“In manners such as this, my new wife, your tactics of speaking only when spoken to and keeping to yourself that which you’d rather not be heard do not work. And I’ll hasten to add, it will never work in matters with your husband. Even if there’s discord, we must have it so we can get past it.”

“What you did last night was unconscionable,” I blurted.

His head gave a jerk.

Since it had come out, I had to finish it.

“You used me…you used…used…” I drew in a ragged breath. “You used my response to you, my feelings for you, to…to punish me.”

“Amore,” he whispered, his tone quiet but heavy with remorse, and it must be noted, his eyes were drowning in it.

“You used me against myself to teach me some lesson I could not possibly understand for I have no experience being a wife, I have no experience being a queen, and I’m doing the best I can in rather trying circumstances.”

His gaze moved over my face before he murmured, “I see this was not a sterling decision on my part.”

“No,” I agreed.

And it took not even a second for him to say his next.

“I cannot begin to express how deeply I regret this, my wee monkey,” he whispered, his voice even heavier, indeed, positively dragging with repentance.

I stared up at him.

Did he just…?

Apologize?

And further, he had not called me his monkey in over a week.

I had missed that.

I had not wanted to.

But I had.

“I am new to being a husband as well, Silence,” he reminded me. “Though not new to being a king, that is not who I am to you. I am your husband, that is all I’ll truly be to you and it distresses me I have failed you so appallingly, not only in my actions, but in not understanding the entirety of the burdens you carry.”

“I…erm…”

I trailed off for I knew not what to say.

Mars knew what to say.

“I have mentioned this before, though did it in times most rife, so perhaps you did not take it in. Therefore, I’ll repeat it. You do not have to learn how to be a queen in but hours or days or weeks. Just be you. You are bright, and you are observant. You will find your way.”

I hoped he was right.

But it made my heart glad that he thought this.