The King Without a Heart by Barbara Cartland Page A

the Royal Jewels,” she said. “I have heard they are fantastic. But Frederick told me that when he suggested it to the King, he said they should only be worn by the Queen and, of course, I am not that – yet .”
    It struck Titania as rather a strange comment to make.
    She could understand, however, that Sophie resented that the King had paid her so little attention and he certainly should have attended the wedding celebrations after they had returned to the Palace.
    Sophie disappeared into Prince Frederick’s suite and Titania found herself alone.
    Once again she longed for a book to read and she knew it was no use looking in her boudoir. She had also searched the much larger and more impressive room which adjoined Sophie’s bedroom and again there was no bookcase.
    Finally when it was time for dinner, she walked downstairs.
    She found the two Ladies-in-Waiting and the Lord Chamberlain in one of the smaller dining rooms, but there was no sign of Darius, who she guessed would be in attendance with the King.
    The Prime Minister and the other dignitaries from the City had all left and she ate a rather solemn dinner with very little conversation.
    Titania was glad when eventually she could retire upstairs to bed. 
    It took her a little time to get to sleep and she dreamed that she was back at Starbrooke riding Mercury over the fields.
    *
    She woke early and after a long night’s sleep she had no wish to stay in bed as she was used to riding Mercury at seven o’clock in the morning.
    She wondered now if she could find the Royal stables and see what kind of horses the King owned, but she quickly realised if she did so without being escorted by an aide-decamp , it would be deemed a breach of protocol and she would certainly be reproved by the Ladies-in-Waiting.
    So she walked downstairs and as she entered the hall, she saw a postman handing over a large amount of letters and parcels to one of the footmen.
    Titania thought the parcels were undoubtedly presents for Sophie, but she wondered if there might be a letter for her.
    There had not been one from Nanny when she arrived which had rather surprised her.
    She waited until the postman had left and as the footman put the parcels and letters down on a table, she walked towards him.
    â€œGood morning,” Titania greeted him speaking in his language. “I wonder if there is a letter for me from England.”
    The young footman smiled at her.
    â€œLet me have a look,” he said, addressing her by a word which she knew meant, ‘my Lady’.”
    Because she was impatient, he did not seem to mind when she turned over some of the letters and at last she noticed one with an English stamp. It was addressed to her and she picked it up and showed it to the footman.
    Then she walked out of the door into the gardens at the back of the Palace which she had not yet seen and found them to be very exotic with a profusion of flowers everywhere.
    There were almonds and many other fruit trees in blossom and huge flowerbeds of Madonna lilies as white as the peaks of the mountains Titania could see through the trees and there was an exquisite sculpted fountain playing in the centre of the lawn.
    When Titania walked on a little further, she found to her surprise a terrace and steps leading down to a small lake. She guessed it had been constructed at the same time as the Palace and it too was very beautiful.
    She sat down on a marble seat beside the lake and opened her letter.
    It was from Nanny and Titania had been so longing to hear from her as it would tell her news about Mercury.
    She read what Nanny had written and read it again and then she put her hands up to her face and started to cry. She could not help it nor could she stop the tears from running down her cheeks.
    She felt as if the sky had crashed down on her head and that the whole world surrounding her had become darkened.
    Then unexpectedly a man’s voice behind her