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Certain tasks As in not sh to be a prince

My stomach rolled

"Are you sure?" I asked weakly

Clarkson’s eyes watched the doctor for confirmation I supposed this was vital infore to conceive at all"

"Excuse me" I leaped from the bed and ran down to the bathrooin my body

CHAPTER 8

A WEEK WENT BY CLARKSON didn’t so much as look at me I was heartbroken I had foolishly let myself believe it was possible After we’d moved past the aardness of our first conversation, it seeone out of his way to see me, to look after me

Clearly that had passed

I was sure that one day soon Clarkson would send me home Sometime after that my heart would mend If I was lucky, I’dable to create a worthy heir to the throne was so able to create any sort of healthy child? It was tooI slept only when I was too exhausted not to My body didn’t care for me, so what did I care for it?

The queen returned from her holiday, the Reports continued, the days of endlessly sitting like dolls rolled blindly into one another It was nothing toby theThe sun reh it was drier here I sat praying, begging God to have Clarkson send me home I was too asha around all these girls and their aspirations to climb castes made it worse I had limits I couldn’t hope for that At least at home I wouldn’t have to think about it anymore

Madeline caht?"

Inew"

"You sure?" She smoothed her dress beneath her as she sat "You seeoals in life, Madeline?"

"How do you mean?"

"I et the most out of life, ould you ask for?"

She smiled wistfully "I’d be the new princess, of course With tons of ad Wouldn’t you?"

"That’s a lovely dream Now, if you were to ask the least out of life, ould you ask for?"

"The least? Why would anyone go for the least they could have?" She grinned, joking even though she didn’t understand

"But shouldn’t there be a least? Shouldn’t there be a bare ive you? Is it too much to ask for a job you don’t hate, or for someone to truly have and hold? Is it too much to ask for one child? Even one some would call flawed? Couldn’t I at least have that?" My voice broke, and I put h to stop the hurt

"A?"