Page 26 - RotalTutor

prevailed again, suggesting that if their daughter was to be queen someday, it might be good for her to see the other parts of the kingdom. And Bernodia was the farthest northern province, right next to Esconodia, on their wildest frontier. If she was to rule, she ought to learn about the people. The king finally, reluctantly, agreed, but Louise knew it was mostly because he was at a loss as to what else to do. As for her, she had agreed to go if only to show them that she could be independent of them. But as time grew closer for her departure, her apprehension increased. She didn’t know Duke Reginald and Lady Margaret very well. Lady Margaret had been one of her own mother’s ladies-in-waiting until she had caught Duke Reginald’s eye, and he had courted her. She knew that her mother was very fond of both of them, and she was quite sure that was the underlying reason that her mother had chosen them. The day for the trip north quickly drew near. Her mother fussed over her, making sure she took half of the palace with her. Her father became sullen, and only spoke to her grudgingly. Louise knew that much of that was her own fault. She was filled with both uncertainty and downright fear of leaving home. That was coupled with the fact that she didn’t dare show any feminine emotion after her big display of independence. It all made her heart tremble within her. The more she bottled up her fear of leaving home, the more it came out in obnoxiousness 24