Prologue
Katerina Lovelace was to turn 21 in two weeks. She has yet to meet a man to marry, and as she is of noble blood, this is entirely unacceptable. Her father has no problem letting her know it. He is unfathomably cold towards her and dotes on her younger sister, Georgiana. Georgiana and their brother George, her twin, turned eighteen just last month.
Gee was petite with pale blue eyes, long blonde hair, and a creamy white complexion. Everyone always sang Gee's praises. There was not a man in town who wasn't enamored with her. Kat knew she could never compete with Gee's beauty, and since her father never promised her to anyone in her younger days, she kept to the shadows. She could often be found in the barn with her horse Lily.
Kat loved her daily ride. She felt free from the pressure of learning to be "a proper lady." one morning, when Kat returned from her ride, her mother came outside to scold her.
"Katerina! What have I told you about riding without gloves!"
Kat groaned. "Yes, MaMa, I know. 'Never ride without gloves.' One can always tell a lady by her hands."
"That's right! Said MaMa, "honestly, Katerina, it's bad enough you learned to ride like a man. I can't have you looking like one too."
Kat sighed; "sorry to disappoint as always, MaMa."
She said as she walked Lily to the barn to remove her saddle and put her back in the stable. She quickly brushed past her mother and hurried up the stairs to change out of her riding clothes before PaPa came home. He didn't like how much time she spent riding.
*********
Lyndon paced back and forth in his chambers. It had been a week since Baby Shayleigh had been born. While he loved his Queen and his daughters more than anything, he needed a male heir, and since Queen Amberly seemed to be capable of only producing female heirs, he had decided he would take a mistress. However, out of respect and love for his Queen, he wanted to be honest with her. But how would he tell her?
He decided that should Amberly agree, he would send out letters to eligible maidens. Only those of noble blood, of course, and only those who are chaste. Lyndon took a deep breath and headed down the hall towards his wife's chambers. He knocked on her chamber door.
"You may enter," Amberly called.
"Hello, Darling." Said The King as he walked into her rooms.
