Guarding Princess--Chapter 2

Crap. Mattie had hoped that the mystery woman was just a duchess or a countess. But to meet a queen while she was covered in mud…not good.

“Your Majesty.” Mat gave her best Guards worthy bow. “Please forgive my appearance. I was just going to the baths. Mother.” She gave her mum a nod and turned to make a hasty retreat.

“Matilda, or should I call you Mattie? Wait. Your mother told me about your desire to get a Guards education and warned me that you’d probably come in here covered in mud. I can only imagine what…the other children look like.” She and Mat’s mother shared a laugh that she didn’t understand. “Did you pass?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Who else is in your class?”

“I didn’t catch all their names, ma’am, but a tall boy named Christopher, a small boy named Walter, um…Karl, who’s average looking but with an incredible spirit, and,” she paused, looking for the right words, “a stubborn boy who doesn’t like that I’m a girl. The rest of the boys seem to think that it’s a lark that I’m female.”

“What’s the name of this nemesis of yours?” Mat’s mother asked. “Or do you not know it?”

“Oh. His name is Wilhelm.”

Queen Amelia and Queen Beatrice shared another look while Mat tried to scratch her nose without either woman noticing.

“Oh Mattie, I’m sorry for keeping you from your bath. Come back and we’ll chat more over lunch.”

She gave another bow as Nurse made her exit behind her.

“I’ll get something suitable for you to put on from of your room. I want you in the tub when I get in there—no dawdling.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Mattie left her parent’s chambers, four rooms comprising their bedroom, a sitting room for mother, a den for father, and a shared dressing room, and crossed the hall to one of three bathing rooms inside of the castle.

This one, used by only the royal family, was probably the least decorated, least elaborate, and least formal, though still covered with flowery mosaics and statuary. It was the most comfortable, though. There are two main rooms, one for males, and the other for females initially. But with just four in residence, Queen Amelia and King Fredrick used one, leaving the second to Mattie and her sister. Plenty of room in pools that could easily sit ten.

Mattie glanced at her reflection in the large mirror to one side of the small dressing area. The skin of her arms and face was grey from the mud and…her poor hair!

It was stiff from the dried mud. Her hair was her one vanity—thick and long, it hung nearly to her waist with gentle waves. The perfect shade of auburn, it showed like cinnamon when the sun hit it. But covered in mud it was dull, lifeless and heavy. Nerves and excitement that morning had driven the pain of it pulling her scalp from her notice.

She waved off the maid who’d been sitting near the window with a book when she’d entered. Her mother really had expected her to arrive filthy. Normally attendants were only available at night and when there were events. Amy didn’t really care for Mat, she knew, and the glare she gave Mat’s muddy clothes was the primary reason. Amy hated dirt and thought a person must be crazy to actively accept being dirty.

Mattie kicked off her boots and tugged the strings at the neck of her tunic, loosening it as best as she could before pulling the hem over her head. Her pants were stiff as she stepped out of them and she was about to see if she could get them to stand on their own when she remembered Nurse’s warning not to dawdle. She jumped into the pool, heedless of the splash that nearly soaked Amy, and settled in the center where the water came up to her neck.

The water was gloriously warm. The bathing rooms had been placed purposefully by castle architects to make use of the chimneys from the kitchen fires. The system of pipes used to get water into and out of the pools were the marvel of the day and ensured that so long as castle occupants bathed well, the gardens would never lack for water.

Mattie pulled at the tie at the end of her braid. The mud had caused the leather to shrink and the knot was impossible to loosen, but she only lost a few hairs when she finally worked the tie off. She winced some more as she pulled out the negligent pins.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly sank beneath the surface of the water to let her hair soak. When she emerged, Nurse was standing with her hands on her hips, scowling at her.

◙◙◙

“I hate it when you do that.”

“Do what?” Mat asked, grinning as she brushed a glob of rehydrated mud off her arm.

“Put your head under the water for so long. You could drown!”

“Never drowned before,” Mat joked, making her way to one of the benches lining the interior of the pool. Nurse already had the bottle of hair soap in her hand.

Nurse Meryl Collins had been a second mother to Matilda and Hilda since their birth and often was the one to deal with Mat’s messes. She shook her head as she started to massage the soap into Mat’s long tresses. Meryl winced in sympathy as she worked a particularly nasty tangle loose, though she’d never show Mattie that.

“I don’t know why you can’t be more like your sister,” she grumbled, releasing Mattie to let her finish washing her skin. She watched as the girl scrubbed at the lingering mud, smiling at the way Mat made sure her skin turned pink from the friction. She’d taught the princess well.

Mat noticed that Amy and her clothes were gone. “You aren’t normally so critical of my messes.”

“You aren’t normally barging into rooms with visiting queens in them!”

Mat winced. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t know she’d be in there. Plus, she seems nice and mother knew and expected that I’d do that. She even warned Queen Beatrice.”

“I know, child, but it doesn’t make me feel any less embarrassed.” Nurse raised a towel to tell Matilda to get out of the pool, wrapped the girl up tightly and used a second towel to dry her hair. Then she nudged Mat to have her sit on the stool so that she could comb out her hair.

Meryl had to stifle her smile as she pulled out the dress Her Majesty had picked for the princess to wear. She knew Matilda would hate it and her instincts were not disappointed.

◙◙◙

It was pink. It was pink and it sparkled as the light hit the jewels. And there were frills!

Matilda groaned. “I can’t wear that! I have to go to the guard meeting tonight!”

“And before the meeting you and your sister will help entertain our visitors. Afterwards you will have dinner with them. You know the rule.”

Mattie whimpered, but didn’t complain. When she’d told her parents that she was going to be the first Guardswoman ever, her mother had forbid it until Mattie had agreed to a few terms. She was not to complain about the clothes that her mother chose for her and she was to willingly accept her lessons to be a proper princess. She also not allowed to act like a Guard outside of her duties. Her mother insisted that she was a princess first and foremost.

“Yes ma’am.” She sighed dejectedly as she eyed the dress again.

Nurse looked at Mat as she kept the towel wrapped tightly around her body. “Come on! We don’t have all day to dress, girl! Drop that towel.”

She blushed, embarrassed knowing that her nurse’s keen eyes would instantly note the recent changes in her body as she let the towel fall.

“Well, look at that! Someone’s starting to get her breasts!” Mat blushed deeper as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You are young child, but there’s nothing to stop it. Don’t be embarrassed--you should be excited to become a woman. Is your sister showing signs yet?”

“No,” Mat told her glumly, her perfectly proper sister was still perfectly flat chested. Mat pulled on the bloomers and held her arms up for the thin shift she’d wear under the horrible dress.

“You don’t have to look like a martyr when you put on these clothes, you know.” Nurse smiled at her charge.

“The rules state that I must have a pleasant expression while engaging in princess duties--there is no requirement that I look pleasant while dressing.” Mat gave her best frown, but before she knew it, she was back on the stool and Nurse was twisting the top of her hair into some sort of design, letting the bottom hang free.

“There you go,” Nurse said, releasing Matilda to look into the mirror. As she expected, her shoulders looked too wide and the color clashed in a ghastly manner with her skin. “You look lovely.”

Mat rolled her eyes as she gave her boots a forlorn look and sighed. She stepped into the small pink slippers Nurse handed to her. “I’ll have one of the lads clean them and put them in your room,” Nurse said.

“Thanks.”

Nurse Meryl had to give Mat a push to leave the room. It wasn’t bad enough to wear the dress, but she knew the boys weren’t going to respect her as a Guard when they saw it.

She squared her shoulders before nodding to the Guard standing at her mother’s door to announce her entrance. She walked calmly into the room and curtseyed to her mother, Queen Beatrice, and nodded to the girl who wore her face, but she thought looked beautiful in the pink, frilly dress.

“Mattie!” Queen Beatrice smiled warmly at her. “You’re just in time for luncheon.”

The meal had already been served, but a place had been set for her at the small table. It was now just the four of them, her mother’s handmaidens preferring to eat with the other maids whenever she had visitors. A footman pulled her chair out for her and she bit her lip slightly as she sat as daintily as she could before allowing him to push it back in. It was not her strong suit, but she was determined not to embarrass her nurse or her mother again so she kept her back straight and tried to imitate Hilda. It was so much more natural for her sister and Matilda just felt like an imposter.

“Mattie, I’m curious.” She looked at Queen Beatrice for a moment before helping herself to some of the roast the footman held next to her shoulder. She realized how ravenous she was, but was certain her mother would frown if she took as much food as she really wanted. “Why aren’t parents allowed to watch their sons...I mean children try out for the Guards?”

Mat placed some potatoes on her plate before answering. “The Guards only want people who are fully committed to the job, ma’am. By not allowing parents to watch, it’s entirely the boys’ choice how they do in the tryouts. They can choose to do poorly if they don’t really want to join. It’s also why anyone, no matter of social status, is allowed to tryout, with or without their parent’s permission.” She added some sautéed vegetables to her plate, but declined the gravy.

The others had already started eating, so she took up her knife and fork and took a small bite of Agnes’ wonderful roast. It took a great deal of control not to chew quickly and immediately replace it with another.

“Besides the mud, what other tests are there?”

Answering Queen Beatrice’s numerous questions made eating slowly easier. Mat’s mother seemed happy at the way she handled herself while Hilda was acting almost improperly at the table, sending her twin grins from behind her napkin.

When the desert finally arrived an hour later, Mattie felt hungrier than when lunch started. She recognized the blackberry filling in the individual pies they were served. Delicious.

Thankfully Queen Beatrice expressed her desire to rest and their mother volunteered to walk with her to the guest wing. If the footmen were moving slowly to remove the lunch dishes, Matilda only saw it as a godsend. As soon as the door closed behind the women she grabbed her plate and ran over to the sideboard to refill it.

“Thank you James!”

He just laughed at Matilda. “Congratulations on getting into the Guards.”

She nodded, her mouth already filled with a roll.

“Gosh, Mat, breathe!” Hildie had retaken her seat at the table while James cleared the used plates.

“I’m hungry!” she said thickly around a slice of roast as she carried her overfilled plate and a second pie back to the table. She’d again avoided the gravy and paused just long enough to tuck a napkin into her collar and lay another across her lap to avoid catastrophe before resuming her feast.

“Mattie, do you want any more or can I take the tray away?” James asked as he set the dishes on the cart to take back to the kitchens.

She thought about it for a moment. “I’m good--I don’t want a stomachache. Thank you.”

“You’ll want to thank your mother, too. She’s the one who told me to stall so you could eat more.”

“Really?!” She nearly dropped a potato into her lap.

“Yes Mattie. If you actually spent more time with mother instead of hiding in the passageways, you’d know how proud of you she is, even if you do eat as much as a horse.” Hilda rolled her eyes and laughed at her sister.

“Sure.” She ate another roll. “Then why is she making me wear this ugly dress?”

“Hey! I like this dress.”

“And on you it looks lovely. On me, not so much.”

“You look just like me! You just aren’t comfortable with your body and looking pretty.”

“I’m going to be a Guard! I don’t need to look pretty!” She shoved a huge bite of roast into her mouth and waved goodbye to James who was trying to escape the room unnoticed. He raised his hand as he left, pushing the cart.

Hilda sighed and passed Mat a napkin. She wiped her chin. “Mattie, if you spend half as much time learning what mother wants you to learn as you do Guard lessons, you will be a very formidable queen.”

Mat glared at her as she ate the pie. “Sure.”

She patted her hand. “You’re just young--give it a few years and you’ll see.”

“Who died and made you forty? And have you seen the list of things mother wants me to learn? There’s not enough time in the day!”

“Trust me. I’m getting just as much of an education. Mum and Dad think I’ll be a valuable advisor and administrator, so I’m learning everything you don’t have time for. When you have to make a seating chart for a feast given in honor of a visiting dignitary, I’ll be the one you’ll rely on.” She grinned, clearly relishing in the power she’d one day wield.

Mat thought about rolling her eyes at her sister, but realized that she was right. “Thank you. Dancing and etiquette are bad enough, I think party planning and fashion would kill me.” She smiled at her. “Thank you perfect Princess Hilda.”

“You’re welcome, future Guardswoman Princess Matilda.” She grinned. “Are you finished eating?”

“Yes.” She patted her contented stomach. “Hopefully it’ll hold me for the rest of the day since I know it’ll be another light dinner.”

“Have you seen Father?” she asked, standing up.

“No. And I need to make sure that he goes to the parents meeting tonight. All I need is for him to not show up.” Mat untucked her napkins and checked her dress for spots. Finding none, she cheered.

Hildie laughed and linked her arm through Mat’s as they left their mother’s sitting room.

“We can take a shortcut to Dad’s study,” Mat said, gesturing to an alcove next to the bathroom.

“And get dirty?”

Mat sighed. “Mum would kill me,” she finished her sister’s thought. “Not you of course. If you ever get dirty, it’d still be my fault.” But she smiled, not perturbed. They walked arm and arm down the hall, automatically adopting each other’s mannerisms to confuse the Guards they passed. Matilda walked a little taller while Hilda took slightly longer steps made awkward by the dress. She also watched her feet while Mat tried to keep her gaze level.

Mat stopped and Hilda looked at her, confused. “What?”

“Is that really how I walk?” They took the stairs down to the second floor.

“Yes. Why?”

“I’m just taking notes on how to be a better princess. Work smarter, not harder, and all that.”

Hildie grinned. “I’ll be happy to act like you to help you learn. Just don’t expect me to go running through mud or spend too much time in the passageways. You know how much I hate them.”

“So you’ll do my dancing lessons?” She asked hopefully, but already knowing the answer.

“Of course not. Don’t you have to learn to dance as a Guard anyway?”

“Yeah, but not until I’m fourteen.”

“Will they make you learn the male parts?”

“I doubt it. Mother is firm that I’m not to pretend to be male.” They came to the grand staircase.

Three stories in height, the main entryway into the castle was meant to impress and intimidate--which is why it’s so rarely used. From the main doors, two spans of stairs curve gracefully inward, leaving room on either side and between for the highly carved doors to the ballroom behind. Above, the stairs turned towards the walls to frame the constellation mural high above. A lush green carpet covered the floor and steps.

From the landing on the second floor the visitor could choose to either go into the foyer or take the wide staircase directly down into the grand ballroom.

As usual Matilda took the left staircase down to the foyer while her sister took the right. They tried to pace it so that they hit the bottom at the same time, meeting in the middle to rejoin arms and continue their way to their father’s office.

The Guard standing outside the office looked at the two princesses for a moment. “Mattie, you have potato in your hair.” He plucked the offending tuber out of a curl. “Otherwise I couldn’t tell the difference.” Hilda and Mattie grinned at each other. “Your father has King Otto in with him, but I’ll ask if they mind your company.” He knocked and announced himself.

Hilda checked Mat’s hair for any more stray food and smoothed her sister’s skirt. Then she scrunched her own skirt slightly to wrinkle it, tugging her top so it hung unevenly above her sash. “There.”

Matthew nodded them through the door.

“Ah, here are my daughters.” King Frederick the Seventh and King Otto were sitting in a pair of leather chairs before the fireplace, though no fire burned.

The two girls curtseyed together, Mattie’s at its best, Hilda’s obviously wobbling.

King Otto nodded to them. “And do they have names?” he laughed.

“Yes, though at the moment I’m not sure which is which.”

“Gee Dad, then maybe Mum shouldn’t dress us alike!” Hildie joked.

“That’s Hilda,” Frederick said, pointing at her, “and that’s Matilda.”

“Hildie, you know that I’m always polite in front of company!” Mat glared at her then shrugged. “She really doesn’t know me at all, sir,” she told King Otto.

“I see. Fredrick was telling me that you accomplished quite a feat this morning. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir. Dad, you will be at the parents meeting? I don’t want to start out wrong.”

“Yes, I’ll be there. Otto said that he’d like to join us to see how our youngsters join the guards.” The two of them shared a smile.

“Will you be attending in that beautiful dress?” Otto asked.

“Yes, sir. My mother insists.”

“Notice that she didn’t thank you for the compliment,” Frederick interjected. “She hates pink.”

“Thank you, Father,” I drawled. King Otto laughed.

“I like her, Fred. She reminds me of you.”

“Yes, she’s definitely my daughter.”

“Have you and Father been friends for a long time?” Hildie asked, her dress once again properly set.

“Yes, the kingdoms have been allies for centuries and our families have made an effort to stay close. Our fathers decided to educate us together since we’re the same age. This confirmed bachelor met your mother at the Christening for my oldest son.” He reached over and punched their father on the shoulder.

“Mum convinced you to marry?” Mat asked her dad.

“No. I thought she was beautiful and wanted to dance with her. She wanted nothing to do with me. It took me two years to convince her to marry me.”

Hil and Mat shared a look. They shrugged. Mat could see her goofy father having to beg her prim and proper mother to marry him.

“I wonder if Mum wasn’t just as keen to marry you, but wanted to make sure that you were serious.” Her sister sighed dreamily--she’d always been the romantic one.

“Maybe,” Frederick smiled. “Mattie, you look bored. Here,” he handed her a book.

It was a history of the twelve kingdoms but as she flipped through it she realized that some of the stories read oddly.

“What is this?”

“It’s a history written in Südlichen Ländern. I’ve ordered a variety of histories written in each kingdom for your diplomacy lessons. When you’ve finished it, we’ll talk about why it’s different and compare it to the other histories that’ve been written around the continent.”

“Sounds good,” she said absently, sitting in one of the chairs facing his desk. She dimly heard the others’ laughter.

◙◙◙

“Mattie.” She looked up. Her dad was standing before me, buttoning his jacket. “It’s almost five.”

“Oh!” She jumped up and took a blank sheet of paper off the desk to mark her place then stretched and yawned loudly before realizing her mistake. Hilda was no longer in the room, but King Otto was also standing. He faked a yawn before she could apologize. Then he winked.

She smoothed her skirt and checked that her hair wasn’t a mess. “You look fine.” Her father took her arm and led them out of the room.

“Thank you, but I need to look perfect if I don’t want the boys to laugh at me.”

“They wouldn’t dare.” Frederick looked down at his daughter with a fierce expression. “I’d have them thrown in the dungeon for laughing at my girl.”

Mattie bumped him with her hip. “Daddy, don’t even kid! I want to be respected for my own abilities, not because my father will put them in the dungeon for looking at me wrong.”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll hold my tongue. But if you want the dungeon key, I’ll happily hand it over.” He put his arm across her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

“I wish I had a daughter...” Mat had forgotten that King Otto was walking behind them. He sounded wistful.

“Jacob will be ready to marry in a few years--then you’ll get that daughter. And granddaughters. Once the suitors start calling here, I might be willing to trade you if you promise to keep my daughters in your dungeon.”

“You don’t know the type of girls Jacob is attracted to. But maybe one of the younger ones will give me the type of daughter I want.” Frederick gave him a sympathetic smile.

“How many sons do you have?” Mat asked.

“Five. And yes, they’re as rambunctious as you’re thinking. It’s any wonder how I still have a kingdom to rule...or any hair left on my head.” Mat couldn’t help but smile, looking at his thick dark hair.

They walked in relative silence to the rustic dining room. The oldest parts of the castle were over a thousand years old from when the Twelve Kingdoms were first established. The dining room and the kitchen were the first rooms built as the original keep where king and farmer lived and worked together. Frederick had told Mattie that the passageways were part of the vision of the first king and that the original diagram for building the doors was in his office safe. As the centuries passed and rooms and wings were added and redecorated so too were the passageways added.

The grand ballroom was the first major room put in, coming second only to a collection of bedrooms on the other side of the kitchen for the royal family, currently being used as the quarters for Agnes and her assistants. Mattie’s many times great grandmother had wanted to turn the great hall into a luxurious and rich room--a far cry from the stone and dark wood that their kingdom was built from. The Grandfather had told her that he needed the hall as a comfortable place for citizens to meet and eat, so he built her the grand ballroom in compromise, allowing her to fill it with the luxuries that she craved while the hall was left untouched.

The atmosphere of the room was loud and jovial as Guards sat on benches and tables checking out their new brothers and sister. The tables had been cleared from the middle of the room and the newest recruits and their parents were sat on three rows of benches where everyone could gaze upon them.

“Yeah Mattie!”

“Knew you’d make it!”

“What are you wearing?!”

Mattie grimaced at the catcalls as she led the way to the empty seats in the last row. She smiled at David who was no longer guarding her mother’s room.

“Alright, alright fellows. Quiet down. We’re all here now, so let’s get started.” Captain Christensen turned to the crowd, “And no interruptions from the peanut gallery--if I forget something, wait until I ask for questions.”

“Who’s the girl?!” someone shouted.

“Her parent looks familiar. Is he in the acrobat troupe?” someone else called.

“Very funny, numbskulls. Yes, for anyone who doesn’t know, the young lady in pink is our own princess Matilda and if anyone thinks she got in because of her pedigree, I’ll break all the rules and say that she held her staff the longest in the second test. So, no complaining to me that she doesn’t belong.” If he threw a look at Wilhelm, it was very quick.

“And no--that’s not an acrobat. That’s your king; show some respect.” He was nearly drowned out by more cheers. Mat looked at King Otto who sat on the other side of her father, but he shook his head at her raised eyebrow. She had to respect the king who was happy to remain anonymous.

The men quieted down at a glare from Christensen. “Now if you men don’t mind, I’ll tell you who else will be joining us this year. Stand up as I call your name. Karl. Jon. Walter. Mark. Christopher. Michael. And Wilhelm. Okay, you can sit again.”

Mat noticed that Christopher and Jon sat next to Captain Andersen, obviously orphans. Walter sat next to a plump woman who was crying, though the tears seemed happy as she kept hugging her son. Karl was next to a large, unsmiling man while Mark and Michael sat between two thin women who could easily be sisters. Wilhelm shared a bench with another unsmiling man, though their relationship seemed odd. Both kept turning to look at Mat and her father.

“Alright. Now for the important information,” Captain Christensen continued. “Training is every day save Sunday. At seven, you will report for breakfast with your class here and you will work until four in the afternoon unless you do something stupid.

“Your education will include weights and endurance exercises including basic staff work in the morning and reading, writing, mathematics and history in the afternoons. If you don’t perform to satisfaction in all areas you will be dismissed from the program. If you make it to your second year, you’ll learn archery, knife skills, sword, and hand-to-hand combat. Your formal education will continue, but will focus on what you can learn on your own time.

“Dance lessons will start your fourth year. In your fifth year you will choose the rest of your curriculum based on your skills and interests and you’ll shadow older guards to learn your post. Once you’ve completed your eighth year, you’ll complete a final test and then you can call yourself a Guard.

“Parents, so long as you do not interfere, you can watch any of the outdoor training. I don’t take kindly to meddling, no matter who you are.” He glanced at Frederick, who nodded in return.

“Your children are expected to stay one out of every four weeks in the barracks. Since we have a lady joining our ranks, I’m having changing closets built onto the building--use them. If anyone needs permanent housing in the barracks, speak to me and I’ll get you situated. Curfew is ten at night for all trainees and will be strictly enforced whether you live in the barracks or with your parents. There is no drinking inside the barracks, no drinking while on duty, and no drinking at all if you’re a trainee.

“Tomorrow you’ll meet with the tailor to be measured for your uniforms. Three sets per year, take care of them because any more will come out of your pocket. Your pay is two silvers on the first of the month, but you’ll get one tonight.” Christensen consulted the paper in his hand. “That’s all I have. Are there any questions?” He paused to look around. “None? Good. I’m going to go see if Agnes has dinner ready.”

Mat was surprised that the meeting went as quickly as it did--she’d hidden in the corner the year before and the parents had asked dozens of questions demanding to know everything from potential injuries to what dances the boys would learn. To his credit, Captain Christensen answered each question with patience, and even made two guards demonstrate their dancing ability.

She watched Christensen walk to the door leading to the kitchen. Agnes was leaning against it and she gave him a sweet smile as he approached and Mat saw his usually blank expression soften as he thought no one was watching.

He said something and Mat watched Agnes’ face light up with laughter as she playfully smacked his arm. He took a step closer to her and bent to whisper something else into her ear. Mat expected her to blush, but instead she turned and fled into the kitchen. She thought he’d look upset, but the opposite was true. He was laughing until he turned back towards the room, where all the humor fled his face, his eyes darting around to check that no one had seen him show such an uncharacteristic expression.

“I keep telling him marry her.”

Mat turned to look at her father. “I thought I was the only one who knew about them.”

“Honey, everyone knows about Harold and Agnes. He likes to pretend that it’s a secret, but even the blind man who sells eggs knows about them. We just all refrain from telling them that we know.” He sighed and shook his head.

“Why haven’t they married?” Mat asked, curiously.

“He says that he will never marry again no matter how he feels.”

“He was married before?” She was shocked.

“Yes. She was his childhood sweetheart and they married as soon as he completed Guard training. She got pregnant soon after, but both she and the baby were lost during the birth. He was devastated and threw himself into the Guards.” Frederick seemed to suddenly realize who he was talking to and grimaced. “But I didn’t tell you that.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it to myself. I respect both too much to mention it to anyone. Plus Agnes would probably cut me off.”

“Cut you off?” King Otto asked.

Shoot, Mattie thought. “Well, I um. Agnes always has something available that I can snack on,” she finished quickly.

“I see.”