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Alyce sat back in her chair, somewhat stu
«You needn't look so surprised», the king said. «I owe Ke
«Oh, pish!» the queen said, with some feeling. «That isn't what a young maid wants to hear about her future husband. Besides, that's years away. Have a care for the child's feelings. It's she who must marry him, after all».
«Hmmm, so she must. But I'm sure he'll make you a fine husband, my dear. You've seen him ride today — and you know that he can carry on an intelligent conversation. What more could a woman want?»
That night, lying sleepless in her bed, Alyce reflected that, though her own wishes had little to do with her eventual fate, she was, in fact, quite content with the king's choice for her — especially when she considered how differently it might have gone. Though he might, indeed, be more than twice her age, Sir Ke
But he did not converse with her of anything the next day, or even the next — though she watched for an opportunity to speak with him. In truth, the king seemed to have taken a perverse pleasure in sending him off on obscure errands, as the feasts of Christmas approached. Indeed, just before Christmas itself, he disappeared altogether for several days.
She wondered whether he might have gone to Morganhall, to visit Zoë and his other daughters and sisters. She wondered whether Zoë yet knew — darling Zoë, who briefly had been her sister and now, it appeared, was to be her stepdaughter as well. Though she longed to write and tell her friend, she had refrained, knowing it was Ke
Christmas Eve came and went, with no word, and Christmas itself. Nor was Ke
After Mass, if the weather was not too bad, it was the king's custom to hold informal audience on the cathedral steps, where citizens of Rhemuth might approach with petitions. To one side, the queen and her children always distributed largesse to the poor: clothing, and parcels of food, and a silver pe
That Stephen's Day morning, Alyce was among the ladies attending the queen, helping distribute the gifts to the poor. The day was bright and su
She straightened to look more closely. Ke
Alyce waved back, and started down the stairs toward them, but it was Ke
«Good morrow, my lady», he murmured. «Alleluia, the Son is born».
«He is born indeed, alleluia», Alyce replied, with the ritual response.
«My apologies for being absent without word», Ke
She inclined her head nervously and preceded him up the steps and through the postern door, her heart pounding in her breast. She had known this moment must come. Faced with it now, she was not certain how she felt.
Not speaking, Ke
«Have you lost something, Sir Ke
«I have», he admitted. He lifted his wax spill from the lighted candle to blow it out. «I have lost my heart to one of the queen's ladies». He carefully set the spill back into a pot of them, still not looking at her. «Fortunately, she is also one of the king's wards. And to my utter amazement, he has given me leave to ask for her hand in marriage».
«To ask?» she repeated neutrally, though unaccountably, her heart had begun to flutter in her breast. «And suppose that she were not to agree?»
He looked at her then, unreadable emotion flickering across his calm, earnest face, and lowered his eyes. «A less honest man would say that it did not matter», he said softly, «for she would be bound to accept the king's wishes in this regard, and to marry where he chooses».
«And what would you say, Sir Ke
He turned his face toward the statue of Saint Albadore, biting at his lower lip.
«I would say that I hope she would agree. I would say that I have come to regard her with great tenderness and respect, and that I would cherish her all the remaining days of my life». He turned his gaze to her longingly. «I would say that I know I am old enough to be her father, and that I have little to recommend myself so far as fame or fortune are concerned. Nor am I the dashing young swain she might have dreamed of. But if she were to accept my suit, she would find me a kind and loving father to our eventual children, and she would never want for loyalty or compassion».
She had been Reading him as he spoke, and knew that he believed what he was telling her. She had prepared herself for this moment since her conversation with the king, for she knew that he desired this match. She had not expected to be so touched by Sir Ke
«These are all commendable virtues in any man», she said. «Indeed, I should think that any woman courted by such a man would regard herself as extremely fortunate».
«Would she?» he murmured, hope lighting his sea-gray eyes. «Would you?»
She ventured him a tiny, nervous smile.
«Sir Ke
«Having said that, however, I want you to know that, though I have dreaded this moment since the day my father died — knowing that my marriage would be arranged to best suit the needs of the Crown — I find that, now that it is here, I am both relieved and content that it should be you, asking for my hand».
«Truly?» he managed to whisper.