Hmm, it appears the chapters are getting a little bit longer :). I don't own Wizards of Waverly Place.

Alex woke up to a beautiful sunlit day alone. Ian had left a note behind, saying that he had gone off to work and would be back around seven in the evening. At first she felt a little lost without his comforting presence, but hunger made sure she didn't think about it for long. She got out of bed and went to find breakfast.

A enormous meal consisting of eggs, bacon, toast, scones, orange juice, and milk was set out on the dining room table. Alex, who was suddenly starving after not eating the previous evening, ate as much as she could. When she was done, she went to search the study for a good book.

The next few days fell into routine. Ian held Alex throughout the night and then left at eight in the morning. Alex woke up about an hour later, ate breakfast, and explored the castle further. Around six she curled up with a book and read until Ian came home, and then the two of them ate dinner together and went to bed. On occasion Ian took her out to see the mountain, or on the roof for stargazing. Surprisingly, Alex enjoyed this life. True, she did miss her family and her home, but there was something about living in a castle with Ian, with so many things to discover, that she liked. For one thing, the study was so extensive that she need not worry about finishing school; as if high school even mattered in the magical world. She learned a lot more from those books, some of them what the mortal world considered the stuff of fairy tales.

About a month after the wedding, there was a sudden knock at the door. This surprised Alex, for no one ever visited the Pendragon winter residence. Curious, she put her book on Greek myths down and went to answer it.

A man stood there, flurries swirling around him. He was an unpleasant sort of fellow, despite the crooked smile on his face, for his eyes glinted with a sort of self-righteousness and his manner was imposing. He was perhaps twenty years older than Ian and had thinning black hair and a limp mustache. He wore a pressed suit much like the kind Arthur Pendragon would wear.

"Good evening, dear lady. I'm Mordred Orkney, one of Ian's colleagues from Merlin University. And who might you be?" The man said.

"Alex. I'm his wife," Alex said, gripping the door warily. She still didn't like the look of Professor Orkney.

Professor Orkney seemed surprised by this information. "Well I need to speak with Ian."

"He won't be home till seven."

"I see. Can I wait inside until he gets back?"

Alex thought about this. They had only half an hour anyway. And the man did say he was a colleague of Ian. What harm would it do if he just waited?

"Thank you so much, miss," Professor Orkney said as Alex closed the door behind him. He walked into the parlor and sat down. Alex returned to her leather chair beside the hearth and picked up her book again.

Reading with Professor Orkney in the room wasn't very easy. Alex caught him staring at her intently several times. Eventually he got up and wandered around the parlor before sitting on a couch very near her.

"You know, you're rather young to be married," he remarked.

"I know." Alex didn't feel like volunteering information. She was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"If you don't mind my asking, why did you get married?"

"That's kind of none of your business."

"Oh come on. I'm rather bored. A little interesting story will help pass the time."

"His father arranged it." Alex was not about to tell a perfect stranger about her life traumas.

"Ah, yes. Good old Arthur Pendragon." Professor Orkney chuckled. "I suppose he forced you into it."

Alex didn't answer.

"Well I think you are a very advantageous addition to the Pendragon family. And a very beautiful one at that." Professor Orkney put his hand on Alex's knee. She immediately jerked away and jumped out of the chair.

"Listen, Professor Orkney. Maybe this isn't such a good idea," she said, instantly on alert.

"Please. Call me Mordred," Professor Orkney said softly, moving towards her.

"Stop it, Professor Orkney," Alex warned, refusing to say what he wanted to hear. He was backing her into a corner with no escape routes, and for someone who was mildly claustrophobic it wasn't a very good feeling.

"I know you don't mean that." Professor Orkney's voice was honey-sweet, making Alex cringe. The man stroked her arm, leaning in to brush his lips against her neck.

Alex was half shocked and half incredibly mad. But nothing she did could make the professor stop.

Without warning, there was a flash of light, and Professor Orkney was thrown backward. Alex crumpled to the floor, the realization of what had just happened finally coming down on her. She looked up to see Ian standing there, still wearing his black Professor's robes, holding Professor Orkney by the collar. The look on Ian's face scared even Alex a little.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Home."

Professor Orkney looked terrified. He disappeared in a greenish puff of smoke as quick as he could.

"Alex! Are you okay?" Ian questioned, his fear showing in his voice. He was at Alex's side in seconds, helping her to her feet.

"F-fine, thanks to you," she said, a little shakily.

"Thank goodness," Ian said. And then he did something he had never done before. He kissed her on the lips.

The unexpected kiss stunned Alex, but once she got over the initial shock, she kissed him right back. A melting feeling spread through her entire body, making her knees weak. She lost her balance and fell into Ian.

"Whoa," Ian said, catching her. "I think you need to rest." He helped Alex over to the couch.

"I'm sorry I got so rough. But when I saw that---creature---all over you…I can't explain it. Something just exploded," Ian told her.

"I'm sorry I let him in. He told me he was a colleague of yours, from the university. It's lucky you came home when you did," Alex said.

"There's no way you could have known. He was once a colleague of mine; that much is true. But the university had to fire him for harassing the female students. I imagine he came here to ask me if I could persuade the board to take him back, and then saw you…if I ever see that rat again, so help me…"

"Hey, don't worry. He's gone now, and I'm fine. Really."

"Are you sure?"

Alex kissed him. It was a good thing she was already laying down because the melting feeling had returned. "Absolutely." She smiled. "You know what? I'm not sure---I've never really had any experience with this before---but I think I love you."

"Well I know I love you. I've known it for a while now," Ian admitted softly. He sat down next to her and traced patterns on the palms of her hands until she fell asleep.

You may have noticed a pattern in the names. Both Arthur and Pendragon come from Arthurian legend, as do Merlin and Mordred. Mordred was King Arthur's illegitimate son and traitor to the throne. I figured that the names fit pretty well considering the Arthurian tales are full of magic.