Cassian knew that the duke could be a very annoying man when he set his mind on it. He wasn’t going to let him go without hearing what he had to say. Cassian agreed to his request.
“Make it brief.”
“Thank you very much for hearing me out, Prince. What I wanted to say… We are all worried about His Majesty.”
“I don’t think my brother needs the nobles to worry about him.”
“You know that His Majesty has been married for four years, yet there is still no heir.”
“I’m sure you’ll receive news of an heir soon.”
“If there has been no news of a pregnancy after four years, I doubt you will see one soon,”
“Are you doubting my brother’s manhood?”
“Never. But I can’t help but doubt if the princess is fertile. If there has been no pregnancy in four years of marriage, that can only mean one thing and that is, the princess cannot have children. The king must have an heir, even if it is not with the princess.”
“Are you suggesting that my brother should have a bastard child?”
“Of course not. But the king could have a second queen, a fertile woman who could bear him children.”
“There have never been two queens in the kingdom of Cosset.”
“But that could change. The law can be reformed.”
“My brother would never accept that.”
“That is why I am asking for your help, Prince. You must convince your brother that it would be best if he took a second wife, that he marries the woman who should have been his wife in the first place.”
“Your daughter?”
“It is what is best for the kingdom. My daughter has received the education of a princess from an early age. She is prepared to be queen. The princess of the kingdom of Laios is not. That girl is not fit to be queen, and His Majesty knows it. That is why she has not been crowned queen. She will always be the princess of the enemy kingdom. This kingdom needs a queen, and that girl will never be a fit.”
Cassian was very upset. He knew that everyone resented Abril, but the idea of her being replaced was something he didn’t like.
“I am not going to do anything to make my brother change his mind. I would not dare doubt the king’s judgment, and it seems to me that you should not do so either, Duke Vampel. Otherwise, it could be seen as treason.”
Cassian walked past the duke and said, “Watch your step, duke, my brother is not a very kind man.”
Cassian left in a fury. At that moment, he understood why his brother had always hated dealing with the nobles. They were like vultures circling a dying deer.
Cassian was late for his meeting with the princess, and he hated that he had wasted his time listening to Duke Vampel’s nonsense. When he arrived at the garden, he looked for Abril. When he found her, he was about to speak to her, but he saw his brother and stopped. Alessandro was with the princess. He wondered what his brother was doing there.
Alessandro saw that the princess’s lips had been painted a soft pink that day, and he found them very appealing. He brought his face close to hers and kissed her. Abril was very surprised. This was the first time the king had kissed her outside their chambers.
The maids who were there were also left with their mouths hanging open, and Cassian, who had seen the kiss from a distance, felt a pressure in his chest. It was pain, rage, and jealousy. He hated seeing his brother kissing the woman he loved.
Cassian couldn’t bear to watch them any longer. He turned and walked away.
Abril was very embarrassed. She said to the king, “Why did you kiss me?”
“Because I felt like it. Can’t I kiss my wife?”
“Yes, but… we’re outside, and the maids are watching us.”
Alessandro glanced at the maids and said to the princess, “So you want me to gouge their eyes out so they can’t see us?”
The maids turned pale upon hearing the king’s words and wanted to run away, but if they did, the king would most likely do something worse to them. They stood still, trembling like newborn fawns, waiting for the princess’s response.
“Of course not,” she responded firmly.
“Don’t even joke about that. We’ll just tell them to leave.”
Alessandro looked at the maids and said, “leave us.”
The maids didn’t hesitate for a moment to run off. Abril said, “I think you scared them.”
“That wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t complained that they were watching us.”
“But kissing is something you do in private. It’s something you do to make babies.”
“Do you still believe in that? I already told you that it takes more than a simple kiss to make babies.”
“I know, but isn’t it something that should be done in private?”
“I think I should ask Lady Elizabeth to teach you a few things again, since you still don’t seem to understand.”
“But I understood what Lady Elizabeth taught me. She said that kisses are essential for making babies.”
“They are, but they’re also a way of showing affection.”
“Does Your Majesty have affection for me?”
“Of course. That’s why I’m here with you, even though I have a mountain of work to do.”
Alessandro cupped Abril’s face in his hands. He could see disbelief in her eyes. She didn’t believe what he was saying and he asked,
“Don’t you believe what I’m saying?”
“I… I don’t know what to believe.” She replied.
Alessandro leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. He was so close that Abril could feel his breath. He gazed at her lips with desire, as if he were looking at a delicious dessert he longed to taste. Getting closer to her lips, he asked, “May I kiss you? The maids are gone. We’re completely alone.”
Abril yearned to kiss him too, so she nodded. Their lips met in a sweet, soft kiss. He nibbled her lower lip lightly and whispered, “Your lips are as sweet as honey. They make me want to devourthem in one bite.”
That frightened Abril, especially since he had actually bitten her lip, although very gently. She covered her mouth with her hands and said, “You can’t.”
Alessandro hadn’t meant it literally, but Abril was so innocent at times that she had actually thought he was going to bite off her lips.
Alessandro couldn’t help but laugh and said, “It’s just a figure of speech. I’m not going to eat your lips. How else would I kiss you later?”
“But you bit me just now.”
“I really need to summon Lady Elizabeth. This time, I’ll tell her to be more explicit when explaining the relationship between a man and a woman. Sometimes your innocence surprises me.”
“I know I’m ignorant about some things, but it’s not my fault that there was no one to teach me, and the books weren’t very explicit.”
Alessandro stroked her hair and said, “I know that, and I’m not blaming you for it. That’s why I want them to teach don’t know.”
“I’ll try my best to learn,” she replied.
“I know you will. Now, let’s take a walk before I go back to work,” he said.
Alessandro extended his hand to Abril. Timidly, she took it, and they strolled through the gardens hand in hand.
*****
When Alessandro returned to his office, he sent for Lady Elizabeth. Before she continued his wife’s education, there were a few things he wanted to make clear.
Lady Elizabeth answered the king’s summons that very day. The butler led her to the king’s office, knocked on the door, and after announcing her, ushered her inside.
Lady Elizabeth curtsied and greeted Alessandro with grace and respect. “Long live the Sun King of the Cosset Kingdom.”
“Thank you for responding to my summons so promptly, Lady Elizabeth.”
“I am at your Majesty’s service. May I inquire as to the reason for my summons?”
“I want you to teach my wife about the relationship between a man and a woman.”
“I have already done so, Your Majesty. What exactly do you wish me to teach her?”
“My wife is as innocent as a child. I want you to explain to her in detail the relationship between a man and a woman.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“That is all. You may leave.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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