Alessandro 16+ / Book 1

Chapter 65: A day as queen

Two days have elapsed.

It went swiftly because Alessandro is the reason I managed to navigate through the days because of thoughts about him. Hours upon hours his touch dominates my mind, its lingering sensation igniting a burning ache on my skin.

I long to be safely wrapped in his arms.

I long for everything about him. His voice, his smell, his eyes, his skin.

Everything.

Even his words...

The memory of him breaking in his study floods back to me, burdening me with guilt and shattering me mercilessly for what I did to him.

Fuck.

I hate that it had to come to that.

And I hate that I have many losses, and it's all my fault. Everyone that cared about me was dead, or I pushed them away by breaking them.

Alessandro.

It's all I think about him, them, myself, and my fractured heart. This is why I struggle to focus on the array of mafia soldiers before me, standing in formation, displaying respect for their king and queen.

I am sitting on my opulent throne inside a grand ballroom, gazing ahead at the men now under my rule. My king is seated beside me, prattling on about matters I don't even care about.

My thoughts dwell on the past, a haunting presence in my present that torments me.

Eventually, I managed to refocus and tune in to my husband's irritating voice. "Take a look around. This is the essence of power," he declares with almost excessive enthusiasm, his hand gently guiding my gaze toward him, making me peer into his dark, foreboding eyes. "You wield tremendous power, love, with countless soldiers ready to die for you," he says, and I swallow hard, a lump forming in my throat.

We rule them. I rule them all.

My mother never believed I'd make it this far in the life of mafias, and neither did I. I never desired it because I knew what I had to do to be this person and what I had to become, so I shielded away from power, but circumstances have now changed.

He grins at me, stealing a quick kiss before releasing my face and looking ahead. "Love?" His tone grows serious, and I meet his gaze with a poker face.

"Yes?" I reply, observing him as his eyes turn dark and sinister.

"Do you understand what it means to wield power?"

I exhale softly, turning away from him, a sly smirk forming on my lips as I gaze into the distance. "Show no mercy to the unfaithful or who had done you wrong. Be notorious and ferocious."

He hums, then turns to look at me. "You've been learning, love," he says, sounding impressed.

"Learned from the best," I reply, gazing ahead.

He seems to have figured out who I was talking about, which prompts an unexpected question. "Do you still love him?"

"No, I never did."

"Good," he says, "because you're mine now."

***

Hours passed since Angelo held a meeting in his ballroom with his soldiers, introducing his queen and now co-leader.

After they all left, Angelo and I started taking our first husband and wife photographs, a memory for our home, which he affectionately calls his kingdom.

Being here has changed me, imbuing me with power and responsibilities, but the pain remains as always.

Minutes drift by as we take countless pictures, striving for the one that would earn the king's approval.