprisoned pending investigation. Until further notice, none of his family are permitted to leave the estate.”
• The silence after the announcement is suffocating.
• Emilia rises slowly and steps forward to receive the edict, her hands trembling only slightly. The King’s aid lowers his voice, eyes full of regret.
• “My Lady… be strong. Take care of your household. I believe your father’s loyalty will shine through.”
• He knows her father well. And he fears what this could mean.
• As he turns to leave, a small detachment of royal guards takes position around their estate.
• Making it a gilded prison for them.
• “We’re in trouble,” Margaret gasps, clutching her two sons to her chest.
• “Are we all going to be killed?”
• “Emilia, what do we do? How do we get out of this situation?” Hannah shrieks, grabbing Emilia’s dress in desperation.
• “You have to fix this! My lord’s mistake is going to destroy us all!”
• Emilia shakes her off with fury.
• “Mistake?” she hisses.
• “You never cared about my father, only your own safety!” she snaps.
• Hannah recoils, her eyes wide.
• They never accepted it when Father named her heir. They fought it bitterly, arguing that their sons deserve the position instead. But now that there’s danger, they look to her to save them.
• Emilia spins on her heel.
• “June. Help me change. I’m going to the palace, I need to speak to the King”
• Her voice leaves no room for argument and both rushes away to do as she says.
• With her maids’ help, Emilia slips past the guards under the cover of dusk, exchanging a small pouch of gold for their silence. Her heart pounds.
• The palace gates loom like a beast in the dark with guards moving left and right. Probably because of the fear that the rebels might be in the city.
• Despite that Emilia manages to bribe her way in.
• Inside the palace, she ducks behind marble pillars and weaves through grand hallways until she reaches the King’s wing.
• But guards and servants are everywhere. Emilia waits for long, heart pounding like thunder.
• She isn’t even sure if this will work and if she is caught before seeing him then she has no chance to help her father.
• Either ways, she should take the risk.
• Emilia concluded then she moves.
• “Who goes there?” Robert, the King’s aid, steps forward, sword halfway drawn then stops, startled.
• “Miss Emilia?”
• Emilia exhales, stepping into the light.
• “Forgive me.” he quickly apologizes.
• “Miss Emilia, you shouldn’t be here,” Robert whispers with worry.
• “The King is furious and forbade…”
• “I know,” she cuts in.
• “But I must see him.”
• Emilia says, and Robert exhales.
• The three of them, including the King, are friends once in the past but the relationship between them hit the bottom rock all of a sudden without a definite reason.
• “The King has been in a very bad mood since earlier, I don’t think doing his will help.” Robert persuades and Emilia hesitates for a second
• “Doesn’t matter. Just inform him that I’m here.”
• “Don’t do this. You are putting your family in greater danger.” Robert pleads.
• “I am aware, but I just need a minute with the King” she demands, pushing past.
• Robert follows, desperate to stop her.
• Emilia continues to rush forward but she is stopped by someone else she least expect to see there.
• The Prime minister.
• Emilia stops cold. Her breath catches in her throat.