TWENTY-SIX
Siward's heart sank. He'd known all along this was too good to be true. A beautiful woman waiting for him, inviting him into her bed, where he was unable to resist her charms. She'd been waiting for someone else.
He rose. "I am Siward, Lord Protector of the Realm and Regent appointed by the king until a suitable heir is found. By my count, for only a few weeks more." Siward bowed low before her.
Her lips moved, but no sound came out. "Regent? But...what is wrong with the king?"
Did she truly not know? "He died," Siward said gently. "Just this spring. He was an old man, and he rarely left his bed. He passed peacefully in his sleep, but not before he named me Regent."
"How long ago did the queen die?" she whispered.
"Almost fifty years ago now. Before my father was born,
