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“Your coat, Duchess.”

“Oh right. Here you go,” Alessandra took off the coat and handed it to the young maid for safekeeping.

Alessandra walked into the room with her head held high ignoring the stares and hushed conversations now that she was here. They could speak about her for all she cared.

“Duchess,” Hazel called and waved to get Alessandra’s attention. “You are seated at this table.”

Hazel was not in charge of who was in attendance but she made sure she would have Alessandra by her side. Linda was still out of town with her father so Hazel mostly had Alessandra to be herself with and knew she wasn’t being used. Many of the young women present hardly cared about Hazel and only wanted to be seen with the queen.

“I’m so happy you could attend. I hope the roads weren’t too bad with the snow?” Hazel asked, ignoring the confused stares from some of the other women at the table who weren’t pleased with Alessandra being seated there.

“No. The roads are much better than how they were yesterday. It seems like someone has cleared them. You look beautiful Queen Hazel,” Alessandra said as she sat down.

“Thank you but I am sure it does not compare to how you are glowing at the moment. Did something good happen today or perhaps last night?” Hazel wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. After Edgar almost beat the hell out of William, Hazel wouldn’t be surprised if Alessandra gave him the time of his life once they returned home. There was nothing more satisfying than watching the love of your life defend you.

.....

“Duchess, it is nice to see you again,” Emma spoke up making her presence known. “I hope we can forget what happened last night and get to know each other well.”

Alessandra could only offer Emma a smile. Given the status of the relationship between the men in their lives, Alessandra didn’t think it was best she started a friendship with Emma. Not that she didn’t like the young woman but Oliver was sure to snap once he found out about it. Alessandra would not become close to anyone around Oliver until he stopped blaming Edgar for his feelings towards his gender.

Oliver’s engagement to Emma and his secret lover was sure to blow up one day if he did not take care of it soon and with how judgemental the town was, he would not be able to stay here peacefully. Alessandra had too much drama in her life to be tangled up in someone else’s.

Meanwhile, Emma was ecstatic to see Alessandra and build a friendship with her. She had hoped that if she and Alessandra could become friends then Oliver and Edgar could slowly rebuild their friendship. ‘Then Oliver would be happy,’ Emma thought.

After her mess in the bathroom, she had returned to the party with Oliver and at some point caught him looking in the Duke’s direction when he was standing with the Duchess. Emma figured he missed his old friend but had too much pride to be the one to fix things so she would do it for him.

Emma just needed Oliver to acknowledge her at least once.

“Queen Hazel, we weren’t aware you and the Duchess were so close.”

Alessandra looked further down the table at a short-haired brunette woman she had never seen before. Alessandra found that the woman’s attire was far too sexual for just being around women and with there being snow. Her breasts were sure to pop out at any moment.

“I don’t find it necessary to announce to everyone who I am close to, Sophia. Since you are so curious you should know that the Duke and my husband are quite close. I’ve invited the Duchess to the palace to personally get to know her. I find her to be a lovely woman,” Hazel said to show the women present that Alessandra had a close relationship with her already when it was taking years for most of the women here to earn her favor.

“Is that so? We have never met Duchess. My name is Sophia West. My husband is a part of the royal court. I am sure you have heard of me by now,” Sophia spoke with her nose in the air, proud of her status and certain she was well-known even for someone like Alessandra.

“Why are you acting so high and mighty about your husband working in the court when you are speaking to a Duchess? Your husband won’t impress someone who is married to a Duke. Ignore her,” a young woman on the opposite side of Sophia told Alessandra. “I am Eleanor, Duchess. Happy to finally meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Eleanor,” Alessandra said offering Eleanor a smile for helping her. She then turned to Sophia and said, “I am sorry that I have no idea who you are or your husband but I love to get to know-”

“Your husband should know me,” Sophia said revealing a cunning smile.

Eleanor sighed while Hazel wanted to kick Sophia out for acting a damn fool. Must all the women in town try to be so despicable all the time?

Sophia enjoyed Alessandra’s confused expression. “Had I played my cards right you wouldn’t have gotten the chance to be Duchess. I have to say, I’ve been missing the way that man would make my toes curl. You are a lucky one.”

Alessandra smiled, almost releasing a chuckle because of the conversation. She knew two things right now. One, Edgar would have never married Sophia and Alessandra didn’t need to get to know the woman well to know this. Two, Edgar mentioned this morning he had never taken anyone to his bed who wasn’t experienced so now Alessandra was aware Sophia had been sleeping around before her marriage and she was disrespecting her husband by mentioning her time with another man. That is, if it was true she was once with Edgar.

“You are a beautiful woman, Sophia but there is hardly any common sense to you. I’m aware my husband had a past and perhaps you were in it but while you were trying to upset me, you are digging a hole for yourself. I am not angry if you were to share a bed with my husband but I am pitying your husband. You are not speaking of how he curls your toes. How would he react I wonder? Is he in the palace?” Alessandra turned to Hazel who didn’t try to hide her smile.

“I believe he is,” Hazel answered.

Sophia sat up in her seat. “There is no need for you to call my husband. I cannot believe you let her sit at this table. She is hardly a lady.”

The sound of Eleanor snorting brought attention from Sophia to her. “I’m sorry but that is hilarious. You speak of her not being a lady when you out of nowhere brought up being with her husband when in fact you did not. I remember how you tried to use your body to get the Duke’s attention and forced yourself into a room he was residing in and he threw you out on your ass-”

“You-” Sophia tried to get Eleanor to stop spewing her lies. She had no reason to lie about sleeping with Edgar. Why wouldn’t he want her when her body was desired by many men? Her husband had to consider himself lucky.

“I am not finished. The only person at this table who is not a lady is you who fucked your way into this marriage you are in now. The only reason your husband married you is that you got pregnant. You should be silent and leave the Duchess alone. You are only ready to pick at her because you are jealous that she caught the Duke’s attention. All of you are!” Eleanor pointed at the women around the table.

“That is not-”

“My father owns one of the brothels in the red light district, Sophia. I am aware of a lot of secrets in the kingdom so,” Eleanor placed her finger on her mouth. “Hush.”