#royaltymod

The Twins, 

Queen Penelope and king Fin <3 

The witch queen and the blood king. 

Now that Mrs. Downing has passed, Cressida is in charge of managing the household. That, along with motherhood, takes up much of her time, but she manages to plan a tea for the young people. She hopes to match Cassandra with Mr. Kyleson, both because it is an advantageous match and because she'd like to keep him close to her. However, they do not seem to be hitting it off.

With the new privileges that being a married woman permits her, Cressida can move a little more freely and begins to secretly meet up with a local coven to perform magic. At home, they often entertain all the eligible young people who live nearby, including the charming Mr. Kyleson, in hopes of securing a good match for Cassandra.

It doesn't take Cressida long to decide that she wants Mr. Kyleson for herself. She feels guilty at first, but continues to orchestrate clandestine meetings. With a husband who only thinks he loves her, and a mother-in-law who hates her, she needed to get her happiness somewhere else.

And everything was going splendidly until Mrs. Downing came home from a visit unexpectantly early and walked in on them. Cressida insisted that Mr. Kyleson leave as quickly as possible and let her handle the situation.

Lawrence insists that they host a ball to celebrate the engagement, so that their neighbours see that Cressida is to be respected and accepted as one of them. His mother finally relents, aware that he is right - they must avoid scandal as much as possible. At the ball, Cressida has a wonderful time and meets the handsome and charming Mr. Kyleson, a new resident of Henford-on-Bagley.

It seems that Cressida was truly at point non plus, but she, like several Meyer women before her, is a witch. She has been secretly studying and honing her craft for years. She has practiced little bits of magic - tricks of light and shape and so forth - but has never performed a large piece of work before. However, after a week of deliberation, she decides that now is the time. She works a love spell, crying all the time. She knows that Lawrence will not truly love her, but as her love for him had faded after she saw who we truly was, and she really had no other choice, she performed the spell.

Cressida begins a love affair with Lawrence Downing that goes on for several weeks. He continues to make promises that he will marry her, but that he must first figure out how to make his mother accept the match. Cressida more wants to believe him than actually believes him, but she continues to meet up with him, too lovesick at this point to think clearly.

What happened next was inevitable, really. Cressida asks Lawrence to meet with her in her chamber and she tells him that she is with child. It is now imperative that they wed at once!

Lawrence's entire demeanors changes, and so swiftly. His face becomes hard, that ready smile gone.

He is quiet for a moment, but then - "Miss Scott, I appreciate the discomfort of your situation, but I can not take responsibility for this...unfortunate circumstance."

"Discomfort?! I shall be ruined if you do not marry me."

"And I shall be ruined if I do marry you."

"Are you refusing to take responsibility for this child?" she asked angrily.

"I am denying responsibility. There is no way of knowing who fathered this child, if there even is one."

"Lawrence! What are you saying?"

"Oh, I know all the tricks that scheming young governesses play, desperate to elevate their status. I presume you are not to have a child at all. And if you are, how can I know the child is mine? You have likely lain with any number of men."

"Lawrence! How can you say such a thing? You must know there has only been you. I am a lady."

He let out a cold and humourless laugh, nothing like what she'd heard from him before. "How could you be? You went to bed so readily with me, you know I must think you have done it a hundred times before."

With that, he nodded curtly. "I must leave. The longer I remain her, the more your reputation is at stake."

She gaped at him disbelievingly, silent tears falling down her cheeks.

That night, Cressida heard a soft knock at her chamber door and, thinking it to be the housekeeper Mrs. Richards, who promised to come by before bed to chat about the ball, Cressida bid her enter. It was Mr. Downing!

Cressida scrambled up from her seat at the small table and tried to cover herself as best as she could. "Mr. Downing! I am not dressed. This is...this is very inappropriate."

Lawrence sat at the table. He smiled that disarming smile of his. "Cressida...I have never seen you with your hair down before. You're so beautiful."

"You must leave now. Mrs. Richards will be here any moment."

"No, she will not. I met her in the hall and sent her on her way. Told her you were knocked-up from all the excitement tonight and already abed."

"And how did you explain to her what you were doing in this part of the house? Did anyone else see you?"

"How did I explain?! Cressida, this is my house. And no, no one else saw me. Now...I never got my dance." He stood and reached out his hand toward her. "Shall we?"

"Mr. Downing - "

"I told you to call me Lawrence."

"...Lawrence...I..."

Cressida hesitated and, against her better judgment, stood and put her hand in his. They danced to music only they could hear and couldn't stop smiling at one another. What happened next was inevitable, really. He kissed her, gently at first, and then more passionately. She didn't resist and soon began to kiss him back.

Kisses became caresses and caresses became desperate groping.

"Lawrence," she gasped, "We mustn't...we must...I...you want to marry me, do you not?"

He turned his attention from the curve of her neck to her ear. She moaned.

"Lawrence?..." He felt her body stiffen.

He quickly met her eyes. "Of course I will marry you, but I can not wait any longer! I've waited long enough!"