Emily was instructed for what seemed like the umpteenth time to walk along a straight imaginary line. Three distinguished nobles along with Serena watched her with rapt attention.
Chin up, shoulders back, back straight, she inwardly chanted as she tried hard not to let the books, that were atop her head, fall.
For once, she succeeded in not dropping them. She turned to the women slowly, expecting praise – or at that point anything so long as it wasn’t a soft mocking-slash-reprimand – only to find them sporting frowns.
“Your shoulders are slouched, princess,” one of them told her matter-of-factly.
“My bad,” Emily all but blushed as she righted her position. And no sooner had she done that did the books fall to the ground. She sighed as she looked at the fallen books, and then crouched down to pick them up.
“I am not top model material,” she muttered under her breath.
“Maybe not,” Serena agreed as she helped her gather the books, “but you are supposed to become the queen, and that’s the role model par excellence.”
Emily looked at her with a pout, before biting on her bottom lip.
Her upbringing wasn’t ideal for a queen to be, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t become someone worthy of that title.
“One more time,” she announced with determination as she rose to her feet.
Serena nodded at her, a soft smile on her lips.
And thus, her training to become queen continued throughout the days. Twenty days remained before she and Theodore were supposed to take on their places on the throne and the responsibilities that came with it.
So much to learn, and so little time to do so.
She often remembered her time at the estate. The fun she had had there seemed so far away. The friend she had found in Cecilia became a faint memory.
Nowadays, she wasn’t carefree. On the contrary, she had so much on her mind that it was bothersome.
After one particularly tiring training session, Emily excused herself to retire to the bed chambers she shared with her beloved mate.
As per usual, Serena accompanied her. It wasn’t too long after when Theodore appeared at the door.
He held a plate of fruits and some fine dark chocolate.
“I heard about your achievement, dorogaya,” he said sweetly. “Here you go. I thought you’d appreciate having something sweet to celebrate.”
Emily didn’t know what to tell him at that. Her eyes misted with tears. And his smile vanished.
“Something wrong?” He asked, worry evident in his voice.
“You’re so supportive of me,” she declared, choking on the words.
“As I should be, dorogaya,” he grinned at her anew.
Serena took her leave and the couple remained alone.
“I have picked these pears from the gardens myself,” he told her proudly.
“You needn’t have,” she told him softly as she gazed into his eyes lovingly. “You could have just instructed someone to do it for you.”
“How many times should I tell you that, aside from Liam and Serena, I trust no one?”
“Still, you’re the prince and future king. Surely, there must be a protocol rule or a tradition somewhere that says you shouldn’t.”
He chuckled at that.
“Well, I am still not risking anything,” he told her after a moment.
How sweet and protective could he be!
It was natural that, not matter how difficult her training was, she would want to carry on with it – given the support he showed her.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Many hours later, it was almost midnight, when they rested, spent and sated, in each other’s arms.
Emily couldn’t help but voice out one of her concerns, “I never managed to turn, lover.”
“I think that’s because you were not triggered enough,” he told her softly, while stroking her cheek lovingly.
“Forgive me for not being volatile,” she said with a pout.
He chuckled at that, and shortly after, he offered in a gentle voice, “Let me test a theory, dorogy.”
She looked at him, slightly bemused, but nodded nonetheless.
“Camille,” he said that despicable noble’s name. Her eyes stung at that, and he carried on carelessly, “Oh, heavens have mercy, I want to fuck Camille.”
“This is not funny,” she growled at him in a voice that she almost couldn’t recognize as her own.
“Of course it’s not,” he shrugged slightly. “I’m just trying to tease the beast within you.”
“Well, it’s working,” she deadpanned gruffly.
“Obviously it’s not enough,” he said as he propped himself on an elbow. “You need a better trigger. Something stronger than just words.”
She shook her head negatively. “I don’t want it,” she said timidly.
“Maybe not, but you need to turn fast if you want to have a shot at leading alongside yours truly,” he told her softly.
“What do you mean?” She uttered the words in a perplexed manner.
“I mean to say that the attempts on your life are far too many, and it would do us good if you could awaken, dorogaya,” he said grimly.
“Please, don’t make that face,” she told him softly, eyes stinging with tears.
“I cannot help but think about the incident from three days ago,” he said angrily. “I have yet to find the culprit. I interrogated every damned servant. Nobody saw anything.”
Indeed, three days ago, someone had put something in her water. Luckily, Serena had sensed that there was something off with the water. She had thrown it at a rose bush. And by the end of that day, the magnificently blooming rose bush had all but withered away.
“Maybe you’re interrogating the wrong people,” she suggested in a pensive tone.
“Well, Serena noticed nothing,” he told her, eyes narrowed, “Otherwise, I’d already be hunting down nobles. Sadly, as it is, I cannot make unfounded accusations.”
She smiled at him. His words warmed her heart for some reason.
Just how protective could he be!
“Just kiss me and make me forget,” she told him in a voice that betrayed her raging emotions.
“Oh, I’ll make you forget your own name, you insatiable woman,” he told her with a smug smirk.
“Insatiable? Me?” She echoed after him, eyes wide dramatically. “You’re one to talk.” She giggled.
He smirked at her in response before claiming her lips in a sweet kiss.
Their lovemaking was beautiful. They took the time to savor each moment of intimacy, and they reveled in it.