As soon as we reach the room, I run to the cradle and check on my daughter. She's awake and fine.

Kate is next to her, and the two are staring at each other in silence. I would find it creepy if I wasn't used to it.

«Has anything happened to her?» I ask Kate, and both the girls turn to me.

One shakes her head and takes a step back, while the other shouts with her high-pitched tone and tries a horrible smile.

«You've recognised your mother, haven't you?» I chuckle as my heart is filled with warmth.

I thought she would reserve her joy for Alexander since she's always so happy when he takes her in his arms. She likes to talk to him.

Yet, there seems to be some space left for me in her little heart.

I pick her up, unable to stop laughing. Lavinia seems hypnotised by the sound, and she moves her eyes to me and snuggles closer when she senses my warmth. Her little hands cup my breast by instinct, and she closes her eyes to rest.

This little ball is unbelievable. I just picked her up, and she's already so bored as to fall asleep?

When my maternal moment is over, I turn towards the other side of the room to examine the situation.

Alexander is standing next to the bed, with Pericle and two knights by his side. The two maids left to check on Lavinia are two steps behind them.

«Let's go see what your father is doing,» I comment, and Lavinia burbles something in return.

Oh, my smart baby. She'll soon start talking, right? I hope she's not as shameless as Alexander, who always has a prompt reply.

«What do we have here?» I say, slightly louder.

The people in the room turn to me with dumbfounded expressions, and I realise it's not a sight for a child. But Lavinia feels safe with me, doesn't she? She won't even notice the man tied to the canopy.

«Was it a murder attempt? Abduction? A scare?» I ask, observing the surroundings in search of weapons.

«He was planning to suffocate the baby with a cushion, my Lady,» one of the maids says. «We noticed that someone walked in. Luckily we were carrying the little miss, so we hid and waited to see his intentions. We tied him up after confirming what he was trying to do.»

«Why?» I sigh. Whose path is Lavinia troubling?

«Our daughter just got a title,» Alexander points out. «And she's the third in line for the throne.»

Oh, right. Alexander, Princess Lyland. And then, Lavinia.

But wouldn't it be better to kill the adults as the first thing? It's not like my child would be able to sit on the throne.

First of all, because she doesn't know how to stay sitting.

«If you're going to interrogate him, please do it somewhere else.» I don't want to sleep in a bloody room. And the shouts might disturb my little ball.

As if sensing the mood, Lavinia starts crying.

Oh, this little attention seeker.

Alexander jumps in place before reaching me. He observes the ugly face of the crying baby for a second before turning to me.

«Is she hungry?»

«This is not her hungry cry,» I murmur. She's just annoyed by the atmosphere in the room.

«Let me,» he says, and he takes her in his arms and starts walking into the room. Leaving me to clean up the attempted murder.

«You already heard what you have to do,» I sigh. «Is there a place where you can interrogate in peace?»

«Yes, my Lady. The cellar.»

«Wonderful. Bring him there while he's still asleep.»

«He's not asleep,» Alexander points out.

Oh, right. The right term is knocked out.

My husband is still walking in the room, paying less attention to us than to where he puts his feet. He's carrying Lavinia in one arm, and the other hand is playing with her.

The little ball caught his finger, and they're now talking with each other and laughing. Well, Alexander laughs. The baby just shouts happily.

When he's away, Kate and the other maids help me take care of our daughter. But when he's here, the only thing I need to do is to feed her.

He can take care of anything else, from changing clothes to calming her down.

The first few days, during my recovery, he didn't even let me get up to reach her. He didn't sleep for nights, but he wouldn't let me stretch any muscle to walk to the cradle.

Now, whenever he carries her, it takes him barely a few minutes to calm her down. Especially when she's just throwing a tantrum.

At some point, she learned to cry every time she heard Alexander's voice. I spend most of the time with this ungrateful ball, but she prefers her father over me!

«See, your dad won't stay away for long anymore,» he murmurs while passing next to me. «We'll stay together for a whole week!»

The little ball bubbles in response, and he continues to talk with a light heart.

«You, your mother, and me.»

I roll my eyes, still annoyed by this difference in treatment. I can tolerate it while the baby is still little, but we'll have to set some rules when she learns to speak.

Where has there been a Princess that says dad? I'll remind her he's her father. Not daddy.

«You have to promise, though,» he continues, «that you won't get angry every time I touch your mother. I haven't been near her for so long... Ah, you can't keep her all to yourself!»

While the little ball agrees with her sounds, the men take out the captive, followed by the maids. I observe their faces in search of any awkwardness, but they're good at hiding their thoughts.

Either they're used to this scene, which isn't so new.

Or they don't find anything wrong, not even odd, with the mighty Lord of Kyre negotiating with a newborn baby about who should occupy the Lady more often.

«Time to change clothes, isn't it?» he chuckles when he notices the grimaces on Lavinia's face. «You're lucky I'm already here, ah?»

Before she has time to start crying again, he leans her on the soft table we brought for this purpose and begins changing her diaper without issues.

We have maids that can do it, even if not an official nanny. Yet, he doesn't consider letting this be done by anyone else.

I'm not capable of changing a baby's clothes. I watched Kate doing it so many times, but it's still a riddle for me.

«Oh,» I moan when the smell reaches me. Poor husband, he didn't have luck this time.

Yet, he doesn't mind it. He cleans our daughter, changes diaper and clothes, and rolls the used fabric to be taken away.

Once done, he carries the little ball again.

When she catches his finger, he bows down and pecks her little hand.

I clear my throat to remind them that I'm still here.

Alexander smiles at me while Lavinia doesn't even turn.

Not that I was expecting anything different.

«What do you think about this?» I ask, just to find something to say now that I have Alexander's attention.

«She won't stop until we take her down,» he sighs. «I don't like court fights. I would have avoided intervening if she didn't target my family. Several times already...»

«We need to set a trap, Alexander. Those on her side won't reveal themselves to us just because we wish for it.»

«What do you propose?»

«You won't like it,» I murmur.

«Not if it puts you in danger,» he says. He already probed this line many times, so it's only natural that he says it now.

«Oh, no,» I chuckle. «I won't be the one in danger this time.»

His eyes scan my expression while his arms still comfort our baby. She would start crying at any moment if his attention was completely on me. Even for a second.

«What are you planning?»

I can't even hide my evil smile anymore.

«Catching two birds with one stone,» I voice. I sit on the bed and take off my shoes. Then, I start getting rid of the funeral clothes.

It's too early to wear a nightgown, so I'll just cope with the dress I took off before leaving this morning.

«Will you tell me, Thea?» Alexander presses me, more worrying than curious.

«Yes, I will. I won't keep it a secret from you.» Most of all, because it would cause countless problems.

If he knows what I'm doing, it will be less likely that he goes on a rampage and disrupts my plans.

«We already know that my uncle is involved with the third faction. We had proof of that when we discovered Viscount Prothus's business.»

«Thea...» he moans with a heavy sigh.

«He is already involved in this, and he's supporting the Empress at the moment. We just have to find an excuse to call the Ambassador here, in the capital.»

«You already have the excuse, don't you?»

«Of course,» I say. Who does Alexander think he married, to make such a question?