Disclaimer: I own nothing...

(Seven months later)

I breeze into the sitting room of the royal apartments that I now share with Felipe just a few minutes after sunset. Two of my were guards, John and Parker, are behind me and I laugh at a joke Parker has been telling us. John drops the shopping bags that he carried for me onto the couch and Parker props the box of the doll house I just purchased up against the wall.

We've been shopping all day and we're all glad to be done. I don't usually shop. I have no need to. Whatever I need, and a great many things that I don't need, just appear in my closet as though by magic. Although I know it's really the hard work of my two ladies maids who take care of everything I need. But after years of trying unsucessfully, and longer years of going through the endless paperwork and home visitis Jason and his wife Michelle have finally adopted a beautiful little girl. I haven't seen her yet, but my visit in three months will coincide with her 2nd birthday and so I went out today and bought everything that Jason and Michelle would need for her that I knew they wouldn't be able to afford for themselves, and a few things that were just so adorable I couldn't pass them by.

Just as I'm bidding John and Parker good night I hear Felipe emerge from the secured light tight chamber he sleeps in during the day. Once the door closes behind them I turn around and prepare to greet my husband. My feelings for him haven't changed. I don't love him, and I don't enjoy sleeping with him, but in the last half year I've become determined to make our marriage work and find some modicum of contentment. I view this as no different than an arranged marriage and I count myself lucky that my husband at least seems to care for me.

Unlike most nights he makes no move to take me in his arms or kiss me, and there are no soft words. I give him a puzzled look and am slightly alarmed to see that his eyes are ice cold. There is something quite frightening about them. I don't know what could be wrong, but the best thing to do when Felipe is moody is to simply be sweet and complimentary until he comes around. To that end I plaster my nicest smile on and go over to him.

"Good evening my husband. Are you well tonight." Felipe like's the "vampire humor" I sometimes drop. I lean over and plant a kiss on his cheek but he makes no move to reciprocate and simply stands stone still. I'm a little stumped and trying to find something else to say when he finally decides to speak to me.

"You seem to enjoy the company of Parker and John a great deal." I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to that. Of course I like them, I picked them personally because I thought they might bring a little humor into my day. I decide to just stick to the sweet and nice routine.

"I do very much. Thank you so much for hiring them for me. It means a lot that you let me pick my own guards. But then you are always so generous with me. No Queen could ask for better." I smile at him. Instead of smiling back Felipe's expression darkens and I am now truly becoming concerned.

"I am very generous with you Querida. Perhaps I have been too generous, to permissive. Sandy has told me all about your afternoon excursions and how you always choose those particular dogs if they are on duty." Suddenly I understand. This whole scene has been orchestrated by Sandy.

Since becoming Queen I have been taking a more active role in the management of Felipe's kingdom. Felipe has seemed to geniunely enjoy my interest in helping him rule, but Sandy apparently does not. I don't know if it's just that she doesn't like sharing, or if she's jealous that a human pet has risen so high and perhaps become more important to Felipe than she is, but it now seems clear she is out to get rid of me.

Publicaly of course, she defers to me as her sovreign, showing me just the a little less deference than she does Felipe, but behind closed doors she has begun trying to cause problems between us. She has started parading a bevy of young and beautiful woman in front of Felipe hoping to cool his ardor for me and now it seems that she is attempting to convince him that I am unfaithful. I sigh mentally, though I don't dare show that kind of negative emotion in front of Felipe.

"Dearest, " I say dropping the sweet names and hoping to soften him. "I am your Queen, and I belong to you. I know this and I would never dream of betraying you..." Whatever groveling words of devotion might have come out of my mouth next are cut off as, faster than I can process, Felipe grabs me around the waist and shoves me up against a wall.

"I hope you do know that Querida. I told Sandy that you would never be so foolish as to betray me, but perhaps I should remind you as well of the many reasons why it would be a tragic mistake for you to ever become over confident in my affections." His voice is soft and sinister and he bares his fangs at me as he speaks. I stare at him dumbfounded, knowing there isn't a single way I can hide my terror. I know only to well what would happen if I were unfaithful or if I crossed him in absolutely any way.

"Felipe please I am your wife," I start to say but again he cuts me off.

"Yes, YES you are my wife. You are mine in every way and yet I see, I SEE the way you look at Northman everytime he's here. I see the lust and the longing in your eyes. I know that if you had your way you would run back to him. I have given you everything, everything a woman could desire and yet you still pine for that barbarian swine everytime he is near. Do you think I do not see it? Do you think others do not see it as well? And now Sandy tells me that you are over familiar with your guards. If Sandy sees your impropriety than so do others. I will not be made a fool of! You may love me or not love me as you choose, but you will never forget who owns you!"

"Felipe, please, I swear to you that nothing has happened between me and anyone. The thought has never crossed my mind. I don't care one bit about the guards. If you don't want them here than fire them. I only want to make you happy." I try to keep my voice level but the shakiness is apparent to anyone. Felipe looks at me and smiles a deeply disturbing smile.

"Good Sookie, good. I know of course that I can trust your fidelity. After all if you were ever to betray me than I would be forced to kill Northman in front of you. When I was done I would kill you as well, and then I would have no choice but to replace you with your little cousin." With that Felipe releases me and acts as if the last five minutes have not happened. "Now my dearest wife and Queen, I am hungry." With that Felipe pushes me down on the floor and takes the opportunity to emphasize his previous point. I am his.

The next afternoon when I head down to the casino reception area I find two new were guards on duty. They introduce themselves to me cooly and say nothing more to me for the rest of the afternoon. I arrive back at the casino just after dusk to find Sandy waiting for me at the front desk. She looks me up and down and smiles an evil little smile at me.

"His majesty has asked me to inform you that he is unavailable to have dinner with you tonight. You will eat in your apartments and then join him in the thone room as usual." With that Sandy walks away.

As I eat my dinner I contemplate this new threat from Sandy. It's a nice treat not to have to sit to dinner with Felipe. I can think quietly to myself and not have to engage in conversation on the topic of his choice as I usually do, but it's a bad sign. For the last ten years I have not had a problem keeping his interest. I have never even had to try, it just always was. Now I wonder if I should not begin to put some effort into it.

I hate thinking in these kinds of terms, doing so makes me feel more like a gold digging whore than ever, but really I'm not after gold or presents or material possesions. If Felipe grows tired of me, or if Sandy convinces him to get rid of me than Hunter is not safe. I am getting older, I am still quite young looking thanks to all the spa treatments I've received over the last decade, but it can't last forever and I'm already almost 37. It's not necessarily that I care if Felpe continues to find me desirable. In fact if he did decide to start sleeping with someone else it would be a relief, but I am terrified that any loss in my status might just convince him it would be better to toss me aside and go after Hunter.

After our conversation last night I'm also terrified for Eric. The words Eric and I exchanged in the hall the night before my coriniation and my subsequent decision to stop living in the past does not mean that I don't still love him. It was just common sense. As my Gran always said, there is no point crying over what you don't have. I curse myself for being so stupid. How could I think that no one would notice me following his every move those times when he's been near me. I sigh and try to hold back tears. After everything I've done and everything I've sacrificed Hunter and Eric are still not safe. God will this never end? Will I have to spend my entire life in fear for them both? I throw my napkin down and get up from the table. It's time for me to join Felipe in the throne room. I will not think about this anymore. I will be a doting and adoring wife and I will prove to him that my fidelity, if my not heart, is his. And I think it's time I started thinking about how to get rid of Sandy!