Rion P.O.V
I was sitting at my large mahogany desk reading yet another document reporting our status on the war. I could not help but feel anger toward my wife for not yet producing an heir after 5 years. She was the reason I could not be with my men right now. They desperately needed me on the field right now using Mirabelle to heal their wounds, provide encouragement, and lead charges. Not sitting behind a desk, reading reports, in meetings, and signing documents. If she could just get pregnant then I could go. Her family is known to produce multiple offspring, so she should be fertile.
I was annoyed with the situation but at the same time could barely bring myself to look at and touch her more than once a month. She was not the one I desired. She was not the girl who held my heart. My father refused to listen to me and allow me to find the commoner girl. He told me to think of my status and reputation. The daughter of the Arch Duke was the only one in the Empire he would approve of and he even used Mother against me as she knew her and approved. The past 5 years have been awful. I have been sleeping in separate chambers due to refusing to sleep in the same bed continuously. I feel as if I am cheating on the kind and beautiful girl I once knew. The only way I can stand to get through intimacy with my wife is by looking only at her white hair and imagining what that commoner girl would look like by now, as they both have snow-white hair. The commoner girl has deep innocent sapphire blue eyes, the woman I married has similar eyes but a stare that burns into your soul. I can’t look into them without feeling like I’m suffocating.
I continued reading and signing paperwork until 8’o clock at night when Lucas came in calmly as always without knocking. I rolled my eyes, His father showed respect to mine. However, Lucas is my best friend and the right hand to the throne he is the only one I trust to truly be honest with me. “Are you ever going to go to dinner?” He folded his hands and looked at me standing straight.
“Just bring it here as you always do.” I waved it off.
“And what would you like me to tell the Empress? She has been sitting at the table waiting for the past two hours.”
“She could have gone ahead.” I continued to read.
“The staff will not serve dinner early on the day you are to attend with her formally.”
“Send my regards and feed her. I’m in the middle of this war report and need to make a plan to send it out tonight. Oh, and tell her this month to do what her mother does in order to care for herself. I need an heir.”
“I will relay your messages and bring you dinner.” Lucas bowed and left.
He was back thirty minutes later with a red mark on his face. I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “She hit you?”
“No, her guard did.” Lucas rubbed his jaw. “For a female, she punches really hard, she was almost feral. Do you have to keep her here?”
“If those people keep the Empress out of my hair, yes, they stay.” I was making the plans to send it out secretly.
“Are you calling Ragnarok?” He leaned over my desk.
“Dear God, I hope it never comes to that.” I put my head in my hands. “Last time they were called, an entire legion quit once they came home and they were only kids. Now they are all adults! Who knows what they are capable of at this point.”
“The fact your dad called kids to the frontlines is just cold-blooded.”
“He didn’t! Dad called Valhalla and Ragnarok decided to surface. Apparently, Duke Andromeda decided his heir needed to make an appearance even though he was just a teenager.”
“What father throws his kid to war?” Lucas looked at me. “Never mind, you do not have to answer that nor feel obligated to. House Andromeda can’t even be considered human with how they raise their kids.”
“Lucas…”
“Yeah, yeah go work you workaholic. Just remember you need to fulfill your husbandly duties tonight if you want to impregnate her.” He waved me off as he walked out.
I rolled my eyes. I do not want to impregnate her, I never want to do that. It is against my will. I have to do it out of duty to produce an heir. Divorce is illegal and I have tried to pass a law to permit it three times but each time the nobles decline to pass it. A few of them are in marriages where the love is one-sided and do not want their wives to leave them. The nobles in loveless marriages decline to pass it out of tradition.
I hate this. Touching her makes me sick. I am unable to love her. Unable to hold any affection or say sweet words to her. I simply satisfy my carnal needs once a month and fulfill my duty to her by eating a meal with her each month and leaving her to her own devices. As long as she stays faithful as I am I do not care what she does. I have told my men to stop telling me what she does as I do not care. It is a waste of time listening to that report. My father was killed. Until I have the head of the Lycia king, I will not be satisfied.
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