My wedding day dawned bright with no hint of clouds. From my window above the city, I watched the people as they carried their wares, some to the market, others to the riverside. I wondered what it was like to be free.
I thought of Jean Pierre, and whether I might send word to him without my brother knowing. I remembered the only letter I had ever written, the ill-fated letter to my father, pleading with him to push for my marriage to Richard.
That letter had brought about my ruin and sealed my fate. Eleanor had intercepted it, and Henry had taken me as a lover the next day, ruining my marriage and the treaty bound to it. I had learned a hard lesson. Any letter I wrote for Jean Pierre would be taken directly to my brother.
Marie Helene kissed me and brought me a glass of my favorite win
