Black Pearl

Chapter 41

Returning after the wedding was different than I expected in the sense that I slipped back into the same routine that I had before. I knew that I wasn't technically crowned, but it seemed strange that I would not be shadowing the current queen, learning all that I could about ruling or even just being a good wife. I had no experience in either of these categories. I knew what it took to watch over a handful of sirens, not thousands of people. I knew how to be a good sister, not a good wife. People would be relying on me, more than ever before.

But I slipped back into my sewing, my reading, and now my occasional riding lesson with Jacob. 

Something else that struck me as strange was how lonely I became in my own bed. After we returned, Leo seldom came to my bedchambers. After the time on the beach, I was so unused to the empty bed, waking up to a silent space, not feeling an arm drape over me in the middle of the night. Did he say that married couples were supposed to sleep together? But was it normal for my dependency to develop this quickly?

I panicked about it, thinking that he no longer wanted me, until he came across me in the stables one day. There hadn't been much time for questions then or words at all. One moment I was putting away a saddle, the next I was pushed up against the wall, gasping for air between kisses. In no time I took the desperate grip of his hands on my hips to be aggression, the pressure from his hips to be dominance. As always, Leo fell away when I began to protest and before I could apologize, he glanced at a clock, let out a curse, and left.

The next time I saw him was when he came to my bedroom, completely unannounced, holding a bundle of rope in one hand, grinning.

"Oh, hello," I greeted, setting down the current book I was reading. It was a brief history on swords and blades and knowing why they were created made it easier to imagine using them properly. Still, I knew I would be no more skilled at handling the two-handed behemoth. 

But seeing my husband was a thorough distraction from all that and I admired him from where I sat, watching him near.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much since we returned. I feel like we left for a week and the kingdom descended into absolute madness," he explained, setting the bundle of rope on my bed before coming to sit in the arm chair across from me.

"I see." My voice was calm and even, but I couldn't understand why he hadn't involved me. Wasn't this my kingdom just the same? Weren't we supposed to carry this immense load together?

"Apparently a fairy attended our wedding, slipping in right under our noses. Shady bastard."

Picturing a creature no larger than a thimble with wings and magic dust, I frowned. "How is that possible? I imagine that they would be quite easy to spot."

"Well, they look almost exactly like us. Had he had long enough hair or worn a hat to cover those damn pointed eats, I'm sure that he could have charmed his way in. Even then, some of them are born without any clear physical traits, looking just like normal humans. They are masters of deception." There was almost a hint of admiration there, but it was overshadowed by pure annoyance. "Regardless, they are not out allies and coming uninvited to such an important event is disrespectful and arrogant."

"I can't understand how this would be an issue. We had more than enough food and wine to add a dozen more people. I don't particularly mind that he wasn't invited. Everyone is welcome to celebrate me at any time they choose."

"That's because you don't understand the formalities and you don't understand how kingdoms operate. It's not about what he ate or drank. It's about who he talked to, what information he got, and why he felt like he could enter my palace when we aren't even linked to his kingdom. Even the smallest piece of information can be used against us."