We arrived at Talmora Castle, home of Duke Etolio and Duchess Astra before noon the next day. They greeted us in the courtyard of their castle as our party arrived.

  "Welcome, dear prince!"

  The duke was an older man with bck hair greying at the sides. He warmly embraced Virtus, but over his shoulder gave me a cold look.

  The duchess seemed to be older than him by a few years, with her completely grey hair tied up in an eborate style on top of her head.

  "Your Highness," she said and stiffly bowed to me. "We thought you would be coming yesterday night."

  "I am sorry, we got a bit distracted."

  Virtus smiled at me. I blushed.

  The duchess bowed stiffly to me and I curtsied back.

  ***

  "Which dress would you like to wear tonight, Your Highness?"

  Lady Ilene pointed to all the dresses I had brought with me which had been hung up in my room.

  The duke and duchess had given Virtus and I separate rooms to stay in, which was to be expected. It was strange, however that the rooms were in completely different wings of the castle. It was customary to give royal couples separate but adjoining chambers.

  I pointed to a deep purple dress, which had belonged to Virtus's mother.

  "I think this one."

  Lady Ilene nodded and helped me get dressed. Then she started doing my hair.

  "Lady Ilene can I ask you something?"

  She was braiding one of the dozen little braids that would be integrated into a complicated updo. I looked at her in the rge mirror in the vanity we were facing.

  "Of course, Your Highness, what is it?"

  "The duke and duchess seem a bit cold towards me. Am I just imagining it?"

  Lady Ilene bit her lip.

  "Please tell me if there is anything," I pleaded.

  "It's not my pce to say but if I had to guess..."

  "Yes?"

  "They had a son who died in the war. He was killed in Andel."

  "But Andel isn't even close to Havermark. It's directly north of Medora and was your ally during the war!"

  "Yes but the troops were from Havermark."

  "Do you really think this has such a big effect?"

  "He was their only child and they had him when the duchess was already quite old. The loss of their son Elorus was devastating to them."

  I nodded. I would try to be polite.

  As I walked into the Great Hall of Talmora Castle Duchess Astra made a sour face. Virtus already sat at the centre of the dais in a cheerful conversation with the duke. I sat at the other side next to the duchess.

  "Good evening Duchess Astra."

  "Good evening Your Highness."

  She barely looked at me as I sat down next to her.

  The duke stood up and spoke loudly.

  "We welcome Prince Virtus to our home along with his new wife. The prince has been dear to our hearts ever since the days when he was just a little tyke running between his mother's legs. We remember his mother Queen Mariana with great fondness as she was a dear friend to Duchess Astra. Let us all raise our gsses in the memory of the te queen and our dear son Elorus."

  We all raised our gsses, but I was deeply confused. This tour was supposed to be all about welcoming me into the country, yet the duke hadn't even mentioned me by name at all. Was this on purpose?

  Beside the duke Virtus stood up. I didn't know he was supposed to make a speech.

  "I want to take this opportunity as well to introduce you to my beautiful wife, Princess Talia from Havermark! Please raise your gsses to your future queen!"

  The people raised their gsses again. Perhaps a bit hesitantly, but they did as their prince told them.

  I ate mostly in silence. The duke and duchess spoke only to Virtus, who sometimes tried to include me. My conversational partner on my other side also didn't speak to me at all.

  Near the end of the dinner I reached around to get a cooked peach and spilled the gss of red wine on my dress. The duchess shrieked.

  "Are you not ashamed!? You come to our country after all your people have done and now you even ruin the queen's dress!"

  Tears filled my eyes. She hated me! Maybe they all did.

  "Prince Virtus, I'm sorry you have to be married to such a woman," the duke said loudly enough for most to hear.

  Prince Virtus took a deep breath, I held mine.

  "Let me be very clear, Duke Etolio. You have always been a good friend to me, but I will not abide by this. This woman is my wife, one day she will be your queen. She is a good and kind woman who has done nothing wrong against us or our country. We will take our leave now. If you know what is best for you, you will treat her better in the coming days."

  His voice rang out, powerful and authoritative. All the guests in the hall stopped in their tracks to listen to him speak. The duke quivered and bowed before him. He took me gently by the arm and led me out of the hall. There was no sound but the sound of our footsteps marching out of the hall.

  He led me all the way to his room. When he got there he held my arms and said:

  "I'm so sorry that that happened."

  "Do they all hate me?"

  "No... Or if they do I'll make them love you."

  "How?"

  "You're my wife, Talia. I'm going to stand by you. We're going to be together for a long time. In a few years they will have forgotten all about the war. You're a charming woman, they'll fall for you like I have."

  "You've fallen for me?"

  He smiled.

  "Yeah."

  I stepped in to his arms and kissed him. His lips were soft and his hands moved slowly down my back. He pulled me closer. I dug my fingers into his thick curly hair.

  I pulled out of the kiss.

  "I think I'm ready."

  He smiled, then he groaned.

  "What?"

  "Oh nothing, it's just you're wearing my mum's dress."

  I ughed.

  He took off the dress very chastely, gently pulling at the strings to open it. In unison we moved to pull it up off my body. As soon as it was off and I stood wearing only my chemise he pulled me close to him.

  "I've been waiting for this moment since I first saw you."

  He kissed me intensely, drawing my lips into movement with his. Our mouths opening slightly to let our tongues graze against each other's lips. His hand moved over my breast, dragging the soft silk over it.

  He removed his jacket, then his white frilly shirt. I ran my fingers through the bck curly hair on his chest before he pulled me back in to the kiss.

  He led me to the bed and sat me down at the edge of it. He motioned me to lie down. I did, and then he went down on his knees on the floor and pulled my chemise up, grabbing my hips. He kissed the inner side of my thigh, then my clit. I squirmed.

  "What are you doing!?"

  He chuckled.

  "This is part of the act. It's to get you ready. Do you want me to stop?"

  "No, continue."

  His head nestled between my thighs and he continued to lick me. It just felt weird and wet at first. He pyed with his tongue, flicking it around my opening, then running it over my clitoris. I could feel that it was making me wet, but I wasn't sure if I liked it.

  Slowly it started to feel better. I tensed up and clenched, then the tension would release. The tension ebbed and flowed like waves in the ocean. He looked up at me.

  "What do you think about it now?"

  "I like it," I sighed.

  "It's about to get better."

  He moved his head back between my legs and positioned my vagina with his hand so that he could best access the clit. Then he started licking me faster than before. I grabbed his hair with both hands, gasping. He kept going, falling into a steady rhythm as my body tensed up. I trembled, my breath quickening. Finally the pleasure was too much to bear and my body erupted in ecstasy, my thighs cmping hard around Virtus’s ears.

  “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

  He ughed.

  “It’s fine Talia. It doesn’t hurt.”

  I leaned back and sighed.

  Virtus stood up, and together we moved to lie on the bed side by side.

  This was the moment in which I would have to pretend. He couldn’t have any clue that I had done this before. Among the peasants it was common to use the hymen as an indicator of virginity. Since horseback riding was a very popur sport among noblewomen the only reason why a husband would suspect something was wrong was if the new bride seemed a little too experienced.

  I y still as he slowly took off his pants, looking me in the eyes. Alvar was rge, but Virtus might be even rger, and he was already rock-hard. I gasped.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll start slowly.”

  I nodded.

  “Can I take off your chemise?”

  “Yes.”

  He pulled it off and stroked my breast with his warm hand. Then he looked up and our eyes met.

  “You’re so beautiful, Talia.”

  “Thank you, you’re very handsome too.”

  I meant it. He looked absolutely beautiful in the candlelight. His dark eyes sparkled in the fme of the candle, his cssical features beautifully framed by his dark curls and beard. He smiled and moved on top of me, kissing me slowly. His warm hand moved my thighs open. Slowly, he pushed himself inside me. At first he moved very slowly. With each move I let out a small moan. I could feel every inch of him as he moved rhythmically. He kissed me softly on the lips, and I moaned into the kiss.

  He started to move more quickly. I wanted to grab him and move with him, but I worried that that would give away the fact that I was not a virgin. I held his arm and nuzzled my face against his chest.

  “Is this fine?” he paused.

  “Yes.”

  “Just tell me if it’s not. You feel incredible Talia.”

  “Thank you.”

  He sped up again, I moaned. He moved faster and faster. It felt very good, and if I could move with him it would have felt amazing. Finally he came with a beautiful deep moan. He moved off me and to my side, facing me.

  “That was wonderful, Talia, and it will start to feel better for you in the future too.”

  “It already felt very good, Prince Virtus.”

  “Just call me Virtus when we’re in bed,” he smiled.

  “Of course,” I smiled back.