The following couple of weeks were uneventful for Alys. She spent time with Esme as her friend continued her bed rest. She also spent time with Dimia, who showed her how to make fancier clothes for the new babies that would be arriving soon.
Alys did not see much of Dastrehan, except when he appeared with Princess Jocelynn in the gardens. Alys had thought the royal family would return to Marniac after the coronation celebrations were complete, but Rohan explained that they would be staying for a few more weeks before they started the long journey home.
Dastrehan spent all of his spare time with Princess Jocelynn. Alys constantly saw them walking in the gardens or heard about them eating meals together through the palace servants and their gossip. Alys tried her best to ignore the small fear that was growing inside her. The fear that as the king got closer and closer with the visiting princess, he would decide against raising Alys's child to be the heir to the kingdom.
But would that really be that bad? If Dastrehan wished for whomever was to be his queen to have an heir to the throne, wouldn't the child that Alys was carrying still be part of the royal family? He, or she, would still have everything they needed. They would not want for anything. Most importantly, they would be safe. That was all Alys wanted.
As long as her child did not turn out like Leoford.
No, she would not let that happen. Alys had not heard anything about Leoford's mother, except that she had been Queen Ayleth's healer. For all Alys knew the woman could have been a terrible mother.
No. Her child being forfeit to the crown would be okay, as long as they were not cast out.
On one particular morning, Alys's attention was drawn to her open window by the sound of a woman's angry voice.
As she reached the window, it became abundantly clear to her that the voice she was hearing belonged to Princess Jocelynn. Alys could not quite make out the words, but when she looked out the window and into the guards, she could see that Jocelynn was arguing with the king.
Confused as to what could possibly make the Princess act so boldly, Alys watched them. Jocelynn continued to talk loudly, moving her hands in the air in angry gestures. King Dastrehan stood in front of the enraged princess with his arms folded across his chest; he did not look pleased.
Alys watched for a few minutes until Princess Jocelynn yelled one final sentence at the king and stormed off. Dastrehan remained where he stood. Alys could not make out the expression on his face, but she could guess that it would not be good. She was surprised that Princess Jocelynn had managed to get away with yelling at him like that. But maybe that was because of how close they had become.
Alys shook her head. No matter how close she was with someone, she could not imagine yelling at them in anger- especially a man she wished to marry.
Alys closed her window and returned to the sewing task she had left on her bed.
A messenger came for Alys in the mid afternoon to inform her that the king wished to speak with her. This surprised Alys, as she had not seen much of Dastrehan at all since the Marniac royal family had come to visit. She quickly put up her long hair, which she had been grateful to allow to fall over her shoulders when she was alone in her bed chamber. She had heard once from a girl at the market in Creb that the women in Balear did not have to have their hair up. Most walked around letting their hair flow freely, even in public. How Alys envied them.
When Alys emerged from her bed chamber and started to make her way down the hall, Rohan and her guards stepped in to place a few paces behind her.
أنت تقرأ
A Servant Lost (Alys Book #1)
العاطفيةAlys is an unwanted servant trying to live by any means possible in a land that is threatened by wars and conflict. With no memory of her childhood or early youth, Alys has nothing to her name and no hope for the future unless she agrees to marry; a...
