I woke up in my own bed. Had it all been a dream?

  I looked around and saw Virtus’s robe that I had borrowed lying on my chair. It was real. I had been with him st night. The ending had been sour, and I didn’t have much hope for more nights like this to follow. I tried to just feel happy that it had happened at all.

  I got out of bed and got ready for the day, still tingling from the night before. That day I had a few meetings about the girls school I was hoping to build near the harbour for the fishermen’s daughters. There were a few boys schools in the city, but so far no school for girls.

  I went to have breakfast with Agatha, Cato, and his nanny Mellia as I did every morning. We usually ate in a small sitting room near my bedroom. The servant girls had already brought the bread and fruits and Agatha sat in the room drinking her morning tea.

  She had become my closest advisor and friend in the st years. She was a huge help in my charitable endeavours. Cato and Mellia arrived shortly after and started to eat with us. Mellia and I took turns helping Cato with his breakfast and eating our own. Then there was a soft knock on the door and Virtus entered.

  Mellia stood up and bowed.

  “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

  Agatha nodded politely.

  “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

  I blushed and looked away shyly. I had not expected to see him until the evening at the earliest.

  "Good morning," I said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

  “Daddy!” Cato called and tried to wriggle his way out of my p to run towards him.

  I let him stand up and be picked up by Virtus.

  “He needs to finish his breakfast,” I said in a tone that was far too timid.

  Perhaps the night before had been a mistake. Previously we had gotten to a pce where we could at least speak comfortably about most things. Maybe this would mess it all up.

  “Of course,” he said. “I was wondering if I could eat with you.”

  I nodded. Virtus pulled up a chair and sat down with us. He helped Cato with his breakfast as he ate his. At first it was a little stilted. It felt awkward to have him in my personal space somehow. We always did these things separately. Then slowly we started chatting about the day ahead and the things we had pnned. It ended up being a pleasant way to start the day before I could get around to my chores. Perhaps Virtus and I would be able to stay friendly in spite of everything.

  The day was filled with activity, and before dinner I had almost completely forgotten about the situation. As I was getting dressed for dinner I remembered it again. My stomach knotted as I put on a red dress. It was Virtus’s favourite colour, the colour of red poppies. I put on a pair of lovely golden earrings that he had given me two years ago as a birthday present. Then I went down to the great hall.

  He was already sitting at the centre of the table, holding our son on his p. Mellia waited patiently at his side waiting to take him to the kids table. They both smiled warmly as I entered the room.

  I went to have a seat.

  “Hi, boys,” I sat down next to them, smiling.

  “Mommy, look!”

  Cato showed me a jar with a butterfly inside.

  “We caught it earlier today,” Virtus said softly.

  “I’m happy to see you’ve been busy,” I ughed.

  Mellia took Cato over to the children’s table. I sat next to Virtus.

  “How was your day? How is it going with the school?”

  “Very well! We hope to open the doors in three weeks.”

  “I’m so happy to hear it, darling.”

  Darling? I froze.

  Virtus’s expression became awkward too.

  “Can we talk in my room after dinner tonight?” he muttered.

  “Of course,” I told him.

  ***

  I walked in to his room by myself. My nerves were killing me.

  I knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” his voice sounded unsteady.

  He turned to face me as I walked in. He looked worried.

  “You wanted to talk,” I said.

  “Yes, do you want to sit down on the sofa?”

  “Sure.”

  We sat down on the long plush sofa in his room. He sat as far away from me as possible.

  “Talia, I want to apologize,” he said with his velvety deep voice.

  “It’s fine.”

  I didn’t even know what he wanted to apologize for, but I knew he didn’t need to.

  “Talia, listen, about st night. If you felt pressured to sleep with me just because we’re married or because you feel guilty, I want to apologize. I never want to pressure you to do anything like that.”

  “Virtus, it’s fine. You didn’t pressure me. I wanted to do it.”

  “You wanted to?” he smiled. “I’m so relieved.”

  “Of course,” I smiled. “And I don’t mind either that you were just doing it because you broke up with Karina.”

  “Oh.”

  “So I’m gd that’s all sorted. I really want us to stay friends, more than anything.”

  “Friends?”

  “Or at least cordial parents.”

  “Of course,” he muttered.

  “Was there anything else?” I tried to sound cheerful.

  “Yes Talia, there is something I want you to know.”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t sleep with you because I broke up with Karina. I broke up with Karina because I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  Now it was my turn to be at a loss for words.

  “I know you don’t think of me that way any more, and maybe you still think about… him. But I want you to know that ever since I got to know you there has only really been you. In spite of everything you did there has only ever been you. Karina could feel it, that’s why it couldn’t work between me and her.”

  “Virtus…”

  “I don’t know what happened to me so that I’m unable to talk about the things that happened, but I want you to know that even if I could I wouldn’t do it. If people knew what you did they would hurt you and I don’t want you to get hurt. I know you wanted to… go… but I’m happy you stayed.”

  “In spite of everything?”

  “Yes, in spite of everything,” his eyes sparkled with tears in the warm light of the firepce.

  “But I thought you would never be able to forgive me.”

  “I don’t think I ever will. But Talia, I love you so much I wanted to be with you in spite of it. After st night I see that you don’t feel the same way, and that’s fine. We’ll work something else out, for Cato.”

  “Virtus,” my voice was breaking. “I feel the same. I feel more than the same.”

  He looked at me, an expression of pure joy dawning on his face.

  “I just thought that you could never feel that way again,” I said softly.

  He pulled in for a tender kiss, the best kiss of my entire life.

  He pulled himself close to me, leaning on top of me. I grabbed him as tightly as I could to my body. I could hold him again! I could be with him again! I was so happy I wanted to scream. His hand moved down my neck and over my body. He pulled my skirt up over my knees.

  “I love you,” I mumbled between kisses.

  “I love you too, Talia,” he whispered into my ear, as his hand stroked the inside of my thigh.

  He kissed me again, this time a little more tenderly. His fingers moved to my vaginal lips and grazed my clit. I moaned. He touched me so softly I could barely feel it at first. Then he started to add pressure ever so slightly with every movement.

  “Please, Virtus, come inside me,” I moaned.

  I was so excited to be with him again, I wanted it to happen immediately.

  “Not until you come,” he chuckled.

  I groaned.

  His fingers moved more quickly. Virtus drew his lips down the side of my neck and nestled his face between my breasts, stopping at the top of the neckline on my dress. One of my hands held his torso and the other dug into his soft bck curls.

  His finger kept rubbing my clit steadily as he kissed my neck and cleavage. I moaned.

  “Kiss me, Virtus.”

  He did as I told him. His lips met mine again. His fingers moved faster and faster and I started to moan into the kisses. My chest rose and fell rapidly as pleasure built up inside my body. I moaned quietly, then louder and louder as I felt the orgasm forming between my legs. I came quickly and hard, letting out a cry.

  As soon as the intensity of pleasure subsided I pleaded.

  “Come inside me, please.”

  Virtus chuckled.

  “We’re fully clothed. I want to feel your skin against mine.”

  “Damn it!” I ughed.

  I started to rip at his shirt.

  He ughed, pulling it over his head.

  I turned around for him to rip open the fastenings of my dress. He did, and then he pulled it over my head. It fumbled on the way over, pulling the chemise with it and getting a little stuck on my head. We ughed together.

  Finally the dress was off, he cupped my breast, running his finger over the nipple. His lips kissed my neck.

  “Please, Virtus, can you come inside me now?” I pleaded.

  He ughed.

  “Let’s do it on the bed.”

  “Noooo,” I moaned.

  He ughed and stood up, bracing his legs to pick me up from the couch. He picked me up with difficulty and winced a little, leaning to the side where his scar was. I felt a terrible pang of guilt, but he just kept smiling. He carried me to lie down on the bed, then shuffled off his pants and y on top of me.

  “Please now, Virtus.”

  “Fine,” he ughed.

  He entered me slowly. I felt him every hot, hard inch of him filling me from the inside. He was mine, and I could feel it. Once he was inside he paused for a brief moment, a perfect moment. He looked me in the eyes and then he kissed me. I csped him tightly to me with my arms and wrapped my legs around his hips. He was mine. I would never let go.

  We made love multiple times that night. We revised every act and position we had tried on our honeymoon. We explored every inch of each other’s bodies as if it were new territory. We held and kissed each other again and again as if it were our st night on earth. Finally we y down together, completely exhausted and satisfied.

  I y with my head on his chest. It was the most peaceful I had felt ever since I was a little girl in Havermark. Finally everything was right. I was with the man I loved and nothing could come between us any more. There were no more secrets and no more people that could tear us apart.

  I slept soundly that night, and never agonized again over the mistakes of the past. I didn’t think about them for a long time. Not until twenty years ter when the past came rushing back into our lives.