In the Kings Bed

Chapter 2

Lady Caroline gazed at the paintings on the ceiling as her newly appointed advisor spoke.

She was amazed by the textures, patterns and colors used to portray the people in the artwork.

"… Lady Caroline?" Sir Alaric interrupted her distraction.

Her eyes fluttered and she took in a deep breath of air trying to center herself back to reality.

Her gazed locked with his.

Sir Alaric had been appointed the first of Lady Caroline's council. He was a man chosen by the king himself. Sir Alaric's guidance was the word of the king.

His influence on Lady Caroline would ensure that all of the king's needs were being met whether Lady Caroline knew it or not.

Both Sir Alaric and Lady Caroline met in the throne room of the queen. Although she was not allowed to sit upon the throne, the room was for her use.

It was a decent sized room draped in dark red hues. It was plush and very inviting to the female sex.

It would be a room she would use during her reign as queen. A room made for her to gather with her ladies in waiting, children and council.

Lady Caroline sighed. It was barely two days after her wedding permanent decisions were already being demanded of her. Sir Alaric pressed several issues due to the upcoming wedding festivities. They required to the new courts to be presented in a few days and Lady Caroline only had one person in her court.

"You must choose your ladies in waiting today, Lady Caroline." Sir Alaric explained.

Lady Caroline looked at her new advisor questioningly. "I already have one lady in waiting, Sir Alaric." And it was true. Her lady in waiting had traveled with her from Austria. To dispose of her would be absolutely ridiculous.

"The king requested that you select four new ones." He told her.

"I don—"

"I must advise you not to go against the king." Alaric warned her. "Your position here is fragile until –"

" –Until I'm with child." She finished his sentence. "I understand that Sir Alaric, but I will not tell my lady in waiting, whom has been with me since I was a child to leave."

"Please do as the king says." He pleaded. "The king advises you to be surrounded with new faces. He has even made a particular recommendation." He tried to lighten the room.

Lady Caroline wasn't daft to the ways of a royal court. The king did not simply make a decision to benefit the queen. He made the decision to benefit himself. If Lady Caroline's intuition were correct, the woman that the king recommended would be one that he wanted to bed.

Lady Caroline gritted her teeth.

She knew and expected this behavior from the king, but why so soon?

"I would like to meet the woman that the kings feels so strongly for." Lady Caroline said. "I advise you to bring the woman to me immediately, Sir Alaric."

Sir Alaric hesitated. "I'm afraid the kings recommendation isn't unable to meet with you today."

"If the king himself recommended her, then she would have to be able to meet with me today, wouldn't she?" Lady Caroline was trying to bring some truth to the situation. "If this woman is to be a part of my court then she is required to be present. If she isn't here with the other women, then I will not consider her for the position."

"I believe I might have exaggerated when I said that the woman was a recommendation." Sir Alaric refused to meet her gaze. He had expected he to embrace the king's decision without question.