"Alaina, may I have a word with you for a minute?"
Alaina looked up from the book she had borrowed from Anne to see Kenna fidgeting with her fingers at the edge of Alaina's bedpost.
"Well it's not like I can run anyway," she muttered sourly. "And don't call me Alaina, we are not family."
"But we used to be," she stepped closer. "I know Bash plans to divorce me, he told me so."
"This concerns me, why?" She looked back down at the book in her hand, her eyes scanning the Latin words but not truly reading them.
"I know he wishes to marry you like you were both once engaged to do."
"Your point, Lady Kenna?" She turned the page to make it seem like she was reading.
"The only reason Bash and I are still married is to protect me. He wanted to wait until I was sure about a potential new husband,"
"And with your potential new husband now hanging outside, you have nowhere to go once Sebastian turns you out? Why are you even telling me this?" She closed the book, "What is the purpose of your visit?"
Kenna kept her eyes on the stone floors below her feet as she rocked back and forth, choosing her words carefully before she spoke them. "You are a powerful and well-known ruler," she said. "You must know plenty of eligible bachelors in search of a wife."
"You mean to ask me to find you a husband? You, a King's former mistress?"
"I was hoping," and hopeful she did look.
"Lady Kenna, I am in not hurry to marry your husband, not to annulments happen overnight."
"But it's urgent," she then bit her lip. "I am with child."
"Your husband's?" Alaina knew it was a silly question to ask the lady notorious for sleeping with other men. "No, your lovers."
"Yes, and I will admit, I did try to make things work with Bash, but he is set on marrying you."
Alaina sighed softly as she sat up in her bed. How she was a sucker for women in need, women much like herself. "Fine," she said. "I will see what I can find you," and with a quick glance to the girl now jumping for joy, she added, "Preferably a man of noble rank, you don't deserve it, but it is my name on the line if you dare stray if I were to set you up with a man any less than a duke."
"What?" She stared at Alaina. "You mean to marry me to a duke?"
"Maybe higher if I can convince them."
"Are you serious?"
"Are you mad?" Maria looked up from her embroidery. It was no secret she despised Kenna.
"No I am not mad," she said as she glanced toward her lady. "But I will never live this down when it comes time for you to marry, will I?"
"Just know that if Kenna marries a prince, I want a king."
"You aim too high, Lady Maria," Alaina smiled as she turned back to Kenna, "But I have the money for her dowry, as for you, I will set up a match as soon as possible and I will pay what is required of your parents to get you into the bed of your future husband, but it will be on your parents to continue paying the rest. You are not my subject or my daughter."
"Speaking of the princess, do you plan to marry her soon?"
"Lady Kenna, do tell me, how well do you know your husband?"
"I suppose well enough?" She said as she tried to think more about it. "Does he not want to? I can talk to him for you if you'd like."
"No, I am capable of doing that on my own," she replied, now fiddling with a feather poking out of her sheets. "But I fear even Lizzie does not want to marry."
"I can talk to her if you'd like."
"Forgive me Lady Kenna, but your words will not be necessary."
"But I helped her with Bash. I can convince her to marry as well."
"No," Alaina picked up the book and began searching for her lost page. "That is final. You may leave now."
"Yes, your majesty," she curtsied. "And thank you for your kindness."
Maria snorted has soon as Kenna left the chambers. "You better not marry her to a king. I would never forgive you."
"Do not worry, your King shall have more countries than her's."
"Alaina!"
Alaina looked up from her book, smiling, "Lady Maria, why does it bother you so?"
"Because I can't stand her. She sleeps with the king, gains a husband,"
"But is that not how it works?"
Maria rolled her eye, "Then she nearly leaves her husband for another king, and she goes on to have an affair with a general. Does that seem fair?"
"Mary had an affair with the prince, yet she still lives."
"I can't stand her either!"
Alaina's lips curved up into a large grin as she set the book down and stared at Maria. "How is it my two ladies that are constantly at each other's throats also happen to be the most alike?"
"Don't you dare say I am anything like that old maid!"
Alaina threw back her head as she began to laugh. "Honestly Maria, you share the same views as her, yet you hate her."
"She is so stuck up," she said. "Maybe if she knew how to have fun, we'd get along better."
"Perhaps," Alaina stopped laughing, "Has it ever occurred to you that Anne may have once been fun, but something changed her?"
"What do you mean?" Maria turned in her chair, every inch ready to hear some juicy gossip.
"That is not for me to share," said Alaina. "It is Anne's tale, and if you wish to uncover it, you alone must find a way."
"Does it have to do with a man?" Maria questioned as she began to rack her mind for all possibilities. "It would explain why she does not marry. She is far older than all of us, yet she remains unmarried."
Alaina looked back down at her book, determined not to say a word.
"And she has been moping about the gardens since the battle, perhaps she lost her love to war."
"Perhaps," said Alaina. She was enjoying this a little more than she should and she knew well enough she'd pay the price for it later.
"But she was so happy to go into battle. Did you not see her beaming atop that old mare of her's?"
"I did,"
"Hang on, was that mare not a gift from the late King of Denmark?"
Alaina lifted her head, "I don't know, was it?" It was paining her not to burst out laughing.
"I believe it was! I remember her boasting about it shortly before leaving. 'She was a gift from the late king, he said that she was the finest mare in all of Denmark.'"
Alaina could no longer hold in her laughter as she watched Maria mimic Anne.
"Whatever her reason," Alaina finally said, "It is a good one. Enough to turn any fun person into a cold-hearted old maid."
