The Dark Queen ✔

12

"My princess," Tristian whispered in my ear. "Welcome to your new home," he said, smiling. It was after my brother's wedding, the sun was already gone. It was a beautiful wedding. It was clear my brother had fallen for her. They had left to go to their new room before us. Now I was standing with Tristian, my heart pounding. He opened the doors with a flourish. I gasped and started grinning.

The room was beautiful. The ceiling curved far above my head, creating a golden dome. A chandelier hung down, over the marble floor. Bookshelves were built into the walls, begging to be filled with books and treausres. A door lead off to the bathroom, another to a walk-in closet. And in the center of the room, between two ceiling-high windows, sat an enourmous bed.

One bed.

For both of us.

He looked at me and smiled, a blush spreading across his face. How could I have forgotton. We were married, it was expected to share a bed. I blushed and turned away. Tristian said, "I don't want to pressure you into anything, but-"

Maybe it was his innocence, his willingness to give me space, to allow me to be me. But something inside screamed at me it's need for him. That he was better than I could have wished for. I snapped, practically jumping on him.

I wasn't young anymore. He laid me down on our bed and kissed me. And he didn't stop kissing me. My dress slipped off the bed, his own outfit following suit.

All I can say is that it was a night. A very good night.

When I woke up in the morning, I was still tangled up with him, his body pressed against mine. I had nothing to do today, we were on a sort of honeymoon. We would spend a few days here, then go off to his own kingdom.

I turned around slowly and ran a light finger over his jawline, his cheekbones, his nose. He opened his eyes and smiled at me lazily. "Morning," he whispered. I kissed him again, smiling.

He groaned softly and kissed me back, running a hand through my hair. We pulled away and he grinned. "What?" I asked, pushing his hair out of his face.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. I smiled wider. "Are you excited to see the winter court?" He asked. I laid down next to him and he pulled me close.

"Yes, I've never seen outside the spring kingdom. I'm a little worried about the cold, though." He chuckled and kissed my bare shoulder.

"I promise I'll keep you warm." A shiver ran down my spine. He ran cold fingers down my back and around my waist, his hand drifting to my stomach. "It will be very different, but it's beautiful. When do we leave again?" He asked me.

"In three days, I think," I said. His chest rose and fell against me and I closed my eyes. We sat in silence, listening to each other breath. I smiled when I thought of last night.

"I love you," I said.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked me, his fingers running over my stomach.

"Of course."

"Do you trust me?"

I was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down into the abyss. The darkness below was inviting, but something tugged at my mind, telling me not to jump. I looked down, down, down, and tried to see the bottom. I couldn't. But I couldn't go back now, there was nothing behind me.

"Yes, I trust you," I whispered.

I fell down, the inviting darkness swallowing me whole. There was no turning back. There was nowhere to go. I told myself that over and over as I rolled over and stared into his flaming blue eyes.

Yes, I trusted him.

I looked into those eyes and let the fire consume me.