We meet the caravan from Kyre near the capital's walls. They've been waiting for us for months, poor people.

Kate runs out from her carriage, happy to see me.

«My Lady, you're finally back,» she screams when I can hear her. «It's been so long, my Lady!»

The rest of the servants seem to agree with her: they don't glare at the show but accept it with a simple nod.

Alexander is so irresponsible at times. He left these people to wait for two months, alone. In the end, we reached the Palace in time for the start of the social season and not early as planned.

A week of travel more, and I would have needed to find new clothes to fit in. My stomach is now visible to any distracted eye.

The last few days of travel have been difficult, but it was worth the hassle. I've managed to know my husband better during this period, and we passed a couple of trials together.

Alexander offers me his hand to help me get down from the carriage, and I accept even though I'd prefer to reach the Palace the sooner.

Yet, it looks like we're taking a break.

«Is it ready?» my husband asks one of his aides. Pericle appears out of nowhere and informs Alexander about some urgent matters.

They talk for a while until it's time to resume the trip. Now that only a few miles are left, I feel tired. More than before.

I'm looking forward to reaching the bed in my chamber and sleeping two days straight. There won't be any need for me in the first forty-eight hours, right?

They can attack later; there's no need to overexert a pregnant woman.

I turn to the carriage, intending to sit again. My legs are aching, so I don't want to stand up any longer.

Alexander stops me, and he brings me to another carriage.

«You haven't seen the capital yet,» he murmurs.

«Actually, I did,» I point out.

It's true that I couldn't view anything when we left because I was busy taking care of a drunk Duke, but I did see the capital when they brought me here in a cage. A big, dark city, full of feisty people. Nothing special.

Maybe, I wasn't paying enough attention. But I thought I was going to die...

Alexander realises what I wanted to say, and he drops his shoulder dejected. I spot the carriage behind him, and I understand the source of his excitement from before.

He wasn't proposing to go sightseeing the capital. He didn't lose his mind... He just wanted a panoramic ride. In fact, the carriage doesn't have a roof. The doors are lower, allowing one to see the scenery.

It's like one of those carriages lords use for public occasions and parades when they need to be seen by the crowd.

«It seems interesting,» I say out loud.

Not that I'm interested, but I can sit there and look around for an hour or so. As long as I'm not required to walk around.

«Only if you want, Thea.»

«Yes, of course!» I nod, showing Alexander my sincere smile. «It seems amusing...»

As soon as my words are said, Kate brings a heavy fur and covers my shoulders with it.

«The wind will be cold, my Lady,» she murmurs, displeased that I'll be exposed to such stress. «Please, make sure you're well-covered.»

Alexander, on the other side, finds a cover for my legs. In the end, I look like a fur ball. But I'm warm.

«Are you letting me see the world before locking me up in your castle?» I ask him when the carriage starts moving.

The coachman has been instructed to slow down so that we can see the city.

«Oh, no. I'm just doing things as they come up to my mind.»

«No locking, so? Are you sure?»

«Yes, I am.»

Why is he doing all of this all of a sudden?

«What's the purpose of it, Alexander? Are you aiming at something?»

«I'm just spoiling my wife,» he replies with a shrug.

Sure, as if I could believe it.

«How long will this last? It's been a few months already.»

«My whole life,» he replies. He bows over to kiss me, but then he remembers we're out in the open.

His conflicted eyes observe my lips for a second, and then he gives them a light, chaste peck.

«So, I can afford to get used to it, can't I? You won't stop behaving like this at some point?»

Ah, maybe I know what's the matter...

«Is it because I'm with child? Will you be this tender every time I get pregnant?»

Alexander tilts his head and surrounds my shoulders with his arm. He doesn't answer my question. He just sighs.

I hope it won't be a one-time thing. I understand he's waited for Elias for a lifetime. Yet, I would like it if he loved our children all with the same intensity. I don't want them to feel set apart.

I'm positive that his behaviour during my second pregnancy won't be this extreme. He'll get tired of acting like an idiot. But will he care about me even then?

«Does it bother you, Thea?» he says, all of a sudden. «If you don't want me to be like this, I'll refrain from annoying you.»

«I don't,» I sigh. «I wasn't complaining. It's just that you were a control maniac up to a few months ago. You used to make all the decisions and didn't listen to me. And you didn't talk with me about your thoughts. You're almost a different person, now.»

«I'm sorry.»

«There's nothing you need to be sorry about. I'm just wondering if you'll revert to your previous self once the pregnancy is over.»

«I won't be over-controlling anymore,» he reveals. «Now you know the reasons for my worries. You can understand the situation and make your decisions.»

He squeezes my hand and leans closer to my ear.

«As to my overbearing side, I can't guarantee it won't come up again once we're alone in bed...»

My face flushes, hit by his shameless remark. He's here: my shameless Duke didn't disappear anywhere. He's just learned how to hide this side of him.

«There are so many things yet to do together,» he adds with a normal tone.

However, after his remark from a few seconds ago, how am I supposed to interpret this last sentence?

«Bad things?» I ask, blinking a couple of times with a worried expression. Oh, he can't do much worse than he already did, right?

I haven't had hot dreams for a while, maybe because we've been focused on different issues. However, will I see all the bad things my husband did to Queen Theodora?

Will he do the same to me?

Oh, but he's continued his research and read a lot of books in the meantime... He learnt new things! It's going to be even worse than with the Queen.

As my face becomes more and more worried, Alexander frowns.

«I'm not going to hurt you, Thea. And I won't do anything you don't let me do. As long as you don't like an idea, we can find something else to spend some time.»

His angry expression is cute. But his words sound weird. Indeed, he never forced me to do anything, yet his persuasion skills are getting better by the day. I won't be capable of refusing if he asks nicely, no matter how perverse his ideas are.

Not to mention that I have my list of perverse ideas to fulfil. How would my Duke react if I told him? Will he be annoyed like when I asked to tie him?

«Don't be angry, hubby,» I moan. His annoyance disappears in a second, and he rubs my back to keep me warm.

«I'm not angry, wife. How could I get angry with you?»

«But you did, once or twice.»

«I wasn't angry but scared.»

«And you admit it so candidly?»

«I owe you the truth, Theodora. I don't want to lie to you ever again.»

«I don't want to lie to you either,» I sigh.

As much as our chat felt pleasurable and exciting, we forgot to sightsee. We spent almost the whole time looking at each other and teasing our patience with bold comments.

In the end, I remember to turn and watch only when we reach the Palace's gates.

They're huge. I can't think of any other word to describe it! The high walls, higher than those surrounding the city, are made of red bricks. Marble decorates the part on the bottom, connecting the walls to the ground.

There are a couple of smaller gates where people can pass by foot and one that reaches the top of the walls, where it curves and forms the figure of a lion. Opening it takes time and effort. But when we arrive, the soldiers have already finished the work.

We pass through the big gate as if stepping into hell, and the guards return to work to close it once the whole caravan has passed through.

We still have a few minutes of travel before reaching the Palace, so I can see the gardens surrounding the main corpus of the court.