Royal Stitches

  • 2 days ago
Get the Pocket FM app now and enjoy the full audio series:
https://click.pocketfm.in/2IE7/ocj6advk
Transcript
00:00Ellie, are you listening? Where the hell is my coffee?
00:04Dr. Owens, we're slammed. I just had a patient come in with shortness of breath. I need to get him on a team.
00:08Do it when you're done with my coffee.
00:11I've been here for two days straight. It's almost the end of my shift.
00:13Toughen up. You shouldn't have become a nurse if you can't handle the long hours, okay?
00:19Have you at least had a chance to look at my research on my Anthem plant originality?
00:22I don't care about your stupid plant nonsense. I care about my americano.
00:28Now go!
00:35Don't get me wrong. I loved helping people. That's why I became a nurse.
00:41What I didn't love was being looked down on by men who walked all over me.
00:54I think he meant to say thank you.
00:59I think you're a low-level nurse who shouldn't talk back to her superior like that.
01:06I'd done hours of promising research on herbal remedies, but no one respected me enough to even read it.
01:11I was sick of it. If only I'd known then. That knowledge would change my fate forever.
01:22Enjoy my salivary secretion, Dr. Owens.
01:25You disgusting woman. You're fired. Do you hear me? You're fired! Now get out of here.
01:33After the night I had, I was dangerously tired. And my high from putting Dr. Owens in his place didn't last long.
01:41I always thought death was permanent. Just a black void with nothing going on.
01:45But I was transported back in time into the body of a tormented princess.
01:51The princess has been struck!
01:56I need to get to a hospital.
01:58Whose wayward ball struck Princess Eleanor?
02:03Princess Eleanor? It was Lady Nerissa! I saw it happen!
02:08How dare you, maid! I would never cause harm to the royal princess!
02:12There's no time for such finger-pointing. The princess is injured and must retire to her chambers to rest. I shall alert the prince.
02:19Prince, what? Prince, no. I'm a nurse. I have to get back to the hospital.
02:24The what? You're not a nurse. You're Princess Eleanor, wife of Prince James of Reeve.
02:30This couldn't be happening. Had I somehow gone back in time and ended up inside the body of a princess?
02:38The princess is acting quite strange.
02:41Princess, have you your wits?
02:44Who am I?
02:47Yeah, I'm just a little dizzy.
02:50That castle was the real deal. It seemed I was the exact same person I used to be, but in a different time period.
02:57Same brain, same body, same... Wait a second. Not the same face at all. This wasn't me. Something was terribly wrong.
03:04What happened?
03:05You lost your veil on the fall, my lady.
03:07No, no, no. What happened to my face?
03:09You lost your veil on the fall, my lady.
03:11No, no, no. What happened to my face?
03:14You were poisoned as a child. Don't you remember?
03:18Poisoned by who?
03:20Perhaps the head injury has affected your memory, princess.
03:23The princess has finally gone mad. Maybe the prince can send her away now.
03:28Maybe she's a witch. We haven't had a witch burning in some time.
03:32Well, we have always wondered.
03:35She does have the mark of the devil upon her face after all.
03:38Perhaps it is time for an exorcism.
03:45This was just like the hospital all over again. Everyone treating me like I'm nothing.
03:49If this was a second chance at life, I was not going to be walked all over again.
03:55Princess, is your brain damaged? Perhaps you are no longer fit to be head of the household.
04:01Tell me, can you recall my name?
04:04If I revealed I'd been sent back in time, they'd think I was insane, and I might even be killed.
04:09I knew I had to act the part if I was going to stay alive.
04:13It's Maggie, of course.
04:16Well, I do prefer stewardess, Maggie.
04:19Are you the princess here, or am I?
04:23You are, my lady.
04:24Then maybe I can call you whatever I please, my lady.
04:29My lady, shall I escort you to your quarters to rest?
04:32Indeed, Florence.
04:34I shall inform the prince of your condition.
04:38Well, what are you all standing around for?
04:41Are we going to let a little tumble ruin our fun?
04:45I have a game to win! Go on.
04:48She really is a piece of work, isn't she?
04:50Well, of course, my lady. She's always hated you, but I've never seen her so disrespectful.
04:56And in front of everyone.
04:57She's hated me?
04:59Pardon me, my lady?
05:01Of course she's hated me, that's right.
05:04I bet she's very proud of her new status to be.
05:07By the way, we need to pick a dress for tomorrow.
05:09I was thinking maybe the brown one?
05:11Yeah, sure.
05:12It was all real. I really had been transported back in time.
05:16I tried to recall my history lessons.
05:18This must have been the 13th century.
05:21Shall I prepare your bed, my lady?
05:24Shall I prepare your bed, my lady?
05:26You should rest.
05:27No, no, I shouldn't sleep. I could have a concussion.
05:29A what?
05:31Uh, don't worry about it. I'm fine.
05:34I know. Chamomile tea. Herbs always make you feel better.
05:39I'm simply positive Lady Nerissa hit that ball at you.
05:42She did it on purpose.
05:44I'll bet she wants you injured so you won't come to the ceremony.
05:47Ceremony? What ceremony?
05:49My lady, we just talked about it.
05:51The prince is taking Lady Nerissa as his royal mistress.
05:53You remember that, right?
05:55That's when it suddenly hit me.
05:57My concussion was the perfect excuse to explain why I didn't know anything.
06:02So what is this royal ceremony?
06:04I assume everyone important is going to be there?
06:06Yes, my lady. It's a pretty grand event.
06:09It's been in the planning for months now.
06:11So my husband wants to take another woman.
06:15He must not be very happy with me.
06:18How often do we share a bed?
06:23You and the prince have never consummated your marriage.
06:30Never? He's never touched me?
06:33Why wouldn't he just...
06:37That's right.
06:39My face.
06:43It looks like toxins entered the ectodermal tissue.
06:46The what?
06:49Princess Elinor! I hear you have been injured.
06:53It's Prince James.
06:57Okay.
06:59My lady, that is forbidden!
07:01You can't open the door without your veil.
07:03Why not?
07:05The prince, he refuses to look at your face.
07:09You speak through the wall normally.
07:11Screw it. Nothing about today has been normal anyways.
07:14How dare you open the door and look directly at your prince!
07:17I must admit, he was handsome.
07:19Shockingly handsome.
07:21But his cruelty made him vile in my eyes.
07:24You wish to speak to me?
07:26You can look me in the face.
07:30What has gotten into you, princess?
07:32Hide yourself immediately!
07:34I refuse to cower behind this door while you bark orders at me like some peasant!
07:37I'm not a peasant!
07:39I'm not a peasant!
07:41So you can either see what you came here to say, or leave.
07:43You're an ugly pig, and I never wanted you as my wife!
07:45And I will humiliate you in front of the entire nation!
07:47In that moment, I made a decision.
07:49I wasn't going to be this evil man's weak, docile princess anymore.
07:51In fact, I wasn't going to be a princess at all.
07:53I was going to become queen.
07:55But for now, I had to play the princess game.
07:57Let him think he was winning, until I could plan my next move.
07:59I was going to become queen.
08:01But for now, I had to play the princess game.
08:03Let him think he was winning, until I could plan my next move.
08:05I was going to become queen.
08:07But for now, I had to play the princess game.
08:09Let him think he was winning, until I could plan my next move.
08:11If I see you tomorrow, there will be consequences.
08:13If I see you tomorrow, there will be consequences.
08:15Are we done here?
08:17I'm not feeling too well.
08:23And do not ever show your face to me again.
08:25And do not ever show your face to me again.
08:35So, it seems as though
08:37the prince wants the entire castle
08:39to see his mistress is more powerful than me.
08:41to see his mistress is more powerful than me.
08:43What do you think?
08:45He is somewhat skimming like that.
08:47Once again, a man was trying to undercut and control me.
08:49I wouldn't have it.
08:51Listen closely.
08:53If we're going to play this correctly,
08:55If we're going to play this correctly,
08:57we are going to be able to be in a position
08:59where no one will ever be able to talk down to us
09:01ever again.
09:03What kind of position, my lady?
09:05Queen.
09:07My lady has never had such ambitions before.
09:09My lady has never had such ambitions before.
09:11First things first,
09:13I have to do something about my face.
09:15The kingdom is never going to take me seriously
09:17looking like this.
09:19If I'd had my resources from the 21st century,
09:21I could have cured my face instantly.
09:23But there was one saving grace
09:25that had existed as long as time.
09:27Herbal remedies.
09:29I have an idea.
09:31Is there anywhere in the castle grounds
09:33where plants are grown?
09:37I could finally test out my theory.
09:39The one that doctors would never entertain.
09:41I'd prove them wrong.
09:43I'd prove everyone wrong.
09:45I'd prove everyone wrong.
09:47What will you do with him, my lady?
09:49This is medicine, Florence.
09:51It contains all sorts of antitoxins.
09:53I'm going to grind it into a paste
09:55and apply it to my face.
09:57Since when do you know so much about plants?
09:59Shh.
10:01I wanted to tell Florence the truth.
10:03She would surely think I'd gone mad.
10:05I was taught by my mother
10:07in a convent where we learned all about healing.
10:09I didn't say anything
10:11because I didn't want anyone to think
10:13I was practicing witchcraft.
10:15So you won't tell anyone.
10:17If it works,
10:19we are going to make quite an impression today.
10:23And what if it doesn't?
10:25Then we'll find another way.
10:27She may have a great aim with her croquet mallet,
10:29but Lady Nerissa has another thing coming.
10:31I will not be usurped by a mistress.
10:35The Mistress Ceremony.
10:37Where Prince James would announce
10:39his choice of mistress
10:41in front of his boozehound friends.
10:47I couldn't believe she was wearing white.
10:49This wasn't a wedding.
10:51The audacity.
11:07That little witch is not here.
11:09Our plan has worked.
11:11Ladies and gentlemen of the court,
11:13it is my honor
11:15to welcome you
11:17to one of our favorite parties of the year.
11:19The Royal Mistress Ceremony.
11:23Now,
11:25who is ready to start the festivities?
11:37How dare you
11:39show yourself here?
11:41Your Highness,
11:43I'm here to watch the ceremony.
11:45Surely you wouldn't chastise me for this.
11:47Of course.
11:49My wife is welcome at any party of mine.
11:53However ugly she is.
11:59As many of you know,
12:01my father died when I was very young
12:03and passed the throne to his brother instead of me.
12:07But I became a war hero.
12:09I first laid eyes
12:11on Lady Nerissa Rossin at a ball
12:13when I was sixteen.
12:15Her beauty
12:17struck me like a lightning bolt.
12:21I wanted to marry her.
12:23But my uncle,
12:25the new king,
12:27refused my proposal.
12:29As many of you know, he made
12:31other arrangements for me.
12:35However,
12:37when I insisted
12:39that Lady Nerissa
12:41be my official royal mistress,
12:43there was nothing he could do
12:45or say
12:47because I am
12:49a lord of war!
12:53Woo!
12:55Now,
12:57I can't imagine you dare
12:59disobey your prince.
13:01But if anyone has any objections,
13:03then speak now.
13:07I do.
13:13I told you to
13:15stay out of this.
13:17Forgive me if I'm mistaken,
13:19but is it not tradition in the land
13:21of Reeve that the royal mistress
13:23present the princess with a toast
13:25before taking her position in our family?
13:27Princess, you are crossing a line.
13:29It's the king's line.
13:31Ugly freak!
13:33Freak!
13:35Don't even deserve the prince.
13:39If you allow the prince to go
13:41against the rules, then you will be
13:43allowing him to go against the king's law.
13:47We should do as customary, my lord,
13:49so that I will be officially
13:51recognized.
13:55And following with tradition,
13:57Lady Rawson,
13:59please offer this wine
14:01to Princess Eleanor
14:03and ask to be welcomed
14:05into the house of Reeve.
14:07Princess Eleanor
14:09of Eden,
14:11I hereby ask
14:13for your blessing
14:15to be the official royal
14:17mistress,
14:19you disgusting hag.
14:23After you drink
14:25from this cup, you will receive
14:27my permission to enter our household.
14:37Thank you for welcoming me
14:39into your fold, kind sister.
14:41My heart raced.
14:43What if the knife was poisoned?
14:45I needed to go get an antitoxin
14:47to clean the wound as fast as possible.
14:49But that was exactly what Nerissa wanted.
14:51I couldn't look weak.
14:53I had to stay strong and keep her in her place.
14:55What's wrong, princess?
14:57Aren't you going to drink any wine?
14:59No.
15:01According to the rules, you must kneel before me.
15:03What?
15:05That doesn't seem necessary.
15:07You wouldn't want to insult the traditions
15:09of the family that you are trying to join.
15:11Kneel before me.
15:17Gladly, princess.
15:21My lady!
15:23How clumsy of me!
15:25I've ruined your veil!
15:27Let me help you.
15:33Well, you wouldn't want to be seen
15:35in a tarnished garment, would you?
15:37Go on.
15:39Show the entire kingdom
15:41just how hideous you are.
15:45Let it be known
15:47why the prince has chosen me
15:49over you.
15:51These fools were all about
15:53to get the shock of their lives.
15:57To be continued...