It read:
Radclyffe Fitzgerald,
I am in dire need of a lady in waiting and is requesting the services of your youngest daughter, Guinevere Fitzgerald to fill that position.
She is to come to the castle in a fortnight to resume her duties and you are to be in escort to ensure her safe arrival.
King Alexander.
As the words of the king's missive filled the room, a hush descended over them, the gravity of the message sinking in with each passing moment, his request hanging heavily in the air.
As each word of the king's message pierced the air, Gwen felt a stabbing pain shoot through her stomach, like a series of knives twisting and turning within her. Rather than unravel, the knot that had beforehand taken root, tightened further, constricting her with a suffocating grip.
"This could no
