I swallow, trying to calm down my breathing.

«I’d like to believe you, my dear,» the Duke mumbles, turning his head away from me. His tone is so casual as if we’re talking about some trivial decision. Maybe, for him, it is minor.

«I really didn’t betray you,» I repeat, walking to my husband. Before I can grab his arm, though, he steps away. He turned his back on me, so I don’t know if he did it on purpose. He just moved forward, evading my fingers in a split moment.

«Can you prove it?» he mumbles, pouring himself a cup of wine.

How am I supposed to prove something I haven’t done?

I was starting to believe that it was over, that the Duke wouldn’t doubt me at every step.

«I don’t know how to prove it,» I stutter.

My voice is shaken, and my fingers are trembling. I finally reach the Duke’s shirt, and I pull. My knees lose their stability, and I fall down.

«But I didn’t do it,» I repeat. «I’m not that stupid! Why would I risk my life?»

The Duke feels that I’m pulling his shirt, and he turns to me. His eyes widen for a moment, and he looks at me, apparently confused.

«I was wondering the same,» he replies.

He crouches down and embraces me. His arms fold around my waist and under my knees, and he carries me to the bed and leans me on the mattress delicately.

«I didn’t…» I say for the umpteenth time.

«I know,» Alexander chuckles. «Why are you shaking so much? Am I that scary?»

«It doesn’t matter whether I’ve done something or not, right?» I continue. I clench my fists and try to look sober, but it’s not easy. «If everyone thinks that I’m guilty, then what use is there to deny it?»

«Thea, calm down, please. I won’t joke with you again, all right?»

«But your honour and his majesty’s orders… There is only a way to clean your hands in this situation…»

«No, there isn’t,» he stops me. «There are several ways.»

«Don’t make it painful!» I exclaim, in the end.

«What are you talking about?»

«My execution.»

«You haven’t stopped thinking about that, have you? Well, if anyone wants to execute you, they need to kill me first,» Alexander states, and he sits on the bed. He grips my hand delicately, but I startle all the same. The Duke pecks on my fingers lightly, one at a time. His eyes don’t move from me, so much that I wonder why he’s doing all of this. Wasn’t he interrogating me?

«Why?» I ask.

«Because I won’t let them. Simple.»

«I thought you wanted to be the one killing me, at first,» I confess. I’m still trembling, but I try to hide it from the Duke. «And then, I started to hope I would actually live.»

«And then, you changed your mind several times again,» he sighs.

He caresses my face with a finger, and I really can’t sense any danger coming from him. I’ve reacted so harshly, but it seems he didn’t want to hurt me. He was just joking, but it was so sudden that I started to panic.

«I will get used to it, sooner or later,» I mumble, realising how the Duke must be feeling about this.

«You’re not doing it on purpose, so you can’t just decide to stop,» he points out.

I nod, desperately. I don’t have any choice but to agree with my husband.

«Just tomorrow,» he reminds me. «I’ll answer any of your questions once we reach the north.»

«I don’t have any question,» I mumble. How could I dare to inquire about the Duke’s business?

«We both know that it’s not true.»

«When will the hunt start, tomorrow?» I utter, just to change the topic.

«At dawn. I am forced to be part of it, but Martia won’t leave your side for a minute. You don’t have to worry.»

«I’m not worrying.»

«All right.»

He moves his eyes away and looks around, apparently calm. Still, I can tell he’s pondering. He always tightens his lips while thinking. He had been like this for the whole time when we played chess.

«It’s time for lunch,» he utters then.

«I’m not hungry,» I breathe, nervous.

I promised not to skip meals, but I really am not feeling in the mood for eating.

«Then we’ll dine later,» the Duke decides, luckily.

I sigh relieved. It would have been bad if I vomited again in front of the Duke. With my stomach this nervous, I wouldn’t be able to eat.

«You know, those people won’t stop at nothing,» the Duke starts. He lies on the bed, right next to me.

He folds his arms behind his head and looks at the ceiling. He examines the roof with such a focused expression that I almost look up as well. However, I’m gazing at his face and don’t want to stop. I realise that I’m starting to feel familiar at being so close to him and that I’m starting to like his features every day a bit more. He is handsome, indeed, but I haven’t realised that it would influence me so much.

I clench my fists to prevent my hand from reaching him. I don’t know why I’m feeling this urge to have some contact.

«I know they won’t stop,» I nod. I’m not stupid.

«They will act tomorrow since it’s their last opportunity. If we can defend ourselves, then we will be safe for a while.»

«What are you planning?» I inquire.

«You should be the one to plan something, Thea.»

«Oh, you’re right,» I notice. In the end, I’m the one being targeted.

«What shall we do?» he asks, surprising me again. He just said he doesn’t want to waste efforts, while he is offering to help me now?

«First, we need to find out who is their source of information,» I answer mechanically.

The Duke smiles, looking at me with an expression full of nostalgia.

«What happened to your scheming partner?» I ask, before even thinking about the consequences. I once used to be such a wise and careful queen. Once.

«What scheming partner?»

«The way you looked at me…» I stutter. «It made me think that you used to play with someone.»

«Did I look like that?»

I nod, hoping the Duke will just laugh and forget about this. It was just a glimpse, but his eyes showed me how much he longed for this kind of closeness. I guess scheming together can be a fast way to improve any marriage.

«Wasn’t I just looking at my wife with love?» he inquires, turning to the side and observing me with a little grin.

Damn it, why does he have to stop on every word? I’ve just made a stupid remark, nothing more.

«We’re alone,» I point out. «There’s no need to exchange weird glances.»

«Mhm, right… We’re alone…»

I pretend not to notice the Duke’s lustful smirk, and I simply continue to play with the rim of my dress.

He’s become so transparent, all of a sudden. I couldn’t imagine I would start to understand his intentions this soon. Not that he has many different interests when it comes to me, though.

I remember the way I felt under the gaze of the people in the palace’s garden, and I shiver. I can imagine that someone is spying on me even here, in the Duke’s chamber.

I lie down next to my husband, looking at the ceiling helplessly. I fold my arms just like he’s done and sigh noisily.

«Shall we scheme something or not?» I mumble.

«Rather than scheming, we have to predict what their move will be. And then, find a way to counter it.»

«Who is ‘they’?»

«I don’t know, Thea. No one has ever dared to talk to me like that…»

«To me neither, before I came here.»

«What do you want to do?»

«Show them how this Duchess reacts to provocations,» I state, looking back at him. I curl my lips and notice the relieved sigh of the Duke. He was as tense as me, it seems. He doesn’t like it when I panic, and I’ll better learn to refrain from losing control in the future.

I move slightly closer to the Duke. I know that he wants to help me and that he likes it when I act like a sweet wife. I feel his warmth from how close he is, but I don’t dare to touch him yet. First, I’ll make him promise he will help me set some little traps. Only then, I’ll let him get his hands on me.

«Do you already have some suspects for the information leaks?» he questions, trying to carry on the conversation.

«I do,» I nod. «Will you help me, Alexander?»

I smile slightly, turning to the side and mirroring the Duke. I can tell that his hands are itching. He will embrace me in a matter of minutes, so I better explain my suspicions while he’s still listening.