Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
“You used me…you used…used…” I drew in a ragged breath. “You used my response to you, my feelings for you, to…to punish me.”
“Amore,” he whispered, his tone quiet but heavy with remorse, and it must be noted, his eyes were drowning in it.
“You used me against myself to teach me some lesson I could not possibly understand for I have no experience being a wife, I have no experience being a queen, and I’m doing the best I can in rather trying circumstances.”
His gaze moved over my face before he murmured, “I see this was not a sterling decision on my part.”
“No,” I agreed.
And it took not even a second for him to say his next.
“I cannot begin to express how deeply I regret this, my wee monkey,” he whispered, his voice even heavier, indeed, positively dragging with repentance.
I stared up at him.
Did he just…?
Apologize?
And further, he had not called me his monkey in over a week.
I had missed that.
I had not wanted to.
But I had.
“I am new to being a husband as well, Silence,” he reminded me. “Though not new to being a king, that is not who I am to you. I am your husband, that is all I’ll truly be to you and it distresses me I have failed you so appallingly, not only in my actions, but in not understanding the entirety of the burdens you carry.”
“I…erm…”
I trailed off for I knew not what to say.
Mars knew what to say.
“I have mentioned this before, though did it in times most rife, so perhaps you did not take it in. Therefore, I’ll repeat it. You do not have to learn how to be a queen in but hours or days or weeks. Just be you. You are bright, and you are observant. You will find your way.”
I hoped he was right.
But it made my heart glad that he thought this.
“Like earlier,” he carried on. “I was brimming with pride at how you handled Mercy. It may surprise you to know, but conversations like that over a simple breakfast can lead to situations that last centuries and include conspiracies, intrigues, battles and loss of life. If Wodell lost its crown prince to Firenze, matters that, as you know, are far from peaceable between our two lands could deteriorate irrevocably. True threatened that with I believe genuine intent. And truth be told, since she met her, Mercy’s behavior to Farah, who was raised beside me as my little sister, coming to a head like that over the breakfast table did not best please me.”
Farah was raised beside him as his little sister?
I knew they were close, childhood playmates, but…
His little sister?
“You asserted yourself,” Mars continued, “and reminded Mercy of her place, doing it as her niece, as well as the queen of a much more powerful realm than her own. You also reminded her of Farah’s place, which it is clear she should be much quicker in learning. True wearies of her prejudice against his bride and he does this swiftly. And last, in all, you are a queen of a powerful realm and I’m uncertain Mercy has come to understand that is who you now are. If she hadn’t, she is no longer under any illusions about that. It was firm, apparently offhand, thus a brilliant act of diplomacy.”
“I was not attempting to be brilliant,” I admitted on a mutter. “I was just angry Aunt Mercy was being mean to Farah and not backing down from True.”
“Well then, you’re a born diplomat.” He dipped closer. “Which was what I was keen to tell you when we arrived…together…at our tent. However, prior to that, you scampered away from me which delayed me being able to compliment my wife.”
He was stalking me in order to compliment me.
Now I felt like an idiot.
Maybe because I’d been one.
And perhaps, it was uncomfortable to note, I’d been thus much longer than said scampering.
“I didn’t scamper either,” I mumbled.
“Amore,” he murmured, his eyes dancing.
How, precisely, could he be so vexing when he was also being lovely?
These thoughts made me do the only thing I could in that moment.
Roll my own eyes.
“Silence.”
I rolled them again to him.
“Your father enjoys too much this unrest he senses between you and me,” he shared gently.
When it came to my father, I could believe that.
But I didn’t want to believe that.
I wanted to find other reasons for his change in attitude toward me.
“I don’t think that’s true,” I told him with more hope than surety. “I think he’s realized that the time has come he’s losing his daughter to another man, that other man is a man who will take her far away, and he’s utilizing the little time he has to be with her.”
There was a different kind of regret in his expression when he replied, “I do not think you are right, bellezza, but I hope for your sake you are. And if this is what he desires, he will have more time with you as well as time to convince your husband his motivations are noble. But with the protection of your heart in mind, my love, I urge you to be on your guard if what you hope proves untrue.”