The Lady and the Prince

The carriage bounced and swayed down the rutted country roads, but once they reached Trentown the ride became a little smoother. At Barham, they picked up one of the king’s highways, a much wider and well-maintained road. From then on, the drive became almost pleasant.

Elizabeth liked watching the changing scenery, peering eagerly at each new town they passed through. At night, they stayed at an inn or some noble’s manor house. She preferred the inns, although the food at the manor houses was better. But at an inn, she didn’t have to dress up and mind her manners, and she overheard snatches of interesting conversations at other tables. At the manors, the owners tended to grovel at the honor of her presence or resent having to feed her, Lady Chatsworth, six soldiers, two coachmen, and two footmen.

Baron Greenway only rode with her as far as Barham; his own coach was waiting there to take him to his home. But Elizabeth felt safe enough under Captain Stone’s protection, and the end to the Baron’s incessant droning about his own family, barony, and opinions left a welcome quiet.

Lady Chatsworth was not a conversationalist and said very little except when asked a direct question. Since her answers tended to be condescending, as if Elizabeth were a child to ask such things, the ride became very quiet. Elizabeth would have liked to use the time to learn more about where she was going and the people she was going to meet, but being in new places and seeing new things were entertaining, at least.

They made good time, reaching the capitol city in only eleven days, but the road became more and more crowded as they entered the outskirts of Londinum until they were reduced to a slow walk. Elizabeth became increasingly nervous and anxious as they worked their way into the city proper, but her chaperone was unperturbed.

Elizabeth fussed with her skirt, trying to shake out wrinkles in the restricted interior of the carriage. Lady Chatsworth said sharply, “Whatever are you doing? Sit still.”

“I want to look my best when we arrive at the palace, and if I could just—”

“Don’t be silly. We’re not going to the palace today. We will be stopping at Minorling and proceed to the palace tomorrow. Of course, we must send ahead and notify them when we will arrive, and you cannot make a good impression wrinkled and travel-worn. I’m sure the palace will send someone over to help you with your hair and gown in the morning.”

Elizabeth subsided. It would have been nice if she had been informed of the plans, but Lady Chatsworth apparently thought of her as a package to be delivered in good condition rather than as a person. But having someone familiar with the court to help her in the morning would be welcome.

Minorling was a large red brick manor with a low wall around it in the city itself. To Elizabeth, it looked very grand, but she was assured it was more or less a guest house for the royal family. When the carriage finally pulled in through the gate and stopped at the entrance it was immediately met by a throng of servants unloading and carrying luggage, and taking charge of the soldiers and their horses while one of the coachmen assisted down the ladies.

Elizabeth found herself in a large suite with a sitting room, two bedrooms, and two baths. Lady Chatsworth ensconced herself in one bedroom followed by a maid. Two maids took charge of Elizabeth’s trunks, unpacking everything and brushing and hanging half of her dresses and taking the other half to be cleaned and pressed. Before they were done, a formally dressed servant arrived to present both ladies with menu choices for dinner. Lady Chatsworth selected what she liked. Elizabeth thought at first she would just have to accept her choices, but the servant quickly made it clear that both ladies were to choose, and separate dinners would be prepared.

The meal was excellent, the meats succulent and tender, the vegetables fresh and lightly cooked, so they were still flavorful. The wines served were excellent, and dessert was cherries in a sweet sauce over a plain cake. Elizabeth had never eaten so well in her life. She was going to have to be careful; she could easily gain a great deal of weight with such wonderful food and no real physical work to do.

There were a few books scattered decoratively in the sitting room, and Elizabeth selected one and read it for a few hours. Lady Chatsworth retired to her room after dinner. Elizabeth went to her room to go to bed early too; she wanted to be fresh for the morning.

The maids who had unpacked for her had laid her old doll, Betsy, on the bed, not knowing what else to do with it. Betsy looked very out of place, shabby and worn amid the expensive furnishings. Elizabeth picked her up and hugged her, glad that she had brought her old toy along. Betsy was a little piece of home and reminded her of who she was and where she had come from. Maybe she was going to be a princess, but she should never forget that she had done the laundry and beaten the rugs too. Elizabeth went to sleep with Betsy on the pillow next to her.

In the morning, after she had bathed and dressed, she found a buffet set up in the sitting room. Lady Chatsworth had finished her breakfast and was reading a news sheet and sipping tea. As soon as had finished her breakfast, servants cleared away everything.

Two young women carrying small baskets arrived. They were well-dressed, and at first Elizabeth thought they were nobility, but their deep curtsies made it clear they were servants too.

Lady Chatsworth said to the older one, “Beatrice, how good to see you again. When are we expected?”

“Two, my lady,” the girl replied demurely.

“Sylvie, can you manage with Lady Elizabeth on your own?”

The younger woman looked at Elizabeth critically and said, “I think so, m'lady.”

“Well, then let’s get to work,” Lady Chatsworth said and went back to her room with Beatrice following. Elizabeth took the hint, and Sylvie followed her into her own rooms.

There, Sylvie rewashed her hair with products from her basket and gave Elizabeth creams to apply to her face, neck, and hands. The maid went through her clothes, tut-tutting, and finally selected a gown that Elizabeth would have considered too daring. Sylvie informed her it was rather conservative and that it was too bad she hadn’t brought anything more stylish. And then she went pink, realizing she had criticized one of her betters.

Elizabeth just said, “Never mind, I need to know these things. You can help me a great deal if you are honest with me. Coming from the country, I’m afraid I just don’t know much about styles and fashions in Londinum. Will you help me?”

Sylvie replied, “Oh, m’lady, that’s so kind of you. ’Course I’ll help you all I can. I remember my first week at the palace I was scared stiff, didn’t know a thing, so I know what it’s like.”

Sylvie went to work on Elizabeth’s hair then, evening the ends and beginning a long process of curling and pinning. Elizabeth could hardly believe the honey gold mass artistically piled up on her head and falling in ringlets was actually her hair when she looked in the mirror. Sylvie was apparently something of a miracle worker.

“Oh, it’s wonderful,” Elizabeth said enthusiastically, “But how will I ever be able to do this myself?”

Sylvie gave her a puzzled look. “Why, m’lady, there’s no reason for you to do your hair yourself, is there? If you like it, well…I understand you haven’t a lady’s maid yourself, and Her Highness, Princess Anne, said I could have the position if you wanted me. I’m her third maid now, so I’m experienced.”

“Why Sylvie, that would be wonderful. I do need someone. I know so little about the court, and you are obviously very good with hair, so I do want you.”

Sylvie smiled broadly and offered lip rouge from her basket, but Elizabeth turned it down. Prince Henry would see her without makeup eventually, and she was young enough to not really need it.

Her dress would be donned at the last minute, so it would be fresh and as unwrinkled as possible. They had a little free time to chat.

Elizabeth asked, “How long have you been at court, Sylvie?”

“Ten years, m'lady. I’ve been with Her Highness for only four though.”

“Do you know Prince Henry?”

Sylvie hesitated. “I’m just a maid. I don’t know the royal family, but I’ve seen him, of course, m'lady. Only he doesn’t go by Prince Henry except to outsiders. In the family, everyone calls him by his middle name, Nicholas…well Nicky, actually.”

“Is he attractive? He’s not too old, is he?”

“Oh, no, m’lady, he’s not old. And well, what’s attractive to one might not be to another, but I think he’s handsome enough.”

Elizabeth’s heart leaped joyfully at the good report on her prince. This was the first time anyone had told her about how he looked. Everyone else had stressed that Henry—no, Nicky—was bright and personable, and she had started to worry that there was something wrong with his appearance. Not that looks were so important, but still, it would be easier marrying a handsome man than an ugly one.

A rap at the door signaled it was time to dress. Sylvie helped into her dress carefully so her hair wouldn’t be mussed and fastened her gold necklace while Elizabeth put on her gold earrings. They weren’t as flashy as the new things she had bought, but they were good quality and had been her mother’s. She felt more confident wearing them. One final check in the mirror, and then they walked decorously out to the waiting carriage.

The maids would travel by another conveyance, only Elizabeth and Lady Chatsworth would travel in the royal coach waiting for them. It was huge, red, and embellished with gold trim, and the royal crest of a dragon and a lion rampant on either side of a sword was prominently displayed on the door.

A coachman, dressed to match the coach, helped them up into the vehicle, and they rumbled off to the palace. Elizabeth looked at Lady Chatsworth, suddenly worried again. Her chaperone’s dress with layers of fabric and lace likely cost as much as Elizabeth’s entire wardrobe, and her emerald earrings and necklace would bring the price of the Stratton manor house. Elizabeth felt like she was dressed like a servant rather than the bride-to-be of a prince. Would the prince be disappointed when he saw her, or could he look past the simplicity of her clothes and see the value in her?

At the palace, servants opened the carriage door and assisted them down. They had to climb a long flight of low stairs to reach the tall double doors of the main entrance. Elizabeth followed Lady Chatsworth, who sailed into the palace as if she owned it.

The young man who stepped forward to meet them was definitely not a servant. He was extremely handsome and dressed as a knight in chain mail and breastplate. Elizabeth’s heart beat faster. Was this her prince? If so, she might be very glad of the marriage made for her.

He bowed slightly, and both ladies curtsied deeply. “Welcome to Warwick castle. Lady Chatsworth, once again you have succeeded brilliantly.”

Lady Chatsworth rose, followed by Elizabeth, and said, “Your Highness, I am honored to have been able to serve. Prince Arthur, may I introduce Lady Elizabeth Mary Stratton, your future sister-in-law.”

Elizabeth was disappointed, but kept smiling. Prince Arthur said, “Welcome to our home. Nicky was delayed. He fell off his hunter a little while ago and had to go get cleaned up. I’m sure he’ll be here presently.”

Before Elizabeth could speak, Lady Chatsworth said, “I trust he wasn’t injured, Your Highness?”

“Just his pride. He landed in a nice soft mud puddle,” Arthur replied with a chuckle.

Elizabeth said tentatively, “Your Highness, Prince Nicky doesn’t ride well?” Perhaps they did have something in common.

“Actually, he rides very well, Lady Elizabeth, but he’s been pushing the horse to find its limits. Apparently he found one.”

Just then, a slender young man came clattering down the long impressive staircase, slowing to a more sedate pace as he neared them. His wet hair was tied back, and he was still buttoning his jacket as he came. Elizabeth tried not to stare, but she couldn’t help it. If this was Prince Nicky…he was a beardless boy and a little shorter than her to boot!

Lady Chatsworth was curtsying again, and Elizabeth copied her.

Arthur clapped Prince Nicky on the shoulder and said, “Ladies, my brother, Prince Henry Nicholas Warwick. Nicky, you know Lady Chatsworth, and this is your fiancée, Lady Elizabeth Mary Stratton.”

Both ladies rose. Elizabeth raised her eyes to see Prince Nicky staring rudely at her, and he didn’t look happy either. She realized the look on her face probably wasn’t much different, so she forced herself to smile pleasantly.

But he said politely, if a bit stiffly, “Lady Chatsworth, how nice to see you again. Lady Elizabeth, I’m pleased to finally meet you.”

“And I you, Your Highness,” Elizabeth replied. No one mentioned he was a child. I wonder how old he is. I hope he’s still growing.

Prince Arthur said, “I’m sure Lady Elizabeth would like to get settled. The servants will show you to your suite. You’ll be dining at the high table at six, and it wouldn’t do to be late.”

With another round of bowing and curtsying, the princes walked off, leaving the ladies to the servants. Lady Chatsworth just said, “Good luck, dear,” and walked away as well, leaving Elizabeth standing alone.

But the servants converged on her, and Sylvie appeared too. A butler invited her to follow him, and he led Elizabeth and Sylvie up the staircase, while a parade of men carrying her luggage went in another direction.

Elizabeth’s suite was large and very nice, although a bit too frilly and pink for her taste, but she had a sitting room, bedroom, bath, dressing room, and a room for her maid. Sylvie directed two other girls in the unpacking of Elizabeth’s trunks, which had somehow managed to arrive before them.

Elizabeth wandered around her sitting room, looking at various knickknacks and discovering there wasn’t a single book in her suite. She sat in a lovely pink and gray striped armchair and waited for the hubbub to subside.

As soon as the other two girls had left, there was a soft rap on her door. She got up to see who it was, but Sylvie rushed past her to answer it. When she opened the door, she immediately curtsied again. Elizabeth was getting rather tired of all the curtsying and, since she had no idea who the stunning young woman at the door was, simply stood and waited.

The woman ignored Sylvie and went straight to Elizabeth, holding out her hands. Elizabeth was surprised at the familiarity, but held out her own hands to grasp.

“My dear Elizabeth, I am Anne, Nicky’s sister. I am so glad you’re here. I believe we are very nearly the same age, and I’m sure we will be just like sisters.”

Elizabeth thought she probably should curtsy again since Anne was a princess, but she didn’t have the chance. Anne pulled her over to the matching gray and pink striped couch, and they both sat down.

“Now I know you have a million questions, and so do I. We won’t have much time to talk today, but I thought it best I come and see you right away. Tonight will be your first introduction to the family, and I want to make sure everything goes well.”

“Thank you, Anne, I appreciate that. I could use some advice on what to wear. I’m not sure I have anything suitable.”

They went through Elizabeth’s clothes, and Anne picked out a pale blue dress that seemed too plain to Elizabeth, but she directed Sylvie to take it to someone named Margot.

“Don’t worry. Margot will fix it up for you. It’s the perfect color for you, and I think Nicky is planning on wearing blue to dinner tonight as well. It brings out the color in his lovely pale blue eyes. In case you haven’t noticed, the rest of us just got plain brown ones, although I must admit I think my hair is a prettier color than his. Your eyes are a very nice deeper blue, and your blond hair is quite lovely too.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth managed to get out before Anne continued.

“Sorry I’m being such a chatterbox, but it is just so exciting having you here. I’ve always wanted a sister—well, there’s Wilhemina, but she’s eight years older and wasn’t ever much interested in me or Nicky. Now if there’s anything you want to know about your betrothed, his brother Richard and I are the ones to ask. Between the two of us, we know more about Nicky than Nicky does.”

“How old is he?”

“Fifteen. I know he’s much younger than you, but look at it this way. You’ll have the chance to train him before he’s set in his ways. And when you’re thirty and he’s twenty-seven, it really won’t matter a bit.”

“Tell me about who I’ll meet at dinner tonight.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much, nearly everyone will ignore you. There will be the king, of course, and Queen Isabella. She’s his third wife. Queen Margarite was his first, and she had seven children—Edward, Richard, Wilhemina, Charles, Matilda, Arthur, and me. Charles and Matilda died very young from the spotted pox. Nicky’s mother was Queen Ariella, and she died soon after he was born. That’s why he doesn’t look like the rest of us.”

“I met Arthur. I’ll meet Edward, Richard, and Wilhemina at dinner?”

“Wilhemina married Prince Frederick of Drusia, so you’ll not meet her unless you travel there. But Crown Prince Edward and his wife, Princess Eugenie, and Prince Richard and his wife, Princess Giselle, will be at dinner. Do you speak Franckish?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Well, never mind. Nicky and whoever is seated next to you will speak Anglian to you. Unless it’s Giselle, her Anglian is a bit weak. Oh, does Sylvie suit you as a maid?”

“Yes, I was amazed what she could do with my hair, and she seems very competent.”

“I’m glad. You can keep her then. I had four maids, and they were starting to get in each other’s way.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said. “That is, as long as Sylvie doesn’t mind being given away.”

“Oh, no, it’s a step up for her. Instead of being third maid to a princess, she’ll be first maid to a princess as soon as you marry. Now if there’s anything else you need before dinner, just ask Sylvie or send her to me.”

Anne rose and Elizabeth did too, but she had one more question for the princess. “Are there any books that I could read?”

Anne laughed. “There’s a huge library, and Nicky has a throng of tutors. He can give you a tour of the library, he uses it more than I do. If there are any subjects you would like a few lessons in, he can arrange it.”

After Anne left, Elizabeth spent some time looking out the windows at very neat flower gardens below. It was too early in the year for most flowers to be blooming, but there were a few, and she would have liked to wander through them, but thought she wouldn’t have time today.

There was another rather firm knock at her door. Sylvie answered it, curtsying to a tall, strong-looking man who was obviously another Warwick from his coloring. Edward or Richard?

He advanced into the room. Elizabeth curtsied, and he took her hand, brushing it with his lips as he raised her to her feet.

“Lady Elizabeth, I am Prince Richard. Was your journey pleasant?”

Elizabeth knew who Richard was; even out in the countryside, people knew which prince was the Warleader of Anglia. But why was he here?

“Very pleasant, Your Highness.”

“Let’s sit down. I have something to ask you.”

They sat down, Elizabeth starting to be concerned about this visit from the Warleader.

Richard leaned toward her and met her eyes. “I heard a rumor that there was an attempt on your life a little while ago.” At Elizabeth’s nod, he continued, “Tell me about it.”

Elizabeth did, trying not to make too much of it. But recalling the attack brought back the feeling of fear. At the end of her recital, she asked, “Do you think it will happen again, Your Highness?”

Richard didn’t answer immediately. “Possibly, but I doubt it. You’re sure it was related to your engagement to Prince Nicky? It couldn’t have been personal or something to do with your family?”

Elizabeth shook her head firmly. “The worst my enemies might do is to ignore me at a social event, and my family isn’t important enough to anyone to have people attacking us.”

Richard nodded and said slowly, “Then it’s either one of two things. One, someone wants to put a woman into a position of influence, which would put Queen Isabella, Edward’s wife, and my wife ahead of you as targets now that you are here in the palace. Out in the country you were uniquely vulnerable. Here you are not.”

“You think your own wife might be in danger, Your Highness?" Elizabeth asked timidly.

“It’s unlikely. No one could attack anyone within these walls and escape, but I will order extra guards for any excursions into town. The other possibility is that this is the beginning of an attack on the monarchy itself.”

“But I’ve never heard…who would…” Elizabeth stumbled to a halt.

“Either someone who wants to supplant the Warwicks with their own family or one of the radical groups that think the entire structure of law and government is outdated and should be pulled down.”

Elizabeth had no idea what to say, but Richard took her hand and said, “You don’t need to worry about it, that’s my job. Your job is to accustom yourself to life in the palace and get to know Nicky.”

“Princess Anne was here a little while ago, and she said that you know Nicky very well.”

Richard smiled. “I do. Royal children tend to be raised by nurses, governesses, and tutors rather than their parents, but I made sure I was in Anne’s and Nicky’s lives as soon as they were old enough to know the difference. They’re good people. They do their duty, as I hope you will.”

“Of course I will, Your Highness,” Elizabeth replied, sitting up a little straighter.

“Good. Then welcome to the family, Elizabeth. You can just call me Richard in private, and I hope we will be friends.”

“I hope so too.” Elizabeth smiled and walked Richard to the door. He paused at the doorway and said, “I’ll see you at dinner,” with an impish gleam in his eye that she didn’t understand, but he was gone before she could ask.

When Sylvie bustled in with her blue dress and held it up, Elizabeth was a little shocked at how low the neckline was. She wasn’t used to that much décolletage, but it was still a bit more modest than the dress Lady Chatsworth had worn to the palace.

Sylvie got her dressed early; better to wait for the king than come in late. Anne had sent along a blue sapphire pendant to go with the dress, and Elizabeth had to admit she looked much more sophisticated than she ever had in her life. But she wasn’t at all comfortable with the look; she wasn’t a sophisticated person. Well, perhaps that would have to change, at least a little bit.

Elizabeth and Sylvie walked together to the dining hall. Sylvie would be eating in the servants’ hall, but she led Elizabeth to a comfortable room to wait for her young prince. There was still a little time before six, but Elizabeth was anxious to make a good impression and wished he would come soon.

He did, and she gasped when she saw him. Prince Nicky was dressed in a ridiculous outfit—striped knee socks and black shorts that left his knees bare, a short black jacket, frilly white shirt, and a big, floppy red bow tie at his neck.

He was seething mad. He glared at her as if daring her to laugh, which she just barely managed to avoid doing.

“The hair is the worst, isn’t it,” he said angrily, and she nodded in agreement. Someone had curled his hair into ringlets that bobbed up and down as he walked.

When she was sure she could talk without laughing, she choked out, “Why are you dressed like that?”

“Because I’m officially a child eating at the high table. You can’t eat there without me. Your rank would put you far down the lower tables, so I have to sit at the high table, even though I’m not old enough. Anyone who outranks me can put me in any outfit they want for an official occasion. And don’t ask who did this to me. The servants said they were sworn to secrecy.”

“I…I’m so sorry,” was all Elizabeth could get out.

Anne came swirling into the room and stopped dead when she saw her brother. “Oh, dear,” was all she could say as Nicky glared at her too.

“Who was it?” he demanded. “Edward? It would be just like him to decide to dress me as a little boy to fit his sense of order.”

Anne could only shake her head; she didn’t know. She went through a door on the opposite side of the room, and Elizabeth could see the high table there.

Prince Richard came into the room and gave Elizabeth a big grin and a little bow. Then he turned to Nicky, still grinning, and said, “You’re looking good, little brother.”

Elizabeth was afraid Nicky was going to launch himself at Richard, and it was obvious from their comparative sizes that the younger prince would come out the worse if he did. But he only said, “I’ll get you for this, Richard. I swear you will be so sorry.”

Richard just laughed and said, “You’re welcome, Nicky.” He started to walk over to the door, but then something odd happened. Elizabeth saw her betrothed make a peculiar gesture with his hand down at his side, and Richard tripped over something and nearly fell. Only superb coordination kept him on his feet as he staggered a few steps. Regaining his balance, he looked back at the floor to see what he had tripped on, but there was nothing there. Frowning, he went on into the dining hall.

Nicky offered Elizabeth his arm, and they went in too. The table was on a raised platform and gently arced with the ends toward two long lower tables. Of the ten seats at the high table, there was no doubt where they were to sit. Everyone was standing near chairs, except for two with high backs in the middle that were obviously for the king and queen and two on one end. Nicky escorted her to the end two and positioned them behind the chairs with himself between her and a woman standing next to Richard. Others conversed, but Nicky said nothing, and Elizabeth stood silent too.

Nicky drew a few amused looks and a snicker or two, but he and Elizabeth were mostly ignored. Then someone loudly proclaimed, “The king!” All talk ceased, and King William IV and Queen Isabella entered and took their seats. Everyone else at the high table sat, and then everyone at the low tables sat. Elizabeth peeked out at the low tables and could see hundreds of seated people and servants lining the walls, prepared to serve the meal.

Stewards poured wine for the high table and then served the soup at the king’s nod. Elizabeth was relieved to see the place settings were relatively simple and enjoyed her soup. Then there was a meat course with roast beef and roast goose, a variety of vegetables, and gravy. The food and the service were both excellent. The king was served first, then the queen, and then each person out from them in both directions one at a time, so she and Anne at opposite ends of the table were served last for each course. But the service was so fast hardly any time elapsed between the king receiving his meat and Elizabeth receiving hers.

The conversation at the table was mostly in Franckish between the king, Crown Prince Edward, and Prince Richard. When the king finally noticed Nicky, he blinked in surprise and consulted with his two oldest sons. Then he said in Anglian, “Nicky, stand up.”

Prince Nicky flushed red with embarrassment and stood. The king gestured him out in front of the high table, and the youngest prince squared his shoulders and marched out where they could all see his complete outfit.

There were a few titters of laughter from the low tables that were quickly shushed. The king asked mildly, “Why are you dressed like that?”

“Your Majesty, I am officially a child, and one of my betters decided I should look like one.”

“Well, you look ridiculous. You don’t enjoy looking like that, do you?”

“Not one bit, Your Majesty.”

“Glad to hear it. You’re too old and too big for such nonsense, and I won’t have a son of mine made ridiculous. You may not be an adult, but from now on, you’re going to act like one and be treated like one.” He looked around the table to see if anyone was about to object. Anne spoke up.

“Your Majesty, does that mean that Prince Nicky shouldn’t live in the nursery anymore?” she asked, knowing full well that he had long since moved out but hadn’t been given an adult accommodation.

“Absolutely not! The boy is engaged, put him in some decent rooms. And get him a valet. I’ll hear no more about this. Sit down, Nicky. Where’s dessert?”

Over cake, Nicky caught Richard’s eye, but Richard just grinned at him and went back to his conversation. Nicky smiled and nodded gratefully across the table at Anne, who smiled and nodded in return. Arthur mimed applauding when the youngest prince looked his way. Elizabeth realized that the king’s children had just manipulated him to get Nicky’s status upgraded. At least Anne had; she wasn’t sure what Richard’s motive had been.

She had thought that someone was treating her betrothed badly when she had seen the bizarre costume, but now she just felt a warm contentment that Nicky’s sister and probably his brothers were really his friends. Well, except for Edward, perhaps, who had just looked mildly annoyed at the whole thing and steadily kept eating.

At the end of the meal, the king signaled someone who called out, “All rise.” Everyone stopped eating and talking and stood up, and the king and queen exited. That apparently meant the meal was over since the servants started clearing the table. Nicky grabbed the end of his cake and walked out munching on it, escorting Elizabeth as far as the hallway.

He stopped there, finished his cake, and said, “I don’t know where your room is, you’ll have to navigate.”

“I’m not sure where it is either.”

Anne swept past and said, “She’s three doors down from mine. Follow me,” and they did.

As they walked, Prince Nicky said, “We have an hour in the green sitting room tomorrow after lunch.”

Elizabeth said, “I don’t understand. What do you mean we have an hour?”

He replied condescendingly, “I have classes all day except I’ve completed Ibarran, so I have an hour free then. Naturally, we have to be supervised. Being alone together in private would be extremely improper, so everything is arranged for us to be in the green sitting room with a chaperone for an hour. Do you understand now?”

“Yes, of course.” I’m not an idiot. “But the king said you’re to be treated like an adult, so are you going to continue with classes?”

“Of course, I don’t want to be ignorant.” Elizabeth keenly felt there was an unspoken “Like you” hanging in the silence after that statement. They walked the rest of the way to her room without any further conversation. At the door, Nicky said, “So I will see you tomorrow in the green sitting room. Anyone can show you where it is. Good night.”

Elizabeth barely got out, “Good night,” before he was striding down the hall away from her. She went into her sitting room, and Sylvie was there waiting for her. She helped Elizabeth get out of her dress and took the sapphire pendant back to Anne. Elizabeth closed her bedroom door and just put on a robe and slippers. She sat down on a chair near the window holding Betsy and looking out at the lights of the city, which were mostly obscured by the palace walls but visible on a distant hillside.

Well, she had met her prince. It had not been love at first sight, and she couldn’t say she even liked him very much. Physically, she would much rather be engaged to any of his brothers, except perhaps Edward. Edward didn’t have broad shoulders like Arthur and Richard, and his hair was thinning too, but even Edward was taller than she was and an adult.

Her intended was just a conceited, arrogant, self-absorbed child, and he had no respect for her. He thought she was just some ignorant, uncultured, overgrown country girl. Well, she couldn’t help it if she was tall. She wasn’t ignorant just because she couldn’t speak Franckish, and of course she didn’t know all the rooms of the palace yet; she had only arrived today.

Elizabeth tried to put aside her resentment of the way Nicky had talked down to her and be honest with herself. Maybe compared to the prince she was ignorant. She had never had the opportunity to have tutors like he did, but she was smart. She could learn.

But even though Nicky was only fifteen, Anne’s idea of training him somehow seemed unlikely. His personality was already formed. He would mature some yet and hopefully grow a few more inches. But doubted he would ever respect her or love her. But she would marry him anyway. Gramp and her brothers were depending on her, and she wasn’t going to let them down. And it was her duty.