"The reports said that we can do nothing but wait." Daniel sighed.

"Cannot we raise our own troops?" Jake questioned.

"If the reports say wait, we will wait." Christine leaned back in her chair and listened to the discussion. From seven in the morning this is what they had been doing, speaking of war. Of course, she received the reports of Liren and was even surprised that the mortality rate was down by a few points, but even with the bit of good news, the bad news shadowed everything else.

"What if they do not come?" Vincent questioned, another man that was sitting on the Delegates.

"They will come." She looked at him and then around the council, which had become quiet. "You all doubt me?"

"Not you, Christine." Kat shook her head.

"We doubt your husband." Beatrice answered, softly. "Our concern is Liren."

"Is that not my concern also?" Christine sat up a little straighter when they did not answer. She was very happy that Erik was with her at the moment. "Everything I do is now being questioned? Have I been a poor queen?"

"You said…" Beatrice began, took a deep breath and began again, "You said that… that you would come back right after you married."

"I did." She nodded. "And I am very sorry that I did not but can I not have somewhat of a normal life? Can I not live as a wife for a while?"

No one answered.

"God help me if I was a little selfish!" Her voice resounded around the huge room and she stood up. "God help me if I wanted to know the man I was married to! I thought that you would understand, I told Jane to tell you..."

"And she did." Vincent spoke. "But you are also our queen."

"Do you call me Queen, Vincent?" She questioned, calmly. "Did I not ask that we call each other by our given names? Yes, I am your queen if you so give it, but I hope that you can make your own choices, or is that not why I left you all in charge?"

"We did not mean to offend." Kat looked at her. "But you did say you would return."

"I have." Sitting back down, her eyes roamed theirs. "Let us not dwell on things of the past, for we are at war and I would like to assure all of you that the troops are coming. Is there any other news?"

"You're Majesty!" Someone burst into the room, she recognized it as one of Erik's messengers, and he bowed. "There are troops are just over the horizon! They're here!"

"What troops?" Her heart began to quicken. "What colors are they flying?"

"They are the colors of Plantne."

"We must evacuate the people now!" Kat was the first to speak.

"Bring them up to fight!" Jake answered.

"We must face them."

"They will all die!"

"At least try!"

Christine stared at the poor messenger who had given her the message, and calmly recalled his name.

"Henry." She quietly said. "Please tell the king that I would like to see him in our chambers after my meeting."

"You're Majesty." He looked around and said in an even quieter voice. "The king is sitting at the top of the room behind the columns."

"Thank you, Henry." A small smile lit her face. "That is all."

He left, and she turned to look up at the darkened area and took notice of a white mask peering out from the shadows. He was her dark protector, or as she like to think of him; more of an advisor.

"Christine."

A voice called her out of her daze and she looked at all the people that were staring back at her.

"What are we going to do?" Vincent asked.

They all waited in reply, and for the first time she realized that, yes these people were her friends but even though she relied on them to take control of the country and oversee everything; they still viewed her as their queen. They would always view her as their queen.

---

Christine sat, looking out the tower window. She could see that in the distance there were fires being built along with tents. The blue and silver of the Plante flag waved freely in the wind. Other than the threat of an invasion, the night was beautiful. Bright stars glistened in the clear skies and the moon was as bright as the sun.

"They will come." A deep voice said from behind her.

"Yes." She sighed. "But will they come soon enough?"

"I do not want to promise you that." Erik came up beside her, wearing only a simple shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck.

"So you do not think they will?" Her eyes followed him as he sat across from her at the window seat.

"I want to tell you they will…"

"But you do not know for certain." She leaned her head against the wall and looked down at the town below her. "You know I used to sit up here and watch everything come alive at night. People would laugh and shout from the streets, but as I got older, they grew quieter. Soon they became silent; there was not any more shouting or laughter."

His finger brushed her cheek lightly, and she leaned into it slightly. He cupped her cheek and felt the soft skin beneath his hands. "I cannot promise you anything," He said quietly. "Because I am afraid what would happen if I were to break that promise."

"Can you promise me one thing Erik?" She questioned staring at him.

"That depends." He smiled slightly.

"Will you stay beside me forever?"

"Christine." Erik drew closer to her. "I promise that I cannot be near you at all times, but I can promise you that I will love you forever and there will be no one else but you."

"I love you." She whispered and kissed him softly.

"So do I." He leaned his head against hers. They stayed like that for a while, until she spoke.

"I am tired." Christine looked at him, and he noticed that she looked exhausted. Bags were slowly forming under her eyes in the moonlight and her pale complexion had grown to almost a ghastly white. Her eyes were beginning to loose their spark. Yet she still was his Christine, and still beautiful.

Without saying anything, he picked her up. The king and queen made their way towards their room. Every turn, each hallway was empty and every turn Erik became a little unsteady without all the guards. He was very use to having someone watch his every move and everyone else's, but here there was nothing. There was nothing to protect you if someone came in the night for blood.

He carefully opened the door to the bedroom, noticing that she was asleep and did not want to wake her. Quietly shutting it, he moved into the room and set her down on the bed. Standing there, Erik wondered if he should relieve her of her clothes. Of course, he had seen many a woman bare but this was Christine, it was different.

"Go ahead." He looked down at her now awake form staring at him. The simple two words set his body aflame.

Erik took a seat on the bed beside her and began to unravel the dress piece by piece. First, he ran his hand ran up the length of her arm and to her shoulder, then down to her waist. Supporting her back, he lifted her upright and laid her head on his shoulder. Her hot breath was on his neck, sending a sweet sensation down his spine. He started on the laces and untied them, savoring this close moment. The moment was silent, and only for them.

Supporting her again, he helped her out of the bodice of the dress and discarded it on the floor. Then lying her back down on the bed he moved to her skirts, and loosened the tie on the skirt and eased it off of her. She lay before him in only her corset, chemise, and pantaloons, simply watching him with the utmost interest. Erik shook the thoughts that were beginning to build in his mind away, knowing that this was not the time for them.

Christine felt her breathing grow shallow once he gently picked her up again and placed her head back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes as his fingers unraveled the ties to her corset. Breathing in his spicy sent her body came alive and she kissed his neck tenderly.

Erik stopped when he felt Christine's lips on his neck and looked down at her. She lifted her head and stared back at him, something in her eyes aroused him. Her almost pleading look became his undoing. Leaning in he captured her lips a soft but coaxing kiss and she responded with certain eagerness. Their lips opened to allow the other access to their mouths. They savored each other's taste and moaned hoping to encourage.

Dropping her corset left her with a small amount of space between them. She felt herself dragging them into the bed and he held her closer to him. Her willing fingers quickly undid his tiny buttons to his shirt and that soon joined the floor too. Christine rush returned to her when her hands felt the taunt, bare muscle and the weight upon her. He broke away from her lips and traveled to her neck. Her eyes closed and she gasped.

Erik fondled her breast, and nipped at her neck. Lifting the chemise up he looked over the beauty that was his wife and went about trying to make her believe that she was everything to him. He noted the way she moved with him and the noises she made, and they made him love her even more. Her little soft gasps and moans made him believe that she wanted him and he loved it. He quickly returned to her lips and his hands came down to the lining of her pantaloons and she looked up at him.

Their chest rose and fell with the other as they looked into the other's eyes. Christine whole body, mind, and even her heart wanted more. She did not want to stop and gave a simple nod. With that nod, he slid down the pantaloons and threw them to the side of the bed and looked at her with love and adoration. She was bare in all her glory.

"Erik." She called to him, feeling slightly self-conscience the way he was staring at her.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered to her.

Giving a faint smile, she pulled herself up to meet his lips and gave him a brief kiss before stroking the unmasked side of his face and then frowned upon the masked side. Her hand fell on it and he closed his eyes when he felt the air rush to the now bare skin and heard the mask fall to the floor. She kissed him again and touched the marred side.

"You are beautiful." Another small smile lit her face. "Unique and beautiful."

Erik knew she was not lying to him and gave her a kiss to show how grateful he truly was to have her in his arms. She opened her mouth to allow him nearer to her. His hands were everywhere and she gasped at every touch and every sensation.

Regaining her own senses, Christine came to his pant hooks and felt him peering down at her. She fumbled a bit with the hooks but she got them off and looked at what she had wondered so much about before. Her heart began to race and she glanced up at Erik, with a questioning gaze.

"We…" He began.

"No," She shook her head. "I want to." A breath. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her with enough passion to make her forget everything that had once been coherent.

She became nervous when she felt his length travel closer to her, and her eyes suddenly opened when he was just about to enter. Erik knew she was nervous but he wanted to show her, what love really could be like, and what lovemaking felt like. That it was good and not painful, but knew that for now it would be. He tried to distract her with nibbles and kisses, but her body was tense and knew that it would hurt more if she did not relax.

"Relax," He whispered in her ear. "The pain will ease."

"Not soon enough." She mumbled.

"Do you wish to stop?"

"No," She insisted, and grabbed his neck. "I love you and I want us to be one."

"We are already one." His hand stroked her cheek.

"Just do it Erik!" Her hand tightened on his neck and she tried to relax.

Quickly thinking of what could relax her a bit; he slid his fingers into her. She gasped and felt much more relaxed as he worked his magic. Gently pulling them out, he moved in and kissed his wife with all the passion he had and plunged into her hoping that the pain would be over soon.

Christine felt the air leave her body and she felt pain, but not enough to make her stop. Erik just wanted to plunge into her again and again, but for the moment was quite content with the tightness that surrounded him. She then moved a bit and he moaned.

She kissed him, hoping that he would take the hint that she was fine and the pain was over. He did and replied better than before. They began their own song, their own dance through the night as they learned the secrets of their bodies.

Everything felt so good at the moment, and Christine began to feel a familiar sensation building up. She wanted more and more. Erik moved hard and faster into her, and her body begged for release. And soon she felt the thing that she longed for wash over each tremor of her body. Erik soon followed and the two spent and tired lay there for a moment.

His head rested beside her, with his arms still around her. Her head was next to his and her arms around him. And that is how they fell asleep, in each other's arms content, well spent and above all, loved.


Well I hope its not an m rating because I noticed the reviews getting smaller since I asked if you guys wanted me to go up to an M rating and I'm not sure if this is considered an M rating anyway. But good news... I updated and its a longer chapter! Thanks to my wonderful beta and to the great reviews that keep me going and thanks to the readers out there that keep reading! Please review!

EV