Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Did I…do something wrong?" I asked.

"Why are you helping him?" He asked.

"I-I'm not."

"Every time I disagreed you stepped in."

"I was just trying to find a middle ground."

"Which only helps him and his people!" He shouted.

"I-I'm 'his people' too and-" I started but he cut me off.

"No!" He shouted. "You're my people and my wife. You should be thinking about what's best for me, not him!"

I scoffed. "I'm thinking about what's best for people, it doesn't matter whether you're Britanian or Cordonan – we're all suffering, and we all just want to see an end to this war. If you have a different agenda you're trying to accomplish, then you're not the man I thought you were." I said before storming out.

I went to the roof to clear my head and enjoy the fresh air.

"Trouble in paradise?" I hear and turn around.

"Advisor Brown? What are you doing up here?" I asked.

"Call me Victor. The King sent me to check on you. He heard the shouting and was concerned." The advisor said.

"Ah that." I said and sighed. "A simple disagreement."

"About what?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter." I say as I stare out at the scenery.

"I'm afraid I must insist." He said. I furrowed my brows and thought about what to do.

I sighed. "He thought I shouldn't be offering so many compromises."

"You are the Britanian Queen. At such events your normally would not have a voice."

"Well Aidan isn't a normal King."

"Yes…most Kings don't need to kidnap their brides." He poked at me before peering at my face to judge my reaction.

"It wasn't like that."

"What was it like then?"

"W-we met as kids. We're each other's first love."

"But you never visited Britania before the war began." He said this as if it was a fact instead of a question.

"H-how would you know that?"

"I know about everyone in the palace. I wouldn't be a very good spy without one." He said with a devilish smile that made me uneasy.

"Y-you're a spy?" I asked.

"You can't be surprised. King Shaffer must have several in Cordova."

"He wouldn't tell me if he did."

"But you're his Queen and first love." He said, as if he were making a joke at my expense.

"I wouldn't have a need for the knowledge. And it's dangerous to give out that kind of information particularly to those who don't have a need for it."

"They did say you were sharp…so you didn't meet him in Britania, it must've been when he escaped from the Cordovan dungeon." He said, as if he were working through it out loud.

"Must've been…"

"I always wondered how he did it. That place is a fortress."

"He's never said."

"You weren't curious?"

"He doesn't like to relive that trauma."

"Reliving trauma, you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"I think our break time is over. Please pass on my thanks to King Thebes for his concern but I'm fine." I turned away and went back down. I'm not sure what he was after, but I hoped I didn't give it to him.

I was heading towards the negotiations room when I heard Aidan call me from another room.

"Where have you been?" Aidan asks as I walked in. "I was looking for you."

"The roof." I said and stopped in front of him.

"What were you up there for?"

"I just…" I said and sighed. "I wanted to clear my head."

"Are you alright? You seemed agitated."

"I'm fine. Thebes advisor found me up there and was asking a lot of questions. It was very tiring."

"What kind of questions?" He asked.

I went back through the conversation I had with the advisor with him, Aidan thought he was fishing for information but we couldn't be sure of what information.

"Is he a spy like he claimed?" I whispered.

"No. He likely just said that to gain your trust in hopes that you would share something."

"He had to know I'd go straight to you after our conversation."

"Not if he thought I was keeping you against your will, which they clearly still think I am."

"We should use this against them then."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Stage a fight – they can "find" me on the roof again. Maybe we can learn what they're really after and if he's working for someone else."

"Can we make up before hand?" Aidan asked and pulled me close to him.

"I already forgave you for yelling. You have me here as your Queen and I should use my voice as such."

"Actually, I agree with you – the terms you set forth were reasonable and will benefit Britania very much. But that wasn't what I was referring to."

"W-what were you referring to then?" I asked.

"I think you know." He said as his hands slowly wondered my body.

"King Thebes has requested the negotiations recommence." A servant said from the entryway.

Aidan sighed. "Then we shouldn't keep him waiting."

"We'll have to make up later then." I whispered.

"You can bet on it." Aidan kissed me, tucked in his bulge, and off we went.