The Dying

10

Margaret wakes up shortly after that and is told that breakfast will be there soon. With that Marcus goes in to get ready for the day.

The air of excitement has now worn off and Aurora retreats into herself. Margaret is now alarmed, Aurora only does that when she starts to get depressed. "Mother, what's wrong?"

It takes Margaret a couple of tries before she gets her to respond. "What? Oh, sorry, Margaret just thinking."

"They aren't happy thoughts, are they?" Margaret all but demands.

Smiling sadly Aurora shakes her head. "You are the one that has studied history extensively, tell me, will Marcus be able to have just us or will he have to have his mistresses and other wives as well?"

"Oh," Margaret says now understanding what is bringing her mother down. "In all the histories that I've read, no king has had less than three wives and at least three mistresses. However, in all the histories that I've read none of them have had as many children in the first year of reign as Marcus will have. If this happens again, and I believe it will, then he'll have more children in ten years than any of them have had in their entire lives." Margaret tries desperately to find a way for her mother to be at peace.

"But if he marries others and takes mistresses then that will happen within the first year of reign as well."

Neither had noticed that Marcus had opened the door and stood listening intently. They are rather startled when he joins their conversation. "The wives were taken by making alliances with other noble houses. There are no females for me to take to wife to form those alliances. The mistresses were taken as a way for the merchants and those from the city to gain favor with the king and form their own alliances. Again, there are no females for me to take as a mistress." Marcus wants Aurora to understand that.

"Perhaps not, Marcus, but you have a ship full of females that will be landing in a couple of weeks. Your nobles will be expecting you to take at least a few as your mistress, will they not?"

Marcus shrugs, "They will be expecting me to take a great many. What I do with them once I take them is my business and nobody elses. I will be making the majority of them into nursery help. They will be told that they will be expected to have children and they will be able to choose which males they have those children with. I have the ones I want here already."

Marcus's words seem to settle Aurora down a bit, but not entirely. The two females rush to change and get ready for the day. Just as they finish breakfast is brought in. Before breakfast is done Emmett joins them.

"No rush, I just know how busy Marcus will be and that he's already pushed back some appointments so that he can be here for this. We'll do the exams once you all are finished."

Aurora still not fully settled after her earlier words stands up, "I'm ready when you are. Marcus and Margaret can finish up as we start the exam."

Marcus hurries to finish the last few bites. He wouldn't bother except he's not likely to eat again until dinner that night.  He leans over and whispers to Margaret before standing up and joining the other two in the bedroom where the exam is taking place.

"Would you mind if I had your things moved over to the queen's quarters?" Marcus asks as he goes to stand next to Aurora. "I've already moved over to the king's quarters and it would be much easier to see you and Aurora if you both moved over there."

"Doesn't matter to me. I'm here because this is where I was told to be." She shudders as she remembers those early days of living here.

"Father should have had you moved into the queen's quarters after he married you." Emmett says as he does her exam.