Beautiful lake in the countryside, near to Hampton Court.

Emilie nodd saddly, feeling a bit guilty to being that much happy when her best female friend Margaret is in such horrible situation.

It's why is so important that the two of us surround her with love, affection and attention. I would like to can do more, but alas it's the only thing that we can do for help her, aside pray for her, of course.

She forget this sad thougts as Mary talk her about her love Armand, she smile and nodd again.

Yes, I love him so very much and I am sure that he will be a wonderful father for her and husband for me, he is so very kind indeed, I still can't believe that I have find my soulmate !, all this is so wonderful, it's look like a daydream ! though it's the true ! so I am on a little white cloud !

She look with a admirative air o the very beautiful ring to Mary's thin finger.

Wow ! it's very beautiful and in my opinion, it's mean that you are yet very important for him and maybe that he love you !

She listen attentively to Mary as she talk about her future husband, the air serious.

I understand that it's very confusing, especially since you have think to be in love once in the past while I guess that it wasn't true love and I know by experience that, especially at a period where you especially need to be loved while a period where you are fragile emotionally, you can see love where there is only desire and lust.

She smile softly, put a hand on her arm.

From what you tell me and what I read in your eyes and face, I think that you are falling in love with him slowly and from what you told me, he is a kind man, so I think that you can give him your heart without fear he would break it. Of course it's a arranged marriage, but I think that it's could turn to a marriage of love !

I nodded sadly.

''I would do anything to spare her from the pain she have but I can not,and as you said the only thing we can do is to be with her''

I smiled to her.

''Oh you are so lucky to found your soulmate,the man who deserve your love.I can see that you are in clouds almos hole day''

I nodded happily,looking at the ring.

''Yes it is very beautiful...I have received many beautifully gifts
in my life,but this gift most beautiful of all and dearest to my heart''

I asked seriously with hope in my voice.

''do you realy think,that he have feelings for me?''

I nodded.

''I loved that man since my childhood ,but he never noticed me for him I was nothing...I think that too,but still I will be little more careful until I am sure what he feels for me.''

Emilie, feeling as in a dream since her encounter with Armand, from this all new happiness giggle and nodd.

Indeed, I feel that I am very lucky to have find my soulmate and I feel as in a little white cloud !

Looking at the ring with admiration, she smile, moved to see her friend so happy and nodd.

It's really magnificent and suit you wonderfullly and I guess that it's must mean very much to you since it's your husband to be who have offer it to you for your fiancailles.

She listen in her eyes with a serious air and reflect, then answer.

Well, for can be sure of it, I would need to see him when he is in your compagny or even to ask him, but from what you told me and in seeing this beautiful ring that he have offer to you, I think that he is maybe in love with you. I suggest you to look deep in his eyes and to look also attentively to the air on his face and to his body language, you can read many little signs in it that betray his feelings toward you.

She smile softly and add.

When you will get to know him better and feel more comfortable, you can ask him directly if he have amourous sentiments for you or tell him about your own feelings and if it's reciprocal, he will certainly tell you about his feelings for you.

Then she nodd.

You are right, you have better to wait to know him better and find out about his feelings for you before to implicate too much sentimentally, I never want to see you heartbroken and disappointed ... and if he ever he hadn't amourous feelings for you, you are so kind, soft and pretty that you can surely seduce him and gain his love ... In the meanwhile, the essential is that you seem to get well together from what you told, aren't you ? it's one of the basements for a harmonious couple life

I smiled happily, my face beaming.

''Oh Emilie tell me everything about your King? I want to know everything...''

I nodded,smiling.

''Soon you will have more beautiful ring than mine''

I looked a little more seriously at her.

''You are right I need to look at his behavior a little more carefully,but I would not ask him directly or tell him what I feel...I did that one time and I ended up with a broken heart so I will wait.''

I smiled a little shyly.

''you know I really enjoy to be in his company but I am sometimes too nervous when he is around me,also what is most funny I blushed like little girl in his presence''

After Mary's question, Emilie blush slighty, her face taking a dreamy air as she see Armand's images in her mind.

Oh, there is so many things to tell and it depend on which aspect of him that you would like to know and I fear to don't have enough words for describe him ... he is very kind and romantique, sincere, open-minded, and beautiful too ! I can talk about everything with him, and his words make me dream and take me away feel so happy in his compagny and when I am in his arm, I feel like in heaven.

She giggle.

We will see about it, yours is really beautiful anyway.

A serious air on her face, she nodd.

I understand that, my dear, it's natural that you need time for feel comfortable for talk with him openly.

She smile.

I understand that too, myself I did feel that way at first with Armand and I blush often when I am in his compagny, in fact I have notice that I blush when I have a intension emotion, like happiness or a warm feeling.

I smiled at her and said.

''Anything you wish to share about him will be fine with me...He really don't sound like any King that I ever meet and I can see why you are in love with him...He is perfect everything that you wish for''

I smiled.

''Thank you,Emilie''

I giggled a little.

''I never blush too much but in his presence I blush all the time...I can see that you blush every time when you speak about your King which is very sweet and that how I know that you really have a very strong feelings about him''

Emilie smile happily and answer her.

He is indeed different of all the kings that I have encounter too, because he is unpretentious, approachable and close to the nature and to his people.

She giggle.

Indeed, I do, I feel my cheeks get warm when I am with him, think to him or talk about him.

She glance to Olympe who continue to give some bread to the swans, thoughtful, she add.

I think that it's a very good thing for her too, to have again a father her life even if not her blood father, but a man who will be present and care of her, I hope that these two ones will get well together and build a strong link and a true daughter father relationship.

I smiled and said.

''who would think that both of us will be happy and in love again after so much time''

I looked at Olympe.

''I hope that too,with all my heart...but I am sure that she would love him and that he would love her too.After everything that I heard about him I can say that you both will be happy and Olympe deserve to have father who would care for her and he will''

She giggle softly and smile.

Nobody would have imagine it, no even myself, sometimes I did dream to find my soulmate, a man who would love me wholeheartedly and be everything that I awaited it did sound like a dream from my childhood, the little girl who dream of her charming prince, it's beautiful but it wouldn't happen in reality, not to me, and though I have encounter him, my soulmate and he is better than all what I did imagine.

Emilie nodd.

I am sure that we will be happy together, I am a bit nervous because all this is so new ! but it's wonderful and I feel full of enthousiasm, hopes and love to give. I hope for it very much, I think that he will care of her well indeed and I would be so happy to see them together being like father and daughter !

I said,smiling.

''Sometimes our dreams come true...For me I'd never even thought that I would be happy to marry someone that my brother chose,but now I can not stop thinking about him and to look forward to our future''

I looked at her happily.

''Oh Emilie when I see you so happy that makes me happy too...I am so glad for you and for Olympe and hope with all my heart that both be happy forever.''

Emilie nodd, smiling in hearing Mary's words, seeing the happiness on her face and in her eyes.

I am very happy for you, arranged marriages are often bad matchs sentimentally since they aren"t made for love at first, but fortunately sometimes, they turn to love and it's what happen to you, the fact that it's your brother who have arrange it no matter, it's now a marriage of love since you are in love and I wish you a happy marriage, many children and a life full of love and joy !

Her eyes shining with joy, she add.

I am delighted that we both at the same time find true love and a future marriage, family and all the happiness that it can bring and I am sure that my Olympe will be happy too because her mother and adoptive father will be happy and surround her with love.

She think to her mother, the letter that they have exchange recently after years without true letter exchange.

I hadn't tell you, something else of important happened, I have recieve two letters of my mother ...
I mean written by her alone and not for a special occasion, the last time it happiness it was ... three years, nearly four years ago, so you can image how I felt when I have recieve the first one.

I smiled and nodded happily.

''Who would think that arranged marriage can be so wonderful...My brother for first time chose very well...It is wonderful that in same time we both find love and to be loved and so much happiness''

I looked at her curiously.

''Oh that is wonderful news...What she say?Are you gonna to visit her?Have you responded to her letter?I am sorry I ask to many questions.

Emilie feel moved to see her friend that much happy.

Indeed, his majesty have make an excellent choice of marriage for you ! your life is going to change for the better, with an husband, a household of your own and later children too ! and I am really happy for you, my dear.

Emilie's face take a serious air as she recall of her mother's letters.

No, you don't, it's a unexpected events, myself I has been atonished, I did hesitate between crying and smiling ... she tell that she is worried about me and wonder about me often, think to me and miss ... I have answer her, then she have write me again shortly after and I have answer and send the letter recently.

She feel very nervous as she think to the main point fo theses letters.

She want us for see each others again ... in her first letter, she have propose to visit me at Eastnor castle, my main household, I don't knowed what to do, I have tell her that I was very busy and in her last letter, she have ask me to come to visit her at château de Fontanay, where I have grow up ... I miss her and want to see her again, but I have no idea about how she will react to my daughter's existance, to all this that I have hide to her .... I have answer her that I could come and warn her that I would have someone to introduce her and important things to tell her ... I wait to read how she will react to this.

I smiled to her.

''And I am happy for you too,my dear Emilie,,

I listened carefully and nodded.

''I can not imagine how you felt when you received a letter after three years of silence must have been very difficult for you to read them...i am sure that she miss you very much and If you want to know how she will react you need to visit her...And now you have the man you love next to you and he will be a great support to you if something go wrong,but yet I am sure that everything would be fine.''

I said, squeezing her hand gently.

Emilie feel moved that she understand so well how she felt, unusure that it will be that fine as Mary think, she smile slighty.

When I said how she will react, I meant by letter at first, after, I think that I will go and see, if ever she react badly, I trust to be enough strong for don't collapse ... and indeed the fact to have my love and also my beloved daughter will help me to bear it and if she react well, then I will be the most happy. Anyway, I think that since I have a chance to have my mother back in my life, it worth it.

She squeeze her hand softly.

''You are strong Emilie and if something go wrong you will get through that after all you are like your father strong and brave.And if everything go well you will have your mother and sister back in your life...''

I slug my arm around her,embracing her.In my most worthy comfort as possible.

''No metter what happen you will always have my love and support''

Emilie smile, feeling proud to be compared to her father whom she admire very much.

Oh thank you, I don't know if I am as strong and brave as he was, but I hope to be and would be proud to have inherite his qualities. Indeed it worth it because if I can have my mother, sister and the rest of my family back if it go well and if it don't, I will be very sad but I will go through, thank to my daughter and my soulmate's love.

She hug her back tenderly.

Thank you for your love and your support, Mary, it's mean very much to me, you will always have mines too and I will always be there for you if you need me, whatever will happen.

She walk with her near to her daughter, smiling in looking at the little girl who still throw some piece of bread to the swans.

I smiled and nodded.

''You are alot like your father,much more than his other children...About your mother I am sure that she will do right thing,after all you are her daughter she can not be mad at you forever.''

I said,smailing softly.

''Thank you Emilie,that mean alot to me,you are like a sister to me...''

We came near to Olympe,and when I saw her joy in eyes I smiled happily and forgot all my worries.

Emilie reflect to Mary's words and anwer her, the air serious.

Really ? I find my stepsister Claude and Renée de France look much more like him physcially, while Madeleine and me are spitting image of our mother, but maybe for the personnality, indeed, it's me who look like him the most, and for the morals and virtues, he is a model for me. And about my mother, I hope that you are right and indeed maybe if she get mad at me, after a period of reflexion, she will soften and accept me and my daughter.

Emilie smile softly touched by her words and put a hand on her shoulder.

Thank you Mary, Margaret and you are both like sisters for me.

Emilie giggle, pick up Olympe and twirl her in the airs, the small girl burst in laughs, her head tilted backward, her very lightblond curls streaming in the wind and her eyes shining with joy, then Emilie claspe her on her chest and hug her tightly as her daughter wrapp her arms around her shoulders and exclaim.

Maman chérie !

I nodded softly.

''You have his eyes and smile and also his personnality...I hope with all my heart that your mother will accept your daughter.''

I smiled happily,watching Emilie and Olympe.

Emilie smile softly.

Thank you my dear, I hope so very much, so I would had all the people who I love in my life and so I would be fully happy.

Emilie turn to her, Olympe in her arms, both looking at her in smiling.

I also hope that even when I will leave for Italy, we will always remain in contact ... I will surely try to take regular journeys in England and also invite you in Italy.

I smiled happily to them both.

''Oh you must promise when you go to Italy that you will write to me...As much It saddens me that you will be so far I am still very happy for you and I promise that I will come to visit you there''

[b]Emilie nodd.

Yes, I promise that I will write you very often and to come here in journey too ! I feel sad too at the idea to be far away from you but on the other hand I am so very much happy at the idea to live my life with my soulmate and my daughter and to discover a country and become a part of it and even its queen somme day.

She kiss her daughter's forehead, put her on the ground and smile.

Anyway, it still at the project stage and I will surely not leave before a very long time I think so, in the meanwhile, we will have all the time to enjoy each others's compagny.

''Most important thing is that you're happy no metter where you live...I am sure that you will be happy in Italy and that you will be wonderful Queen...And you are right we will enjoy the company of each other until you're here''

I said,smiling happily.

She smile to her.

I hope so and I feel enthousiast and very happy in thinking to my future with him and I think to him all the time ! Indeed, as long as I am here, I will spend time with you often, my dear.

Looking at Olympe who gambol around, she think to her paternal family, then turn to Mary again.

I have never tell you about Olympe's father, her bloodfather, I told to nobody anyway, but since this story is ended, I can tell you now ... it's George Boleyn.

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