A few hours later they ventured out to the first of the surrounding lands and Francis explained to Louis what he had in mind for the crop growers there and answered any questions he had. Mary enjoyed the time in between destinations when her and Francis rode side by side and just talked about anything and everything. She felt Conde watching them often and was a little unsure what he meant by it. She hoped it was just because he wished for what they had and not because of something else. She knew Francis would easily send him back if he found out he wasn't there on good terms.
A few more hours passed, and they were finally reaching the castle the sun starting to set behind them. Mary just wanted to take a bath, but she really needed to visit Adi in the nursery. She hoped she was hungry because she was sure she had enough milk for two babies. She excused herself once Francis helped her dismount and headed for the nursery straightaway. She found the nurse holding Adi who seemed calm until she caught sight of Mary. Then she held out her hands and started to fuss a little. "I will send for you when we're finished." she smiled at the nanny and took Adi into her arms. "Alright your majesty. She took the goat's milk earlier, but she really wanted her momma's." The nanny chuckled and went to tend to what she needed to. "I missed you too." Mary said as Adi latched on. She kissed her head and sat on the settee closing her eyes and letting the tension drain from her body.
Bash gladly left the advisors to Francis when he returned from their ride. They didn't have anything that Bash needed to stay and hear so he decided to tend to his other duties, so he could actually eat supper with Kenna and Alexander. He was almost a month old and Bash couldn't get enough of him. He met with Leith to discuss the sheriffing matters and then tended to his gelding before heading to his chambers. He noticed Kenna and the baby were absent, so he had one of the servants prepare a bath for him. She was most likely visiting with her friends and would return shortly so she wouldn't miss supper. He soaked in the bath for a while and then got dressed into fresh clothes before inquiring about supper.
Kenna returned to her chambers when Alexander grew hungry and found Bash had already inquired about their supper. She gave him a kiss before settling in to feed Alex. Bash shared the news from his time in court and she told him about her activities with Lola and Greer as they planned Lola's wedding and started on Greer's. She let Bash take Alex while she freshened up and then as Alex slept in his cradle they ate their supper and then settled in for a quiet night just to themselves.
A few days later and it was the eve of the Lady Lola's wedding. She would be married on the morrow and Conde hoped he could find someone to distract him for a little while. He was growing tired of playing messenger to his uncle and he was growing short of information to feed Francis about England. He knew his uncle would be pleased that Francis was proving himself to be a worthy King. Conde knew he hadn't faced a hard decision yet, so he would try his best to wait until that happened to actually throw his lot in with him. He just needed someone to occupy him and he didn't dare try for Mary. She was still too infatuated with her husband he feared if he tried something Francis would have him beheaded.
Lola's anticipation was growing as the hours ticked by until she was married. So far, she'd kept Julien out of her bed, but the more they were together the harder it was becoming. The idea of having people at their consummation wasn't on the top of her list as something to look forward too, but Julien was a Noble and close to the King. She was just about to begin preparing for bed when there was a knock on her door. She opened it and her stomach flipped when Julien stood there smiling and looking as handsome as ever. Against her better judgement she let him in and closed the door behind him. "You really shouldn't be here Julien." she said. He turned to her and took her hands in his. "I know, but we are getting married tomorrow, and no one knows or has to know I was here." he said. Lola drew her eyebrows together in a questioning look. She realized what he was implying when he pulled her against him and placed his lips on hers. She was taken aback and tried to pull away, but his hand slid around her neck and the other below her waist. The touch seemed to light a passion she didn't know she was hiding, and she stopped resisting. He was right. They were getting married tomorrow what did it matter?
