"Jennifer, you were born unlucky, just like your mother. And you think you can charm the King? You're merely a stand-in. Any affection he shows is meant for me," she said with a smirk.
I didn't respond, though a part of me wanted to laugh.
If she was so sure, why did she always act as if I might steal her husband?
As soon as I had enough strength, I knelt before her, proposing I mimic her more closely.
"Sister, my brother's life is in your mother's hands. How could I betray you? But if I continue to ignore His Majesty, he might grow suspicious," I argued.
She kicked me squarely in the chest. "How long do you plan to play this game? You better conceive soon, you harlot," she snapped.
I pressed my lips tightly together—conceiving wasn't something I could simply will to happen.
Nanny Adams intervened swiftly, pulling her aside and whispering urgently in her ear, after which my sister calmed down and reluctantly agreed to let me practice her voice.
With the Dowager Queen's birthday fast approaching, my sister was busier than ever, seldom in her chambers.
Seizing a moment of rare freedom, I decided to explore the Phoenix Wing grounds.