Chapter Eleven
With the barriers of convention and royal wedding preparations, the bride and groom aren't again even relatively alone until the end of the next day. Ana is pleased when Christian takes both her hands and guides her to a chair, maintaining contact while he sits opposite her. And then he asks, "A good day?"
She's barely sat down since rising, and reveals, "A tiring day, but they're finally happy with the dress."
Christian smiles and vows, "I'm sure you'll look beautiful."
She grins and asks, "Under a veil?"
His eyes twinkle as he claims, "Under even a caparison."
Remembering when she'd first heard the word, after asking her father why a visiting knight had draped not only himself in fine cloth, but also his mount, Ana laughs and jokes, "You're comparing me to a horse, My Lord?"
"No, I...you're teasing me."
Blissfully happy, Ana confirms, "Yes, but only because you like it." She notes the familiar signs of his arousal, but it vanishes in an instant, and he looks...she's sure he was afraid for a moment there. "Christian?"
He leans back in his chair, though thankfully still holds one of her hands, as he reveals, "The prevaricator. He's reminding me that you are an innocent, and would rightly flee into a nunnery if you could but discern my thoughts."
Carnal thoughts.
I certainly hope so.
Silently cursing Elena for teaching him to be ashamed of desires that God gave him, Ana begs, "But you don't really believe that?"
He manages a weak smile and says, "Not when you're with me."
Ana leans forward and takes his other hand to insist, "Darling, though my body is chaste, my thoughts are not. And I trust you, above all others. All will be well if we just keep being honest with each other."
His smile is stronger this time, and he vows, "Anastasia, I love you."
Unexpected tears prick her eyes as Ana replies, "Good, because I love you, more than I thought was possible."
He finally looks like the man she fell in love with when he quietly enquires, "And are you still ready to learn more?"
She's able to honestly reply, "Fast becoming desperate, which I also wouldn't have believed possible."
Strangely, this doesn't appear to excite him, instead he visibly relaxes, saying only, "Good."
Only then does she notice the signs of exhaustion, and asks, "Bad day?"
He attempts a smile and says, "Long day. As you can imagine, even the rulers who yielded to us without a fight are worried about what will happen next, despite constant assurances that the status quo will mostly be maintained, if only because we don't want the additional task of replacing them. They cannot know..." After a glance at Katya, who is studiously ignoring them, he continues, "Father's plan for after we're wed, but he and I have spent the day in conference with barons, earls, counts and self-proclaimed monarchs. They're going through the motions of paying homage to my father, but also deferring to me as next in line. It's disrespectful to a man who deserves their absolute fealty."
His temper is legendary, but she hadn't heard any bellowing or rumours of a bloodbath. "What did you do?"
Christian grins and says, "Reminded them that they currently have no lands or titles but those sanctioned by the Pope and thus ordained by God. All else is dependent on the will of their King."
Remembering the desolation of realising that, no matter what action she took, her birthright was lost, Ana marvels, "You really are quite formidable, aren't you?"
He beams at her, and then loses the smile to say, "Yes, and Master Rodriguez would do well to remember that while he's plotting against me."
At first wondering why he raised his voice slightly for this warning, Ana presumes that he wanted Katya to hear it, and says, "Christian, I told you, we can trust her."
Looking only at their chaperone, he reminds them, "Her son is the man's friend."
Becoming worried that José didn't after all drop the matter, Ana is shocked enough at this thinly veiled threat to blurt out, "But Ethan would never_"
She now has Christian's undivided attention as he demands, "Ethan? He's the son of a duke, and you are so familiar with him? Just now many male friends do you have?"
Have a care!
Yes, I think you're right.
Taking a deep breath, Ana attempts, "Along with Kate, they've been my close friends since childhood. If they plot anything, it is my continued happiness. I have no other male companions, and neither of them have ever stepped outside the bounds of propriety."
Not quite true.
We were not yet adults. It doesn't count.
Then tell Christian.
Ana has never before imagined poking out her tongue at Miss Obvious, but does so now.
Christian is studying her, and asks, "The inner voice?" Worried that perhaps he can read her thoughts after all, Ana merely nods, so he gently prompts, "What is she saying?"
He doesn't sound angry, but for once the voice offered wise counsel, so she merely reveals, "That I'd best choose my words with care, because you appear jealous."
For some reason, this is obviously news to him, and he laughs a little before confirming, "Yes, I suppose I am." In the next moment, he kisses her hand and says, "Please forgive me, Anastasia, for you have pledged your troth, and would not do so lightly."
At first confused, Ana then comprehends that he's apologising for his jealousy. Has he never felt it before? It would make him unique amongst the men she's ever met, even heard of. And then she realises, "I don't suppose it was an issue before now, with your women safely ensconced in the palace."
He shrugs and argues, "It wasn't an issue before now because I didn't care for them."
Ana could not have fallen for such a man. And then she remembers his concern for Leila, who dared threaten the life of his beloved, so she smiles, accusing, "Have you learned deception, My Lord?"
With a kind smile, he says, "All right, I cared for them, but not enough to ever become jealous. If one of them had tried to inspire it in me, I'd have cast them out."
"That sounds cruel." As the words leave her mouth, she remembers to be afraid. "I'm sorry, I just meant...it sounds unlike you. You are formidable, often fierce, but no one could rightly claim that you are unfair."
Christian's expression, which had clouded with something like pain at her accusation, brightens a little when he shrugs and explains, "They knew the rules." Ana is remembering what Elena had revealed on this topic when he observes, "Miss Obvious has a lot to say this evening."
Ana smiles and says, "Not this time. No, it's...I suppose that I still feel the need to choose my words with care."
Christian leans forward to entreat, "I would not have you afraid of me, my love. But I worry that your lack of guile might put you in danger. Just because the campaign has ended, does not mean the battle is over. Every second I spend idle brings our enemies closer."
Thrilled that, believing this, he still made time for her, Ana asks, "Why do you think my friends might be plotting against you?"
Christian is keenly studying her face when he merely reveals, "The apothecary."
Oh. Presuming he knows all her dealings with the man, Ana asks, "Does his head yet sit upon his curved spine?"
Christian smiles at this and says, "It does. One of the good things about Claude's exotic appearance is that he's easily able to inspire dread in weak-willed men. It wasn't hard to discern your source this time, and the treacherous coward soon confessed all, including that you are just as formidable when pressed, of which I was glad to learn. I fear you'll need that skill."
"So, you won't punish him?"
"Not while he remains useful and loyal."
It's going so well that Ana dares, "And you won't hurt my friends?"
His expression hardens, and Christian says, "I would hope that I've never aggressed a man without cause, but your friends must know that, when my hand is forced, it does not falter."
The last three words are delivered as distinct hammer blows, so that Ana doesn't notice they've stopped her breath until her need becomes great enough that she gasps, her heart racing. She tries to withdraw her hand from his, but he easily prevents it. "Christian, please."
He holds her gaze and her hand a moment longer, then abruptly releases her and leans back in the chair, to close his eyes and remind her, "You wanted to know the man you're marrying."
Ana has never been surer of anything. "I know who I marry." When Christian opens his eyes a little, his expression wary, she vows, "A good man."
He offers a lazy smile and again closes his eyes, saying, "Thank you, Anastasia." The smile gradually fades until, only seconds later, she notices that he's asleep.
The next morning, Ana is breakfasting at the tiny dining table in her room when there's a knock on the door. It will be one of her servants with yet another query about the wedding plans, so she merely smiles a thankyou when Katya moves to answer it. She glances that way when the door opens, to see Christian entering. Her mouth full of food, she chokes a little on asking, "My Lord?"
He smiles and occupies the chair opposite, his long legs stretched out beside the table, saying only, "My Lady. Are you well?"
Swallowing, Ana then says, "I'm very well. Though I missed you last night." When the corner of his mouth lifts in what she now recognises as a lecherous grin, she adds, "You know what I mean. We didn't see you at dinner."
He pops a grape into his mouth, and perhaps swallows it whole, because it doesn't prevent him from saying, "That's why I stopped by. I apologise for falling asleep in your company, but thought you might like to hear that it was the most restful sleep I've had in many years." When all Ana can do is beam at him, moisture welling in her eyes at this revelation, he smiles and concludes, "Evidently, you are good for me."
Her chest literally aching with the force of her feelings for him, she merely replies, "I'm glad."
He smiles his love for her a few moments longer, and then abruptly stands, saying, "Well, I have to go bully some more barons."
Ana dashes away the few tears and jokes, "Coerce some counts?"
He chuckles and is hopefully also joking when he claims, "Kick some kings."
He's almost to the door when she reminds him, "Christian, I love you."
When his gaze darkens with lust and he returns to her side, she wonders if he'll stay. In the next moment, he steals another grape and says only "My Lady," before kissing her. And then he leaves her with a wink. Smiling to herself, Ana savours the grape that he just deposited in her mouth, and doesn't even notice that she's humming a love song.