The king's mistress

the long version

"The king of Scotland is in a snit. Which means Britt MacKinnon, proud captain of the king's guard, has an onerous task: fetch Alexander's favorite paramour back to the royal bed--now. Never mind that the crown should be about the business of getting a legitimate heir. Especially since England's Edward I would love nothing more than to seize an empty Scottish throne. When the handsome soldier appears on her doorstep, Geneen Armstrong has to think quickly. Her twin lies abed in her cottage, pregnant with the king's bastard. If the barren queen learns the truth, the foolish girl's life won't be worth a farthing. She must somehow transform her graceless, plain-spoken self into her vivacious, talented sister. Then, after the court is convinced she carries no child, use her herbal knowledge to sour the king's taste for her sister's company--for good. By the time Britt realizes this unusually articulate, ungodly stubborn woman is the wrong woman, tendrils of attraction have already tightened into a bond. A bond that will be tested when the king's unexpected death puts Scotland's very destiny at stake--and unleashes an ever-tangling web of court intrigues, secrets ... and lies."--Publisher's description.