Santana looked out of the window of the carriage that she was in, watching the snowflakes fall, she still hadn't managed to get a good look at Charlie's palace, she had seen some wild horses, but she still hadn't gotten a look at where they would be staying for a few weeks. She sighs and adjusts the thick furs, she wasn't cold despite how cold it was and she offered them to her mother. "You know I'm fine," Santana insists.

Her mother shook her head, "You should keep them on, you may not feel the cold but your child might," Maribel is quiet for a moment, she couldn't believe how her daughter had changed, gone were the angry outbursts, she looked happy. Something that she hadn't expected.

Santana frowned and adjusted the furs on her lap once more, she could feel her mother's searching gaze and she sighed. "What have I done now?"

"Nothing, I just didn't—your father and I just never expected this. We thought—we were certain that you would try and murder him and we'd never see you again. And even if you had managed to stay alive, we never expected this. You seem to care for him."

"He's an idiot, and a barbarian, and I don't think he can sit still for more than five minutes. His feet are always cold and he enjoys pressing them against me when we share a bed," Santana says ticking off Charlie's terrible habits easily. "And I did attempt to kill him, which only made him like me more. So, if you must know he's clearly insane," Santana informed her mother. "But he's also kind, and if he didn't think he'd mess it up he'd make an excellent Emperor—but most importantly he loves me. He loves me, and I know he'll adore this child." That she truly believed, though he still hadn't show any affection towards his niece. He still hadn't held her, he seemed to know when they were coming before anyone else did and managed to disappear.

Maribel didn't say anything right away, instead turning her attention to her daughter's husband, he seemed kind but the taxes that he had levied on their city-state would bankrupt them, it was partly the reason she had agreed to stay and negotiate. But if Charlie adored her daughter as much as Santana suggested that he did, and with the birth of their child, perhaps she could convince her daughter to talk to him about the taxes. "I am happy that this turned out well, that we didn't marry you off to someone who was cruel."

Santana turned her attention to her mother and frowned, there was something in her voice, that put her on edge. "You mean you didn't sell me off to someone who was cruel. I got lucky that the highest bidder, was someone who I can grow to love," Santana says. She did love him, he was her idiot, but she wasn't going to let her mother off the hook.

"Santana, he was going to raze our city to the ground, we all had to make sacrifices, but he adores you and you are to be the mother of his child. Surely, he wishes to preserve his wife's people, so that his children can have that connection."

Santana chewed the inside of her cheek, she had never actually talked about what he was doing to her city-state, mostly because she didn't care. They had hated her, the taunts of what she was had cut her deeply, and they still hurt. She didn't want to be worshipped like Charlie's family was but growing up had been difficult for her. "This is about the taxes he levied against you," she says slowly.

"They were punitive, we can't afford it, that's why they insisted that we offer him your hand. It was a gamble, but one that has proved to have panned out. He loves you, and I assure there are ways to get things out of your husband and make him think it was his idea."

Santana balks at the idea, she wasn't going to have sex with him because she wanted something out of him. Well something other than him satisfying her urges, that were coming more frequently, not that Charlie seemed to mind. "I was willing to ask him on your behalf to do something, but I am not going to whore myself out to him." He may be an idiot but he seemed able to guess when she wasn't in it and he never pushed her farther than she was willing to go. She was grateful, that he let her control it, that he gave her an option to say no. There had been plenty of men in her city-state who would not give her the option, and she wasn't going to abuse the trust between them. "You can ask him yourself."

Maribel inhaled sharply, "I know that they didn't treat you well Santana, but it is still your home. You are alone in this place, and a good relationship—"

"I am not alone."

"Santana—"

"I'm not alone, the people don't fear me, the children aren't afraid to run up to me and talk to me and gossip about my husband in front of his face. They tease him mercilessly. The seamstress, wasn't afraid to tell me that I was getting fat—and stick me with those needles. The cranky old bitch," Santana said rubbing her arm. She still felt phantom pinches, from the old crone. "If you want less taxes, petition the Emperor, I wouldn't hold my breath he's a grouchy old man." Santana runs her hand over her stomach, "I have a child, that I will raise with the man who loves me, and I will never be lonely again."

Maribel is about to say something when the carriage finally comes to a halt and Santana turns to look out the window. Maribel follows suit, it was an impressive palace, but it was surrounded by plenty of land. The door opens and Maribel watches as Santana's face lights up at Charlie's presence. She raises a brow wordlessly watching their interactions.

Charlie takes Santana's hand and helps her down the steps from the carriage, "Our palace, I understand she's not much to look at now, but I promise you that in the spring and summer she's the most beautiful place in the kingdom. We can build a garden here for you if you'd like, my mother likes—"

"Is this where you breed your famous war-horses that people want?" Santana interrupts.

Charlie beams as he takes her hand, "Yes. We can visit the stables, they love to roam around the area but while it's this cold I've built them a large enclosure so that they can roam and remain warm in the winter. I'm sure that one of the stable hands mentioned a new foal, that we can view later."

"Speaking of which, I was wondering if it's possible for our child to have her own foal," Santana says, it would irritate the crap out of Rachel. She was eager to get her hands on one of Charlie's well-behaved war-horses, though that was when she had assumed her child would be a boy.

"Well, it will be years before our child is ready for that, but when it is time I promise that we will have the perfect foal ready." Charlie vows.

Santana leans in to his body, he had been shivering and she wants to share her warmth with him. "I don't think I'd like gardening, knowing you and our child I imagine it won't last long. But I would like to see our bedroom."

Charlie flicks her eyes at her, and then glances behind him remembering that Santana's mother was following them. "Santana—"

"We've talked about this Charlie, you did this to me. You don't get to have an excuse," Santana informs him pulling away for a second so he can see how serious she is. She didn't want to spend time her mother dealing with the fallout of her request. She needed time to think about this and determine what to do. She wasn't going to let anyone take advantage of her husband. She was the only one that could because it was her privilege as his wife.

"I'm certain that I didn't do anything," Charlie begins only to realize he had no reason to argue with his wife.