Gigiana sat by her window, watching her tutor as he trained hard in the heat of the rising sun. She turned and looked round at the room, only to feel Clarissa's absence deeply. But what did it matter? Malcolm was here and she was enjoying the feeling of having all his attention to herself though she felt starved of it. She watched him some more with pure longing. She didn't notice when Lady Felicia walked in.
"Gigiana."
She hastily got off the stool and managed a curtsey.
"Mother", she said reverently in an attempt to divert the queen's attention but it didn't work.
"I see. Malcolm, right? Do you wish to be mated to him?"
Gigiana shook her head quickly, all the while lowering her eyes. She was in quite a fix and the man she'd been ogling will possibly never know how much a
