The Loneliest Ballad

Celia wriggled in her chair to face Princess Sarai more comfortably, eager to hear her talk more about Tobin. Then she stopped.

What if this was all a trap and Sarai was just going to repeat everything Celia said to Tobin?

No, Celia resolved silently. Better to guard every word that passed her lips. She'd listen to the woman and glean whatever useful knowledge she could, but she wouldn't give away anything that might be used against her.

She gave Sarai a wary look.

Sarai seemed to find it amusing. "You needn't fear me, silly girl. I'm not going to harm you. I'm merely a discarded daughter. For years, I was a placeholder for the throne. But once Tobin was finally born, everyone mostly forgot about me and left me to my own devices."

"Oh." Celia said faintly. She could sense the sharp edge behind Sarai's light tone.

"It would've been the same for you, wouldn't it? You have a younger brother, don't you? Everyone would've turned all their attention to him and left you behind."

Celia shook her head slowly. Yes, her younger brother Eddy was heir to the Islian throne after their father Leo, but she'd never felt discarded the way Sarai described. "No, actually. Not really. Our parents love us all equally. Father used to often say that sons were for accomplishing duty and daughters were for accomplishing joy."

Sarai raised her brows as if dubious. "If that's the case, then you're fortunate. I committed the terrible sin of being not only the second child, but the second daughter too." She smiled bitterly. "I'm told my father locked himself away in his rooms for three full days in despair, when the midwives told him I wasn't a boy."

"I'm sorry that happened, and that people were cruel enough to tell you about it."

Sarai waved a hand dismissively. "It hardly matters now. We both know our world is one that usually struggles to see what us women can offer. Besides the obvious, of course." Sarai glanced at Celia's middle. "I expect you're questioned every single month?"

"I am."

"Tobin must be out of his mind with impatience. Imagine him not being able to summon what he want with a mere click of his fingers." Sarai said with a snort. "How he must suffer."

Celia cast her eyes down and twisted her heavy betrothal ring on her finger. She could feel her face growing hot. "I've tried explaining that these things can take a while, but…" With a determined shake of her head, she smiled. "Let's talk about something else, shall we? I don't want to trouble you with marriage talk when you're not wedded yourself-"

"But I have been married."

Celia gawped like a mindless fool. "You're married?"

"I was, long ago. So yes, I know exactly what it feels like to have a husband that points his finger and demands to know why you can't conceive in an instant."

"Sorry. I didn't know." Celia mumbled. "No one told me that about you, or anything about you at all."

"And why would they?" Sarai replied airily. "I'm a widowed sister who lives quietly on her own and only visits court when age absolutely has to. I've just told you everything about me you need to know."

"Do you still grieve the loss of your late husband?" Celia let her curiosity get the better of her.

"No, nothing like that. It was a purely political match. My father wanted to strengthen his position with the Islian nobility, you see."

Celia stared unchecked. She'd always assumed her marriage to Tobin had been the first match in several generations that linked the two countries together. "You were married to an Islian?"

Sarai smiled wider at the younger woman's stunned expression. "Sweet lord, you really know nothing, do you?"

"No, because no one ever deems me important enough to tell me anything!" Celia snapped irritably. "What was he like? Your husband, I mean."

"Elias? He was a marquis. Very wealthy and had the ear of your grandfather the king. He was also a lot older than me so we had nothing much in common." Sarai sneered. "His eldest son had died and his younger son wasn't fit to inherit, so he needed more boys from me. Luckily, I was fortunate that our union was annulled before he was executed for treason."

At this point, Celia thought she might fall out of her chair and end up sprawled on the pavilion floor like an idiot. "You were married to a traitor?"

"Well I didn't know he was one when we wed and neither did Father." Sarai said flatly. "But yes, it turned out that besides being a crashing bore, Elias was also a traitor to his monarch. His trial was a terrible scandal and I thought I'd be dragged down with him. But I was able to get an annulment and escape fairly unscathed. I even had my dowry lands returned to me when I was sent from Islia."

"How the devil did you manage that?" Everyone knew a woman's dowry went straight to her husband and there wasn't any way to change that.

"A favour was granted to me by one of the Devon princes. He determined that I shouldn't be sent home without my inheritance, and convinced King Edward to rule in my favour."

"Really? Do you know which prince?" Celia wondered what may have spurred her own father to such generosity. It didn't sound like something he'd do. Unless it had been her uncle James who'd championed Sarai's cause? James was one of the kindest men that walked the continent-

Sarai's smile turned a little smug. "It was Prince William."

"Really? You know my uncle Will?"

"He and I were supposed to wed, years ago. Our kings had started negotiations. Until he let his head be turned by a pagan woman." Sarai's smile disappeared. "I'd like to think William ended up regretting turning down the chance to align our families, and negotiating the return of my lands was a sign of his favour to me."

Frankly, Celia struggled to believe that.