An Old Alliance, A Renewed Love

Chapter 5

He had said it. He's falling in love with me. But will it be enough to get him to annul his marriage with someone he utterly and completely loves. I decided to put those negative thoughts out of my mind as I prepared myself for tea with Lola and Kenna.

As I walked with my few strong hold guards to the south garden I took in the scenery of French Court. It was beautiful. Spring had finally come to French Court, the garden was still in its new beginning stage, yet still beautiful. I took a in a long breathe and looked at the garden trails I had run on for half of my life. So many secret hiding places that only Francis, Bash, Mary, and I knew- if she remembered any.

I saw the girls walking up to the place Kenna had planned to have tea. She had begged me to be in charge of throwing anything I needed at Court whether it was a small tea gathering or Charles's Festival. I obliged happily, giving her my complete faith with only knowing her for a few short hours.

They smiled when the saw me reach the opening of the garden.

"Good afternoon, your Majesty," Lola said with a curtsy.

I bowed my head to both of them and replied, "Good afternoon, Lady Kenna and Lady Lola. Shall we sit down?"
They nodded and we sat down at the perfectly arranged table. The little sandwiches were all perfect squares. The tea cups and silverware were works of art individually. I smiled at Kenna and said, "You weren't lying when you said you were a perfectionist of a planner."

She giggled and said, "Your Majesty, I hope you did not truly think I was a liar." Her mockery made both Lola and I fill the air with laughter.

As the tea was poured into our cups, Lola said, "Your Majesty-"

I raised my hand to cut her off, "Please, don't call me that. At least when we are alone. It's simply the fact that I hear it from everyone all the time, my servants and my guards refuse to oblige to these wishes. I pray you would."

Lola smiles and touches my wrist in a sign of care, and says, "We understand and if that is what you want, what kind of friends would we become if we did not oblige, Margareta?"

Kenna smiles too and says, "I'm honored to have this chance to be your friend and I will not blow I by calling you through stupid formalities." All three of us laugh.

"Wow," I say.

"What is it? Are you feeling ill, Margareta?" Lola's eyes are full of concern and Kenna looks worried too.

"No, no, no," I shake my head. "It's just that I've only been at French Court for, not even a full day, yet I've had and heard so many genuine laughs. It's nice."

Kenna looks taken aback when she says, "That sounds awful, I'm so sorry."

Lola nods her head in agreement as I say, "Unlike here, I have no friends in Germany. While my father was king he finally convinced German Nobles and my mother that the girls they had chosen for my Ladies, weren't doing what they were supposed to do, they weren't being my friends. When their fathers told them what they were doing wrong, they came back to me and pretended to be my friend. I requested that I find my own ladies in my own time. When I was married, it was okay for me not to have any Ladies, but now all the Nobles want me to look for them now, at the very least two. I just haven't found them yet."

Kenna looked sadden by this news, "I wish we could help you. Do anything, well..... Maybe we can."

Lola and I looked at her confused, "What could you possibly be thinking?" I asked her.

Kenna smiled deviously, "Well, I can throw you a huge party so you meet more than just the eligible girls in Germany. I can make the invitations go all the way to Austria and to Spain, I heard your spoke fluent Spanish, and anywhere else that might work. Nobles never enforce nationalistic Ladies, just Ladies."