“Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered.
Isabella gave a bitter laugh.
“When exactly should I have told you?”
He said nothing.
“When you called me lazy?”
Silence.
“When you counted how much food was on my plate?”
Still nothing.
“Or tonight, when you dressed me in something painful just so the whole palace could laugh?”
Adrian lowered his eyes.
The physician then spoke.
“And there is something else you should know, Your Majesty.”
Adrian looked at him.
“After the queen’s first pregnancy, her body never fully recovered. The swelling and weight gain were not simply caused by eating.”
Isabella looked away.
The doctor continued.
“She has been dealing with serious physical changes since childbirth. When we discovered this new pregnancy, I warned her to avoid pressure around her abdomen and to rest as much as possible.”
Adrian looked down at the gown.
For the first time, it no longer looked amusing.
It looked cruel.
“I didn’t know,” he said quietly.
Isabella looked him straight in the eyes.
