The Queen's Choice, page 23
That made Maria wake up. She came to the side of his bed immediately. She took his hand and almost routinely repeated the words that she had said every day: “Don’t speak. You need to preserve your energy.”
He shook his head. He needed to say this.
“I love you,” he said and looked at her. Waiting for her reaction. He had put her through so much, blamed her for so much, and he needed to say this.
She didn’t say anything but just started crying. He looked at her with tears streaming down her cheeks, not knowing what to say or what that meant. Had she just been there out of pity? Or duty?
“I love you too,” she finally said, and he could breathe again. He hadn’t even been aware that he had held his breath.
“You do?” he asked, his voice gaining more strength as he spoke.
She nodded, trying to wipe the tears away with the back of her hand.
“I’m so glad,” he said as she leaned over him in a sort of hug, because he couldn’t lift the injured arm to embrace her. She kissed him gently and smiled at him, her face right next to his. Jonathan felt that he was beaming with happiness although maybe that wasn’t the way he actually looked.
His hand on the bed was right next to her hip and he moved it a little to feel her belly. There was a definite bump underneath all the layers of clothes.
“Your child,” she said, and he could see the tears starting to run from her eyes again. They landed on his cheeks and ran down them. No, wait, those were his own tears, he realized. The barren woman that had been forced upon him by his enemy was now not only pregnant with his child, but she was also the love of his life.
“Lie next to me,” he mumbled, and she crawled into bed, snuggling up next to him. Her head on his good shoulder, her hand holding his.
Jonathan fell asleep again with a smile on his face and Maria right next to him in bed.
Chapter 43
Maria looked at Jonathan running around on the sunlit meadow with Lawrence and Jacob, playing pretend fight with wooden swords. Gustaf’s three girls were seated next to her, the two youngest playing calmly with dolls, while the eldest was embroidering. One of Maria’s ladies-in-waiting were helping her from time to time.
The child moved in her belly, and Maria instinctively ran her hand over it. The child would come any day now, but she had insisted on this outing for the entire family. They would be fostering Gustaf’s children for the time being, then they would have to figure out what they were to do with them. Gustaf had been sentenced to death for trying to kill Jonathan but had ended up killing himself in his cell. Maria felt hollow every time she thought of it.
Margaret had been sentenced to house arrest at Gustaf’s estate for the rest of her life. She had caught pneumonia a couple of months ago. They had been assured that she would be able to pull through, but it seemed like she had lost the will to live and had perished from it. The thought of it made Maria choke audibly.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” her lady-in-waiting enquired.
Maria nodded and smiled faintly. It would take a long time for things to be alright, especially for the children. But it would be in the end. She felt certain of it.
Jonathan hadn’t been sure whether they should take in the children. Especially the boys, since he had tried to kidnap both of them and succeeded with one of them. Maria understood that, but had been stressing that if they grew up close to them it would be easier for them to find their right place in life. Especially to know that they were not the rightful heirs to the throne. Maria and Jonathan’s child was.
She ran her hand over her belly again. She could feel the outline of the baby underneath her skin. She got tears in her eyes just from thinking how lucky she was that she would soon be a mother.
The only problem was Anna. The grief of losing Valdemar had made her withdraw from the court. She was living in a monastery, trying to cope with the grief and her new situation in life. Maria was sad that she wouldn’t be there to help her when she was giving birth. She made a grimace so she wouldn’t begin to cry. She had cried so much over Valdemar and Anna already and today she wanted to be happy.
Jonathan came running.
“What is it? Has something happened? Is it now?” he said, and everyone turned to look at her. Maria just shook her head and smiled at him.
“No,” she said, as he sat down next to her. “I was just thinking of Anna.”
Jonathan nodded and she could see from his eyes that he understood and felt the exact same pain as her. At that time the baby moved, and Maria instinctively reached for Jonathan’s hand and placed it on her belly. She loved the way he smiled when he was able to feel the baby move.
“Come out soon, little one,” he said. “We are dying to meet you.”
“Uncle Jonathan, come play again,” Jacob called.
Jonathan kissed her quickly, got up, and ran towards the boys, charging with his sword as if he was an attacking enemy.
Maria smiled happily.
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Did you love The Queen's Choice? Then you should read The Alchemist's Daughter by Emilie Jacobsen!
For her 15th birthday Hilda receives the Book of Silence from her father. This will enable her to make gold – if she can figure out the riddles in the book. All Hilda dreams of is to be a great alchemist like her father and work with him in creating the Philosopher's Stone.
The 18-year-old countess, Ellen has not been able to give her husband a much sought-after heir after three years of marriage. Desperate to fulfill her role as a wife she seeks out Hilda for help. The meeting starts a spark, that neither of them could have possibly imagined.
After an accidental kiss at a court party, Ellen quickly leaves the capital for her country estate. Hilda rushes after her to apologize. To make amends to Ellen she promises to help her figure out how to conceive a child while posing as a maid at the estate. The two are determined not to act on the sparks between them – but it is easier said than done.
The Alchemist's Daughter is the first book in the series by the same name.
About the Author
Emilie Jacobsen writes romantic fantasy novels inspired by medieval history. Her first book, The Alchemist's Daughter, was published in 2022.
She lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, with her family.
Emilie Jacobsen, The Queen's Choice
