But they had not been careful enough.  Their love for each other could not be hidden, no matter how hard they tried.  The men that had been watching the queen, became suspicious.  And the day that Lord 
Richard arrived home, they told him that they believed Nan and his wife were lovers.

"Hello, my love," Lord Richard said as he entered Christine's room.

Her body jumped as she heard his voice.  She did not know he had returned.

She stood and bowed her head.

"My lord, I...did not know you had returned."

"Well, it was before dawn when we returned.  I didn't want to disturb you while you slept.  It would have been awkward to return to my wife's bedchambers only to find her laying with her lover."

Christine said nothing.  She just stood, too in shock to even think.

"My men were correct, weren't they, that you and the new healer have indeed become lovers."

Christine remained quiet.

"What, nothing to say in your defense?  Are you really so stupid, to start an affair when you knew you were being watched every moment of everyday?  Did you really think you could hide anything from me? 
I know everything that goes on in my kingdom...Everything..."

Lord Richard rushed over to her, his fist raised.

"Please, no my lord!  I am pregnant!"

Christine lowered her head and raised her arms to protect herself from the expected blow.  But none came.  Lord Richard stood with his fist still raised, staring at his wife.

"Is this true?"  He asked.

Christine nodded her head.  "I discovered it last month.  Nancy believes it is a boy."

Lord Richard slowly lowered his fist.  He exhaled a deep breath and smiled.

"A son," he whispered.  "I will have a son.  But I will not have my wife's lover bring my son into the world," he raised his voice again, his anger returning.

"Please don't hurt her.  I beg you my lord."

Christine grabbed his shirt, her eyes beginning to well with tears, her voice filled with terror.  Lord
Richard stared at her for a moment, his face hiding any hint of what his mind was thinking.

"This is not just an affair," he said.  "You truly love this woman.  Don't you?"

Christine nodded, releasing her grip on him as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Lord Richard's face grew large with a grin.  "This is going to be fun.  I have a mission for you my dear. 
You will go to this lover of yours and you will tell her exactly what I say."

"Please my lord..."

"Silence!"  Lord Richard grabbed Christine's chin with his hand, twisting his grip until she winced from pain.  "You will do exactly as I say.  You will go to her and tell her that you never loved her, that this was just a foolish affair you decided to have while I was away.  Tell her that you never loved her, that in fact you hate her.  Tell her to leave this castle and never to return again."

"My lord...please," Christine said, her voice muffled by the grip on her chin.

"Shut up and listen to me!  You will do this or I will have your lover killed.  Do you understand?  And my dear, this will not be a quick death.  It will take days and in the end, she will beg me to take her life.
 And if I ever catch you with her again, hear gossip or just the whisper of rumor about you two, I will have both of you killed!  I will take you last and make you watch as I torture her.  Do you understand?"

"My lord, please...I can't...," Christine was sobbing.

"Now!  You will do this now."

Lord Richard released his grip on her chin and wrapped his hand around Christine's dress, dragging her out of the room.  She cried and begged for him to stop.  She promised him anything.  He stopped suddenly, pulling a dagger from his belt, pointing it at her throat.

"I will kill her now.  Is that what you want?"

Christine looked at him for a moment, through her tear-soaked eyes.  There was nothing she could do. 
There was no way to save Nancy other than to let her go.

"I will do it," she said as she released a final sob.