The King's Inamorata (A Queen's Tale #1)

Agna's Suite

After the fourth day of her vigorous training with Xio, Vivia found refuge in Agna's suite. Her best friend sauntered around the palace like the princess she should have been born as. She had at least a dozen servants in her suite, all of them doing different tasks. One of them stitching lace on the hem of the long train of her robe as she walked around the room wearing it, animatedly speaking about her day. There were servants making her bed, running her a bath, setting up food on the table in her living space, and two manning the door. Vivia couldn't help herself. 

She found this all so amusing.

"Oh! And then the gardens! I was in the gardens, have you seen it yet Viv?"

"I think you're enjoying being in Calais a little too much," Vivia chuckled. "We haven't even been here a week."

"Luc is going to have me formally titled 'The King's Beloved Sister' after his coronation. I'll have a title and lands of my own. Even a coat of arms." she thought for a moment. "I'm not very sure what a coat of arms is."

Vivia almost fell off of the chaise lounge. "You actually saw him?"

Agna looked at her with a scrunched up expression. "Haven't you?"

"No," she said forlornly. "I haven't seen him days. Xio has me up at the crack of dawn every morning and occupied the entire day."

"Oh goodness," she said dramatically rolling her eyes. "I forgot just how intolerable the two of you became when you're apart for too long. Do see him soon, I'd rather not be on the receiving end of either your crankiness."

"Agna...what if I'm not...cut out for this?"

Agan stopped so abruptly the woman on her tail bumped into her. The maid muttered a rapid and frightened apology but Agna was too busy glaring incredulously at Vivia to notice. 

"What did you just say?"

"Agna, what if I'm not cut out to be a Queen?" she said. "I cannot even balance a stack of books on my head, let alone be a royal. Sometimes I think...." she brought her knees up to her chest. "What if it was mistake coming here? What if he'd been better off finding someone else to marry?"

Agna, who scarcely look delicate or emotional, allowed her features to soften. She slipped out of her robe and kindly handed it to the maid with a smile before walking over to her best friend. She sat down on the chaise lounge next to her and before speaking, looked around. She waved a hand. "Thank you very much, everyone. It's early so you're all dismissed for the rest of the evening. I'll see you tomorrow."

All of them took a moment to bow before filing out of the room. As they were still leaving, Agna took Vivia's hands in hers. "Vivia Ellspire, you are a wondrous creature, did you know that? There isn't anyone in the world as purely good as you are. Luc loves you because of it and that alone makes you more than worthy. These are obstacles to test your character not your value.

"You saved Luc's life when he was nothing more than a penniless stranger in the middle of nowhere, dying in the midst of a winter storm. He had nothing to offer, nothing to give. And yet you nursed him back to health. And still, you fell in love with him. He was not the Crown Prince or the Heir to a wealthy kingdom. He was simply Luc Fernbrooke to you and you loved him for it. If anything, it is he who is unworthy of you. All the money in the world doesn't make someone more important than you, Vivia. It simply makes them richer materialistically."

Vivia started to fiddle with the chain of her necklace. "It's not so much feeling unworthy of him just...his whole world.  I just feel as though I don't belong here, A. That I'm not good enough for any of it."

Agna looked at her a long time before touching her cheek. "Oh darling," she said softly. "You truly are something else."

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Guys pleaseeeeee forgive me for being so yucky! I HAVE NOT ABANDONED THIS NOVEL. 

A lot of wonderful things have been happening in my professional life (little secrets I hope to eventually share) and they've kept me occupied. I apologize, please don't hate me.

Also, can someone please remind me what's happening I've literally forgotten everything XD

XOXO Lilly