This husband of mine is shameless!

He chose a booklet from the library and sat on the couch, his feet on the lower table. He started reading immediately after delivering me a stack of papers.

Can he really be so lazy?

I take the first sheet and start to read. It's just a report about the latest expenses. I guess the work has accumulated, and that someone put on top the documents as they arrived. That's the reason why newer papers are on the top, and older at the bottom.

However, what is the priority of the tasks? I have to start somewhere, and reading backwards can be confusing. I would do that only if I was in a hurry, which is not actually the case.

I start by dividing the work in macro-areas. Accounting, personal notes that finished in my stock for who knows what reason, social correspondence... I'll need to further divide the accounting part of the work. For now, it will be enough if I can sum up a general budget and understand how much money I have at my disposal.

«Where are the accounting books?» I inquire while reading the reports of some expenses. It's full of codes which I have no clue of. I can't even tell which is food and which is furniture! Did they use the same letter for both?

«On my desk, right stock. It's the book on the top. It contains the budgets for the last five years. If you need more, I'll go find it for you,» Alexander replies without moving his eyes away from his reading.

«What about the codes? Is there an explanation written anywhere?»

«The red folder next to the budget book.»

«Oh, nice!» I exclaim. There are indeed some explanations about the idea behind the characters and digits used for codes. As well as a list of all the codes used with the entry they refer to.

«Do you need help?» my Duke asks, looking for me with a complicated expression. He would like to be of assistance, but he knows very well that he'd just be in the way.

«It's all right,» I wave. «I'll just make some sense of these documents for today. I have no intention of finishing all the work in one day!»

«You can come here tomorrow as well,» he starts, but I shake my head.

«It's better if I move into the Lady's workroom as soon as possible. That way, I'll free your space. Also, it's better to avoid moving papers too much around. Once they reach their final destination, I wouldn't bring them here again if I don't need it.»

«All right,» he shrugs. He's visibly displeased, but he understands my reasons.

«You'll have plenty of occasions to look at me,» I chuckle. «There's no need to work in the same room.»

«If you say so...»

«Don't you have your own tasks?» I inquire, seeing how he's leisurely resting on the sofa.

«I finished.»

«As if!» I exclaim. I get up from the armchair and reach the couch. I sit next to the Duke and look at him, trying to decipher whether he's pretending to be efficient, or he really finished.

He notices my curious look, but he doesn't say anything. He just stares back as if there's nothing wrong with it.

«Aren't you going to scold me for doubting you?» I ask, after a while.

«No, I like your doubting expression. And I was hoping you would try to extort the truth from me.»

«Is there anything to extort?»

«No, but I was hoping you would try.»

At least, there is no one listening to our conversation, so I won't complain about my Duke's naughty words.

«What's the situation with the fiefs?» I ask, all of a sudden.

If I'm not supposed to know, Alexander simply won't tell me, right? He won't be annoyed or get angry about the question.

«It's just like any other large territory. Some of the local lords tend to overstep their boundaries, so I'll have to visit them often to remind them that they're not untouchable. Also, it's a lot calmer now that we don't have to watch the border.»

«The border?»

«The northern part of the fief, the one his majesty took away from us, is the border of the Empire. There are several mines, it's a rich land. However, mining will become a big issue when the barbaric tribes strike again. They've been waiting for almost a century, but Asteria will encourage them to try to get some of Kyre's farming land.»

«Wait, the Emperor left the border unattended?»

«Oh, no! He will assign someone to it. And whoever it is, it will be a hell of a job. However, we don't have to worry unless they fail so badly that the tribes reach our land.»

«So, his majesty did you a favour when he took away that part from your administration!» I realise. «It was all planned beforehand, you two just needed an excuse!»

«My Duchess provided it with such ease,» my Duke shrugs.

«Is that the reason why his majesty betrothed me to you?»

«No, he just wanted to reward me.»

«And are you satisfied with your reward?» I inquire, grinning cunningly.

«It's a lot of trouble,» he sighs.

What?

Well, I can't say he's wrong. I did bring him a lot of unwanted trouble, but I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't think he would eventually complain, though. He made me believe he didn't care!

«Are you unhappy because of the title, then?»

«It's just a name, Thea. It doesn't change anything.»

«What about the duties? Aren't you angry that his majesty asked you to retire?»

«I didn't retire. I stepped down for a few months. Also, what I wanted to do, I've done. Now, I can enjoy the perks of marriage for a while.»

«Until next summer.»

«Correct.»

«What will happen next summer? Will you unmask Duke Grahm?»

«He's now namely my peer,» Alexander mutters while lying back. «He'll surely try something by the end of spring. However, it's more difficult to hurt us here. This is my home, no one can so easily break in and cause havoc.»

«Is Duke Grahm really that dangerous, Alexander? Why didn't you deal with him earlier?»

«Duke Grahm is just a pawn. There is someone else working in the dark, Thea. And they're aiming at something more than just Kyre, or Polis.»

«Polis?» I reply. What do they want from my city?

«When his majesty succeeded to the throne, we had the chance to stop the war. His majesty was ready to propose a truce.»

«You talked him out of it.»

«Yes, I did,» he reveals.

«Why? I would have conceded the use of the harbour if the conditions were satisfying. As long as you covered the costs of your shipments, you could have used it. A war is way more expensive...»

«Not for the harbour, Thea. Asteria had already their intelligence and secret service ready to start their invasion. They would have started knitting their net the moment Ethiro abandoned Polis.»

«So, you didn't want to lose the harbour to them,» I nod. «I understand. This is already a better motivation for the war.»

«Better than what?»

«Better than me,» I mutter. «It makes you look less crazy.»

«Mhm, do you want to hear my thoughts on the matter?»

«Your thoughts? I don't think it's a wise idea, Alexander.»

«No, it definitely isn't.»

«It's more comforting than what I like to admit,» I murmur. «At least, it's not my fault.»

«It wouldn't have been your fault even if I was a crazy monster, Thea. You did your best to save your city, and you made the best choice. Polis wouldn't have resisted another siege from another empire.»

«I would have found a way to make alliances.»

«I know, but it wouldn't have been enough to defend yourself from Asteria.»

«Asteria is my mother's homeland, Alexander. Why are you so certain they would have attacked? My relatives are in high places in Asteria's court, and my brother is there right now. I sent him to keep him safe.»

«I know,» Alexander nods. «However, your brother isn't your successor anymore. Your abdication has gone through, so the throne is now free. Also, Polis is under Ethiro's power and protection. There is no crown to be passed down, right now.»

«You knew,» I scoff. «You kept me alive on purpose!»

«No, I just wanted to marry a queen,» he replies while crossing his arms.

He's at it again. He's joking.

I already know he didn't ask for the marriage, so there's no way I'll believe this weird excuse.

«You didn't want that,» I state.

«No, but it was fun.»

«What was fun?»

«Seeing a queen asking me to stay in bed with her,» he shrugs.

«I wasn't in charge anymore when that happened. I was just your wife, then. And a supposed prisoner of war. A regular slave that hoped to get some stable social status through you.»

«And I was the monster that took advantage of such a feeble being,» he sighs.

«No,» I chuckle.

He just wants me to admit that I don't hate being his wife, right?

«You're the reason I haven't given up on my life,» I reveal.