Euphemia woke up already but her pillow was so comfortable, she wanted to sleep more. She nuzzled her nose on her pillow, sniffing it. Her pillow smelled good. She liked it.
"Lady Euphee," a voice said.
Strange. Euphemia could swear that was Lucien's voice but why was his voice so close to her ear? Euphemia rubbed her cheek on her pillow. Her pillow felt so satisfying this morning. It was so warm!
"Please get up," the voice said again, sounding a bit strained.
"I want to sleep more, Lucien. Go away," Euphemia mumbled.
"I can't. I am trapped by you, Lady Euphee," Lucien said.
Huh? What did he mean by that?
Euphemia ignored Lucien's voice and snuggled more to her pillow.
"You're hugging me, Lady Euphee," Lucien said.
"No, I'm not. I'm hugging my pillow," Euphemia said and squeezed her pillow.
"N-no! Please do not squeeze there!" Lucien said.
Sheesh! Why was he making a fuss so early in the morning?!
Euphemia slowly opened her eyes. She frowned. She knew her pillow case was white. When was it changed to black?
Euphemia craned her neck upwards to get a better view of her warm pillow.
"Good morning, Lady Euphee."
It was Lucien. Lucien was on her bed and she was staring straight in his eyes.
Euphemia jolted up and realized that what she thought was her pillow was actually Lucien's chest!
Euphemia quickly scooted over at the far side of the bed.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I don't know how. I must ha-"
Lucien laughed, cutting off Euphemia's rambling. He sat up and gazed at her with a gentle smile.
"You fell asleep last night on top of me, Lady Euphee," Lucien said with a grin.
Euphemia covered her face. "I'm so sorry. I'll never do it again."
Lucien tilted his head to the side and smiled mischievously. "I didn't say you shouldn't do it again."
Euphemia could feel herself overheating. "You must have been so uncomfortable."
Lucien nodded his head, looking like he was in deep thought. "Yes, it was really hard for me."
"I'm so sorry!" Euphemia said.
Her head must have been heavy on his chest or maybe he wanted to sleep on his pillow. It was so unlike of her to fall asleep comfortably beside a guy. Correction, on a guy!
"That's why I think you should take responsibility," Lucien said with a smile.
"What is it? What do you want me to do?" Euphemia asked.
Did he want her to cook for him? Clean for him? She'll do anything to make it up for his uncomfortable night!
"I think we should sleep together from now on," Lucien said brightly.
"WHAT?!" Euphemia squealed.
*
*
*
Euphemia's cheeks were still red as she ate breakfast with Lucien. She was beside him but she was trying to ignore his presence.
"We can talk about the stories until you fall asleep and I can make sure that you are actually sleeping," Lucien said, still trying to persuade her.
"You can just go to your room after we read. There's no need for you to join me sleeping!" Euphemia said, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Didn't you like sleeping on me? Just think of me as your body pillow," Lucien said with an "innocent" smile.
Euphemia looked even more confused.
"Why would you even want to sleep with me again?!" Euphemia said, her voice came out louder than she had expected.
"Oh my. I didn't know you were at that stage already, Your Grace," Hansel said.
Euphemia's eyes widened in alarm. She didn't notice that Hansel had arrived in the dining room. He was holding an envelope.
"It's not what you think, Hansel," Lucien said in an irritated tone.
"If you say so, Your Grace," Hansel snickered.
Hansel handed over to Lucien the envelope and a letter opener. Lucien opened the envelope and read the letter silently. After a few seconds, he smiled widely.
"Yes!" Lucien said in triumph.
"I assume we got it, Your Grace?" Hansel asked.
"We certainly did!" Lucien said.
Euphemia felt left out and asked, "May I know what you just got, Lucien?"
Lucien turned to her. "We just got your venue for your play, Lady Euphee!"
Euphemia's eyes widened. She didn't know he was helping her with that.
"Where is it?" Euphemia asked excitedly.
"It's the town square! Several people will be able to watch your play, Lady Euphee!"
Euphemia leapt up happily. It was the ideal place for her first play! Anyone will be able to see it even those who are not nobles!
Euphemia hugged Lucien. "Thank you so much!"
Lucien was frozen at first. He was taken in by surprise but he quickly recovered and put his arms around her.
"So may I sleep with you again tonight, Lady Euphee?"
*
*
*
Meanwhile in the Imperial Palace, Queen Celestinia and Prince Vincent had been notified of King Raegan's death.
It did not surprise the Queen but she had thought he would actually do something before his death. Perhaps try to kill her or try to get out of the Imperial Palace to look for his beloved Sylvia.
Celestinia looked at her husband's discolored face. Perhaps there was no strength left in him anymore even if he had wanted to do those things.
She could still remember the day they were introduced. He said that her eyes were like ice. He liked the ice, he said.
She thought that it was a compliment. She had a fair amount of suitors and they did not attract her attention. She felt that she could have something real with the King.
He seemed lonely. It made her curious. Why would a king be lonely?
She started rumours that the King was courting her and had even kissed her. During that time, the nobles were already pressuring the King to take on a wife already. He was past the usual age of marrying and an heir was needed to continue the royal bloodline.
When Celestinia started the rumours, the nobles pressured the King more but this time, they were pressuring him to marry Celestinia.
Celestinia was the best candidate to be his wife anyway. She was the daughter of a count and she was the most beautiful lady in Aderlan.
The King finally announced that he would take Celestinia as his wife. She was so happy that day! She vowed to herself that she would erase his loneliness and make him fall in love with her.
On their marriage night, Celestinia noticed that the King seemed to be angry at her.
"Is there something wrong?" Celestinia had asked him.
He looked at her and his gaze made her shiver. He looked so angry at her.
"You're the one who spread the rumours, aren't you? The rumours that I was courting you! The rumours that you are my lover!"
His voice was loud and angry. Celestinia worried that people would hear him shouting at her.
"No, my King. They must have assumed that because they saw us talking frequently!" Celestinia said, trying to calm him down.
"I thought you were content with that! I thought you were different from the women who wanted to be a queen!" Raegan said.
"No, I did not want to be a queen, my King. I just wanted to be yours," Celestinia said softly.
He walked towards her. "Fine. Fulfill your duties as my wife but remember . . . I do not love you."
He roughly pulled her to the bed. Celestinia remembered how frightened she was.
He took her roughly. It was excruciating and not like the sweet pleasure she thought she would experience. It was pure torture.
When he was finished, he left her without a word, alone in the room. Celestinia regretted pursuing the King. She could have been the woman of a man who adored her but she just had to fall for a man who did not love her.
It was the only time he had touched her. She had become pregnant from that night.
"Do we announce his death now, Mother?" Vincent asked, looking at her expectantly.
The voice of her son brought her back to the present.
"Not yet. You are not yet ready," Celestinia said firmly.
"But I'm ready, Mother! It's finally my time to be king!" Vincent said, looking like a kid eager to prove himself.
Celestinia narrowed her eyes at him. "The public do not approve of you yet. You need to win them first before you can sit on your father's throne. If only you got the Saintess to be your fiancée, the public could have been yours already."
"I can do that but I don't know when, Mother! I still have to get that blasted Duke out of the way!" Vincent said in frustration.
"Your language," Celestinia said in a scolding tone.
"I'm sorry, Mother," Vincent said hastily. "Aderlan needs a king right now and they need me!"
Celestinia raised her hand towards her son's cheek. Her gloved hand caressed his cheek. From afar, she looked like a mother looking at her son adoringly but Vincent was frozen from fear at her icy cold gaze.
"They do not need you. They have me, the Queen."