My first day as queen consort of Mercia starts off awkwardly to say the least. I keep thinking about last night and how different it was to what I expected. I knew there would be a consummation ceremony, and that I would have to give myself to the king, but I thought it would be painful. Or that I would just get on my hands and knees and let him do as he needed until he was finished. It wasn't like that at all. Alekso seduced me, made love to me, touched me in ways that made my head swim and my body turn to liquid. I had my first orgasm by someone else, and then another, and then he woke me up periodically throughout the night and did it all again. Each time when we finished, he would gaze at me with such warmth. Such affection. But could he love me so soon after meeting me? I am no siren; my beauty should not affect a man that much, though he has certainly affected me. I do not know if I love him just yet, but now I am open to the concept far more than this time yesterday.

I decide it is best not to tell Alekso about my encounter with the demon this morning. As wonderful as last night was, I do not know how he will act when he finds out I sneaked past the guards and ventured outside. The moat surrounding us is wide and deep, but the drawbridge was down - most likely a tired guard ready for his shift to be over - and I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. Am I allowed out, though? Would Alekso be angry? Punish me, even? I did not want to take the chance. The beast spared me and that is what really matters.

I think it liked me. If I venture outside again, I should be safe.

After breakfast, we head to meet Alekso's- and now my- advisors. I take my husband's offered arm as he brings me to the large council room where a group of men stand up at our entrance and gracefully bow. I wonder if this means I will have some political influence after all? I figured I would just be here to make it look like Alekso placated the rebels who constantly fought his oppressive rule.

"You have already met Commander Anselm, my sweet." He gestures to the man in armor who smiles pleasantly at me. Alekso then introduces me, one by one, to the rest of his council. While many of them were strangers to me, like the Dukes Vlad of Andul, and Marcus of Estia, I cannot help but frown at Lord Bron, Duke of Kass, or the stringy old Lord Jarrett of Sidonya, and of course Ser Harald, the Chancellor. Those men and their families were once my father's subjects; so how they are alive and serving Alekso must have something to do with how my family was deposed.

Bishop Lambert takes my hand and smiles at me. "Your highness, King Alekso does not come to service on Sundays, but I do hope to see you there."

I try to hide my anger at the other men from my eyes and smile back. "I would love to. I should familiarize myself with the other ladies of the court, after all."

"Agreed." Lord Bron grumbles. "She really has no need to be here at council, your highness, does she? Why waste her time? She is a mere figurehead."

"I felt she should meet you all, and so she has." Alekso seems comfortable with all of them, though he gives Lord Bron a pointed stare.

"You mean I am not staying?" I pull my hand from the bishop.

"Your lady Kwenthrith should be waiting outside the door to show you the rest of the castle, dear." He runs his hand up and down my back reassuringly. "While I wish to spend more time with you, I must speak with them first. I will meet you in the throne room when I am finished."

"But... I should speak with them, too. I am your queen and I did take vows to aid you in ruling this kingdom, did I not?"

"Hmph, she is your wife for a day and she thinks she can just come in here and tell you how to rule, your highness?" Bron shakes his head.

I look among the men and some of them are cowardly, staying silent with bowed heads while Bron openly scolds me, and Jarrett snorts. Alekso tweaks a brow my way, but I cannot tell if he is leaning more towards me or them. That alone, that he does not immediately defend me against Bron, makes my fists clench.

"I do not wish to tell you how to rule, Alekso, but I was advised that my marriage to you was for the good of the kingdom. Perhaps my take on life outside the castle would be helpful."

"She makes a good point," Anselm speaks up for me. "She can offer us great insight, and I for one would be happy to listen to what she has to say."

"Thank you, Commander." I flash my sweetest, sugary smile at the man, who in turn nods his head respectfully. "But I do not wish to be a bother. I will leave and allow lady Kwenthrith to show me the rest of the castle, and then I will go to the throne room when we are finished, as instructed."

I glance over towards Alekso, feeling quite indignant at him wanting to shoo me away. I was not raised to be that type of princess. Father taught me politics, and though my teenage years were spent trapping and living in the wilderness, I had not forgotten it. If anything, to help him better rule, Alekso should be bringing me up to date on the concerns of his kingdom. There must be more to deal with than small rebellions he thinks might grow.

"Sweet heart," Alekso begins, and I think he might try to encourage me to stay. I do not give him the chance though, and spin on my heels. Without curtsying or saying goodbye to the council, I walk out of the large room to be greeting by Kwenthrith's unimpressed glare. Had she heard the argument?

The rest of the morning goes by quickly as Kwen shows me the castle and I get to meet the household staff and the servants. The castle is a large one; and apparently Alekso tends to stay here year round rather than live at Goldstone palace in the capital. I hope I might persuade him to at least spend a summer or two there. Goldstone's gardens were always beautiful.

Once I feel I have a decent layout of my new home, Kwen begins to lead me to the throne room. Good, I am eager to rest my feet.

"Perhaps this evening I could teach you some of the dances of Alekso's court, your highness." She attempts a smile. "I noticed you not dancing at your wedding."

"I was not comfortable with Alekso just yet" I reply. "I know the dances of the court. Josie and I loved dancing, and even Gisela is not bad on her feet."

"Hmm. Well, if you have not brought him in to a rage, the next banquet he hosts I should hope to see you and him leading the floor."

I pause. "Brought him in to a rage?"

Kwen turns to me and grabs both of my hands, eyes narrowing. "I heard you talking back to him in the council room. What were you thinking, Edeva?"

"I was thinking that I should be privy to their meetings like the queen I am."

"You are not queen, you are queen consort. You do not share in all of his power, and you would do well to remember that. Also, remember he is not just any king. He is a mage and a diablarist."

"His diablerie has nothing to do with me, Kwen. He does not seem different from any other mage besides his eyes."

Kwen shakes me a little. "He has demonic power in him! He could kill you with just a look. How else does he get his reputation? Do not forget that. Do not forget he kills for pleasure, and if he ever grows tired of you even for one moment, your life is forfeit."

"He would never hurt me, not anymore." I look down at how tightly Kwen is gripping my wrists, like the very idea of me being unpleasing to Alekso causes her great fear. Perhaps she has witnessed first hand what she speaks of, but she did not witness him last night.

"You do not know that, your highness. Tread lightly."

Kwenthrith releases my hands and moves to stand behind me. God save me, I am used to having a big sister but Josie was never this overbearing. I smooth the front of my dress and we continue to the throne room where the guards announce me. I look around to see the room is oddly busy with a line of courtiers standing, waiting to speak to Alekso. They have been waiting for me before beginning, of course, and I had taken my time to rile my husband up. As they all turn, the more aristocratic ones shooting me indignant glares and I lower my head sheepishly.

Alekso smiles at me, straightening up and rising to his feet. Whether or not they appreciate my tardiness, those around me bow respectfully as I head over and move to take my seat beside him.

...Except there is no seat behind him. His throne is utterly large; a carving of a dragon sitting above him reaching high towards the ceiling with its wings spread. It has curved horns and its eyes are bejeweled. He has it cushioned of course, as no one wants to sit on bare wood for too long, and the deep red velvet looks quite luxurious. I remember my father's throne vaguely. It was not quite as big, and there was room for my mother's slightly smaller one beside it. Where would mine go? More importantly, where is it?

"Your highness," I stare at the monstrosity behind Alekso. "Where..."

"I must be honest with you, my sweet," He sits back down, reclining under the dragon. "Shortly after I was crowned, your father and mother's thrones were destroyed to make way for mine. When the decision was made to marry you, I had no plans on doing more than locking you in a tower to never see you again. I had no plans on making a queen's throne, in other words."

"Then I will stand beside you," I fold my arms, looking completely inconvenienced, far more than those who have been waiting. I want to let them know I am not the person Alekso just described. I'm no prisoner queen in a tower.

Alekso's eyes narrow. He snatches my hand and with a firm pull, yanks me on to him. I let out a shocked yelp but otherwise land easily, his free hand supporting my back so I do not smack the wood. "Absolutely not. You will sit right here, and any time we are required in this room, you will sit with me until your own throne is ready."

I settle across his lap, my legs propped up on the arm of the throne. He looks right pleased with himself, seeing that he can just lean down and nuzzle my breasts. I reach over and pull down the skirt of my dress so my legs are not showing. "Alekso, it is not proper for me to be seen like this!"

He gently strokes my thigh and plays with the curls of my hair. "This morning, I commissioned a grand throne for you, but it might take a while since you will have only the best. Until it arrives, you are not a servant and should not be standing to address the members of your court. I simply will not have it."

My cheeks are bright red. I turn my head towards those present and they seem uncomfortable as well but know better than to speak up.

"And besides," He leans forward and I feel his breath against my ear, "You are so much closer like this. Now I get to touch and kiss you as much as I want without anything getting in the way."

I shoot a glare at him. "In front of your court? Is this to punish me because I spoke back at you in front of the council?"

He raises a brow. "I quite enjoyed seeing the feisty side of you, Eva. In fact it pleased me greatly that you are confident enough to defend yourself in front of that haughty bunch. It makes me desire you even more. So let my courtiers see that desire, I don't care."

"Alekso, you should care. It is unseemly and I will not be taken seriously. Unless... that is what you want."

Alekso frowns a little, catching my pout. He nips my earlobe, and then leans forward to the line of people watching. "Does anyone here have a problem with my queen sitting with me?" No one speaks out. "Do any of you, noble and commoner alike, want to tell me I cannot kiss her at my leisure?"

The people all shake their heads and I hear a few 'no, your highness' whispers among them.

"Does it trouble anyone here for me to express my love for my queen, or can she sit in my lap and enjoy my love and affection without worrying that none of you will respect her?"

"But you don't love her."

Both Alekso and I look towards where the comment came from; the back of the room. I go to squirm off of his lap but he holds me in place. One glance at his guards, and the perpetrator is quickly found, accosted, and practically dragged before us. I cannot help but let out a slight gasp at their treatment of the man. He is a commoner, clearly, else he would not be brought forward in such a brutal manner.

The man is middle aged with a red beard that is peppered with grey. His skin is weathered from hours outside working I suspect, like Eldislav's. His clothes are black and a little dirtied at the edges; clothes signalling he works here in the castle but not a very high position. What is he doing here in the throne room, and what was he thinking when he spoke up?

"Your name?" Alekso asks.

"Indrid Carver, your highness." The man, Indrid, lowers his head and tries to adjust his posture as best he can with the two guards holding his upper arms.

"Hmm. Hello, Indrid Carver. You work in the kitchens then, do you? Butcher the meat, prepare the pies?"

"Yes, your highness."

"I must say my uncle Jean is obsessed with meat pies. Steak and potato is his favorite. What is to stop me from chopping you up and serving him an Indrid and potato pie?"

I turn to Alekso, eyes wide. He brushes his fingertips under my chin while he watches Indrid fumble over his words and try to formulate something to save himself from such a fate.

"I meant no offense, I swear, It's just-- It's just that the queen has been here for the span of a week a-and that is not very long for someone to confidently say they love someone else, it was just a little comment that had no malice in it, I swear."

"How long have you been working in my castle?"

"Three days, your highness..."

Alekso's eyes narrow in on the man. "Three days? Your arrived after my marriage to Edeva was announced?"

"With another mouth to feed and the prospect of little Aurelian children in the near future, extra hands were brought in," Alekso's valet Sebastian says.

Indrid begins to sweat while Alekso straightens up in his chair and wraps an arm around my waist while he points his free hand accusingly at the man. "That makes sense. What doesn't make sense is how a man who has worked under me less than three days thinks he has the right, no, the gall, to speak to me like that."

"I never meant to offend you, your highness...I didn't think anyone would hear." His face turns a little red as he explains himself. The guards start to move away from him while sweat pours from his face, chest, arms, underarms... everywhere. That is when I feel a chill and see the breath in front of me as I exhale, and realize what is happening. Alekso's magic. He can move the heat from one place to another, and with his arm extended and fingertips pointed directly at Indrid, he is directing all the heat in the room around him. Kwenthrith's warnings echo in my head, about him being able to kill with a look, about his love for death; about the undead army below us in the crypts. I imagine Indrid lying there, gray faced, wrapped in a shroud and waiting to be called upon.

"I said I love my wife, and you said I did not, Indrid. That means you think I am a liar."

Indrid falls to his knees as he tries to breathe. His face is so red, like he is burning in the sun. "No, your highness."

"No what, Indrid?"

"Alekso, please, enough!" I plead.

"I want to teach him a lesson. He thinks I do not love you, Edeva. Allow me to show him how wrong he is."

By now, Indrid's sweat looks as though it is sizzling. the air around him wavers from the heat and his face peels. Any longer and he will cook alive in front of me. Without thinking, I roll in Alekso's lap so that I'm straddling him. I care not how it makes me look, that the skirt of my gown rides up and bunches at my thighs, this has to stop. My hands come up to cradle Alekso's face as I stare down in to his glowing red eyes. "Prove to me he is wrong by ending this. If you love me, you will stop hurting him, you will let him live. Please."

My lips meet his; desperate and emotional. Full of the wrong emotion, unfortunately. It is not out of love or joy, but an attempt to distract the magic. It is fear. When I feel the temperature around us rise, I pull away from him and see that his eyes are no longer glowing, and do not have the inky blackness around them. When I turn and see the rest of the court, Indrid is on his knees, breathing heavily but alive.

"Never call me a liar again," Alekso growls, looking past me to the nearly broken man in front of us.

"Tell them to get him some milk for his burns," I whisper to Alekso. He rolls his eyes.

"And get him some milk for his burns."

The guards pull the man back up to his feet and drag him away. A heavy sigh of relief escapes me, even if the king looks less than pleased at my intervention. He settles back in his throne, shooting me a look. He seems... thoughtful. Like he does not know what to make of me. Frankly, I do not know what to make of him, either. I see what Kwenthrith was talking about. I knew he was cruel before from all the stories, but seeing it up close and personal is different. I also know what I was talking about, too. He is capable of being merciful. I will just have to get through to him.

"I shouldn't have to spare a troublemaker to show you that I love you, Eva." He says.

Pulling my legs from him and adjusting my dress as I sit across his lap again like before, I fold my arms and look towards the next person waiting to address us. "You shouldn't have to kill one, either."