Chapter Forty-Two

"Hey." I heard and looked over at Aidan.

"What?" I asked.

"What's going through that beautiful mind of yours?" He asked and I smiled.

"Just wondering what it was going to be like once we get back to the castle."

"What do you mean? Won't it be exactly like it was before?" He seemed confused.

"No. Now we're m-married and there's peace with Cordona."

"Ah yes…peace."

"W-why do you say it like that?" I asked. He didn't say anything at first, he just grabbed me and pulled me into his lap.

"H-hey I'm not done with-"

"I don't care. I want to hold you. It's not like you're going to explode if I touch you."

"No, but I'm gro-"

"If you say gross one more time, I'm going to show you how much it doesn't bother me."

"W-what?" I blurted out. I turned to look at him; I'm sure my face was bright red, my ears felt like they were being dangled over a fire.

"I'll take you here and now, the mess doesn't bother me."

"B-but you haven't…"

"Because it bothers you. See, I told you I was nice."

I smiled, completely embarrassed now. "Y-yeah, you are." I leaned in and rested my head on his chest.

"But out of curiosity when are you…"

"Today is my last day."

"Oh, what a homecoming we're going to have then."

"S-stop it." I say and push him playfully.

"I can't help it. I love you."

"You mean my body?"

"That too. But I love you more...When I first brought you here I was content just having you near me, I was thrilled when you'd let me hold you even though I knew you had reservations about everything…"

"Aidan."

"No, it's ok I understood. We did kidnap you…that's not how I wanted all that to go."

"I'm not upset at you. I forgave you after I got here you know?" I say and look up at him.

He smiled, peering down at my face.

"I know. I-I wasn't sure how all this would go. I-I was going to marry you either way. Even if you hated me, even if we'd never be intimate, I wanted to make sure you'd be taken care of."

"Uh huh, I'm sure that's why you wanted to marry me."

"W-well of course I hoped we'd be intimate, but I was resigned to you hating me forever."

"Why's that? You didn't think I'd ever love you again?"

"I hoped that you'd be able to understand what happened and forgive me but…I also realized that I was the leader of a gang that had ravaged your country for years. I understood that might be hard for some to overlook."

I looked back down and thought about what he said for a little while.

"Or maybe you haven't…overlooked it."

"I haven't overlooked it but like I said, I forgave you already for everything. Cordona isn't blameless in this war either – both sides did horrible things to the other, but that is war for you. It's not like Estonia or Sopal haven't also done horrible things during the war either."

"Hmm, yes I suppose so…Cordona still has a ways to go before they can truly have peace."

"Yeah…those negotiations are going to be harder." I say and sigh. "After all the pillaging and land that was taken from them. I'm not sure they'll even be open to peace negotiations."

"That's possible, but not for you to worry about. You're the Queen of Britania, not Cordona."

"You're right. But I can still worry."

"No need, King Thebes will likely have Osamu marry the Sopalian Princess to start the peace talks."

"R-really? Isn't she like…old?"

He chuckled. "You realize she is only 18 right?"

"W-well yeah but that's really old for a royal to be unmarried."

"Isn't King Thebes older than that and still unmarried?"

"I guess so."

"I wonder why that is?"

"Who knows?"

"I think you do."

"What?" I said. He cupped my chin and pointed my face up to look at him.

"I think you know…does he have feelings for you?"

"W-what the heck are you talking about? I told you I never met him while I was at the castle." I say and swat his hand away.

"He could've still admired you from afar."

"N-no way."

"Because you know differently?" He asked and I sighed.

"He saw me in the castle sure but…there was a rumor that he had fallen for one of the noble's daughters." And the comment he made on the rooftop about all Kings and Princes having a mistress made me think there was some truth to the rumor.

"And you're just sharing this with me now?"

"You didn't ask before."

"This could've come in handy during the negotiations you know?" He asked.

"You wanted to start a peace negotiation off with blackmail?" I asked and he scoffed.

"I suppose you're right. My beautiful, smart wife." He said. He kissed me, softly as first and then with more passion. As he pulled me in closer his tongue started to venture around my mouth and his hands started to wonder my body.

"Ai-Aidan."

"You said it was your last day."

"Y-yes but still."

"And we'll be at the inn shortly."

"B-but."

"No more buts, I will have you tonight. I can't wait any longer." He says, his eyes full of lust. I had only seen him like this one other time, the night of the first feast. I thought it was my drunkenness' that lured me in but I'm realizing now that it was this look of lust and desperation. I could tell it was taking a lot from him to hold himself back.

"Do you know what you do to me?" He didn't wait for an answer, he leaned in and started nibbling on my collarbone.

"D-do you know w-what you do to me?" I asked, my body started to get hot from his touch.

He chuckled, "oh Ari, how I've waited to hear you say something provocative like that."

Just when I thought we might be getting into something in the carriage, it came to a halt. It caused us to shoot out of the seat, Aidan had to brace us on the other seat before he could sit back down again.