Prince Theodore quickly walked away after seeing the two. He didn't want to invade their privacy anymore than he had. He had not meant to watch what happened between them but he could not help himself. As he walked back to his chambers, he thought about what he had seen and heard. He didn't know why it hurt him like it did. He knew their marriage was for duty not love but seeing her with someone else hurt. But he wasn't going to make a big deal about or tell her that he knew.

After spending the night in the stable with Sir Jonathan, Katarina bid him farewell and went back to her chambers. Morning was coming soon and she did not want anyone to get in trouble. She arrived at her chambers and took a bath. She changed and headed down to breakfast. She had received a message that the prince wanted her to join him for breakfast.

"Princess Katarina." The guard announced to the prince.

"Princess." Prince Theodore said bowing to her.

"Your Highness." Katarina said curtsying.

She sat down and the servants served the breakfast. Katarina noticed that Theodore was quieter than usual and he seemed sad for some reason. She wondered what was wrong. She wanted to ask but knew she probably should not. But she was going to anyway.

"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" Katarina asked as they started to eat.

"No, everything is fine." He answered her.

"Alright." She went back to eating.

They continued the meal in silence and Katarina was not certain what was going on. He had never been this way with her. She wanted to know and knew the only way was to ask him again.

"Are you sure nothing is bothering you?" She asked again.

"What bothers me is your need to know. What I do is of no concern of yours. You are merely my wife not my equal. As my wife you are not to question me. Now, I am done with conversation and breakfast. Have a nice day." He got up and left the room.

Katarina was shocked because he had never spoken to her that way before. She finished her breakfast and went to her room. She and her ladies started their sewing for the day. As she did, Katarina thought to how the Prince was with her. Something was obviously wrong and she knew he would not discuss it with her.

After leaving the room, Theodore headed to meet with his advisors. They wanted to update him on the war. The meeting went well and he learned that the armies were getting ready to invade some of King Christopher's land and it was expected to be a blood battle. The generals expected the battle to be won by them but were certain casualties would follow for both sides.

After the meeting, he headed to the garden to walk like he did each day. He started toward it when he saw Katarina was already there. He decided to walk the garden later and headed to the library.

Katarina saw him walk back into the castle and was certain that she had done something to upset him. She thought back to the night before. Had he seen her and Sir Jonathan? She knew that Mickie had been guarding and said that no one came by but something she had done had upset the prince and she feared him for the first time in their marriage.

Are you well, Your Highness?" Lady Mickie asked her as they walked the garden. Normally the prince would walk the garden with the princess but he had chosen not to today.

"Yes, I am fine." Katarina replied to her.

"Your Highness, I have been your lady for a long time and I know when something is bothering you. You can talk to me."

"I am worried that I have angered the prince somehow and I fear what he might do."

"Your Highness, the prince has never laid a hand to you."

"I know that but up until now things have been fine. I know what a husband does if his wife angers him and I fear that is what is coming."

"What could you have done to anger him?"

"I do not know. Are you sure no one came by last night? If someone saw me and Sir Jonathan and told the prince, that would be the reason he would be angry."

"No one came by, Your Highness."

"If the prince knows what happened, then he is no doubt planning my execution for adultery as well as the execution of Sir Jonathan."

"Do you believe that the prince would have you killed?"

"Yes. It is how it is done and it could be the reason for his coldness to me. I fear he knows and it is just a matter of time before my execution. My father will do nothing to stop it. No one will be able too."

"You are taking this calmly, Your Highness. If the prince is in fact planning your death."

"I knew the risk of last night and I chose it anyway. I will take the consequences of it. Everyone must take the consequences of their actions. It is the right way. Blaming others is the coward's way and I will not be that. My actions are mine and I will take the punishment for them."

"I hope you are wrong, Your Highness." Lady Mickie said as they ended their walk.

"I hope I am too." Katarina walked to her chambers. She knew the prince would want to walk the garden like always and she would not be in his way.

Once he saw she was gone, he walked to the garden with his chief advisor, John of Morrison, the Duke of Linwood. He was the one that Theodore confided in.

"Something bothering you, Your Grace." The Duke asked.

"I need some advice. But you must promise to not tell anyone what I tell you." The Prince said to him as they walked.

"You know you can trust me."

"Last night, I went for walk and ended up at the stables."

"Yeah."

"I saw Lady Mickie outside the front door and wondered what she was doing there. So, I entered through the back. I found the Princess with someone else."

"Together?"

"Not at first, they were talking. Then they joined together."

"She committed adultery Your Grace. You can have her executed."

"I will not do that."

"Why? This is your chance to marry for love. She broke the vows."

"I read her journal and I know of her feelings to her knight. I heard them last night say them. I know the Princess. What happened was a onetime thing. She will not do it again. She is committed to our marriage and will not cheat with anyone else."

"So, you are going to forget this?"

"I am going to forget it and forgive it."

"Is that what advice you needed? It seems you know what you are going to do."

"I have been cold to her all day. This morning at breakfast, I told her what I did was no concern of hers. That she was merely my wife and not my equal. Then I did not walk with her this morning in the garden like we normally do. I know our marriage is for duty not love but I find myself hurt by what happened."

"I think you have feelings for her. Not love or anything but feelings. You like her and you are not sure what to do with those feelings. My advice is to start anew tomorrow morning. Let things lie today and talk to her in the morning."

"I think you are right but you know I am having an affair with Princess Maryse."

"I know that. But she is pregnant by Prince Randal." The Duke thought for a minute. "It is his child right?"

"I do not know. I think it could be mine but it is probably his."

"It is a strange situation. You just have to wait and see."

The Prince knew his friend was right about everything. He needed to be away from Princess Katarina today and sort out what happen and what he knew. He sent word with her ladies that he would not join her for supper or visit her that night but he gave no reason.

Lady Mickie told the Princess of the Prince's message. Katarina was more convinced that he knew and was planning her death. But what she told Mickie was true. She would not be a coward. She knew the risks of her actions and she would take the consequences.

The next few days were the same as the first one. The Prince did not see the Princess at all. He was trying to sort out why what happened had hurt him. He wondered if the Duke was right. Did he have feelings for her? As the days went on and he thought about it, he realized that he did have feelings for her and he was unsure about what to do with that. He knew she didn't feel the same. He debated about telling her he knew what happened. He finally decided to tell her and make sure it was understood that it would not happen again.

"Prince Theodore." Lady Mickie announced to her. All the ladies and the Princess curtsied to him.

"Leave us please." He said to her ladies. They quickly left the room leaving the Prince and Princess.

"I assume you want to talk to me about something private." Katarina said to him. She knew it was about what happened and she just had the feeling that he knew.

"Yes. I wanted to let you know that I saw you that night. When the knight, I presume, came to see you." He sat down the chair by the fireplace.

"I had a feeling that you did. So, what all did you see?" She sat in the other chair.

"I saw everything. I heard you tell him that you love him and I watched as you laid with him. Do you know I can have you executed for that?"

"Yes. I know that. I knew that when it happened. I am not stupid. I know exactly how things work. It is fine for a husband to have a mistress especially a prince or a king but it is a crime punishable by death if a woman, even a princess or queen, has a lover."

"I can not explain why the laws are like they are. I follow them. I find it hard to understand that you knew you could be put to the death and you did it anyway. Why?"

"I knew the consequences of my actions. But I love him and I was willing to risk it. I was willing to risk death to be with him one time and that was all it was and will be. You can kill me, I know it is the way it is. But leave him alone. He told me no, that it was not a good idea but I would not let it go. So what happen was all on me."

"You would die to keep him safe?" Theodore was shocked that she would.

"Yes, I would. Your Highness, you will do what you need to do and I understand that. I said I am willing to take the punishment and I am. Even if that means death."

"Katarina, I came here to tell you that I saw you and knew what happened between you and him. I will not have you or him executed like I know I can. But understand this, this is the only time I will look the other way. I do not want to risk the alliance between our countries. We have only been married a short time and dissolution of our marriage might void the alliance. I will not risk that with the war. But I will not accept a wife who commits adultery. This is your only free pass. I know our marriage is not based on love but it is a marriage none the less."

"I understand that and it will not happen again. He is gone to the front where my father wants him."

"Glad we understand each other. Good day, Katarina." He got up and walked out.

Katarina was relieved that he was not going to kill her or Jonathan. She was always a woman of her word and she did not want to be unfaithful to him but her heart was with Sir Jonathan and she knew that he was who she wanted. She had come to care for the Prince very much over the last few months. She did not want to be unfaithful to him but she loved Sir Jonathan more than anything.

After leaving the Princess's chambers, he went to his council room. He wanted to think about things. He thought about the conversation he just had with her. She was willing to die for her knight. What kind of love that must be. He had never been in love and it was surprising to him that she loved that deeply. He did not love Maryse. They were only having fun. He thought about Katarina as he looked out the window of the council room. He had realized his feelings for her. He wasn't sure he was in love with her but he had strong feelings for her.

"Your Grace, the Duke of Linwood." The guard announced.

"Your Highness." The Duke bowed to him.

"Your Grace." The Prince replied. "Please take a seat."

"Have you spoken with the Princess?" The Duke took a seat at the table.

"I have."

"What did you say?"

"I told her that I knew what happen between her and the knight. I told her I saw them together."

"What did she say?"

"She said she figured I did because of how I was acting. I told her I could have her and the knight executed. But that I would not do that. I told her I was giving her a free pass on this affair but that I would not look the other way again."

"Did she agree?"

"She did. I know Katarina. She is a woman of her word and I know she will not commit adultery again."

"So, you are going to forgive and forget?"

"Yes, I am going to forgive it. Do you think I am wrong?"

"No. I know you too well. We have been friends forever. You have very strong feelings for her and you want her. So, I think you are making the right decision. Theodore, you are not your father and hopefully, you never will be."

They continued to talk for a while before the Duke left and headed back to his castle. Once the Duke was gone, the Prince sent word for the Princess to join him for dinner that night.

"Your Highness." Katarina said curtsying to him as she entered.

"Milady." Theodore said bowing.

Once they were seated, the servants served their dinner and then took their place.

"Your Highness, I wanted to talk to you about a party for our families." Katarina said as they ate.

"Why?"

"I want us to show King Christopher that we are aligned and strong. I want my parents and yours here as well as my brother and his wife and her family. The alliance of Mertican, Timberland and Summerton all together."

"I think that is a great idea. Plan whatever you like."

"Thank you."

"I hope to visit you tonight. My father is very anxious for an heir."

"Of course."

They continued their meal in silence. Once it was over, they each headed to their chambers. Katarina wanted to read a little bit before the Prince would come visit her. She knew both families were anxious for an heir. Her brother and his wife were with child and it would be born soon. Katarina did not know why she and the Prince were not with child yet. She knew nothing was wrong but she knew all parties were anxious for an heir.

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