He instantly yielded, letting her go, a pit forming in his stomach for she had not shirked his touch. Not once since they had learned to communicate, and shortly after, shared their love for one another.

She took three steps from him, placing herself out of his reach.

She then said, “In hearing these barons were in the city, awaiting an audience with you, one you granted them this day, I asked a special meal to be prepared. Thus, I intended to invite them and their wives to dine with us this eve. As you did not know these were my plans, I can only assume you did not extend this invitation.”

His mother would extend the same invitation, for even if he and his wife had been back in their home not a full day, and thus might (and did) wish time alone, it was not only the right thing to do, it was the strategic thing to do.

“I did not but I will have my secretary send a messenger to them and share I was remiss in this and rectify that mistake,” he replied.

She nodded, before she turned, continuing to move away, saying, “Elpis’s secretary shared I have much correspondence to catch up on. Now, I shall see about doing that.”

“Bellezza,” he called.

She stopped at the doorway to their bathing room but spoke no words as she turned and caught his gaze.

“You must understand the strength of my desire to protect you,” he stated.

“I do, for I would assume it is much the same as the strength of my desire to offer the same to you,” she returned.

And with these parting words, his queen swept from their chambers.

It would seem his Silence was intent on doing what she had shared was her most fervent wish, outside being a good wife, and when that time came, a good mother.

This being a good queen.

For during dinner that eve with his barons and their wives, although she was not effusively chatty, for she was not this naturally, she was attentive to all, including him.

Her lips often curved in smiles that appeared genuine, even aimed toward him. And she allowed him to hold her hand, and she held his in return. Indeed, she did not move away from his touch in the slightest, at her elbow, at the small of her back.

And she launched her brand of charm offensive by calling for their pet monkey after dinner and allowing Piccola to scamper and entertain. But mostly she did this as she openly shared her affection for the animal, which would win over even Mars’s most staunch detractor, or at least it would win them over to Silence, for Firenz had a deep affinity for all animals. Indeed, they considered those taken as pets to be as important to a family as children.

No, it was after the men and women separated—the men to take in smoke or taibac and consume cognac and whiskey, the women to do the same, but with sherry or brandy in another room—when he escorted the men to their wives to take their leave, that he was told that Silence’s maid had called her away on a matter of some import and she had said her farewells earlier.