The people of Paxmouth knew how to party.
Aveline’s eyes doubled in size when she watched Wren lift her brother to drink beer out of a bull’s horn upside down.
It was even more incredible that Lark was still standing by the time he was upright again!
Despite her size, Bae seemed to be able to outdrink most of her peers.
Aveline made the mistake of accepting her drinks until she found it hard to stand.
“Easy, there.” Someone caught her waist just before she fell.
Aveline looked up and it was Theo.
Her whole body was leaning against his as the whole room cheered.
Blushing, Aveline pushed him away to stand by herself.
“You!” Wren staggered over with a chalice in one hand while pointing an accusing finger at Theo.
“What are you trying to do with our queen?” This time, she was the one who put her arms around Aveline and pulled her closer.
“Don’t mess with her!” Bae joined in.
“Or we will have your head!”
Everyone in the hall laughed as they clapped and cheered.
Theo remained unfazed as he crossed his arms.
He’s literally sitting in his throne and they’re threatening to behead him.
“Is that a thing to say to your king?” He raised an unimpressed brow.
Bae was even tougher to disturb.
“It’s the right thing to say to her husband.” She shrugged.
Theo’s eye twitched slightly.
She’s got you there!
“A husband who keeps disobeying her!” Wren swayed Aveline with her as she spun to address the others.
The hall was alive with song and joyous laughter.
“He took an arrow for her, but refused to listen to her advice!” At this point, Aveline pulled herself away.
She’s so strong!
I haven’t perfected my hangover tonic yet!
Her hands scrambled to grab some grapes and swallowed it with a gulp of water.
Nothing was worse than a throbbing headache while throwing up.
Better than nothing.
“He was sword fighting not two days after getting shot!”
Something flickered in Theo’s eyes.
“Are you talking about my preparation to protect my wife from potential attacks?” The man raised a brow.
Is that why he was fighting?
Why?
There’s plenty of people protecting me.
Aveline watched Bae and Wren share a cackle in response to their king.
Gems seemed to have passed out at the table and Sun was somehow hanging from the roof beams.
Well, when they’re sober.
After Bae and Wren had enough of making fun of their king, they moved on to trying to stop Sun from falling.
“Is that why you did it?” After the people cleared out of his space, Aveline approached him.
She didn’t sit in the neighbouring chair.
Aveline had already sat in it once.
It took some getting used to.
Theo seemed taken aback that Aveline came to him.
He cleared his throat lightly as he sat straighter in his throne and downed his drink.
“I…” He avoided her eyes.
This was the first time they had properly spoken since that day.
“I just want to keep you safe.”
Aveline opened her mouth.
Someone screamed behind her.
She turned back to see Sun in Fourth’s arms.
Don’t tell me he just –
“I’m fine!” Sun screamed into Fourth’s ear.
“How drunk are you?” Fourth huffed as he dropped Sun to his feet.
Sun did not land on his feet; in fact, they were like goo as he fully flopped into the other.
“I’m not carrying you back!”
Sun whined as he held Fourth’s neck tighter.
“But your arms are so strong!”
That’s my bodyguard…
Clinging to my head attendant.
How did we survive that attack?
“Do you guys party like this often?” Aveline couldn’t help but ask.
Everyone, from the nobles, politicians and even the musicians were absolutely drunk.
Yet somehow still competent.
Theo chuckled lightly, giving away that he wasn’t in the same state as the others.
“Only when there’s something to celebrate.” He nodded to her crown.
“Like a new queen.”
Aveline blushed as her fingers brushed over the central gem in the middle.
Her eyes lingered on the matching gem in Theo’s crown.
“Aww, so cute!” Hales and View were dragging Gems with them.
Despite having seemingly passed out earlier, Gems only looked mildly dishevelled with a bird’s nest as a hairstyle.
“I want to find a romance like yours one day, Your Majesty!” View cried as tears sprang to her eyes.
“The people around me are either taken or flirting with someone else!”
Aveline’s eyes flickered to Fourth with his arm around Sun’s waist.
Hm.
“No one wants to know about your love life!” Gems slurred as he wrestled out of the girl’s grasp.
“Go be sad somewhere else!” He dragged the two sobbing girls towards Fourth and Sun.
There goes my ladies-in-waiting.
How am I supposed to get out of my garments now?
Aveline couldn’t help but laugh at her drunken retinue dancing in a circle.
They were rowdy, lacked rhyme and could barely stand.
But they made her happy.
Her eyes shifted to the man next to her.
Do you make me happy too?
Theo had a small smile on his face, especially when Sun did a flip.
A thought came to Aveline.
She leaned closer so that Theo could hear clearly.
“Since you are so well-versed in women’s garments.” Theo’s hand froze as he was about to take another sip.
“Could you help me? Since my attendants are – well…” Aveline nodded to the dance floor.
Theo followed her gaze.
Her attendants were plastered.
The pair that helped her dress were playing a drunken game of who could jump the highest.
Theo gulped before his shaky hands put the cup down.
Aveline looked back at him innocently.
He blinked a couple of times.
“Of course.”
❀
It should have been impressive how Theo was able to help her take off the ceremonial layers.
He even moved around the dressing room with the same confidence as Hales and View.
His hands deftly unclipped the brooches and it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders when he put the cape to the side.
Silently, he moved closer as he began to unlace her dress.
Due to the design, the corset lacing was right at the base of her spine.
Aveline willed her heart to stop racing as she felt his fingers lightly brush the skin of her back as he pulled at the laces.
“Sorry.” The man gasped quietly.
“What are you sorry for?” Aveline didn’t turn around, even when she felt the dress loosen.
Theo moved in front of her to help with the jewellery.
He avoided her eyes as he continued his task.
“Offending you.”
“No.”
“No?” His grey eyes snapped to hers.
“I’m your wife, yes?”
At that, his pupils expanded before he nodded eagerly.
“But did you keep this many secrets from your first three wives too?”
Suddenly, Theo’s hands stopped at her bracelet.
He was silent as he stepped back and sank into the arm chair.
“I…”
Why do you look so troubled?
Theo took a deep breath.
“I’ve never been married before you.”
“What?”
When his eyes finally met hers, they were open and truthful.
Those puppy eyes begged for Aveline to listen.
This time, Aveline kneelt in front of the man to look at him.
By Farren tradition, people could marry from the age of 15.
Being 25, there’s a possibility that Theo could have had multiple wives by now.
But a man like him never marrying before Aveline?
That was rare.
“Tell me.” Aveline took his hand into hers as she tilted his chin to look at her.
“Don’t hide from me. If it was always me, then why do people think you’ve married before?”
Theo bit his lip as his hands grasped hers tighter.
“It was… my father.”
Aveline stared at him.
His father?
The pair of swords in the cave flashed through her mind.
King Magnus Alaric.
Not Yarrowheath.
Aveline blinked.
There were two King Magnuses.
The three brides…
“They were his.” Theo knew what Aveline was thinking about.
“None of them were my mother.”
A shadow clouded his eyes – a rage that Aveline had never seen before.
“They were cursed with some illness. Unable to produce an heir.”
His jaw tightened.
“Then with my mother – he – ” He gritted his teeth as he shook his head.
This must be painful for him.
Instantly, Aveline stood and cradled her husband’s head against her chest.
Theo’s arms wrapped around her torso in return; tight enough to hurt, but she knew he didn’t mean it.
He must have spent his whole life fighting for his birthright.
And yet, the people ended up adoring him.
Is that why he guarded everything dear to him so fiercely?
They stayed like that for a moment.
Aveline stroked his head as she waited for his shoulders to loosen and fists to let go of her dress.
“Well, I think I need a bath after such a day. Wren woke up me up by banging pots by the bed.” When Theo pulled away, his eyes were glassy.
He still smiled lightly at the image of his friend’s antics.
“Would you like to join me?”
Aveline said nothing about them as she tenderly kissed one damp eye.
Then the other.
She moved to kiss each cheek.
Then his crownless forehead.
And finally, his soft, parted lips.
Theo had an indescribable expression when she pulled away.
His hands tightened on her dress like he feared that she would leave.
Those grey eyes were earnest and sincere as he stared at her.
“I love you.”
Aveline froze.
She could hear her heartbeat in her ears.
It was fast.
She opened her mouth to reply.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
Aveline closed her mouth again.
“I didn’t say it because I wanted an answer.” His fingers twirled a chestnut lock.
“I just want you to know that there’s no one else apart from you.”
“You talk like we’re fated.” Aveline smiled as she leaned deeper into the hands that found their way to cup her cheek.
“Even if I met you later, living your herbalist life in some cottage in the woods, I would still want you.”
Aveline couldn’t help her chuckle.
How did he know my plan?
“What makes you so confident that I would say yes?” She leaned closer until their noses were brushing.
“What if I was married to my work?”
Theo’s eyes flickered to hers.
They were almost black, like the other night.
There was something in them that made Aveline’s legs weak.
A small teasing smirk crossed his lips as he declared, “You can’t resist me.”
The smugness would have made her roll her eyes if Aveline wasn’t smiling along with him.
“Shut up.” She breathed before pulling the man into a kiss.
It had only been two days since their last kiss, but it felt like an eternity being apart.
Why did we stop when it feels this good?
The kiss made her breathless and legs weak from how incredible it felt.
Theo pulled her into his lap as her legs gave out and Aveline immediately wrapped her arms around his neck.
We should do this more.
She gasped when he nibbled at her earlobe.
Their eyes met again.
Slowly, Theo slipped his fingers under the neckline of her dress.
Aveline nodded slightly.
When he began to slide it off her shoulders, she found the strength to pull herself up.
“Do I -”
Theo looked like a kicked puppy as he watched his wife turn her back to him.
“No.”
Aveline completed the action herself and slipped one arm free.
Then the other.
Then the dress fell to her feet.
She was naked.
Looking over her shoulder, Aveline held out her hand.
“Come.”
His earlier hesitation disappeared in a blink as Theo sprang up and began shedding his layers with so much enthusiasm that Aveline couldn’t help but smile.
At this rate, he’s going to tear something.
Aveline turned towards the door, a hidden smile on her face.
“Don’t keep me waiting.”