The fifth night turns out exactly like the fourth.

My Duke starts reciting the poem as if it was the first time, and I end up burning just like yesterday.

On the sixth night, I don't leave him time to manipulate me. I just jump on him and do the work before he can open his mouth and recite that damn my dear wife.

His face is surprised at first, but he soon understands the benefits. And he drags me down under the sheets.

After all, we won't be able to continue like this forever. The baby will soon start growing. It's better to use these nights to the fullest.

Finally, on the seventh night, I manage not to fall asleep.

«What are you going to talk about today?»

He strokes my back and kisses my temple, lost in his thoughts.

I'm waiting for the main part of the story. I want to hear the reasons why Alexander insisted on winning the war.

However, I suspect that it won't be beneficial if I press him. He'll tell me, eventually, won't he?

«Do you want to hear about the day when you permitted me to call you Thea?»

«All right,» I shrug. It's the same.

I just have to remember that Alexander is shameless and will use anything to his advantage.

«It was when you told me you were with a child.»

«And when did that happen? I mean, you were so certain that we weren't going to have a child for long...»

«We had been married for almost two years when it happened.»

«Oh, this time, we were quicker. But I guess we worked harder,» I chuckle.

«No, Thea. It's a different situation. We were supposed to marry the summer after your twentieth birthday.»

«It's a year and a half from today. So, you thought we were going to have a child three years from now?»

«Yes, I did.»

«Oh, then it makes sense.»

All his shameless statements, his panicking expression, his denial... It all makes sense.

«Have you considered that your memories might all be due to your imagination?»

«I have; several times. But then, every time I had a doubt, something happened, reminding me about those memories. It first happened when Countess de Ruis wanted to flee with us. I knew soldiers were waiting for us. I remembered just in time.»

«But you didn't know anything about your parents' death until it happened.»

«That's correct. I couldn't save them,» my Duke sighs.

I caress his cheek with my hand, hoping to bring him some comfort. I can't imagine how he feels right now.

Even if this was all fake, he believes in it.

He believes that he stood a chance against destiny.

«So, you saved the Countess's life this time,» I cheer him up. «And stopped those soldiers from taking your sister away.»

«I don't know what happened to the Countess the first time,» he confesses. He turns to the side and hugs me. This way, he can look at me in the eyes while talking. «I hadn't heard anything about her, so I suppose she didn't have a happy ending. But I don't know what happened.»

«And what about me? Let me guess, your actions changed the events so much that no one wanted to send you to Polis,» I grin.

He's shameless: he won't realise that his egoistic behaviour changed my life. He'll just confess if that's the case.

«That is what happened, but not the reason why I decided to conquer Polis.»

«The Emperor liked your conquering abilities, so he decided to send you there to deal with an unbending Queen.»

«No, he didn't want to send me.»

«He proposed someone else to be my consort?»

«That happened, but it's not the reason behind my actions.»

Not because of possessiveness?

«You weren't jealous?»

«I was, but I wouldn't have ruined your life because of that, Thea.»

«But you had a valid reason, right?»

At least, his clouded mind thought of it as a good reason.

«Our son,» he nodded. «I wanted to meet him again, no matter what.»

«And since you failed at being sent to Polis, you decided to get to me in another way.»

«I didn't want to force you,» he reminds me.

«You were planning to woo this Duchess,» I chuckle.

«Yes, that's it. I wanted to convince you. I had time.»

«But then, his majesty decided it was easier this way. After all, it took you a couple of weeks to tame your wife. Convincing her would have taken years.»

«Oh, Thea,» he sighs. «I haven't apologised yet.»

«For what? It's not your fault.»

And his plan is acceptable. I would have fallen for his charms, eventually.

«For how I behaved the first weeks of marriage,» he whispers. «I was an animal.»

Oh, he realises it. I thought it was normal, for a young man, to be this fierce.

«All I could think of was that I have waited for so long,» he continues. «And you were so familiar yet new.»

Oh, he's talking about the first night!

«You could have been a bit more delicate, indeed.»

But it's just the way he is. It would be like asking a wolf to stop eating sheep.

«No, I should have talked with you first. I should have realised what you were thinking about.»

«I was the one asking you to stay,» I remind him. «It was me that wanted it.»

And I would have started panicking even more if he refused to stay with me the morning after our first night of marriage.

«I hurt you,» he whispers.

«Oh, it wasn't that bad,» I lie.

«You bled.»

«It's normal.»

«I don't think so.»

«It's better that I bled, or people would have started to think that I wasn't pure. It saved your honour, your grace,» I mutter while nestling in his arms. «And it gave all those harpies a topic less to gossip about.»

Which doesn't mean I can't use this fact to my advantage...

«But I'll let you make up for it if your conscience is so sensitive,» I state.

«How?»

«I'll think about it. Now, continue with your story. What happened when the late Emperor didn't send you to me?»

«You were supposed to win the war, Thea. My uncle decided to sign a treaty. I made him change his idea. Twice.»

«Hmm, all right... But why?»

«The first time, it was because he wanted to send someone else to you as a husband. I believe that, the first time, I was chosen so that our children would have been related to Ethiro's throne. It was all a long-term plan to reach a claim on the throne of Polis.»

«That's rather clear,» I nod. «But it would have been a problem that our children would have solved. I'm not as naive as you think, Alexander. I offered a peace treaty with those conditions hoping Ethiro would accept exactly for this reason.»

This position is uncomfortable, so I move my head down from the pillow. I push Alexander's arm lower so that it circles my waist. It's easier to breathe like this now.

«Polis's throne has different rules, so you can only become King if you're related to the last ruler. That's why I became a Queen when I was born. My father didn't have brothers, nephews or even cousins. There were some claims, but they weren't related to him by blood.»

My only heir is my brother. Or at least, he was until the abdication.

«Well, rules don't mean anything to a lost kingdom,» I sigh. «But if Polis won... I mean, if a peace treaty were to be signed, then Polis wouldn't have been under Ethiro's influence. No matter the power imbalance. Actually, I see it more probable that our children would have had a claim to Ethiro's throne.»

«The late Emperor wasn't completely sane at the time, Thea. However, he proposed to send a Duke, rather than a Prince.»

«Oh, but you are also a Duke,» I giggle. «Don't overstate yourself now.»

«I convinced the Emperor to wait longer. The heir to the throne was already on my side, so it didn't require much work on my side to convince him to send me to war. I reached Polis and used all my knowledge to beat you on your ground.»

This explains why he knew all that I was going to try.

«You've been smart,» I say. «You didn't win a war by cheating, Alexander. Your knowledge stopped at the end of the first war. All that happened after was unexpected.»

He won because he's smart, not only because he knew all about me.

«If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't have shown any mercy. I would have used all means at my disposal for the sake of my people.»

«I know. That's how I won.»

«See? It's your own achievement. Just like all the rest.»

«Aren't you angry?»

«It doesn't matter. Does it? Also, you promised to tell me the reason. I'll listen to you, and then I'll decide if it was worth it or not.»