"It is a most beautiful and thoughtful present."
"Your Majesty, it is a knife."
"You know naught of weapons. It is not a knife. Rather a dagger."
"What difference is there?"
Madelyn stood quiet, watching the queen and her sister, the duchess of Carlisle, argue over the present the king had given for the queen's birthday. A weapon. Soundly, she wondered about it too. Most men would present baubles and silk, but he had given a dagger. He was a rather unconventional man. And even more unconventionally, the queen was most pleased with it.
"I cannot imagine any woman but you rejoicing at such a present," said Lady Carlisle, shaking her head with affectionate disbelief.
"You rejoiced when Lord Carlisle stole you away to the countryside for yet another honeymoon," the queen returned lightly, her eyes alight with mischief. "And again when the prince's quartermaster delivered another of those journals."
