"Alina!" Aleksander's arm tightened around me. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Nothing! Nothing is wrong."

"Then why are you crying? Look at me, I'm going to be fine." He reached up to stroke my face.

"I know."

"What is it then? Please tell me, my love. The shock?"

"No. They're happy tears."

"Happy tears?" He looked incredulous.

"Happy tears. Come on, let's get you to a Healer." I pulled one of his arms around my shoulders and looped my own arm around his waist.

As we made our way across the grounds he looked at me and the corners of his mouth twitched. "String you up by your entrails from the palace walls?"

"They hurt you," I said simply.

He started to laugh, but stopped quickly with a wince. "I'll have to remember that one. An excellent threat."

"It was no threat, that was a promise." He was gazing at me with a tender expression I was certain had never graced his face before. "If I'd known all I had to do to make you look like that was promise to cut out people's insides, I would have done it a long time ago."

He huffed then winced again. "Don't make me laugh, Alina, it hurts. You wielded the Cut." There was no mistaking the pride in his gaze.

"I was aiming for their necks," I grumbled.

"Perfecting your aim will be the easy part."

"Well, now we know what to do when I can't master a skill, have someone stick you full of arrows and daggers."

"I would prefer we find a less painful solution, but…" He adopted a sanctimonious air, "If that's what it takes, I'll gladly sacrifice my body to the cause."

"Your level of commitment to my training is to be admired."

He laughed, then groaned. "Alina…"

"Sorry."

I tried not to hover as the Healer saw to Aleksander's wounds. He insisted the Healer look me over first, no matter how much I protested that I was fine. The Healer confirmed that I was uninjured and moved on to Aleksander. When he was done, we returned to our chambers. "Are you sure you're not hurting anywhere?"

"I'm fine. It's like it never happened. See, not even a scar." He showed me his forearm.

"In that case, wait here."

"For what?"

"Just wait here."

I went into our bedroom and searched through my dresser. There were a number of items in there I had looked at, but never worn. I riffled through them now and settled on a set of lacey, black underthings and a sheer, golden nightgown that just brushed my upper thighs. I pulled my kefta on over them and returned to the sitting room.

"Aleksander, I'm ready."

"Ready?" I could feel his confusion as he took in my bare legs and feet beneath the kefta.

"Ready for you to make me completely yours." I let my kefta drop to the floor.

I saw his chest expand as he heaved in a deep breath. "Alina." His smile lit up his face like the midday sun.

He walked to the door and poked his head out to speak with the oprichniki guards. "No one is to disturb us for any reason. Do you understand?"

"Yes, moi soverenyi," I heard the guards reply.

Aleksander shut and locked the door then turned to me. The burning look in his gray eyes took my breath. He crossed the space between us in several long strides and pulled me into his arms. "Alina," he murmured into my hair. "My Alina."

"Yes, Aleksander, yours."

First, I wanted to hear him say he loved me and know he meant it for the first time. "Tell me you love me."

"You know I do."

"I want to hear you say it."

"I love you, Alina."

I almost started weeping again as I replied, "I love you, too."

Afterwards, we lay quietly gazing at each other until he asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I shouldn't have waited so long."

A look of pure masculine satisfaction crossed his face, but he said, "Alina, you're so young. I knew how long it was likely to take for you to be ready. Waiting was no burden."

"It wasn't perfect torture kissing, carressing, and holding me and never finding completion?"

He shrugged. "Of a sort, but it was a pleasant kind of torture. Anticipating the dream made realizing it all the sweeter."

"How poetic," I teased. He nipped at my lip. "Aleksander, I love you."

"I love you, too, Alina."

I would never tire of hearing it now.

A/N: Whew, friends, long day today and going to have another one tomorrow. Travelling for work and now a hurricane is coming to chase me home. Had to get this chapter up though. ;) I have a one shot up on A-O-3 for anyone who would enjoy an explicit story about Alina and Aleksander's first time together. I cannot post it here because ff does not accept MA rated stories. If you are interested, same username and the story is called "All the Sweeter."