Page 55 of Stolen Princess's Secret

Claudia took it easy the next day and the day after that.

She slept late and cancelled so many appointments that Rudolpho turned up, demanding to know what was happening.

The bleeding had stopped but fear kept her cautious, and she should have mentioned her spotting to Tomas before he left for Aergoveny for three days without her. She’d told him to go alone when he’d floated the idea of her going with him. She could tell he’d noticed her uncharacteristic need to sleep late and read quietly in her rooms of an afternoon. She wasn’t walking her wolfhounds or taking care of her falcons. Even in the most vicious throes of morning sickness, she’d always managed to do those things if she was within doing distance of them.

But pregnant women were not questioned when their habits changed abruptly, she’d come to notice.

At least, not by men.

Rudolpho being the exception, and that was only because he answered to the King.

‘I have to tell him something,’ Rudolpho emphasised for perhaps the hundredth time since he’d requested an audience with her. ‘When is your current incapacity likely to end?’

‘I don’t know,’ she told him tersely, not to mention truthfully. ‘I don’t feel up to sitting through a state luncheon today.’

‘Have you seen your doctor? What did they say?’

‘They told me to rest, so here I am. Resting.’ The edge to her voice didn’t go unnoticed. She stood abruptly, unable to stay still. ‘I realise Cas is relying on me to help win over his senior courtiers to this new change to the water distribution plan, but the deal is done. They can whine all they want but the kings of four interlocked kingdoms are making this happen. Cas’s old guard are just going to have to get over their vapours or be replaced.’

‘Princess—’

‘Don’t you agree? It’s time he stopped indulging them.’

‘Quite, but—’

‘It really is that simple. He. Is. Their. King. His word is final!’

Rudolpho was standing in front of her now, his dark eyes flashing concern. ‘Your Highness, please sit down.’

‘Stand up, sit down, come to lunch—what is it you all want from me?’ Couldn’t she even have a proper meltdown without someone trying to guide her through it?

‘Princess, sit down.’ The crack of a whip in his voice broke through her indignation. ‘Let’s not be alarmed, but ma’am, you’re bleeding, and this concerns me greatly.’

She did as he said, sitting on the bed at first, and then lying down as a cramp in her stomach struck hard. ‘Don’t tell Tomas.’

‘Why in the world not?’ He was already at the door to her suite, gesturing to someone outside. ‘Find former housemistress Lor and bring her here. You, call the royal doctor and ask her to come urgently. As in now, man, don’t just stand there.’ He closed the door and turned back to Claudia. ‘Feet up. Don’t move.’

She closed her eyes on his forbidding frown. ‘Please don’t tell Tomas. He’ll leave me if there’s no baby to stay for.’

‘Now I know you’re out of your bleeding mind. No. No, brain bleeding at all,’ he amended quickly. ‘Out of your clearly addled mind. What have you been eating or drinking of late? Is there any chance you might have been poisoned?’ She felt a smooth palm on her forehead. ‘You’re burning up. What about any unguents or skin potions? Have you used anything new?’

‘Bath oil. I’ve been soaking in it. Bergamot and rose and...other smells. Lady Ester gave it to me.’

‘Your late uncle’s bitter mistress, who hated both your parents with a viciousness even I found impressive, gives you a gift and you didn’t think to have it checked?’

Well, when he put it like that...

‘Wait? Was Lady Ester my father’s mistress? You tell me this now?’

‘Your uncle’s mistress.’

‘Who was in all likelihood my—wait, do you know?’ Was it her stomach or lower down? Hard to tell with the stabbing headache that had so recently arrived. ‘No, you don’t know that secret. No one does. Doesn’t matter. Let it go. Shh. Keep trying to make me feel better instead.’

‘How do you suggest I do that? You’re burning up, I’m quizzing you about poisons, and your nose is bleeding.’

‘My nose?’ Her hand came up to examine it. ‘Yes?’ There was blood on her hands now too. ‘Yes! So I’m not bleeding from anywhere else? Forgive me while I—Oh, there’s nothing. That’s brilliant.’

Rudolpho by now had his face in his hands and his back turned towards her. ‘I’ll tell your brother not to expect you for the rest of the month,’ he pleaded. ‘If you’ll just lie back and wait for a female attendant to turn up before you go examining any other body parts. I beg you.’

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