"Her Majesty the Queen."

Victoria strode into the dining room and let the page pull out her chair. She took a seat and stared down the table at those who had come to dinner. Her mother and Sir John Conroy were there, along with Lady Flora Hastings. Emma Portman, Harriet Sutherland, and Maria Phipps had come. And, of course, Lord Melbourne was there, his eyes flicking between Victoria and his own plates and glasses. Victoria folded her hands and bowed her head, and the others did the same.

"May the Lord make us grateful for what we are about to receive," she murmured, and the others incanted an Amen.

"Drina," said the Duchess of Kent, "I am so glad you decided not to ride out today. It is so frigid."

"Too cold for a ride, Mama," Victoria confirmed. "Perhaps it will be a little better tomorrow."

The servants brought in leek soup, and Victoria picked up her spoon so the others could do the same. She said softly to the Prime Minister beside her,

"If I ride out tomorrow, Lord M, will you accompany me?"

"I'd be honoured, Your Majesty," said Melbourne.

He was quiet throughout dinner, and Victoria knew why. Today was the anniversary of his son's death, and there was only so much he could do to put on a happy face. He ate slowly, barely getting through any of his soup before Victoria had finished and a course of fried sole was served. Victoria barely participated in conversation, and her eyes fixed on Melbourne throughout the meal. As they ate baked potato with lamb, Victoria murmured to him,

"I am so grateful you will ride out with me tomorrow, Lord M. If the weather is all right."

"If the weather is not all right," he said, "perhaps you might play some more piano for me, Ma'am."

She stared at him for a long moment and then curled up her lips. "Something happy."

"Something happy," Melbourne confirmed. He ate with a little more gusto then, sawing into his lamb and bringing bites between his lips. Victoria watched him eat, somewhat taken aback by him. He was handsome, she thought, despite his age. And he was so kind to her, so helpful and such a good -

"William," said Emma Portman warmly, "Are you well?"

It was a loaded question, Victoria thought. Emma was close with Lord Melbourne; she would know what today's date was. Melbourne looked to his old friend and nodded as the table went quiet.

"Thank you, Emma; I am… better."

"Have you been ill, Lord Melbourne?" asked the Duchess of Kent, a bit sharply. Melbourne shot her a look and pursed his lips.

"My son died a year ago today."

"Oh." The Duchess speared a potato and sniffed. "So sorry to hear it."

She did not sound very sorry. Then Sir John Conroy went and made everything so much worse by saying in an amused sort of voice,

"He was an imbecile, wasn't he? Your son."

"Sir John!" Victoria exclaimed, her cheeks going hot. Sir John raised his eyebrows and quirked up his lips.

"Forgive me. I had heard… that the boy was unstable and of an unsound mind."

"He was my son," Melbourne said gruffly, "and it was of little matter how sound his mind was."

"It is such a shame when God curses and afflicts some with madness. Like your grandfather, Drina. Or like Lord Melbourne's son."

"He was not mad," Melbourne said softly, staring into his glass of wine. "He was ill."

"I think I shall ride Thunderbolt tomorrow. Which horse will you ride, Lord M? The Royal Mews have so many fine specimens." Victoria was desperate to change the course of the horrid conversation, and Melbourne looked immensely grateful. He cleared his throat and said,

"I think I shall ride Goliath, Ma'am."

"Oh, he does behave so well for you," Victoria hummed as the puff pastries were brought out for dessert. She spooned some cream out of hers and brought it between her lips. Melbourne stared at her for a moment and then blinked, and he said quietly,

"I think he behaves so well because he knows he is in the presence of his monarch, Ma'am."

"Are the horses my subjects, too?" Victoria laughed.

"Perhaps they will become your subjects after your Coronation, Ma'am," said Emma Portman, "along with all the birds and fishes and everything else."

"I am so nervous about the Coronation, though it is so far away still," Victoria fretted. She sighed.

"Well, it will be quite a sight," said Sir John Conroy. "Such a very small Queen with such a grand ceremony."

Victoria squared her jaw and pushed back her chair. She rose, dragging the others to their feet, and she said tightly,

"I've finished eating. Ladies, I do not require you this evening. Lord M, may we speak?"

"Of course, Ma'am." Melbourne sounded surprised, but Victoria just turned to walk away from the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bows and curtsies, and then she heard Melbourne's footsteps following her. She walked out into the corridor and kept walking until she reached the green drawing room. She walked inside and paused before the fireplace, in which a fire had been lit and maintained. She stared at the flames and heard Melbourne's voice from beside her.

"You wanted to speak with me, Ma'am?"

"They were horribly cruel to you." Victoria's eyes burned. He seemed to hesitate, and then he said,

"I've been the butt of much mockery for years now, Ma'am. I can take it."

"They insulted your child," Victoria snarled. She looked at him and shook her head. "I won't stand for it."

"I beg you not to do anything rash on my behalf, Ma'am," said Melbourne. He tipped his head. "They were cruel to you, too. It is, I think, in Sir John Conroy's nature to be cruel."

"It made my stomach ache, the way they were talking to you," said Victoria. She balled her fists at her sides and insisted, "It made me feel ill to hear them deride your only son like that."

"That's because you have a kind soul, Ma'am," said Melbourne, but his eyes gave him away as they visibly watered. He licked his lips and said carefully, "My Augie was not… he was…"

"He was your boy," Victoria whispered, "and you loved him, and that is what matters."

Melbourne nodded, sucking in air hard. He dragged a knuckle under his eye and affirmed,

"He was my boy."

"Tomorrow will be a happier day," Victoria promised him. "We will ride out."

"I look forward to it, Ma'am," Melbourne said. There was quiet then, a long and somewhat uneasy silence in which Victoria wondered what he thought about how she'd kissed him earlier. If he was cross, he did not give it away. He just sighed and finally said,

"I have work to do at Dover House, Ma'am, with your leave."

"Of course," Victoria whispered. "Thank you for coming to dinner. I am sorry they were wretched to you."

"You apologise for things beyond your control, Ma'am," Melbourne scolded her gently, "but I appreciate your compassion."

He reached for her hand then, and he brought it to his lips. He kissed her gloved knuckles, and Victoria shivered a little. She took a step closer to him and dragged her fingers around his hand. She gazed up into his jade-coloured eyes and marveled. He was everything for her, wasn't he? How could there ever be anyone else? How could she marry and leave Lord M behind? She swallowed hard and vowed,

"I shan't take a husband, I don't think."

"No?" Melbourne smirked. "They'll make you do it."

"They can't make me do anything," Victoria breathed, and Melbourne let out a very long, low sigh.

"You'll feel like you have no choice."

"You speak from experience?" Victoria questioned, and Melbourne just shook his head and said,

"I can not pretend to have experienced anything you do, Ma'am. Your life is nothing like mine. But I know that the Sir John Conroys of this world will make you feel like an heir is the most singularly important goal of your reign."

Victoria narrowed her eyes. "Leading this nation is the goal of my reign."

"I know that," he nodded. "Just the same, there will come a day when they're thrusting princes upon you, and you'll have to choose one."

"I won't do it," Victoria said stoutly. "I shall simply reject all of their suitors."

"Well, I honour your prerogative," Melbourne nodded.

They still had not released one another's hands.

Melbourne seemed to realise this, and he brought her knuckles to his lips again. He kissed once, twice, and then lowered her hand and patted her palm. He murmured to her,

"You make me happy, Ma'am, even on dark days like today. I shall see you tomorrow to ride out."

"Goliath has a bad hoof," Victoria informed Melbourne as he approached in his riding ensemble. He raised his eyebrows and asked,

"Is he quite all right, Your Majesty? I do care for that horse, rather unashamedly."

"They say he'll be all right with some rest," Victoria said, "and so I've had them tack up Pip for you."

"Oh, dear old Pip," said Melbourne with a little smile. He seemed in much better spirits today, and Victoria couldn't help but smile at him. She had on a new riding outfit, elegant deep purple with a jaunty little hat. As Thunderbolt and Pip were brought out from the Royal Mews, Victoria shifted in her riding boots and told Melbourne,

"I am so glad it warmed up considerably. I have been so looking forward to this ride."

"Does something make this ride particularly special?" Melbourne asked, and Victoria wanted to scream at him that of course it was special; she'd kissed him. But instead she just shrugged and said,

"I needed the time with you. That's all."

Melbourne looked around as if to be certain no one was eavesdropping, and he said softly, "I'm grateful for it. For the time."

Victoria was helped up into her side saddle, and she adjusted her skirts as she sat aside the bay gelding. She took the reins in her hand and walked forward a few steps, turning her horse back towards Melbourne. He expertly mounted on his own and immediately brought Pip up to Victoria. She smiled and led the horses away from the Mews, out toward the gardens. She and Melbourne were quiet until they were out of earshot of anyone else. Then Melbourne looked like he was struggling to control Pip, and he complained,

"He wants to run."

"That's because he's got you on his back," Victoria said. "He knows an expert rider's with him today."

"Expert. Ha. I've fallen more times than I could count," Melbourne laughed. "Do you mind, Ma'am, if I circle him around to get his urgency out? It'll be a much better walk if I do."

"Oh, go on, then," Victoria grinned. Melbourne tightened his legs and gave Pip a solid pinch with his heels, and Pip immediately took off to a canter. Melbourne rode up ahead, and Victoria just watched him go, sighing and knowing she was infatuated. He was everything to her.

Melbourne brought the horse back around and cantered back to Victoria, and he slowed to a trot. He circled around Victoria's horse and then sat, bringing the horse into a walk. Pip huffed and puffed as Melbourne walked him alongside Victoria.

"Better?" she asked, and Melbourne tipped his head.

"I should think so, Ma'am," he said. "So. I must tell you about the Punishment of Offences Act. As you know, it was passed earlier this summer and -"

"Made it so that certain crimes are no longer a matter of capital punishment," Victoria nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, there was a lynching, Ma'am. A Welshman broke into the house of a landed family and made off with silver, jewels… under the old law, he would have been hanged. But they put him into prison instead. Well, they tried to put him into prison. On the way there, the prison coach was swarmed and the man was dragged out."

"What did they do to him?" Victoria fretted. He cleared his throat and shook his head.

"It's too… I don't suppose you want the details, Ma'am."

"Do you think me too delicate to hear them?" Victoria demanded defensively, and Melbourne shot her a look.

"No. Of course not. You can handle absolutely anything, Ma'am."

"Then tell me," Victoria insisted, "what they did to the burglar in Wales."

"They ripped him limb from limb," Melbourne said matter-of-factly, "and lit the corpse on fire."

"Well, I certainly hope there will be trials for those involved!" Victoria felt sick, thinking of the incident. How could things like this happen in the country over which she was responsible? She sighed shakily and said, "We can't let people behave like that."

"Extrajudicial killings mustn't be tolerated. The law says that burglary is no longer a capital crime," Melbourne said in a calm voice. "The people will eventually come to accept that, but until they do, any lynching will be handled appropriately."

"Thank you for telling me," Victoria said softly. "Sir John would not have told me."

"A good thing, then, that Sir John is neither your Prime Minister nor your Private Secretary, Ma'am," said Melbourne. She smiled weakly at him and stopped her horse. He stopped, too, though Pip seemed eager to continue on and circled a few times. Finally Melbourne got him under control and asked,

"Is something wrong?"

"Are you cross with me?" Victoria asked bluntly. Melbourne would know what she meant. The kiss by the piano.

"No, Ma'am," he said, shaking his head. He stared off into the trees and admitted, "I would be a liar to assert that I did not enjoy it."

"You enjoyed it?" Victoria blinked. He still did not make eye contact with her, thus breaking protocol as he spoke.

"It was… it made me happy."

"Would you let me do it again, Lord M?" Victoria asked quietly. "Would you let me give you another kiss?"

He stiffened in his saddle, but after a very long moment, he whispered, "Yes, Ma'am."

He walked Pip forward then, and Victoria felt her stomach quiver. She wanted him, she thought. She wanted this man, her Lord M. She would get another kiss, too. It was just a matter of when, she thought, and where. She led her horse up alongside Melbourne's and asked,

"Come and listen to me play piano after we ride?"

He smirked a little. "That sounds very nice, Ma'am. Shall we finish our walk?"

"I'm not going to play the piano," Victoria said as the door shut behind them. Melbourne raised his eyebrows and scratched at his temple.

"I… confess myself disappointed, Ma'am. I enjoy hearing you play."

"Well, I'll play afterwards," she said breathlessly, and he smiled.

"Afterwards."

"After… you know." She shifted on her feet and knitted her fingers together before her. "After we…"

"Ma'am."

She raised her eyes to his and licked her lips nervously. But he huffed a breath and reached to take her face in his hands, and he bent confidently down. He planted a kiss square on her lips, lingering for a long moment. Then he pulled away and whispered,

"I quite like that."

"Do you?" Victoria's voice was thin and shrill. "I like it, too."

"Shall I do it again?" Melbourne asked, and Victoria nodded. Suddenly she felt one of his hands go from her cheek to the small of her back, and he pulled her just a little closer. He kissed her again, more insistently this time, and Victoria's breath shook in her nostrils. She had never, ever been kissed like this. The first time she'd kissed anyone on the mouth had been the day before, when she'd been trying to soothe Melbourne. Now he was kissing her, and his hands were on her, and she could hardly breathe. After a long while, he pulled back and dragged a thumb over his lip.

"I ought to be drawn and quartered for that, probably."

"Beheaded," Victoria scoffed. She shook her head and said, "I'm not sorry for that. I can't be."

"Nor I, Ma'am," Melbourne said. He tipped his head and told her, "You're so lovely. Did you know?"

"No," Victoria said, feeling her eyes well. "I've always been told that I'm short and plump and -"

"You are lovely," Melbourne interrupted. She didn't tell him that he'd forgotten his place by interjecting. She didn't try to fend off his compliment. Instead she just whispered,

"You make me happy, too, Lord M."

"I have to go to the House," he said. "I wish I did not have to go, but I do. I should like five minutes of piano first, if you'll oblige me."

"Something happy," Victoria guessed, and Melbourne nodded.

"Something happy."

Author's Note: So, I have decided to make this a full-length story. We'll be seeing Victoria in the earliest days of her reign, in the months leading up to her June 1838 coronation, growing ever closer to her dear Lord M. As their affection grows, how will Victoria handle mounting pressure to marry and produce an heir? And how will Melbourne handle the fact that he's falling gradually more in love with a Queen who could never really be his?

Thank you so very much for reading. Please do review.