Looking sideways at Branford, I tried to meet his gaze and judge if he wanted me to accompany the Queen of Silverhelm, but he wasn’t looking at me.  He kept his focus on King Camden, whose steel blue eyes stared back at his nephew.

“My lord?” I questioned softly, trying to get his attention.  His hard look met mine briefly and softened.  Then he looked back to the king.

“Go along,” he responded.  “I’ll fetch you shortly.”

“Yes, my lord,” I replied and then looked back to the queen, who continued to smile at me.

“Follow me, dear.”  Her kind voice echoed softly through the hall.  She started to lead me back toward the main doors and then stopped suddenly.  She spoke quietly to herself as she turned around.  “Perhaps a different route would be preferable.  Let’s go this way, shall we?”

I was confused only for a moment.  When I realized we would have walked through what was undoubtedly a hall full of nobles just outside the doors, I was quite glad for Queen Sunniva’s forethought since I definitely did not want to walk through all those people in my current state.  She led me back behind the twin thrones where she and King Camden had been seated and down a small corridor to a staircase leading upward.  It was narrow and somewhat steep, so I tread carefully to keep from tripping.  Sunniva held her beautiful layered skirts up a bit as she climbed the stairs, and I tried to keep up with her strides.

At the very top, she opened a wooden door and stepped into a wide corridor.  The corridor was open to the outside along one wall with a ledge overlooking a courtyard below.  Light from the sun as it descended in the sky shone through, cascading prisms of color over the walls and floor.

“Branford’s chambers are that way,” Sunniva said as she held her hand out to her right.  She shook her head and chuckled.  “I suppose I should say Branford’s and your chambers, shouldn’t I?  We’ll go there soon so you can get comfortable.  Camden and I are down this way.  Ida is here, in the center rooms.”

Though we hadn’t been properly introduced, I had assumed the dark-haired woman who had slapped Branford must be his sister, Ida.  Sir Parnell had been right—she was obviously quite angry about the wedding, and I couldn’t help but wonder: in her eyes, how much of that would be my fault?  I knew how the minds of nobles tended to work, and when blame could be placed on those that served, it was.  Branford had already demonstrated such an act.

Continuing down the corridor to the left, I glanced briefly out over the ledge and was surprised to see greenery on the inside of the castle.   Taking a step closer so I could get a better look, I saw a beautiful garden, surrounded by the high walls of the castle, but completely open to the sky.  It was a glorious oasis in the middle of the cold, stone walls.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sunniva said.

“Very,” I answered.  “I’ve never seen a garden on the inside of a castle!”

“It’s not common,” Queen Sunniva said.  “Camden’s grandfather—that would be Branford’s great-grandfather—had it built this way so his Queen would always be surrounded by such beauty.  Camden has upheld that tradition.  Aside from the few evergreens, we decorate the area in the wintertime so there is still color in the garden.”

“Branford’s father was King Camden’s brother?”  I was fairly certain that was the case, but I hadn’t been told the exact relationship.  Branford had referred to Sunniva as his mother, and I was a little confused.

“Yes,” Queen Sunniva said quietly.  “Though they have been with us for so long, both Ida and Branford have called me mother for years.  He was only six, and Ida was five when they lost their parents.”

She did not offer any more information, and we quickly continued our journey through another pair of massive doors and into a set of rooms with many single-sized beds in the large chamber.  Sunniva explained this was the Women’s Room—a place where the noble women could meet and also seek their privacy from their husbands during “certain times.”  I flushed when I understood her greater meaning—wives came to this place when they were bleeding.  As a commoner, I had always been expected to just keep to myself and get my duties done quickly and without interacting with any men during my time of the month.

Sunniva led me through the sitting room and into the main chamber where so many surfaces held large displays of flowers, I wondered if we had walked into another garden.  As soon as we were all the way in the room, Sunniva stopped and turned around, placing her hands on my shoulders.

“You poor thing,” Sunniva said softly.  “The last couple of days have been difficult for you, haven’t they?”

I stared at the floor, not sure if I should answer or how I would answer if I did.  Queen Sunniva seemed so kind, but then Branford had at times as well, but he had also been quite harsh with the carriage driver.  Of course all of this was difficult—I didn’t have the slightest idea what was expected of me.  I obviously didn’t know how to behave, as evidenced when I was before the King and Queen for the first time.

“What did I do wrong?” I asked Sunniva quietly.

“What do you mean, dear?”

“I thought I was supposed to kneel,” I answered, “like Branford did.  But I could tell by everyone’s reaction that I was wrong to do so.  I didn’t mean any disrespect, honestly—I just didn’t know…”

“Branford didn’t think to tell you, did he?”  Sunniva shook her head and took my hands.  “Just like a man to assume you know all the customs of a foreign land.  We may be close in proximity to Hadebrand, but our ways are different here.  When Branford knelt to offer himself up to Camden and to Silverhelm, all those considered bound to him are also offered by him.  That’s why Parnell remained standing behind him.  As Branford’s adjunct, Branford offers Parnell to Silverhelm when he offers himself.  If Parnell knelt separately, he would in effect dismiss himself from Branford’s service.  By kneeling on your own, you distanced yourself from him.  You spoke for yourself, instead of allowing your husband to speak for you.  It’s not a major transgression, but he probably found it mildly embarrassing.”

“It wasn’t my intent,” I said quietly.

“I’m sure he knows that,” Sunniva said, reassuring me, but I wasn’t completely convinced.

“Will he…will he return me to Hadebrand?”

“Why would you ask such a question?” Sunniva’s hands tightened their grip on mine.

“What he…he said to the king.  He said he would…he would…if King Camden asked…”

I couldn’t even finish the thought.  Everything I had heard him say in the carriage with Sir Parnell and in the throne room with the king—talk of annulling the marriage, murders over lands, and war—had me frightened.  Knowing what I knew now, I had no doubt I would not see many sunsets if I was returned to Edgar’s kingdom.

“Pshaw!” Sunniva exclaimed.  “Branford only said that to get him to agree to keep you here without completely losing face after going against his father’s wishes.  He knew Camden would never make you return, given the circumstances.  You would be put in a very bad position.  Camden would never do that, and Branford knows it.”

I looked down at the floor, trying to comprehend her words.  He wasn’t offering to give me up?  I had been so sure he was about to renounce me.

“He frightened you, didn’t he?” Sunniva asked.

“Yes, my queen,” I replied quietly.  “I thought…I thought I would have to leave.”

“You have had a trying day,” Sunniva repeated.  “So many changes for you.  Let’s find you something to wear, and then we’ll talk.”

Releasing my hands, the Queen of Silverhelm opened a large wooden wardrobe—one of many lined up against the wall.  She pulled out one fancy dress after another, looked it over, and then put it back.  Eventually she pulled out a long dress of yellow and blue.

“I think this will fit you nicely,” Sunniva said with a nod.  “The color will be perfect with your skin.  I’m not sure about the length, though.  I think you may be tripping over the skirts, and we don’t want that.  Tell me, dear—do you sew?”

“Yes, of course, my queen” I responded, realizing almost immediately that I had misspoke yet again.  “I mean, Sunniva.”

“Wonderful!”  Sunniva beamed at me.  “Let’s get it on you and see how much we’ll need to hem.”

Sunniva helped me dress in the beautiful gown and then measured how much to hem with her fingers.  Once we knew how much to shorten the skirts, I started to put the muddied dress back on, but Sunniva stopped me.  She pulled out a simple dress for me to wear, which was still much too long, so I bunched it up around my legs and sat down on a stool to start sewing.  Sunniva pulled up another stool and grabbed the other end of the skirt.  I furrowed my brow, confused.  Sunniva glanced up at me and laughed.

“It will go much faster if we both work on it,” she said.

“You know how to sew?”

“Yes, I do,” Sunniva responded.  “I quite enjoy it, actually.  I made the dress you are wearing now.”

“You did?”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  Sunniva was a queen, and the dress I was wearing was not easy to make.  Why in the world would a queen ever need to learn sewing?

“I’m not completely useless,” Sunniva said as she tried to hide a smile.  “I find it relaxing, and when the tailor doesn’t get Camden’s robes just right, I can fix them for him.”

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly.  “I didn’t mean to imply…”

“Don’t be silly,” Sunniva said with a wave of her hand.  “I know it’s a little unusual, given my station.  My mother taught me when I was young.”

We sat on the stools, each of us sewing in silence around the edge of the lavish skirt.  It was good to be participating in such an activity, for I was familiar with it and felt comfortable with my skills.  At least I wasn’t afraid of doing something wrong with this task.  The dress was made of very fine materials, and Sunniva’s needles were sharp and easy to use.  I found myself relaxing for the first time since the Grand Tournament ended.

“Branford is a good man,” Sunniva said after several minutes of sewing.  “He is impulsive, and he has a bit of a temper, but he's a good man.”

“Yes, Sunniva,” I replied, unsure of exactly how I should respond to such a comment.  Was she trying to convince me of his goodness or warn me of his temper?  I had already seen that.

“You don't have to agree with me,” Sunniva said.  She stopped her movements with the needle.  I looked up and was met with her kind smile.  “I know this is frightening for you.  When I was betrothed to Camden, I was only fourteen and had never met him before.  It was a political union, and I was terrified when I was brought here to Silverhelm, knowing nothing of what was to come.  I knew nothing of Camden and had heard many stories of men who were less than kind to their wives.  I just wanted you to know Branford isn't cruel or evil.  I don’t believe he would have suggested annulling the marriage if he thought Camden would actually demand it.”

“I’ve seen his…temper,” I said softly, wondering how good an idea it would be to reveal my fears concerning her adopted son, but she seemed so kind, and I felt at ease.  I wasn’t quite ready to let my guard down completely like I might have done with Hadley or someone close to my station, but I could certainly see myself liking the Queen of Silverhelm.

“Was he gentle with you?” Sunniva inquired, her voice quite soft.

“He’s been very kind to me,” I replied.  I knew exactly what Sunniva was truly asking, and I could not come right out and speak dishonestly to her.  I also could not tell her of our lack of a wedding night, but I could refrain from lying.  When we had first entered his room after our wedding reception, he had been far from gentle, and I had heard a man’s lust could become out of control, and he could become a beast even if he was normally a kind soul.  Sunniva looked at me through her lashes but didn’t pry any further.  I chose that moment to divert the subject.  “He was very angry with the carriage driver though.”

“Branford has always been a very passionate man,” Sunniva said with a sigh.  “When he feels something, he feels it very deeply.  He is fiercely loyal to his family and expects the same from those around him.  When he feels he has been wronged in some way, he often lets his temper get the better of him.  I suppose we shall have to find another driver.”

“He will lose his job?”

“I had assumed he lost his life,” Sunniva said as she looked up from her sewing again.  “Branford doesn’t tend to forgive transgressions.  Are you telling me he still lives?”

“I asked Branford not to harm the man,” I said quietly.

She looked at me for a long moment.

“And he stayed his hand?”

I nodded, and Sunniva smiled.

“I’m pleased to hear you say that.”  Sunniva’s smile did not falter as she tilted her head back to the hemline of the dress.  I did the same, realizing I was falling quite behind, as she was nearing the halfway point around the first of the skirts.  Not only could the queen sew, but she was also quite good at the task.  Working together, we would be done quickly.

Without warning, the door opened, and the dark-haired woman from the grand hall entered and quickly approached, her skirts gathered up in her hands so as not to impede her gait.  Her gaze danced from me to Sunniva, and I noticed her eyes sparkled like green gems, the same as Branford’s.

“Ida, I do wish you would knock.”

“Sorry, Mother,” she replied.  She walked straight over to me.  “I wanted to let you know I am not angry with you.  I'm angry with Branford for being a complete ass, but that's not your fault.  He’s always been that way.”

“Ida, don't swear.”

“Yes, Mother.” Ida looked contrite, but only for a moment.  “But he promised me when we were ten!  Ten!  For twelve years I have been planning his wedding!”

“I do recall the conversations.”

“He went back on his word,” Ida exclaimed, “and isn’t there a law of chivalry that tells him he can’t do that?  Didn’t he take some sort of oath?”

“Of course he did,” Sunniva responded, her calm voice in contrast to Ida’s frantic one.  “I don’t recall any of them specifically addressing the planning of a wedding, though.”

“Well, there has to be something about keeping your word to your sister!”  Ida stepped forward and abruptly leaned over me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and hugging me tightly.  “I'm glad you're not Whitney.”

Whatever calm I had felt from the simple act of sewing had completely vanished.  I shrank back in my seat a little, but Branford’s sister did not appear to notice as she hugged me tighter still before finally releasing me and taking a step back.  She looked me up and down, taking in the sewing on my lap as well as Sunniva’s.  The queen did not appear to be at all surprised by Ida’s behavior and had gone back to the needlework.

“You’re very pretty,” Ida said abruptly, and I felt the heat rise to my face.  “You have a skill, too, which means you can’t possibly be a member of the court at Hadebrand.”

“Ida, don’t be insulting.”

“I’m not insulting her,” Ida said, defending herself.  “I’m complimenting her.  It’s Alexandra, correct?”

“Yes, um…Lady Ida,” I replied.

“Don’t be silly,” she said.  “Even if I didn’t get to be there, Branford is still my brother, so that makes you my sister.  Right, Mother?”

“Of course it does,” Sunniva said with a nod.  Ida beamed and reached down to hug me again.  I couldn’t help but cringe a little, and this time she seemed to notice.

“I always wanted a sister,” Ida said and smiled at me.  She narrowed her eyes a moment, studying me intently.  “You’re not from the court at another kingdom, either, are you?”

“No…um…Ida,” I stammered and tried to keep my hands from shaking.  Though I knew she was trying to be kind, this woman, who was even smaller than me, was quite intimidating.  “I’m a handmaid.  I mean, I was a handmaid.  I was one of Princess Whitney’s handmaids.”

Ida’s eyes grew wide as realization must have come to her.

“Oh, Branford,” she said softly.  “What are you doing?”

I looked down at the hem of the skirt but couldn’t seem to work the needle in my shaking hands. I wondered if she would take back the part about calling me her sister and found it strange that I worried she would.

“Ida, let’s not talk of such things, please?  Alexandra has had enough excitement for one day.”

“Yes, Mother.”  Ida gathered her skirts up again and sat on the floor near my feet.  I tensed, not sure what I should do when a noblewoman, and in this case, a princess, dropped herself down lower than me.  Should I get on the floor as well?  Offer her my seat?

“If you wish to sit here…” I said as I started to stand, but she dismissed my offer with a wave of her hand and told me to sit back down.  She leaned toward me and peered up into my eyes.

“How did he get out of it?”

“Out of what?”

“Marrying that awful girl?”

“He said...”  I paused, not really sure if I should repeat the reason Branford gave to King Edgar.  However, Ida was staring at me intently, and she had asked her question so directly, I wasn’t sure I could refuse to answer.  “He said she wasn't a...um...he said she wasn’t pure.”

Ida began to laugh.

“Well, he certainly knew that!”

“Ida!” Sunniva chided.

“She practically begged him, Sunniva!”

“That doesn’t mean you need to speak of it.” Sunniva scolded her adopted daughter.

“It’s her own fault for not protecting what should have been reserved for her wedding night,” Ida huffed.  “That’s why I only let Parnell use his—”

“Enough!”  Queen Sunniva’s voice was nothing short of a command.  Her gaze went dark and effectively silenced her daughter.  “Ida, go.  Tell Camden and Branford that Alexandra and I will be taking dinner here.”

“Fine,” Ida mumbled, standing again.  She looked back at me and smiled.  “Don’t worry, Alexandra.  Everything will work out.”

She traipsed out the door, closing it swiftly behind her.

“Ida can be a little energetic,” Sunniva said with a tilt of her head back toward the door, “especially when Branford’s done something to get her riled up.  She really has been planning his wedding for years.  I wish he would have brought you back here for the ceremony.  I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see it.”

“Branford was concerned,” I said, then stopped.  I didn’t know if Branford would want me to speak of anything he has said, even to his adoptive mother.

“I have the feeling he wanted to make sure everything was done before Edgar could come up with a legitimate reason to disallow it,” Sunniva said.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  If she guessed the reason, it wasn’t the same as me divulging information.

For a while, we sewed in silence.  When the first layer was done, we flipped over the fabric and began the next layer.  When we were nearly done, several servants entered the room, bringing dinner, complete with red wine, which I tried to sip, but found the taste strange and not to my liking.

“Thank you,” I finally said.

“For what, dear?”

“Um…the meal, the dress…everything.”

“You are very welcome.”  Sunniva looked at me for a long moment and then took a deep breath.  “I didn’t think you needed to be presented to the entire court just yet.  Tomorrow will do, when we’ll have had plenty of time to prepare you.  Branford really should have thought through all this, and I shall have to speak with him about it.”

“No, please.” I looked into her eyes and hoped she would hear me.  “I don’t want him to think me any trouble.  If I hadn’t fallen, everything would have been fine, I’m sure.  I embarrassed him in front of the court in more ways than one today.  I wouldn’t want to anger him about it further.”

“Alexandra,” Sunniva said as she placed her glass of wine to the side and picked up the final layer of the skirts.  “I know everything has been so quick for you. To go from being a handmaid to finding yourself suddenly married to an unknown man from another kingdom…well, I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling now.  Even when I was wed to Camden, I at least had an understanding of my social position.”

She completed a row of stitching and paused, looking at me.

“You’re frightened, and that’s understandable,” Sunniva told me.  I nodded a little, not sure if I should answer her or not.  “But you are going to have to understand you are no longer a servant and start acting as the wife of a future king.  The longer you consider yourself beneath those in the court, the longer it will take them to accept you.”

I looked up into her eyes, trying to determine if she truly meant what she said.  Her eyes were serious and somber, and I tried to reflect on her words.  I was the wife of a future king.  I hadn’t allowed myself to even think quite so far into the future, and even taking the notion into consideration was far more foreign than the idea of marriage itself.  I had no idea where to even begin.

“I’m not sure I know what to do,” I admitted.  “I’ve always been a servant to nobles, not one of them.  I…I really don’t know how to do this.”

“Tell me something, Alexandra.”  Sunniva sat up straighter on the stool and tilted her head to look at me.  “What kind of wife do you wish to be?”

“I…I…I don’t understand,” I stuttered, again too unsure of what her intentions were to give her a suitable answer.

“Do you want to be a good wife for Branford?”

“Yes, my queen!” I said quickly.  “I took the oath of marriage with him—I want to be a good wife.”

“To be Branford’s wife, you have to be noble,” Sunniva said curtly.  “I don’t mean you have to be a noble or of noble blood, but you will have to be noble of heart.  You will have to learn to be assertive and demand what you believe is right and correct.  Fortunately, it sounds like you have some of that inside of you already, or I would be more concerned.”

“You think I’m noble of heart?”

“Yes, Alexandra.” Sunniva smiled again.  “Tell me—why did you ask Branford to spare the carriage driver’s life?”

“It wasn’t his fault,” I said.  “I’ve always been a little unsure on my feet.  He should not have had to pay in such a way for my clumsiness.”

“Do you see?  You can be assertive when you find it necessary.  I think many people would have turned the other way and forgotten about it, but you saw something you considered wrong and stood up to Branford because of it.  Branford is not the easiest man to confront, yet you did it, and he listened.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” I said.  I remembered Branford saying we would speak of the situation later and felt myself go cold.  No wonder he was angry.  “He was angry with me over it.  I didn’t mean to overstep—”

“Don’t you dare apologize for that!” Sunniva snapped.  “That kind of thing is exactly what you must embrace if you are going to survive in this world, Alexandra.”

She took a deep breath and completed the final stitches on her side.  Again, she was far ahead of me, and I began to work quickly to catch up.  Sunniva’s kind smile reappeared, and she shifted the fabric to trim some loose threads.

“Someday, you are going to be the Queen of Silverhelm.  Do you realize that?  There will be an entire kingdom of men, women, and children—noble and serf—who will be dependent on your judgment.  The responsibility is not one to take lightly.”

My gaze met hers, and I’m sure she knew from my expression that the thought had not occurred to me.  There were way too many things to consider, and I hadn’t thought of any of them.  I had barely comprehended the idea of marriage before I was wed and hadn’t realized the intentions of my husband on our wedding night until the time was upon me.  I had been so ill-prepared, but I could not be ill-prepared for this.  All of those people depending on me?

“How will I know what to do?”  My words came out in a throaty whisper.

“I’m going to teach you,” Sunniva said simply.  Before she could elaborate, there was a knock, and the door opened slowly.  Branford walked in though not very far, taking in both Sunniva and me as we completed our work.

“Mother,” he said, his half smile displayed prominently across his face, “am I going to get my wife back this evening?  I'd like to show her our rooms unless you already have.”

“I have not,” Sunniva told him.  “We're almost finished here.  Once she has a dress that fits properly, you may have her back.  Did you even think to get her proper clothing?”

“There wasn't time,” Branford said with a shrug.  Sunniva turned and glared at him.  Branford looked at her and glanced away, taking a deep breath before looking back to us.  “My apologies, Alexandra.  I should have thought to collect more for you before we left.”

Looking into his eyes, I couldn’t quite discern whether he was sincerely apologetic or simply saying what he knew Sunniva wished to hear.  I had always thought it was only those of my class who were forced to speak words others wanted them to say and that nobles could say whatever was on their minds.  Obviously, that wasn’t the case.

“If I hadn’t muddied my dress, it wouldn’t have mattered,” I said softly, but Branford growled, and I immediately wished I hadn’t said anything that would bring back the memory.

“Come back in a half hour, Branford,” Sunniva said with a wave of her hand.  “We should be ready by then.”

His gaze met mine briefly before he acknowledged Sunniva’s request and shut the door behind him.  Sunniva and I finished the last of the sewing and stood up.  She held the dress up to my shoulders and visually checked the length.

“Let’s try this on you, shall we?”  Sunniva said, handing me the beautiful dress.  I moved to the changing screen and removed the dress I wore and then pulled the shortened dress on over my head.  I was quite grateful it was not complicated and I could get it on and off without assistance.  I stepped back out into the main room, and Sunniva fiddled around with the collar until she was satisfied.

“You look wonderful.”  Sunniva smiled and took my hands again.  “Your husband will be here shortly, and you are certain to take his breath away.  You are a beautiful young woman, Alexandra.”

I looked to the ground and blushed, of course.  Before I could respond, there was another knock and Branford entered, asking if I was ready to see the chambers we would share.  As I walked toward him, I could see him looking over the dress I was in, and that smile crossed his face again.  If I hadn’t already been rosy from Sunniva’s comment, I would have blushed again.  We said our goodnights to Sunniva, and Branford led me out the door.

“I hope you like our rooms,” Branford said as he took my hand and placed it over his arm.  We went down the corridor the short distance to the last set of doors—the ones Sunniva had pointed out to me before.  Branford opened the doors and placed his hand on my lower back to guide me through ahead of him.

“This is the morning room,” Branford said quietly.  He kept his hand on my back and took a few steps forward.  There was a pair of long, ornate couches sitting parallel to each other and creating a pathway to the larger room beyond.  Behind one of the couches was a large, open window facing east.  A fire burned brightly in one corner, making the room warm in the early spring evening.  Branford led me further into the set of rooms, pointing out wardrobes for clothing and an area just for bathing, which included an actual person-sized tub of leather stretched over a wooden frame.  There was a small fireplace close to that area and another, larger one on the other side of the room.  There was a large, raised cushion to one side of the fireplace, but I could not fathom just what its purpose may have been.  It was too large to be a normal, cushioned stool and had no back like a normal chair.

Branford continued to stand just behind me as he showed me around.  I could hear every move he made but didn’t dare turn around to look at him.  The conversation with Sunniva had certainly given me some insight into this man who was now my husband, but I was still unsure of what he intended to do with me.  I felt his hand slide up from my lower back, around my arm, and up to my shoulder.  He turned me slightly until I was facing a huge, grand bed.

“And this is our bed,” he said softly, leaning over to brush his lips over my ear.  I felt a shiver run down my back at his touch and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to steady my breaths.  Opening my eyes again, I looked over the beautiful golden silk covering with matching cascades of silk from the four posts at the corners.  They were tied back to allow one to enter from either side, but sheer enough to see through them from any angle.  I could feel Branford’s hot breath on my neck as he leaned over and kissed me just below my ear.  He ran his hands down my arms, to my hips, up my sides, and down to my hips again.  He rested them there lightly and kissed my neck once more.

“It’s…beautiful, my…Branford.”

“You’re beautiful,” Branford said.  He chuckled softly and pulled my hair away from my neck with one hand.  His mouth made a line across my skin.  “I don’t recall seeing this dress before, but it suits you perfectly.”

His words swirled around in my head.  I knew my fear had kept him from taking me the previous night, and I knew lying to the man he considered both king and father regarding the consummation our marriage had to have been very difficult for him as it would have been for anyone.  Undoubtedly, he had reconsidered waiting until I came to him, which would likely take far too long for his tastes.

Sunniva said I needed to learn how to be…what was her word?  Assertive?  I wasn’t really sure what that meant, but I had a decent idea it meant saying what I wanted to say when I wanted to say it.  I didn’t know if Branford was going to appreciate such a thing in his wife though, so I would have to be assertive quietly.  If it was all right with him.

“Branford?”

“Yes, Alexandra?”

“Are you going to take me tonight?”  I tried to keep my voice from trembling, but I couldn’t keep all of my anxiety hidden.  The movements of his mouth against my throat stopped and he leaned back.

“According to my mother, you have had a trying day,” Branford said with a sigh.  He took a step back and dropped his hands from me.  “I think she is probably right, and though I would like nothing better than to punish you for making me look weak in front of the carriage driver and practically renouncing me in front of Camden, I think taking your virginity while I’m still quite angry with you is not advisable.”

I felt my whole body stiffen, and my teeth nearly punctured my lip.  I didn’t turn to look at him, terrified of what I might see in his eyes.  He wanted to punish me, he had said.  What would he do to me?

He has a bit of a temper…

“I’m sorry,” I managed to squeak out.  “It wasn’t my intent—”

“Hush,” he said, his voice calm again.  How did he go from one extreme to the other so quickly?  I let out my held breath.  “I know you didn’t mean it.  I’m still angry, but I know you didn’t mean it the way it appeared.  If I thought you had intended to humiliate me…well, we would be engaging in a very different conversation.”

“Yes, my lord,” I said automatically.  Branford moved up close behind me, and his arm came around me again.  I felt his fingers under my chin, tilting my head toward his.  I looked at him, saw his raised brows, and quickly corrected myself.  “Branford.”

“I should have talked to you about how I would present you,” he said.  He rested his hands on my shoulders again.  “I hadn’t considered that such a display was not universal.  Apparently, it isn’t.”

“I’d not heard of it, my…Branford.”  Would I ever get that right?  Addressing him in one manner away from others and back to his title when we were with company was difficult.  I wasn’t sure if I would ever become adept at keeping the two separate.  “Sunniva explained it to me.  I hadn’t meant to speak for myself—I know I’m bound to you.”

“Hush.”  Branford leaned back over me, and I felt his lips curve into a smile as they touched my neck again.  “You understand now.”

“Will King Camden accept me as your wife?” I asked timidly.

“He already has,” Branford said simply.

“He wasn’t happy about it though,” I said, hoping I wasn’t pressing too hard.  Branford sighed against my skin and stood upright again.  He turned me to face him and looked down, his hands on the tops of my arms.

“Sunniva seems quite taken with you,” Branford said and laughed softly.  “I think as long as she has accepted you, Camden will as well.  Don’t dwell on it.”

“I’ll try,” I responded, not at all convinced it was as easy as such.

“I have some things I must attend to,” Branford said suddenly.  He dropped his hands and started to walk away from me.

“Of course,” I replied.

“Make yourself at home,” he called over his shoulder.  He smiled and chuckled softly before turning and heading back out of the door.

After Branford left, I began to look around the room, getting a little more familiar with its contents and the order of things.  Parts of the room were quite dusty, so I used one of the cloths near the basin to wipe down some of the surfaces.  I recalled what Branford said in the carriage about not trusting servants and wondered how long it had been since someone had cleaned in the rooms.  They weren’t overly dirty but needed some attention.  Once I had cleaned everything I could, added a couple more logs to the fire, and placed the kettle on its hook nearby, I sat on the stool by the fire and waited for Branford to return.

I tried to clear my mind and not dwell on everything, as Branford had instructed.  I recalled my earlier conversation with Sunniva when we sewed together.  Though some of her words eased my fears, others brought out completely new anxieties.  At some point, all the people of the kingdom would depend on me.  I hadn’t the slightest idea how to rule people and wasn’t so sure I wanted to tell others what to do.  I didn’t even know what to do with myself.  I sat, contemplated, and stared at the fire as it slowly turned to coals.

It had been quite some time since Branford had left our rooms, and I was starting to wonder if I should go ahead and dress for bed.  It was completely dark outside now, and I closed the shutters against the cooling night breeze.  I had rebuilt the fires in both of the fireplaces inside the main room though the one in the sitting room had gone to coals.  The water in the kettle had gone cold, so I warmed it again, let it go cold again, and warmed it again.  I was considering doing it for the fourth time but then wondered if I should just wait for Branford to return and then warm the water.  It was getting late, and I didn’t want him to have to wait for too long if he did want tea or wished to bathe before bed, so I put the kettle on again.

I sighed and looked toward the door to the corridor.  I walked into the morning room and placed my hands on the cool wood surface of the door leading back into the rest of the castle.  I found myself wondering what the garden looked like at night and decided I would go and have a peek, hoping that walking the corridors at night wouldn’t be a concern.  I opened the door slowly and peered out before walking through.

There was no sign of anyone else in the hall, and everything was very quiet.  I could barely hear the sound of the wind through the leaves of the trees and took a few steps to peer over the ledge to the garden below.  The moon was more than half visible, and a handful of torches also lit the garden path through the center from one arched doorway to another.  Most of the flowers had closed their petals for the night, but it was still quite beautiful.

As I looked out over the garden at the budding trees and ornate grasses, my eye caught movement off in one corner near an archway that led back inside the castle walls.  I took another step closer to the edge and tilted my head to get a better view.  I saw the golden-blonde woman from the throne room—the one who was standing close to the royal family when we first entered.  I was sure she was not a family member, though, for all of the family stayed behind when King Camden had the rest of the court dismissed.  She tilted her head to one side, and her eyes sparkled.  She was talking to someone who remained in the shadows but whose form I still recognized immediately.

“It’s all so sudden,” I heard Branford say.  “I’m starting to have second thoughts.”

“I can understand that,” the golden-blonde woman said.  “It’s a big change for you.”

She reached up and stroked his cheek.  I held my breath at the tender touch she bestowed upon him.  She was so at ease in his presence, in complete opposition to how I was with him—timid and terrified.

“I just don’t know that I can replace her so quickly,” Branford said, taking a step back from the woman.  I let my breath out again, silently thankful that he did not seem interested in her touch.

At least, not publicly.

His words in the carriage tumbled back into my head like a juggling jester.

I didn't have any intention of being faithful.

“You will have to eventually,” she told him.

“I know, but it just seems…”  Branford paused and ran his hand through his hair.  “Harsh, I guess.  It’s not even been a week.”

“You can’t think of it that way,” the woman said.  She reached out and took his hands in hers, and this time he did not pull away.  Again, my breathing stopped short as the woman’s smile lit up in the moonlight.  “You need this.  You haven’t gone without in all the years I’ve known you.”

“I’ve been lucky.”  Branford’s smile quickly dissolved, and a look of sorrow replaced it.  “Up until now.”

“I think I can help change your luck,” she replied.  I watched as her tongue darted out across her lips, leaving them glistening in the subdued light.

“Can you now?” he murmured, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

“I have something for you,” she said slyly.  “I think it will perhaps help you to up make your mind.”

The woman released Branford’s hands and took a few retreating steps, beckoning him with her fingers.  He laughed quietly and shook his head before following her out of the garden and out of my sight.

I took a step backward myself, my hand going to my chest as I felt a shudder run through my body.  Replace her, he had said.  Replace me, he meant.  He already found me lacking and was searching for another.  What did she have to give him that would convince him to do so?  Panic arose within me as I had a pretty good idea what that might be.  It was what I had yet to give him and should have given him the very first night.  He didn’t think I was ready, but if not to do so meant my dismissal, I would ready myself.  Pain notwithstanding, I was going to have to be ready for him now.

And that is when I made my decision.