The Serpent Queen

12. The Queen

October 24th, 1533
Marseille, France

That evening, Eleanor sat at her dressing table. One of her maids was brushing her hair while the other two maids were preparing the room for the night.

Eleanor stared at herself. Every time she closed her eyes, she could still feel Alessandro's warm breath on her neck. The whisper of his hoarse voice made her feel something she hadn't felt in years.

Desire.

lust.

Things she shouldn't feel about any man other than her husband.

His words continued to haunt her; "Don't you want revenge?".

And she wanted that. she wanted revenge, she wanted love and pleasure.

"Fetch Agnes." she said as she sat up.

When Agnes, her most loyal lady-in-waiting and friend, walked into the room, Eleanor was already dressed in her overcoat. She had sent the chambermaids away on the pretext that she wished to pray in silence.

"What can I do for you, Your Majesty." Agnes said, she too was dressed in her overcoat.

She was suddenly awakened by Eleonor's chambermaids and feared that something had happened to her mistress. She was relieved to see her unharmed but wondered why she had to be woken up so abruptly.

"I need you to arrange something for me urgently." Eleanor whispered mysteriously.

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A moment later, Eleanor and Agnes, dressed in the maids' dresses and their faces covered by the hat of her cape, walked through the halls of the palace.

Arriving at the apartments of the Duke of Florence, she let Agnes do the talking. The guard let them in without hesitation, and Eleanor prayed to himself that he didn't recognize them.

Alessandro sitting in the small audience room looked up at the two women, whose faces he could not see.

He didn't remember calling anyone to him, let alone two women.

Eleanor took the hat off her head, letting her dark hair fall loosely down her back.

"Majesty." Alessandro jumped up from the chair in which he had been drinking his wine.

"Your grace, I hope not to disturb you." Eleanor said, smiling faintly.

"You will never be able to disturb me, Your Majesty. Please take your seat, Your Majesty." He took her hand and guided her to the chair he had just sat on. From the table he took a glass of wine and gave it to the queen and sat down opposite her.

Agnes, still standing at the door, quietly left the room. She sat down on the floor in front of the door.

The guard looked at her in surprise but didn't care. He had heard what a womanizer the Duke was.

"Your request from earlier...is it still valid?" Eleanor asked, eyes lowered, after she'd finished her wine.

She knew how pathetic she sounded now. She, the queen of France, asked a man other than her husband to share her bed. Not only did she do that, but she had slipped into his room like a whore.

"Do you mean revenge on the king?" Alessandro asked, amused. "More the pleasure you will get from me, but yes, the revenge on my husband and king." Eleanor looked at her hands, too embarrassed to look up at Alessandro. She bounced from her chair. "You know what, let's leave it at that. It was a mistake that I came to see you, I hope you can keep this a secret." She wanted to walk to the door but then suddenly felt his hand pulling her back.

She felt Alessandro's lips rough on hers, and while she wanted to withdraw at first, she later pressed her lips to his.

Still with her lips on his, she took off her cape and then took off Alessandro's shirt.

Alessandro lifted her, his lips still on hers, his bare upper body against her barely covered body. He walked towards the bedroom where he sat on the bed and placed Eleanor on his lap.

Eleanor moaned softly as she ran her hands through Alessandro's curls. Having been celibate since her wedding night three years ago, she hadn't shared the bed with a man.

Panting, they let go of each other, Alessandro's cheeks were red from the heat.

"What do you want from me, Your Majesty?" He asked, panting.

"I want you to fuck me like it's my last night in this world, Your Grace." she whispered.

Alessandro grinned. "I am your faithful servant, Your Majesty."