When she turned two, Alexander wanted a special horse for her. He
wanted a foal from Lady. Lady was getting older, but in spite of
Alexander's concerns, they soon had a little filly. They named her Yadee.
Marie couldn't say Lady but called her Yadee, thinking the word meant
horse. Alexander said they should name her horse a name she could
pronounce, and it stuck.
Alexander spent hours and hours with Marie training Yadee. Yadee
was as gentle and calm as her mother, and with all of the attention, she was
soon devoted to Alexander and Marie. Alexander wanted his little girl to
ride with him to visit the villages and people. He started taking her after she
turned two, but he never felt they could go for more than a day trip at that
age.
Everyone loved the little princess. She got to be the one that passed
out the honey candy. She was so cute, dressed up in her frilly dresses,
passing out the pieces Alexander would hand to her.
Alexander had hoped for more children, but more never came, and,
as the king was getting older, Louise found her duties in the court
increasing. She found herself saying more and more, "Next time" as
Alexander would ask her to accompany them on an outing. The king started
leaving his work and joining them, as did her mother and Duke Reginald
and Lady Margaret. The king would often tell Louise, "The problems won't
go away. They will still be here when you get back."
She kept thinking there was always plenty of time later. At least, she
did until the day a messenger rushed in to the court to tell her something had
happened to her father.
Chapter 12
A King And A Father
The word was that her father had collapsed. She rushed to his side.
Alexander and Marie were already there, as was the queen. There were
doctors arguing over the best remedy. They each had a different name for
his ailment and a different idea on what caused it. Tiring of the unwelcome
attention, the king told the doctors to leave him alone with his family.
He looked weak and pale. He called Louise over. "Louise, it is time
to plan your coronation."
Louise was shocked. "Father, you are going to get better."
"I may for a while," he said, "but I know I am not going to live a lot
longer."
"But, Father, there has never before been a change in the ruler while
the current one was still alive."
The king glanced at Alexander as he replied. "It will not be the first
time we have broken with tradition, and I think
that
time turned out
extremely well, don't you?"
She knew what the king meant. Had they stuck to tradition, she
would not have been allowed to marry Alexander. She knew how much her
father loved Alexander. She had always been grateful to him for looking
beyond Alexander's lack of title. But she also felt that if he turned over all
ruling power to her, he would have nothing to live for.
She took his hand in hers. "Father, I'm not sure I am ready to be
queen."
He squeezed her hand. "Nonsense! You have shown yourself wise
and kind. This will be good anyway, because for what time I have left, I can
guide you if you need it. You also have Alexander. Besides, I am
concerned about contests to the throne."
"What do you mean?" Louise asked.
"I feel your cousin, Tobias, would debate your right to be queen
because of your marriage to Alexander," the king said. "I feel that is why he
used his mother's friendship with Captain Johnson to be in the Royal Guard
instead of the army. He has used that to learn all of the ins and outs of the
palace. I do not see the goodness in him that I see in you, and I do not want
him to rule my people."
Louise could hardly believe what she was hearing. Tobias had acted
so happy about her marrying Alexander. Could there have been an ulterior
motive?
But she still struggled at the thought of being queen. "But, Father,
what would you do?"
"I would help you if you need it; otherwise, I would spend what time
I have left with my family, including you when you're not busy."
Tears clouded Louise's eyes at the thought of losing her father.
They had had so many disagreements in her younger years. They seemed so
unimportant now. As she thought back, even at the times she had thought
her father was wrong, she knew that he had always acted only out of his
love for her. She knew that was why he finally allowed her to marry
Alexander.
She had, at times, brought great sorrow and hurt to him. If she could
go back and relive those times, she definitely would do things differently.
But she wouldn't change the love she had for her father now for all of the
what-could-have-beens in the world.
Louise left the room in an attempt to get her feelings under control.
Alexander left Marie with her grandparents to follow Louise. She fell into
his arms sobbing. Alexander was always so kind and unassuming. He was
always there for her. Many men would be bothered by their wife's power,
but Alexander wasn't bothered at all. He supported her and defended her.
He was always the primary one to take care of Marie. He had been there
whenever Marie was hurt and needed comfort. He tried to be there every
night to read Marie a story and tuck her in bed. He said the consistency
would be a security to her. He was the one that taught Marie right and
wrong, reading the Bible to her and pulling her onto his lap to talk to her
when she was naughty. From him she had also learned to love books as he
had.
And, as the king was getting older, it was Alexander who was there
to comfort Louise and Marie, and look after the king and Louise's mother,
Queen Ellen. After Louise had a good cry on Alexander's shoulder, they
returned to Marie's side. Marie was only six, and she loved her grandfather.
She was smiling and holding his hand. "...and when you get better,
Grandpa, you will have to come out to the riding stables. I have taught
Yadee how to jump."
The old king smiled. "Is that so?"
"Yes. Yadee will be the best jumper anywhere, someday."
Alexander put one hand on Marie's shoulder and one arm around
Queen Ellen to comfort her. "What do you say, Father?" he asked. "When
you get stronger, how about we all watch Marie ride Yadee?"
"I'm not sure I'm ever going to have the strength to get out and
watch Marie ride Yadee," the king answered.
Alexander looked as if he, too, was holding back tears. He spoke
sure and strong to assure the others. "Well, we'll just have to do something
about that then."
Alexander had the palace craftsman create a chair with wheels. It
looked like a four-wheeled, wooden pony cart, barely wide enough for one
person. It had two handles on the back for someone to push it. He would
push the king in his cart where the going was tough, but Marie wanted to
push him where she could.
They spent many hours out in the fresh air watching Marie riding
Yadee, enjoying the sunsets, watching the new young animals in the spring,
and listening to Alexander read a book in the shade of a tree. Queen Ellen
would join them, and the bond between the four of them became very
strong. Louise would join them when she could.
The coronation was a grand affair. Tobias refused to attend, and
Aunt Eldna frowned her disapproval. But, then, she pretty much always
frowned. The king instructed Louise to surround herself with trusted men
who could share the burden. She was no sooner queen than she appointed
Captain Matthew Johnson of the Royal Guard to be her Lord High
Chamberlain. He was such a loyal man, and she had relied on him and his
advice a lot already. He suggested Lieutenant Richins be advanced to
captain, which she did.
These appointments seemed to anger her cousin Tobias, and
something happened. Matthew later said he had to have Tobias released
from the Guard and sent away. She didn't question it at all, but trusted his
judgement.
With Louise on the throne, the old king was able to enjoy his
remaining time, and he relished life with his family. He laughed, joked, and
teased his granddaughter mercilessly. It was not uncommon to see the two
of them with Alexander, down in the kitchen before bedtime, enjoying
raspberries with milk and honey candy.
But over time, his condition worsened. He became so weak he
couldn't even sit in the cart Alexander had made for him, and everyone
knew his time was short.
The last night was a beautiful summer evening. The sun was just
setting, and the heavens were full of orange, red, and brown tapestries.
Queen Ellen, Louise, Alexander, and Marie were all there. He requested a
bowl of raspberries with milk and honey candy. Alexander had some
brought to him, and then held him up while Louise helped feed him.
The king was so appreciative. He smiled at them as he finished, and
they laid him back on his bed. He smiled at Louise and looked at
Alexander.
"You know, Louise, the biggest mistake I made in life was when I
objected to your marriage to Alexander. For as a great young man said, a
person's heart is the essence of how a person is truly measured. That shows
in the way they live their life, not in how they are born."
Louise found tears filling her eyes as she heard her father quoting
Alexander. Her father loved Alexander, and the two had come to think
much alike. Her father continued. "The smartest thing I ever did was listen
to you and correct my ways. Let that be a lesson to you. Do not be afraid to
admit it when you're wrong. Promise me you will remember to always look
on a man's heart and not on how he was born."
Louise only nodded. No one could speak for the emotions they were
feeling. Then the king started talking about that day they went to get
Alexander from the military camp. He loved to tell that story, because
Alexander always blushed. Louise slid up next to Alexander as they all
laughed about it. Alexander held her close. Then, when the king finished
the story, he held out his hand to Alexander and Alexander took it in his
own. "My son," the old king said, "I want you to know I couldn't love you
more if you had been my own son."
Alexander nodded. He couldn't even speak. The tears flowed down
his cheeks. In turn, the king told each person he loved them and kissed each
of them. Marie climbed right up on the bed and laid down by him. After a
while the king said he needed a little rest, so they all slipped from the room.
That night, as he slept, he left them to be with God.
Chapter 13
Losing Alexander
There was great mourning in the kingdom when the king died. He
had always tried to be good and fair, and the people loved him.
Louise deeply felt the loss of her father. He had always been the
stability in her life. Even when he was busy he had made time for her. She
had tender memories as she thought of the times he had taken her on his
knee as a small child.
He had dreamed of a son. But he always made sure she felt his
devotion. He had done everything with her. He had taught her how to ride,
how to play, and even how to fight, if the occasion required.
Alexander was her main strength now. He spoke at the funeral,
relating the story of the king coming to the military camp to get him, and
everyone chuckled. But then, Alexander got choked up and couldn't speak.
Louise knew how much Alexander loved her father. There were probably
no two men that were better friends, unless it was Alexander with his own
father.
Prior to the king's death, Duke Reginald and Lady Margaret had
come to live at Winslow to be of comfort to them. Duke Reginald's health
was also declining, and they never returned to Denville. They truly were a
great strength during that time.
Alexander and Duke Reginald would take Marie out riding. They
rode all over the countryside. Duke Reginald took great delight in watching
his granddaughter.
Lady Margaret was there for Queen Ellen. They would have tea
together and talk about when they were girls. They would often join
Alexander and Duke Reginald with Marie for outings.
Even though the duties of her office were sometimes overwhelming,
Louise made it a point to join them at least once a week. Her father had told
her he never once looked back with regret at having spent too much time
with his family. He said, if anything, the regret would be for not having
spent more.
Her new Lord High Chamberlain showed himself to be worthy of the
trust she put in him and took a huge amount of the work load from her
shoulders. This made it possible for her to join on outings to Walsken.
They spent two weeks there, just the six of them. Lady Margaret and the
old queen would walk the grounds, each holding one of Marie's hands, as
they told her stories of their youth.
Louise enjoyed the time away from the palace. It was a time for her
to remember the happy memories there. She especially remembered her
honeymoon. She hadn't thought she could ever love Alexander more than
she did the day they got married, but her love for him had continued to grow
every day.