The chambers of the queen were wreathed in nearly total darkness. Queen Jeanne was sitting in a chair by the candle reading her Bible, her companion in her dark hours of loneliness. She did not feel unhappy. She was in love with the man of her dreams. His beauty and passion recompensed her the long hours of his absence.

As she reflected on her life with Antoine, there were both blissful and painful moments. She remembered his unashamed and pure joy when he cradled his first-born in his arms. She felt such pride and contentment that she gave him-a son he wanted so much. Her eyes were focused on his handsome face. Her beautiful husband. When he finally looked at her, his chocolate brown eyes were filled with tears. She knew then that he loved her. She always cherished this moment. And when the darkness fell, when her little Henry succumbed to fever and died in her arms, this thought kept her sane. Antoine blamed her, his fury resulted in objects flying across the room. He drank heavily within this period. In one of his drunken rages, he visited her one night and lashed all his anger on her in making love with such intensity that she was scared of him. But her love for him took it all as her punishment for disappointing him. And she was rewarded with her favourite child, Henry. He looked so much as his father. Chocolate brown eyes, curly black hair and this winning smile. And those few years after, when Louis and Madeleine came to this world, she felt the happiest of women in the whole wide world. It did not even bother her that Antoine clearly fell for Louise de La Béraudière de l'Isle Rouhet, la belle Rouhet as they called her. It did not matter because he still came back to her. And he was loving, passionate and tender. So maybe this romance of his brought some calm into his world. She wanted him to be happy.

But when Madeleine died suddenly in her sleep, she felt abandoned. He was with his mistress and his new child by her and it hurt. Badly. They drifted apart a bit after that. His nightly visits became rarer. She longed for him with every inch of her body. She missed his touch. She missed his smell. She missed his smile.

The door suddenly opened with a bang. Antoine stormed into the room and stopped. Jeanne looked up from her book. He slowly appeared out of the shadows. His dark eyes confirmed his fury. He went over to the table and filled his goblet with wine, clearly not his first this night. He turned to face her, 'I've heard rumours, my dear wife' he said slowly and menacingly. She suddenly felt frightened.

'Apparently you seem to have taken more than a keen interest in the young servant boy assigned to you' he slowly walked in her direction. 'Whilst I've been away.' He nearly hissed the last phrase.

She trembled. He was looming now over her. His jaw was tight. And the knuckles on his hand holding the goblet went white.

'My lord, I am sure I do not comprehend the meaning of your words…' she barely finished when the goblet hit the tapestry on the wall, spluttering the wine. He bent down and put his hands on the arms of the chair. His face was just few inches from her. 'You dare to deny?'

'My lord, I…'

'You make a fool out of me.'

'I..'

'What is it that you were looking for, my lady?'

'My lord, I admit that I took pity on a young boy who has been orphaned…'

He was screaming now, 'He is 17 years of age. Not a boy anymore.'

She was hypnotized by his eyes. So dark and piercing her deeply.

'Do you need some young blood to plough through you? To make you feel better? To make you feel desired? And for this you disregard my honour and MY PRIDE?'

'My lord!' She stood up quickly, forcing him to step back. ' My respect for you has no bounds and I would never do anything to endanger your honour. My life is laid before you.'

He stared at her but less malevolently.

She took one tiny step towards him. 'My dear husband, there is no one to take your place in my heart. I love you more than my life,' she said pleadingly.

He continued to stare at her. There was still an air of anger around him. His breath was quick and shallow. Suddenly he lunged at her. He caught her hair with his right hand and pulled sharply. She moaned. He looked deeply into her eyes and started to kiss her hungrily. He bit her lip. She felt the blood but the surge of sheer ecstasy went through her. She missed him so much and no amount of pain could diminish the pure joy she felt at this moment.

He let go of her hair and started to tear her robes, still kissing her deeply. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, searchingly and aggressively. It surprised her. His kisses were always sweet and gentle. This new sensation of his tongue in her mouth overwhelmed her. She felt faint.

His strong hands quickly made a good job and she was standing there naked. Her only dress made of her long dark hair. Antoine stepped back and took a good lustful look at her body. And again as in a hurry he grabbed her arms and swiftly pushed her onto the bed.

She was never so exposed in his presence. Her modesty made her to cover her breasts with her hands and she crossed her legs.

'Don't do that!' he barked. She complied with his order. He stood by the bed with his hands on his hips. Again he was looking at her body, surveying each curve with his eyes. He smirked. Then he slowly started to climb the bed.

And there he was, his face close to hers, eyes searching deep into hers. She felt his breath full of wine and it made her feel drunk with expectation.

He started to kiss her. Again so hungrily that she felt that he is hers. He came back to her. They are one entity. His hands were massaging her breasts with his thumbs encircling her nipples. She moaned with pleasure. Her arms embraced his head and she drown her hands into his hair as he started his kissing journey south. He stopped at her belly and started to fumble with his trousers. At this Jeanne has opened her eyes and looked at her husband lovingly. Only now she realised how much she missed him. She tried to reach him and feel those lips again. He stopped her with putting his left hand on her chest in between her breasts. With his right hand he guided his cock into her. And when he entered her, he pinned her arms with his hands. He groaned as he pushed hard into her up to the hilt. And then he started pounding her in a steady rhythm. His thrusts were hard and unforgiving. Almost involuntarily she curled her legs around him to keep him there as long as she could. His movements become quicker. She groaned in her overwhelming bliss. Antoine buried his head in the place where her long neck met her shoulder. She felt his teeth on her shoulder. Her beautiful husband has become an animal. Her pain was drowned however as she had him there and then, giving him pleasure, having him in her. He was hers and only hers now.

As he was nearing the climax, he arched his back and she looked with almost awe at his tight jaw and strained neck, her whole body was covered in goose-flesh. He finally let out a scream and just collapsed on her. She enjoyed feeling his weight on her. She embraced him lovingly, 'I love you so much,' she whispered into his ear.

'I expect nothing less' he answered rolling off her. She looked at him sharply but he remained distant. He rested on the bed for a while. Then he tugged his trousers up and quickly got out of bed.-The exercise has sobered him up. He felt thirsty. He came to the table and pour himself some wine. He drank it in one go.

Jeanne got herself under the blankets and looked in Antoine's direction. 'Will you stay with me, my lord, for the night?'

He turned. Smirk on his face. 'I think not. There is nothing more I need from you tonight.'

He made some steps toward the door. And then he suddenly stopped and turned back, 'I do not want to remind you again about the proper behaviour. I will not take it kindly if I EVER hear anything inappropriate AGAIN.' With that he went to the door, opened it and said with his back turned to her, 'Besides, the boy is no longer an orphan. I helped him to join his parents tonight.' He slammed the door.

Jeanne stared speechless into the darkness. The tears just flowed down her cheeks.