Mabel, the Head Governess, came to meet me for the Queen lesson a week before the wedding. She was a sophisticated tall, slender elderly woman with dark eyes and a prominent nose. She was dressed in a traditional mediaeval green gown and a white whimper that covered her head and neck. She had a stoic expression on her face, but she was also graceful.

“It is an honour to serve you, your grace,” she says gracefully.

“The honour is mine,” I say as I return the curtsy.

“I’ve heard you’re the personal governess of Princess Sibylla,” I inquired.

“Yes, and I teach her everything she needs to know, from basic etiquette to politics,” she explained.

“Oh… that’s great… I know Princess Sibylla is the King’s heir,” I added.

“Yes.. she is.. she spent her entire life preparing for that role and she nailed it, but I was surprised that I will teach another candidate for the position,” she said sarcastically.

“n-no… you can take it easy on me…Princess Sibylla will still be the King’s heir and she is perfect for that role, and I will just be his queen until he abdicates the throne,” I said with a smile, knowing that this woman is definitely against me.

“True.. she would make a perfect queen,” she said solemnly, “but rest assured, your grace, that I will teach you everything you need to know to become a proper monarch.”

“t-thank you,” I say.

“I’ll start the lesson tomorrow,” she said as she sipped her tea.

“Tomorrow?” I ask, “Can we start after the wedding?”

“Of course not… we need to begin your lesson right away, your grace… I know you come from a good noble family, but I heard strange things about you…” she explained.

“And what strange things have you heard?” I inquired.

“lots of unladylike things,” she says, “but don’t worry, I’ll shape you into a perfect lady.”

I smiled at her and quickly sipped from my tea cup, feeling anxious for the first time… Mabel is a stern lady who never conceals her intentions.

True to her word, she came to my bedroom chamber early the next morning, before the sunrise touched my window.

“Rise and shine, my lady,” she said as she opened my bedroom curtain.

“What time is it?” I moaned, barely opening my eyes.

“It’s time for your lesson,” she explained.

“5 more minutes,” I say as I wrap my blanket around myself.

She snaps her finger, and her attendants take my blankets away.

“Oh, it’s so cold!” I exclaimed.

“A queen rises early to serve her country,” she said.

I was barely awake when her attendant led me to my mirror to get dressed.

“We have a lot to do, your grace,” she said. “You will learn the basics, the do’s and don’ts of being a good wife and queen to the king,” she added.

“Oh, good lord,” I grunted.

“Young maiden should have small waist,” she said as her attendants, who all look the same, tightened my corset.

“I’m sure girls in this time learn not to breathe,” I mutter.

“No sense,” she replied, “small waists are appealing to men.”

“A lady should always wear a modest dress, purity and simplicity is the key. Never allow the man to see your clavicle or your skin.” as she placed a white whimper on my head covering my hair to my neck. she adorned me in a red mediaeval gown with a gold Celtic knot.

“You look absolutely perfect,” she said, smiling.

“I can’t move… it’s too tight,” I complained.

“A queen should stand tall and straight,” she said as she straightened my back, “they don’t slouch.”

As the lessons progress, she keeps a close eye on my every move. Everything I do, from what I eat to how I speak. She was unbearable.

She taught me everything I needed to know about ruling the palace as the queen, including history and politics, which I had never learned in my previous life. I had many questions, which she eagerly answered.

On our way to the castle grounds, I come across the main gates, where the villagers have come to congratulate me on my upcoming wedding. I ran over to them and greeted them, much to my delight. I was relieved to see them in good health as they reached my hand through the iron bars of the gate.

“Open the gates!” I command the guards.

“No!” exclaimed Mabel. “don’t open the gate!” she commanded

“What are you doing?” she asks, yanking my arms and pulling me back into the castle hall.

“I should have asked the same question, I mean, what the hell?” I replied as I removed my arms from her grip.

“Those are peasants,” she explained.

“No, they’re my friends… I want them at my wedding,” I explained.

“Those peasants are not qualified to be your friend if you want to be crowned queen,” she snorted.

“What? you’re not going to decide that for me, Mabel, those peasants are the King’s loyal subjects,” I explained.

“That is why… those are your loyal subjects, and as queen, there should be boundaries; you cannot be friends with everyone you meet; as a leader, you must lead them not become friends with them… not everyone will be kind to you, my lady… you should be careful because some other people will take advantage of your silliness,” she explained.

“We’ll continue the lesson tomorrow,” she said as she walked away, leaving me alone.

She was right… I knew other people, even other nobles, didn’t like me… But how can I become a good queen…? can I become one?  I questioned myself.

I wake up early the next day for my lesson and stare blankly in the mirror… If I’m going to be a good queen… Then I should begin with myself, ” Emma ” I said.

“Yes, My lady” 

“Let’s get ready for the day…” I said, smiling.

Mabel was surprised to see me in my red off-shoulder gown, revealing my neck and clavicle, with my hair braided and flowing behind my back, adorned with jewels, as she entered my chamber.

“Good lord,” she grumbled.

“Good morning, Lady Mabel,” I said.

“What on earth is that dress! It is unsuitable and unbecoming for a noble lady!” she exclaimed in horror. 

“You seem to disapprove of my dress,” I devilishly smile at her.

“yes! how could you wear that kind of dress!, you’re going to be a queen, not a whore… a queen should be modest and perfect in everyone’s eyes!” she exclaims.

“A Queen never pretended to be someone she wasn’t, nor will she use her wealth and power to make others feel less than. As the future Queen, I will show all how listening to others, connecting with everyone, and making them feel seen and accepted, even when their beliefs differ from our own. I want to rule genuinely and compassionately, always putting the needs of the people above my own, including my own family. I wanted to be a trusted leader who could serve my king and my kingdom,” I explained.

“Well said… ” she admitted, “very well then.. let’s continue our lesson.” She was silent as she listened to me, and she looked at me.

There is a lot to do before the wedding, which kept me busy for a week, such as picking out the perfect flowers and planning everything. Bathilda and Emma are assisting me for the week, and I don’t even have time to visit His Majesty for his routine treatments. Many villagers came to congratulate me, and Lady Mabel graciously allows me to see them, including little Bella and Mary. I was relieved to see that they were in good health.

I was finally able to rest after a hectic schedule that included a morning lesson on memorising the marriage vows and an afternoon court appearance.

Bathilda approached me with a bridal gown for me to wear on the wedding day. “My Lady… I present to you the gown that you are wearing,” she said solemnly as I opened my mouth in surprise.

It was a silk Blue Cotehardie with a shade of gold and red trailing all the way down the length, fitted sleeves with buttons, a gold belt Celtic knot, and a white silk wimple a headcovering formed of a large piece of cloth worn draped around the neck and chin, covering the top of my head it was hideous I thought “blue is a sign of purity, my lady,” she explained.

“Wow…that’s something,” I cleared up my throat, “but I can’t wear it.”

“Why not? It’s a traditional gown passed down from the previous queen,” she reasoned.

“I can’t wear that because it’ll make me look like a walking… I don’t know… flag?” I reasoned.

“ohh… now that you mention it… it looks like the colour of a flag,” she said, raising her eyebrows, “but you will still wear it… “

“No… I won’t… I’ll get a new gown for the wedding,” I scoff.

“How? We don’t have time to make a new one,” she explained.

“I’ve already made an arrangement,” I said with a smile.

On the same day, I requested a bridal gown from Lord Tindall, my personal designer. He made all of my dresses, and I designed them all; the gown Bathilda brought earlier is very plain, and the colour hues are a terrible match; I simply cannot wear it. not on my wedding day.

Days flew by, and it was a truly exhausting week, but I made it… I was able to get some rest the night before my wedding, but I couldn’t sleep… I’m extremely nervous and concerned… I hadn’t seen Baldwin in two weeks… as I squirm in my bed, darn it! I really can’t fall asleep… In order to relax, I made the decision to go for a walk…

Baldwin POV:

Days were quickly approaching, as Jerusalem was busy preparing for the upcoming wedding; Philippa and I hardly see each other until our wedding day; for the time being, Omar is in charge of my nightly treatment.

I needed to complete some royal tasks before the celebration, and William was constantly supervising me until I finished the night before the celebration.

“And that is the last one, your grace,” Aimery said, handing me the scroll.

“your grace.. I just received word that your sister, princess Sibylla, and your mother, lady Agnes, will pay you a visit at your wedding,” he explained.

“I assume they heard the news,” I said.

“Would I tell Lady Philippa about it? I know they’d be ecstatic to see the lady.”

“No,” I say, “I’ll be the one to tell her.” as Aimery stood still

I decided to pay her a visit the night before the wedding, and I was standing at her front door, ready to knock, when she unexpectedly opened the door and was surprised to see me.

“Your grace!” she exclaimed, widening her hazel brown eyes.

“Good evening, my lady,” I said.

Where are you going?” I enquire as I gazed at her, who was dressed in nothing but a white lace kirtle overlaid by a blue shawl.

“I was planning to go for a walk,” she explained.

“A walk at this hour?” I inquired, my eyes narrowed.

“y-yes… I can’t sleep,” she admitted as I looked at her, embarrassed. “I am actually nervous for our wedding tomorrow,” she admitted.

“I see… well… can I join you on your walk?” I inquired.

“S-sure… no problem,” she replied, biting her lower lips.

We started walking as I led the way, awkwardly silent as I looked at her, “is there a problem?” I inquired.

“no… it’s already quite cold,” she responds quickly.

“Yes.. since winter is already here,” I replied, “I see,” she replied silently, and there was another silence.

We uttered “your highness” and “my lady” simultaneously.

“Oh… you go first,” we both said as we looked at each other, and then we both laughed at how awkward we are to each other.

“I’m sorry.. I’m really just nervous… I guess it’s the wedding jitters,” she explained.

“It’s fine… there’s no need to apologise,” I say.

“T-thank you… well, it’s official that we’re going to get married tomorrow,” she says as she begins to play with her hair.

“Yes… about that, my lady… I almost forgot the reason I visit you is that my Mother and sister will be visiting you,” I said, smiling at her.

“Really.. t-that is nice,” she said nervously.

“And I’d also like to talk to you about after we get married,” she added, her pink cheeks turning red.

“Are we going to share a bed after we get married?” she innocently inquired, blinking her eyes.

I was taken aback, but I couldn’t refrain from grinning at her expression: “of course, my lady… we will still have our separate bedrooms, but we will sleep together on occasion.”

“Really… ” she blushedly replied.

“Yes… I’ll move your bedroom next to mine; we’ll share the bed chamber but have separate beds,” I explained.

“That’s nice,” she says.

“You’ll also have your own lady in waiting… you’ll meet them after our wedding, and I know you’ve already started your queen lessons with Lady Mabel, our head governess, but you’ll continue to do so after our wedding,” I explained.

“Oh… another lesson… yey…” she said less enthusiastically.

“Is there a problem?” I inquired.

“n-nothing, just excited,” she said.

“Are you still nervous?” I inquired, leaning in close to her face.

“no…” she replied, “it’s just overwhelming… that’s all.”

“I know you can do it,” I reassured her.

“Thank you,” she says, her face brightening.

“your grace… I know our marriage is for convenience, and I just wanted to let you know that if you ever wanted to divorce me in the future, I will gladly oblige… no hard feelings… ” she explained, looking down.

I’m not sure why, but her words choked me, and when she mentioned divorce, I grew upset. “I will not divorce you… how could you ask when we are not even married?” 

“I-I apologise… I-I did not mean to raise my voice,” I responded quickly, not recognising I had raised my tone of voice at her. As I stared at her, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Are you angry?” she inquired, her face concerned. “I am s-sorry.. that is not what I meant..”

“No,” I respond quickly, “I am the one who asked your hand in marriage, and I am confident that I will be loyal to you… that is how serious I am in taking my vows,” I explain as I look at her, her face turning crimson red.

” I apologised… I’m just worried that you’ll regret marrying me someday,” she explained.

“Well…we don’t know what will happen in the future, but I can assure you that I have never made a decision that I regret,” I said as I tucked her flowing hair behind her ears. “And one more thing… from now on… I order you to call me by my name,” I added.

 “B-but…” she stuttered

“Please,” I replied as I fixed my gaze on her.

“y-yes… B-baldwin,” she stutters, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Very good,” I said softly, smiling at her