When I come back to Alexander's room, I find it empty.

The maids are out. The cradle is void.

Where is my child? And my husband?

I close my eyes and try to stabilise my breathing, thinking about what could happen that brought them all out of here.

Damn it, where is Lavinia?

Has that harpy done something? Right after I talked back to her.

Maybe, I should have shut up. I have a family to think of; my need to offend people can wait...

I get rid of the outer layers of my clothes before leaving the room and walking around helplessly. I stop a maid in the hallway, and she looks at me with utter surprise.

I know... I act like a madwoman.

«Where is my daughter?» I inquire.

«The little Princess?» she murmurs. «His highness is taking a stroll in the gardens, your highness.»

I inhale abruptly. The sun is hidden by the clouds, and it's not too hot. There's not even too much wind.

It is the perfect day for a stroll with your baby. But they could leave someone to warn me.

I run out, settled on checking myself if my baby is fine or not. The little ball isn't aware of anything, not even her own body. Will she be able to communicate with Alexander if she feels hot or cold?

What if she becomes blind by staying under the sun for too long?

I find father and daughter under the shadow of a tree.

The little ball is sleeping as if she wasn't taken out from her habitual safe environment.

Not even the woman squealing next to her is a disturbance.

«She has your eyes, doesn't she? I heard they're black like coal. She'll become a real beauty when she grows up...» she says. «You'll have problems keeping suitors far enough.»

«I don't think so,» Alexander chuckles. «No suitors will be allowed in Stoneyard.»

«Oh, but she will have to visit the capital from time to time. You can't keep her locked forever.»

«I don't think so. And my wife will agree on not bringing the children to the Palace. This place is too dangerous for them.»

«Lavinia was born here: she will do all right. And also, along with her title, she'll have personal guards and servants. Can one of my daughters become her playmate? Can? Can?» the woman continues.

Her voice is familiar, but the tone is odd.

She wasn't this cheerful when she talked with me. Hers was a single, glacial remark about having just a daughter instead of a son. And now, she's all cheesy with my husband and pretending to be happy about it.

In the end, it's not by chance. This woman indeed is Bertha.

And she's too close to be it proper. A centimetre more, and she'll be in my husband's arms.

I clear my throat, and they both turn to me.

Alexander smiles, happy to see me. The woman, on the other side, gets up with a sigh. She curtseys and leaves without a word.

Why even bother curtseying? Because Alexander is watching? I don't like her.

«Thea, finally!» my husband exclaims. «We were getting bored in the room, so we took a walk.»

«You and your cousin?» I inquire.

«Me and my daughter,» he chuckles. «Lavinia fell asleep a few minutes ago after staring at the leaves for a long while.»

«I'm glad you two were having fun.»

«Shall we go back?»

«Sure.»

I follow him inside while he delivers the sleeping ball to a maid.

«Knock only if she wakes up. It should be almost time...»

«Yes, your highness.»

«My daughter is learning how to sleep at night, isn't she? She's so smart, letting her parents rest...»

I pull his sleeve before he loses himself in praising the little ball with the maid. They all know it perfectly. They heard it many times.

And no one believes he actually sleeps with his wife when Lavinia is in another room. But it's cute how he does it to make me relax.

Being too obvious in our intimate moments is difficult for me to manage. But after shouting my soul out under my Duke's caresses, it's more difficult to tell the story we're training our daughter to sleep at night.

I'm starting to feel like an idiot more often than not.

As soon as the maid brings Lavinia to her own room, not too far from here, Alexander closes the door and picks me up.

«I hope your jealousy is still there,» he murmurs against my ear. «Because I'm in the mood to make it pass. What do you think, wife?»

«Yes,» I moan. Whatever. I wasn't actually jealous. It was something different.

But Alexander won't give me any reason to claim my territory. He's so loyal, even in his thoughts.

«Make me realise that I'm mistaken. That you weren't using our daughter to hit on women.»

«It was my cousin!» he exclaims.

«So what? And also, you might have used the chance to train for the future. I'm sure more ladies will fall at your feet if you show up with a baby. I don't know why, though. It's my daughter we're talking about: how could she not be cute and calm?»

«It's what I say.» Alexander nods. He brings me to the bed and leans me down, more delicate than usual. «Lavinia will wake up soon, won't she? We better be quick now. I'll be more dedicated tonight, all right?»

«As you wish,» I sigh.

It doesn't make much difference, for me, whether it's quick or slow. As long as Alexander looks at me and nobody else.

His teeth graze my neck, but he's not as thoughtless as to bite me there. He moves lower on my shoulder. He leaves his mark there, sucking on the same spot for a while.

Wasn't this supposed to be quick?

«I am the one behaving irrationally,» I realise. «You didn't do anything wrong, did you?»

«No, I didn't. I'm innocent.»

«Then you should ask me to apologise to you.»

«But first, I need to prove that I'm telling the truth.»

He's not wrong either. But it will take forever like this. We might not get to the point before Lavinia's mealtime.

I push on Alexander's shoulders and make him lie down.

«You will prove tonight,» I decide. «And I'll take my apology back if you're not convincing enough.»

He lifts his brows, wondering if I'm serious.

I undo his belt, not even thinking about kissing him. He's ready, and I am too. It wouldn't be quick if we wasted time, right?

As I move my hips and accommodate this position, I can see Alexander's eyes caressing my body. Even if I'm clothed, he knows well what is were.

«Do you want to touch your wife?» I inquire, bending down to get my mouth close to his. I haven't kissed him yet. «Or you prefer to guide me?»

His hands clench my buttocks, making it difficult to thrust. A control maniac doesn't change overnight. But this is what makes my husband irresistible: his untouched nature, impossible to hide from his dear wife.

Instead of complaining, since it's supposed to be quick, I get up and look at him from a distance. I move the sleeves down by myself, exposing my breasts.

«Do you want to look at your wife?» I inquire, pretending to be thinking about putting the dress in place.

«Don't you dare,» he murmurs, pushing my hips back and pulling them forth at his rhythm. «Just continue what you're doing right now.»

I follow his wish, taken back by the ease with which I'm doing all of this in the daylight. Half naked, I'm letting Alexander look at me while riding him.

As the pace quickens, I start panting. Yet, I don't move my eyes away from his. I stare directly at him as he moves his eyes between my face, my breasts, and my hips moving as he wants.

His breath becomes unstable too, and his fingers grip me tightly.

I lean my hands on his abs for better stability, but I do not dare to slow down. And my body doesn't want to.

«Do you like this?» I murmur, in between a sigh and the other. «Your wife serving you as you wish? Doesn't it turn you on, being treated like a king?»

«Oh, yes,» he chuckles, moving his hips up and reaching deeper into me. «But I prefer to have a role in it.»

I can't reply because I'm moaning too often.

When the peak comes, it finds my last gram of energy. I bite my lip to suppress a scream, and then, I press a hand on my mouth.

My feet curl, my stomach clenches. Shivers cross my spine, and I close my eyes to savour every moment of it. Together with Alexander's sighs of pleasure.

It was at the same time, wasn't it? His hands are dragging me in, unable to put any resistance, and his lips form my name.

When the emotions return earthly and bearable, I fall down on Alexander's chest. He hugs me, delicate and proper.

«Oh, Thea,» he whispers to my ear. «You're so unpredictable...»

«I know,» I chuckle. «Do you dislike it?»

«Not at all.»

It's something the old Theodora didn't dare do: to surprise him in bed. Yet, I'm not as naive as her.

«Then I'll do my best in the future as well,» I add.

His clench becomes tighter, his eyes even darker. His tongue finds its way in my mouth, resulting in a kiss we've avoided for a long time.

Bed activities without kissing? I didn't even notice it happened.

But kissing after bed activities? I couldn't imagine it was this blissful.

I'm building back my fitness, becoming a bit more resistant every time. Now, I don't fall asleep after pleasure as fast as before.

It means I can engage with Alexander for longer without getting as tired as to become useless.

And this type of kissing sure needs lots of energy.

I split for a moment to get some air, and I return to the cuddles as fierce as my husband.

I even dare to bite his lip, but he's so relaxed and pleased that he doesn't complain about it.