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"How?" Adrienne wiped the back of her hand across her forehead The sun was too hot suddenly

" ’Twas in battle for the king, and in his dying heJames said, of fifteen years of his son’s life in service to the Crown, in exchange for the king’s protection of Dalkeith In fact, Sidheach’s service ended only recently"

Adrienne wrinkled her brow in confusion Lydia’s bright flowers suddenlywash of color

Lydia explained patiently, "Dalkeith is a rich keep There was no man to protect us when my husband died I was left with a wee heir of two e or Jalas would have pledged our son to King Ja I wasn’t ready to wed again, ’s men protected Dalkeith until I doffed ave us his protection on the condition that the Hawk report to Edinburgh on his eighteenth birthday, for fifteen years of fealty As he claimed my husband proed the Hawk?" Adrienne asked, her vision growing cloudy She blinked hard a rew pensive, and for a long ht not answer the question at all Adrienne could see ood, solas was the second offer of e I received, Adrienne"

"And the first?" Adrienne asked, trailing her fingertips in the cool, sater of the fountain and then dabbing a few droplets at her te James"

"Ah! A man scorned"

"Decidedly scorned And not a bit forgiving King James had set his mind on me and was not to be dissuaded It was in my sixteenth summer, and I was at court with your e that season, and James was one of my most ardent admirers I didn’t take hi It was only later that I discovered just how serious he was But it was too late I had set las, well, let’s just say it was short work persuading hireen eyes twinkled with fond re hates the Hawk because you turned down his offer of e? That seems incredibly childish"

"He is James was spoiled since the moment he was born He was coddled and pae to marry, he had been doted on ceaselessly He had never heard the word no in his entire life and had no intention of ever hearing it He found it simply incomprehensible that a woman would choose to be a mere earl’s hen she could be queen of all Scotland"

Adrienne thought briefly about the royals in her time How very much one had sacrificed to be princess and one day queen Lydia had made a wise choice when she’d married for love

"What truly undid hih to announce to his court that I was going to be his queen, even after I’d declined his las the day following his ‘proclaone so far as to announce his intentions publicly until weeks later, when the news finally reached Dalkeith My husband said we’d made a powerful eneeful he could be I suspect there are s about his service to James that Haill never speak of ’Tis ru Dalkeith over his head unless Hawk obeyed his every whim" Her voice slipped a confidential notch "Hawk doesn’t know it, but I sought audience with Jaan to hear tales of his servitude I begged him to relinquish his claihed and told ’s son instead of the king’s servant"

Adrienne rubbed her neck and blinked hard Her vision was blurring alar "Public humiliation," she said thickly "NeverJames ordered the Hawk to wed on his command," Lydia continued softly "Just another subtle way of prolonging his revenge I think he felt almost cheated by ht have done to us had er What a bitter lad it was you, Adrienne The king would hate it if he kne lovely and how very not-mad you really are You are exactly what the Hawk needs No ti addlepate, but a woman with true mettle and depth"