Free The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick Page B

factions at court fought over him like dogs over a fresh bone, and it was her duty to protect him and in doing so also protect herself and her sister. If Louis needed the reassurance of lit candles at night, it was because of what had been done to him by others who should have cared for him and hadn’t.
    Alienor ran her hand over the smooth milky skin on Louis’s back. He was asleep on his stomach, and he looked so handsome and vulnerable that he filled her heart. On their journey to Paris, he had been forced to divert to put down a rebellion in Orléans. Seasoned battle commanders Raoul de Vermandois and Theobald of Champagne had advised him, but he had taken overall responsibility and the rebellion had been successfully quashed. The victory had given him a new assertiveness and confidence that sat well on him.
    She moved her hand lower, stroking the small of his back. He opened his eyes, stretched, and with a sleepy smile, turned over and pulled her down for a kiss. ‘You are so beautiful,’ he said.
    ‘So are you, my husband.’ He was erect from having just woken, and she took advantage, straddling him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
    His eyes widened at the sinful position and he gasped, but he did not push her off. A feeling of power tingled through her as she moved upon him and he thrust within her. In the two months since their marriage, she had grown accustomed to the procreation duty, and had come to enjoy it and even find it needful. There was no sign of a pregnancy yet, but both she and Louis were certain it would happen. As Louis arched beneath her and gave her his seed, she clenched upon him, crying out in pleasure.
    They lay together recovering, and she nuzzled his shoulder. She knew that beyond the chamber, the servants would be hurrying to report to Adelaide that the young King and Queen were still abed and fulfilling their duty to procreate, and it brought a sour smile to her lips. Adelaide would be on tenterhooks, hoping that she and Louis had conceived a child, and at the same time suspicious of the time they were spending together, time she could not influence.
    Her mother-in-law continued to strive for dominance under the guise of teaching Alienor the etiquette of the French court and preparing her for the official crowning ceremony in December at Bourges, but she was like a snappy dog, always chivvying Alienor and criticising her clothes, her manners, the way she walked, how much time she spent adorning her chamber and her frivolity when she should be at prayer. Alienor was always civil to Adelaide’s face, and demure in her presence, but she was deeply resentful of the older woman’s interference.
    Louis sat up. ‘I should go,’ he said with reluctance. ‘Abbé Suger is expecting me, and I have already missed first prayers.’
    ‘There are always people lying in wait,’ Alienor replied with a toss of her head. She set her palm against his back, claiming him for a moment longer. ‘Perhaps after we are crowned, we should consider returning to Poitiers.’
    He looked impatient. ‘We have officials there to keep us informed; there is too much to do here.’
    ‘Nevertheless, we should think about it,’ Alienor persisted. ‘We are Duke and Duchess as well as King and Queen, and our stay was curtailed because we had to return to Paris. We must not let my people think we have forgotten them.’
    He avoided her eyes. ‘I will ask Suger and see what he says.’
    ‘Why should it be up to Suger? He has a duty to advise you, but he treats you as if you are still his pupil, not the King of France. You can do as you please.’
    Louis said defensively, ‘I do take his advice, but I make my own decisions.’ He reached for his clothes and began putting them on.
    ‘You could decide to go to Poitou after the coronation. It would not be too difficult, surely?’ She tossed her head, making her hair shimmer over her naked body like cloth of gold.
    Louis devoured her with a glance and his pale