Leonard drunk his wine silently, watching as his bride danced in giggles with who seemed to be her favourites among her ladies – Rosamund and Hannah. She looked beautiful, like an angel from heaven given to him for whatever reason he could never understand.
"You look like a puppy in love," Edgar declared, stopping by his side.
He swallowed down the liquid too fast, almost choking in response to his surprise.
"Shut up," he finally mumbled.
Love. In love? No, that was a lot to say. Too much. He wasn't in love with her. They barely knew one another!
Right?
"Oh, come on," his father groaned. "I can see the smoke coming out of your ears. Shut up."
His face heated up, red in embarrassment.
"So, are you having fun?" he changed the subject.
Edgar shrugged.
"You know me. A little music and some wine are enough to entertain me for a bit," he looked around. "I miss your mother nagging me around, though. Florence knew exactly what to make to end the boredom in my days."
Leo sighed. He wondered if Florence would have liked Coraline. He sure hoped she did.
"I miss her too," he agreed. "Mum would have loved to see Alderaan again."
"She would," his father agreed.
Leonard set his glass aside and crossed his arms, feeling a shiver as Cora's eyes fell upon him.
"You're not fooled, are you?" his father asked. "She wanted to be queen. That's why she approached you."
He chuckled.
He wasn't stupid. Leo had seen and heard enough from Cora to know she had set her eyes on him for a reason at first, but it was impossible to ignore how she clearly wanted him – and every meeting between the two of them revealed more and more desire from her to him.
"And I want someone who can be a good queen," he pointed out. "We both wanted something from one another. Don't you think it's fair?"
His father scoffed.
"Yeah, but only one of you can crown the other."
Leonard breathed in deep.
"I won't list you the reason why I married her again, dad," he released his breath. "I'm a king, not a parrot."
Once again, Edgar scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"If you were a parrot, at least you would have been smarter."
He rolled his eyes and stepped away from his father, and approached his bride.
It was getting late.
Maybe it was time to get alone with her.
"Your majesty," Rosamund and Hannah curtsied, and the music changed.
"And you dancing with us, my lord husband?" Coraline asked, blue eyes staring into his.
He looked at their sides, seeing as everyone was already lining up, and swallowed down.
"I'm not the best dancer, my lady wife," he spoke the term slowly. "I don't want to embarrass you."
But Coraline just giggled.
"Your majesty, you are the king," she pointed out. "No one would dare laughing of you."
Leo blushed, chuckling.
"But they would think it."
She looked a bit surprised.
"I didn't know you cared about what they think," she whispered.
Leonard stopped, and stared at her.
"I don't," he shook his head. "No."
Finally, Cora smiled.
"Then lets dance."
How could he say no?
Leo raised his hand and stood besides Edmund, who looked like he was just about to jump out of his own skin.
His feet barely followed his instructions as they danced, his heart too fast in his chest, and when his wife put her hand on his, she held him and didn't let go.
"You knew it, didn't you?" she asked without stopping dancing. "That this was what I wanted when I first saw you?"
Leonard raised his eyebrows at the question, surprised at how blunt she had been.
"Why are you asking this now?"
"Because you can still arrest me if you want to," she answered simply. "Or annul this marriage on the basis that I've fooled you into marrying me."
He held back his laugh, just smiling at her.
"Lady wife," he stopped, holding both her hands and keeping his voice a whisper, ignoring how people were probably staring at them. "You think I would have asked you to marry me if I didn't know about your intentions?"
Cora's eyes widened as she stared at him, and Leo snorted.
"You love this country," he reminded her. "You love its people, don't deny that."
She released a breath that made her lower lip tremble and her shoulders sag.
"I would never."
Leonard nodded, squeezing her hands.
"I have something you want, but you have something I want just as well. We just have to work together and this union will be a success."