"But doesn't he belong there?"
"Maybe." Gideon shrugged again. "Maybe not. I think you need to look into it. Maybe Killian slept with a parlor maid who has a son somewhere."
"You don't believe that."
"I don't, but at least making inquiries will slow things down a bit. Veronica wants the kingdom for herself, and I'm sure that's not what Uncle Killian wanted."
The carriage pulled to a stop, and a man in a butler's uniform opened the door. "Prince Gideon," he began until he saw Ursula.
"And now it begins," the Prince murmured to the King's Widow and struggled out of the carriage.
"Hampton, this is Queen Ursula, the King's Widow."
The butler opened his mouth as though to say something but then he closed it, straightened his shoulders and nodded. "Of course. Your Majesty." He bowed and the rest of the staff followed suit.
"Is Grand Princess Veronica anywhere about?" Gideon asked, reaching into the carriage to help Ursula to exit.
Hampton took a deep breath. "The Queen Mother and King Josiah are in residence."
Gideon smiled. "Excellent. Do you think you could send someone to tell them Queen Ursula has arrived? I'm sure they will want to greet her themselves."
"Of course." Hampton snapped his fingers and two young men hurried into the palace. "Shall I have the bags taken to a guest room?"
"No." Gideon looked the man in the eye. "Perhaps you didn't understand me. This is King Killian's widow. She will be installed in the Queen's quarters until the coronation takes place. It is her decision as to when that will be, correct?"
"Your Highness, the...Queen isn't familiar with the family, and can't possibly choose a successor for her...husband."
"Is there some reason I can't become familiar with the family?" Ursula asked, drawing the men's attention to her. "I am a powerful Water and Air Sensitive and completely capable of talking to the royal family without drooling or making a fool of myself. In addition, I am right here, and unless something has changed since I wed King Killian four days ago, I am his widow, and I expect to be treated as such."
She perused the assembled staff, ignoring the quiet sputtering Hampton was making. "I assume this is not all the staff that serve the Queen?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Fine. I will want to meet the others as soon as I've been properly greeted and recognized."
"Of course." Hampton bowed and spoke to one of the other male servants, possibly a footman or underbutler. Ursula couldn't hear their conversation but assumed it had to do with her request.
Rebecca hurried to her side. "What are we waiting for? We're here. Shouldn't they be leading us to our chambers and bringing up our trunks?"
"I am waiting for Grand Princess Veronica who is calling herself the Queen Mother now. As the King's Widow, I should be received with the honor I deserve."
"I don't think you want to push this, Your High...Majesty," Rebecca whispered in her ear. "Princess Veronica has made her feelings about you apparent. She could make your life here miserable."
"Of course, she will try, but if I've learned anything from my parents, it's that I do a disservice to my people if I let anyone treat me as less than who I truly am. I am the King's Widow, a position in this court that, apparently, ranks just below the heir to the throne, and I will not let anyone cheat me out of that."
Rebecca shook her head. "Well, I think we'd have been better off if we'd gone back Valborough. As the widow of the King of Heyton, you'd have rank and position there, too."
"Your feelings on the issue have been duly noted. Should you decide you'd rather go home, no one will stop you."
The Lady didn't say anything else because at that moment, Veronica and a young man who could only be Josiah strode out of the palace.
They were followed by another man, most likely Josiah's brother Damien, who winked at Ursula before he moved to the side of the group and whispered to one of the maids, who blushed.
The sour expression on the Grand Princess's face was what Ursula had expected, and she straightened her spine and raised her chin.
"I thought you were going back to Valborough," Veronica said without preamble. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see that my husband is given the full royal funeral and honors he was deserving of. There is also the matter of the prisoners from the war with Valborough. I intend to see them released as my husband, the King, agreed."
"Your husband." Veronica tsked. "Your claim to be Queen of Heyton is questionable at best. I'm sure I could find an Elemental Priest to declare the wedding invalid."
"You could try," Ursula said, "but as your own nephew stood in as groom and signed the certificate in front of Queen Mariana, perhaps you'd like to explain how she witnessed an invalid union."
"Mother, is this Queen Ursula?" the young man asked. He was a bit taller than Gideon with dark brown hair like his mother and tan eyes. His muscular build was evident even under the layers of sumptuous fabrics that made up his garments.
Grand Princess Veronica made a face like she'd tasted something sour. "This is the woman who wed your uncle in a proxy wedding."
"So, yes, Josie," Gideon said. "This is Queen Ursula."
Josiah glared at his cousin, most likely due to the use of the nickname. Then he turned to look at Ursula.
"You're skinnier than I expected. How did you think you'd be able to give that old man a son with those hips?"
Ursula gasped, and Rebecca clapped a hand over her mouth.
Raising her chin a bit more, Ursula said, "As you've been so eager to remind me, I don't know all the customs of my new kingdom, but is it standard practice to insult the King's wife?"
"I am the King," Josiah said.
"Not until the coronation," Gideon said. "And it'll be interesting to see what happens when the priest asks the King's Widow who the rightful King is."
Damien and the maid slipped behind the crowd, moving toward the door. As he passed Josiah, he punched his brother's shoulder.
"Smooth, Josie." Damien bowed to Ursula. "Welcome, Your Majesty. With your permission, Perlline and I have something to discuss inside."
Ursula glanced at Gideon who was grinning at his cousin. Then she turned back to Damien. "Of course."
The Prince and the maid slipped into the palace, ignoring his mother's attempt to stop them.
Veronica glared at Ursula who refused to fidget under the intense hatred wafting off the Grand Princess. Ursula was her mother's daughter, and Queen Alexandria had been nothing if not a proud, strong woman.
"I'd like to see my rooms now," she said, holding her head high and motioning to Terrance to follow her.
"Your Highness?" Hampton looked at Grand Princess Veronica.
"Hampton," Gideon said. "This is King Killian's Widow, Queen Ursula. Do you think it would be a good idea to let her stand out here in the drive, with her things? The Queen's Staff has already proven themselves loyal to her. Do you want them setting up a Queen's household out here in the front yard?" He waved his hand at the lush, well maintained grass surrounding them.
"Terrance, is this true?" Hampton asked.
The chief of Ursula's staff stepped forward and bowed to the Head Butler. "I was there, sir, when the proxy wedding happened, and she is married, or rather, was married to King Killian, First so to Claim. She is the King's Widow."
With another glance at Veronica, Hampton cleared his throat. The Grand Princess didn't say anything, nor did Josiah, although he kept looking at his mother as though waiting for something.
Finally, Hampton spoke to the other servants. "We must find quarters for Queen Ursula. As King Josiah has claimed the King's apartments, I propose we set up the King's Widow in the South Hallway, where Queen Charlotte lived before she and King Killian were married."
Ursula wondered if Veronica would object, and although the older woman's face was blotchy with anger, she said nothing.
Instead, she started to leave. Gideon cleared his throat, a grin playing on his l
ips.
"Aunt Veronica, I think you have forgotten no one leaves the presence of the Queen without her permission."
When the Grand Princess turned back, her face was so red it was almost purple. Josiah only appeared annoyed, and said, "Unfortunately, he's right, Mother. She is the Queen."
Veronica took a deep breath, stared at Ursula, and spoke with gritted teeth. "For now. With your permission, Your...Majesty." She dipped her knees in the shallowest curtsy Ursula had ever seen, but she chose not to press the issue as she was as eager to get out of this situation as anyone else.
Chapter 18
It took some doing but eventually, Ursula found herself alone in a suite of rooms larger than Mariana's apartments back in Valborough. She'd gotten a bit confused as Hampton and Terrance had led her through the residence portion of the Sapphire Palace.
They'd tried to explain which staircases were for the use of the royal family, which for high ranking visiting guests, and which for everyone else other than servants, of course. They had their own network of halls, stairs, and rooms hidden behind the walls, and she needn't concern herself with them.
At least that's what Hampton had said, and Ursula was content for the time being to let him think whatever he wanted. If being the King's Widow had its own power attached, as Gideon had said, then once she got settled into this new life, she intended to learn as much about the palace and its inhabitants – all its inhabitants – as she could.
A woman named Madame Belinda was waiting in Ursula's quarters when she arrived. Hampton explained that Queen Mariana of Valborough had hired this woman to be the Ursula's protocol mistress to help her become acquainted with how things were done in the Sapphire Palace.
Another woman, a maid named Felecia explained the wardrobe organization and the importance of never wearing the exact same gown twice to evening entertainments or official State affairs. Rebecca scowled at this but said nothing. Ursula knew there would be some dissension between those two before too much longer.
Madame Belinda had walked around the entry foyer to the apartment complex, explaining the history and significance of every piece of decorating, from the pattern on the wallpaper to the smallest trinket on a side table.
"Enough," Ursula said as both Heyton women hurried to speak in the pauses of the other one. "Enough. I can't hear either of you when you talk over each other, and frankly, I'm not interested enough to pay attention to all this."
Both women look aghast, and Ursula sighed. "I'm sorry. That was rude." Taking a deep breath, she continued.
"I am going to need both of you in the coming weeks. I don't know the first thing about how to dress here or the protocol of dealing with members of the court. As the King's Widow, I believe I've been thrust into an awkward position, and I'm going to need as much help as I can get coping with it all. I hope I can count on you."
Both women nodded and curtsied, although Felecia hesitated as though she were reluctant to forgive the outburst.
"For the time being, however," Ursula continued, "I just need some time alone. Time to look around my new home." At Madame Belinda's horrified expression, she hastened to add, "I won't leave my apartments, I promise."
"Of course," the protocol mistress said, curtsying again. "It is understandable. We will have to come back in one hour, however, to get you ready for dinner with the King and Queen Mother."
"Thank you," Ursula said, and the two ladies left her and Rebecca alone.
She wandered through the seven rooms that made up the apartments, looking at the ornate frames around huge portraits that hung on the walls, the gilt candlesticks that sat on every table and fireplace mantle, and the figurines or other small statues scattered on every horizontal surface. Her rooms were more like something out of a museum than the actual residence of a person.
The main room was designed for entertaining with four distinct furniture groupings for intimate conversations among several people and a high-backed velvet upholstered chair placed at the head of the room under a canopy. Ursula supposed that was where she would sit to receive her guests.
Two other rooms were connected to this one by doors on the opposite wall. One room was dominated by a huge gold piano. Chairs with floral patterns carved into the arms and back were lined up in four rows facing the instrument.
The second room held an empty stitchery frame and five large cabinets along one wall. Three dressmaker's mannequins and a floor to ceiling mirror stood in front of another wall.
A third door led from the main audience chamber to a dining room. In the middle of the room sat a table that could seat about eight people. Across from the door was a moderate-sized fireplace, like all the other rooms, but this one had a series of hooks above the flames for warming pots of tea or soup.
To Ursula's right was another door which, she discovered, led to a dressing room, an antechamber for private conversations with friends or possibly, in the case of some Queens, lovers, and then to her bedchamber.
Her bags and trunks had been brought here, but there was no sign of them now. A check of the wardrobe reassured her the maids had put everything away.
In the middle of the high, four-poster canopied bed sat a tray with a small pitcher of cream and a beautiful blue ceramic bowl filled the largest, most succulent looking strawberries she'd ever seen.
Rebecca opened the wardrobe. "I suppose I should see about rearranging your gowns so I know where things are."
"You might want to try working with Felecia. Things are going to be different here, and I have enough to deal with without the two of you getting into a turf war."
"Yes, Your Majesty." But the look on Rebecca's face made it clear she was going to make sure Felecia knew who was in charge when it came to the Queen's garments.
A note in a masculine handwriting lay next to the bowl.
"Your Majesty, I was sure no one would properly welcome you so I asked the kitchen to send up this treat. Heyton is known for its strawberries, which are best served with cream. I hope at least this much of your day will be sweet. Signed, Gideon, proxy groom to the King's Widow."
Ursula smiled at the signature. He'd thought about making her feel at home while she'd been walking all over the palace trying to pay attention to the staff members as they related more history about this building than she could possibly remember.
When Gideon could have been seeing his family, making himself comfortable in his own home, he'd gone to the kitchen and asked them to prepare strawberries and cream for her. Why would he do that?
Because she was his Queen. Regardless of how much Grand Princess Veronica wanted her out of the picture so Josiah could take the throne, Ursula was the Queen. That was important to Gideon, and he would do everything he could to make sure she was treated with respect.
Here in her room, all alone, she had her doubts about whether she could be the person she was telling everyone she was. Her own mother might have done many things wrong, including treating Mariana as an interloper in her own family, but Queen Alexandria knew how to be a Queen. If she were here now, Ursula would have someone to talk to and get advice from.
Of course, that might not help her. They were not from Heyton, and Ursula didn't know what to expect of the court here. Everyone else would know what to do or say in any situation, just as she would have in Valborough. Here, she would be the outsider.
What was life like for a Princess raised in this palace? If Veronica was any indication, it couldn't have been like the upbringing Ursula had experienced.
As far as she remembered, hers had been a happy childhood. She'd been barely a toddler when Mariana was a baby, so she had never seen the current Queen of Valborough as anything other than her little sister. They had grown up together, shared the same tutors, danced with the same men.
When Veronica was young, did she enjoy dancing? Did she have a lot of suitors vying for the hand of the sister of the next King of Heyton? Did she laugh and flirt with men at balls and parties like Ursula had?
Were there
things the two women had in common that could be the foundation for a friendship? As far as she could see of the future, Ursula knew she'd have to make a home here, and it could be an uncomfortable place to live if she didn't have any friends here.
Gideon wanted to be her friend, and his gift of the strawberries reminded her of that, but was it a relationship that could be sustained? He had made it clear that he planned to return to a university to become a professor.
When he left after the funeral and coronation, would there be anyone else here who didn't resent her presence and wish she were gone?
Just as she was beginning to feel as though leaving Valborough and George Evan had been the biggest mistake of her life, someone knocked on her door.
"Your Majesty."
It was Madame Belinda, and Ursula remembered she was supposed to meet with Josiah and Grand Princess Veronica for dinner.
With a sigh, she called, "Come in."
Felecia hurried in before the protocol mistress. "We need to get you dressed for dinner. You'll want to present yourself as a Queen."
Rebecca hurried in from the large closet. "My mistress is a Queen. None of the gowns will make her anything but that."
The Dressing Mistress pursed her lips as she glanced at the Lady of the Wardrobe. "You are not in Valborough, serving a Princess, Lady Rebecca. Here in the Sapphire Palace things are—"
Ursula raised her hand. "Stop it, both of you. I insist the two of you work together. Felecia, Rebecca is more familiar with my body and coloring, and she knows what will make me look my best. Rebecca, Felecia understands the demands and customs of the Heyton court. I will need you both, but if either of you feels this is an unacceptable relationship, tell me now and we'll make other arrangements."
"Other arrangements, Your Majesty?" Felecia asked.
"I will be forced to find other women to serve as my dressing ladies." Ursula looked both women in the eye in turn, making sure her meaning was not misunderstood.
Questionable Queen Page 17