Livia wanted to do nothing more than hold William close and tell him it would all be alright. He looked so worn out and exhausted from the day though, that she figured it would make little difference. "Goodnight, William," was all she said.
When he left, Livia took a stroll around the estate. She should have gone to bed, but she wasn't tired at all. Her mind was racing as her feet carried her down familiar corridors and made continuous turns. It wasn't until Livia passed a darkened hallway that she started paying attention to her surroundings. This was a hallway hardly used. If she remembered correctly, somewhere down that hallway was William's mother's old room. Of course at night, Lady Hulme shared a bed with her husband, but she still had her own room. She always appeared as an independent and strong woman to Livia. She was the only Lady that Livia ever thought deserved her title.
As Livia stared down at the darkened hallway, she thought she saw a faint glowing. She grabbed a candle from a nearby table and started making her way down the corridor. The flickering of the flame cast shadows on the walls and the portraits that hung on them. Livia wasn't scared of the dark, actually, when she was a child she loved playing hide-n-seek outside at night, but this passage was giving her chills. Faces flashed past her as she quickened her pace. She hurried past a door, but returned to it hoping for a bit of sanctuary. The door opened with a creak and inside she found a bedroom. It was smaller than her current room, but it seemed so cozy. It was uninhabited, so she entered cautiously, closing the door behind her.
Livia couldn't be sure that this was William's mother's old room, but she saw pictures of an infant hung sweetly around the room. It wasn't until she saw a letter addressed to him, that Livia was sure. She didn't know if she should read it, but the curiosity got the better of her. It read:
"My dearest William, I'm not sure how much longer we will have together. There are bad people after us for your father's power. It isn't fair to involve a child in this world of politics, but in the world of politics, things are hardly fair. I wish for nothing more than to take you away from this place. Send you somewhere safe to live out of all of this chaos, but I know that is impossible. Some people will not rest until you are gone. However, mother will not let that happen. I will be here for you everyday and I will keep you close. Know that if something happens to me, it is not your fault. Remember that this is all caused by evil ambition. If I lose the chance to see you grow and love, know that I will be watching over you from far away. I will always be on your side, no matter how wrong you may be. I trust your father to take my place by your side should I not be able. He may be difficult at times, but he is the man who I chose to be your father. You can place your trust in him. I pray for every day of your life to be long and happy. I pray for you to find a girl that makes your heart sing. I pray for you to one day have children of your own. And above all, I pray for you to always do what is right. Stay virtuous and true to yourself, regardless of who you offend. This court lifestyle is all about propriety and image, but is it not proper to follow your heart? And isn't happiness the best image? I have never loved anyone as much as I love you, my son. Know that if we are torn apart, you will always be in my heart, as I hope to remain in yours. Love always, Your mother."
A smile crossed Livia's face as her tears fell silently. William was very treasured. She placed the letter inside her gown. She would give it to William in the morning. Maybe it would make him feel better. Footsteps sounded through the hallway close to the door, so Livia made her way to the closet. She moved the dusty gowns and stood behind them. The walking stopped in front of the door as the handle turned. A man walked in, but Livia couldn't tell who it was. There were too many things in front of her. Livia back against the wall behind her as the footsteps approached the closet. Suddenly, she felt the wall shift and a secret door open. At the moment, her options were dwindling, so she escaped into the unknown area. When she got inside, she silently closed the door behind her.
The dust in here was much thicker than in the previous room. She wondered where the passage led. Livia followed it carefully and noticed that it traveled parallel to the hallway she was in earlier. It even had slots to look through the portraits' eyes. This was quite the secret passage. Livia found that it ran all over the estate. There were other doorways that led to various rooms. One that let out in the kitchen, one that led to the bathroom, Lord Hulme's private study, and one to the garden. There were benches along the way as well that sat underneath listening vents into various rooms as well. There was one for Lord Hulme's study, the ballroom, the private meeting chamber and a few other spots. Livia wasn't sure if Lady Hulme had used this passage to spy, or if it was unknown to even her, but she was certain it would come in handy.
Livia couldn't have been more right. She was memorizing the passageway and different routes she could take when she noticed she was close to William's room. She decided to see how close she could get to it. Surprisingly, it ran directly past it. There was even a peephole built into the wall. It may have been improper, but Livia looked through anyways. She saw William laying on his bed, asleep. She was glad he was resting. Beside her was another exit. This one led into the hallway outside of William's room. She opened it to see what it was disguised as, and it was a large portrait of Lord Hulme. Livia wondered if Lord Hulme knew of the passages. Of course, he must have. It was his estate and more often than not, the painting that doubled as doorways and peepholes were of him. She supposed that there really was no place where he wasn't watching.
Livia heard someone approaching, so she jumped back inside the hidden corridor and waited. The person stopped at William's room. Her heart raced as she looked on from the peephole. It was too difficult to make out a face, but the way they slipped into his room made Livia worry. Full panic set in as the unknown person pulled a blade from the inside of their boot. Livia wasn't going to watch as William was attacked. She threw open the portrait and stepped into the main hallway, closing the door behind her as she shouted. "GUARDS! GUARDS! HURRY! Someone just entered Lord Hulme's Room! Hurry! Within seconds, Livia had guards rushing towards her as she barged into the room. It was a mistake for her to enter by herself. The assailant had taken position by the door and barricaded it as soon as Livia entered. Now, she was stuck in this room with William, who appeared startled, and an unknown person, who was pointing a blade at her. The guards were trying to break in, but William's door wasn't very pliant. Here she was again, trying to help, but ending up making more trouble for herself and William. "You're Frederick, aren't you?" she addressed the man covered in shadows.
