I pass the night quite calmly, for someone that was poisoned.

The Duke warmed the room, and he made sure that I ate properly. He even touched my forehead to check my temperature. I was afraid Alexander would continue to inspect just for the sake of it. Yet, he didn’t ask me to show my wounds, for once.

He brought a carafe to my side of the bed and a glass. Then, he lay down next to me and talked with me late into the night. He caressed my hair and hugged me gently, making attention not to touch my wound.

The bruise is now more annoying than hurting. I can’t wait for it to disappear.

I’ve just woken up and, from the dark in the room, I suppose it’s dawn.

The Duke is still sleeping. He’s slightly snoring: he must be tired. His right arm is under his head, and the left is surrounding my waist. Well, rather than my waist, it’s my lower back. Shall I consider this as not inconveniencing my wound as well?

It’s so surprising that he’s so true to himself even while sleeping.

When he stops snoring, I turn to him to see whether I’ve alerted him by moving. He doesn’t flinch, so I relax the muscles I tensed up.

He turns in his sleep and rolls to me. His head leans on my chest right when his hand squeezes my bottom, so I don’t know what to complain about first. His face settles in between my breasts, and he sighs content.

Then, he doesn’t flinch again till eight o’clock.

It’s impossible for a human being to stay motionless for so long, so I understand that the Duke was really sleeping. He wasn’t pretending, just to take advantage of me.

What need would there be to pretend, by the way? I can’t stop him if he wants to touch his wife.

Sometimes, I make too strong hypotheses about my husband. I need to learn how to understand him better if I want to survive in the cold north. I can’t continue assuming the worst every time, or he’ll get tired of comforting me.

«Just two more days,» I murmur, realising that the autumn hunt is close.

I haven’t even seen my bridal dress. Should I ask the Duke about it? Maybe, he thinks that I’m preparing on my own, but I have literally zero resources. I don’t even know how to reach a tailor.

«What are you talking about so early in the morning?» the Duke mutters, a few seconds after the pendulum stopped sounding. So, this is the way he wakes up every morning. I thought he gets up by himself, like me, or that one of his aides calls for him, like any other noble around.

He moves his hand up, reaching my waist, and he places his head next to mine. This way, I can see his face and his slumberous eyes. He’s smiling so brightly. As if he didn’t just wake up.

«I don’t have a bridal gown,» I point out. I’ve started pressing my husband from the moment he opened his eyes. This feels as if we’ve been married for decades. Will he scold me for being annoying?

«You have, you just didn’t search hard enough,» he replies.

«How is it supposed to be?»

«It’s in your closet, in a separate wardrobe. The maids knew that it was for the banquet, so they didn’t bring it out.»

«Will it be white?»

«No, it won’t. You’re a member of the royal family, which means that you’re allowed to wear red.»

«Red?» I repeat. It will be like a wedding in Polis!

Except for the corset and the hundred layers, but I’ll pass on that for once. Red is the colour of luck and of love. Wearing it during a marriage means asking the Gods for a blessing.

«Is there anything special that brides wear here? Like veils or a train?» I continue.

«No, it’s up to your choice. If you want, I can call a tailor to fix the details you don’t like.»

«No need, I’ll do with what is in my closet. I just don’t want to cause an incident.»

The Duke seems to ponder for a while, and then he turns to me. His eyes analyse my face.

«No gloves, because of the ring.»

«Oh, right. You use rings to marry.»

«It’s a signal for everyone,» the Duke explains. «You can’t take it off once I’ve put it on your finger.»

«Noted,» I nod, even though I already knew this much. It’s a tradition present almost everywhere on the continent, except in Polis. Somewhere, both husband and wife wear rings. Here in the Empire, it’s just the wife. Everyone will know that I’m married, while the Duke will be able to fly around as free as he is now.

Alexander continues to explain the customs to me, and I listen carefully.

«I’m not sure about the rest since most women are taught by their mothers before the wedding. I only heard that brides don’t wear underwear.»

«No underwear? Are you sure about that?»

He nods solemnly. He can’t be messing with his own wedding, right? It will influence the rest of his life, no matter what happens to me. It would be quite careless to play a trick on his bride.

«Why?» I inquire, just to see whether he’s serious.

«Are you sure you want me to answer?»

«No, you’re right. Don’t say a thing.»

«It’s a good omen. Martia will tell you about the rest, I truly don’t have a clue.»

«So, you’ve never married before,» I chuckle.

The Duke’s face turns dark for a moment, and he looks at me with a mysterious smile. An icy thrill crosses my spine, and I wonder if there’s something I don’t know about my husband.

«Right?» I stutter, afraid to have just made a mistake. Maybe, I’m not supposed to ask, but curiosity is killing me. Is he thinking about lady Elisabeth, now?

«I have no other wife but you,» he answers.

Since I blink surprised and don’t utter a word for a while, the Duke pecks my cheek and gets up. He was probably just messing with my mind, but his words do have something odd. Do they mean that he accepted his fate and me, as per imperial command?

«Where are you going now?» I ask.

He’s jobless. He doesn’t have anything to do. Why is he in a hurry?

Is he running away from my questions? I don’t intend to pressure him more, I’m not that senseless. I can read the mood!

«Are you asking me to get back in bed?» he murmurs, stretching his arms.

«I am,» I confirm, nodding convinced. It became colder the moment the Duke left. I don’t care if I’m being nasty, as long as he comes back.

«Do you know how it sounds?»

«I do,» I sigh. But the Duke deserved it. Not just that he didn’t walk away disgusted, yesterday, but he also took care of me.

I wouldn’t have done it for him. I would just have called for someone to aid him, and I would have visited him later to check whether he would live.

This is definitely the kind of attention that will make everyone understand that I’m a loved wife. Maybe, I can even start to believe that the Duke really likes me, that this is not just a pretence. I know my limits, and I understand the situation, but he wouldn’t be able to be this kind if he hated me.

So, following my original plan, I have to reward him for being kind and gentle. I bet he already figured out the pattern, so there’s no way his actions are totally selfless.

In fact, his smart grin tells me more than his following words.

«Being a doting husband sure is rewarding,» he comments.

I nod, not even trying to hide it. There’s no use to pretend to be innocent. I indeed am a scheming bitch, but at least I haven’t broken any law.

Here in the Empire, marriage is a contract. It’s an exchange between a man and a woman, and that means that I have to give if I want to receive what I need. It’s how it works, so the Duke doesn’t have any reason to complain. I’m not worse than any other woman, right? But I can play chess when I can’t entertain my husband with other activities.

It’s rather evident what the Duke wants from me, and I don’t have any valid reason to reject him. As for me, even though I tried to hide it, my husband understood my thoughts and did his best to help me.

He even agreed to let me meddle in Polis’ affairs. He said he would assist me, as long as I call him by name and greet him in the morning with a kiss. He could have asked so much more!

«I know how it sounds,» I repeat, shrugging. «And a doting husband has to be taken care of, as well.»