‘More easily than I expected,’ I said. ‘It can be put to the test; all I need do is ask some of the other women who were present at the time. It seems many folk in both Winterfalls and Silverlake disregarded Emer’s plea, as you did, and because of that Ness was chained and beaten and abused for far longer than she would have been had her friend’s arguments been taken seriously from the first.’

Flidais stabbed the needle into the linen, then cursed under her breath. A drop of blood stained the cloth.

‘If you are to be my wife, if you are one day to be queen, you must learn what is expected of you. You must learn that such a life is not only one of privilege, but also one of service and responsibility. We must be open to those under our governance, Flidais; we must be ready to help when they need us. I am certain your mother and father do that for the folk of Cloud Hill, and did so as you were growing up.’ I noticed that she had gone very pale. Had she understood the seriousness of her oversight at last?

‘You said if. If you are to be my wife. What do you mean?’

I longed to speak honestly. I was becoming ever surer that I had made a mistake; that if she and I had to live out our lives together we would both be utterly miserable. I could feel the words on the tip of my tongue.

But we were already betrothed; the ceremony had taken place. And we had lain together, she and I. Flidais might even now be with child. What we had done, there was no undoing. And now there could be no going back.

‘I meant nothing by it,’ I said. ‘I want you to try a little harder, that is all. Try to take an interest in the affairs of the local people; make sure you give them due respect when they bring their problems to you. Listen with intelligence.’

Now she was really insulted. ‘Are you telling me I am not only a liar, but also a fool?’

‘In this matter, it seems you have, at the very least, been guilty of prejudice.’ I struggled to keep my tone even.

Flidais had hunched her shoulders; her head was bent over her embroidery. A man would need a heart of stone not to want to say, Sorry, of course I did not mean it, and to comfort her with an embrace. It seemed that although my mother thought me soft, I was developing just such a heart.

‘That is all I have to say to you. You might consider visiting the women of both villages before the open council, and in Emer’s case I think an apology would be in order.’

‘An apology? To a village girl? You cannot be serious.’