The King stood by her dresser in the ornate suite of rooms she occupied at the Palace, Adelaide his daughter in law sat listening wearing her long cream silk nightdress and a heavy woollen dressing gown as he rambled.
"I'm thinking I might abdicate."
Oh god what is the old fool thinking she thought.
"You have no thoughts on the matter?" he queried.
She stared at the King his tired eyes, the cheeky grin, she thought of when she caught him at over eighty having sex with a serving maid dressed up like a pony.
"Why abdicate when I will be dead soon, that's what you're thinking."
"No not at all, but you are so, strong, and His Highness."
"A great disappointment." He finished her sentence for her.
"You are so scornful of His Highness."
"He truly is a waste of space, like his father."
"You are a great man sir, not a waste of space."
"And I'm not his fucking father am I, Christ how could anyone think I created that piece of shit."
He coughed and as he pulled the handkerchief away she could see the blood.
"I need to take it easy, see my grandchildren."
"But Sir."
"Good God girl, have you not worked it out for yourself."
"What Sir?"
"Look in the Mirror", she looked at herself, and the old man.
"Eyes girl, nose."
Her perfect nose contrasted with his hooked beak but the plastic surgery had been money well spent and his twinkling eyes.
She thought to the alacrity with which her parents has agreed to plastic surgery on her 16th birthday to correct that ugly nose, his eyes, tired now but that unusual green like hers.
She had often fantasised but suddenly, with a cold shock, she realised.
"Your mother and I, she was a great beauty, and your father well a trusted confidante, you know how it is, and then you, and the nose, Bloody good chap your father."
"So you and I?" she queried.
"Ah the penny drops, that's why I never touched you, did you think it was out of respect for Gayboy, and why d'you think he married you, my God the way we worked to get you up that aisle then you wait ten years to get pregnant."
"But I'm not."
"Course you are girl, I can see it."
"Perhaps I missed a period."
"Or two!"
"No you are having my Grandchild and I want you to be Queen and then my Grandchild as King or Queen after."
"But the father is Hodgkinson, almost certainly."
"Yes my dear hand picked, and If at first, well he won't get a better job offer."
The door opened.
"Ah Sandra."
The maid entered and curtsied.
"I have a task for you," the King smiled.
"Yes sir, thank, you sir yes please sir."
"We shall borrow your dressing room for a few minutes Adelaide."
She listened, no one called her her christian name any more, but from the Dressing room the giggles of a randy octagenarian and a girl barely out of her teens mingled in love.
A knock, His Highnesses' Knock.
"My dear are you there." His Highness queried.
"Fuck off, your father is screwing the maid."
"Would you tell her Lester is waiting to ride her."
"Lester, she calls you Lester, you're no Jockey you're more Piggy than Piggott."
"Wait there I'll call you in when he is finished." she smiled more a Madam than Ma'am today she mused.
The King emerged, Adelaide raised her voice addressing the maid.
"Don't bother to dress Sandra you have another punter waiting" she ordered.
"Oh no Ma'am he can't get it up unless I wear a bridle and harness, and then he calls your name Ma'am."
"I have it here," His Highness indicated a leather bag by the dresser.
"Poor Pony, he had me in that stuff once, he was almost manly he was so turned on but you really do a very great service to us all by servicing him."
"Ah my son, I have broken her in for you, your turn," the King announced as he happily strode along the corridor."
