Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all of these characters; I do not.

Jon went to sleep before his wife. Thayet stared at her sleeping husband. She ran her fingers through his hair slowly, not wanting to wake him.

She had loved him, she knew that. But did that love still exist? She didn't regret the angry words she had spoken to him. He was a good man, she thought, but was he right for her?

All of the things Jon had done to make her angry flashed back at her; when she was angry at him for not letting their daughter Kalasin become a page, he flirted uncontrollably with Cythera of Naxen, who was married, and to his friend Gary. He had given the girl Kel who wished to become a knight a year's probationary period. He never listened to her advice anymore. She had lost her voice in the affairs of the country. She wasn't a queen anymore. She was just an image.

She felt several tears trickle down her cheek. This time, she didn't bother to wipe them away. She didn't need the power; she just wanted to do her best to make the kingdom better. And her husband, who claimed he loved her above all, was keeping her from doing what she had to do.

She was right. He wasn't the great king that many thought he was. He was a broken man. He had experienced so much, and made mistakes; but he didn't learn from them.

She didn't love him. She couldn't help it. He had been a great friend to her, a great lover, a great man; but she couldn't love him anymore, no matter how hard she tried. He wasn't the same Jonathan of Conté that had married her on their wedding day. He was a king, afraid to offend any of his subjects. She couldn't love a man like that.

Jonathan. Their love had lasted so long. Why couldn't they brave this obstacle?

The answer was clear to her. There was nothing left. There was no love anymore. There was just respect. She respected him, and he respected her. They needed each other, as well. But there was no love. Her tears were coming down quickly now, but she didn't notice.

When morning came, she hadn't slept at all. Sighing, she rose, looking at her husband sadly. She slowly walked out of the rooms they shared, looking back many times.

She needed to talk to Alanna. The Lioness was probably the only person who knew Jon better than she did.