In front of me were the Prince's servants holding him up between them. He was drunk and calling out loudly for Cora. 

"Bring him in" I stepped aside, and the servants brought him to my bed "where is Cora?" 

"she..." the servant hesitated "she doesn't like to deal with him when he gets drunk, so she left him with us and retired to her rooms for the night we normally bring the prince to the king, but he directed us to bring him to his wife" that servant looked so frightened. 

"well, let's care for him, shall we" I got to work immediately. The prince had vomited on his shirt and was raging, refusing to sit down. I turned to his servant Maxim, "could you get him a change of clothes and have the physician send something to get him to sleep" Maxim beamed that I knew his name and ran off. that leaving Ivan his other servant, trying to calm him. 

"Please, your highness, I need you to take a seat," Ivan spoke in a firm voice while avoiding letting the prince fall on his royal ass as he searched the room for Cora. 

"you know Cora doesn't like to see you this way. You need to be strong for her," I stated, and that got him to stop. I rolled my eyes "you need to sit down and prove that you are making good decisions so that you can protect Cora; only respect of you will keep her safe."

"I can keep Cora safe and by my side forever," he stumbled to the chair" when he got there, I went to remove his vomit-covered shirt "stop, she doesn't want you to see me." 

"I'm helping you be more presentable to her. Don't you want to impress Cora" he relented and let me take his shirt off. I had to hold in my own vomit at the smell of his shirt, and it was absolutely nasty. If this is the king's idea of a present, I don't think I want to celebrate yule with him. 

"Ivan, now that he is calm, could you go retrieve me some water and rags to help clean him up?" Ivan hesitated to leave me alone with the prince "do not worry, Ivan, he is calm now, and we are married, so my virtue is intact" Ivan nodded and left 

"We didn't do the con...sim...nation, so we aren't really married, Este," the prince mumbled out "you are pretty, but I love Cora." 

"well, thank you for the compliment" I went to open the door for Ivan and Maxim. 

"please brew him a sleeping draft so we don't have to deal with anything unexpected," Maxim hopped to the task. I helped Ivan get the prince out of his pants so we could whip up the vomit. It was nasty but needed to be done. 

"you are too kind, my lady; normally, the king and queen simply watch over as we handle this," Ivan said to me. 

"I am his wife. I think sickness and health better and worse apply here but thank you, Ivan" Ivan gathered the soiled cloths. "I think I can handle him from here Maxim, and I will get him on the bed and give him the draft so you can be dismissed," he nodded his thanks and left with the solid cloths. 

"are you ready to move him, your highness?" Maxim asked 

"I am now that the smell has left the room," I breathed out. Maxim set the sleeping draft on my bedside table and reached for his shirt

"Prince Dimitri, can I help you put on your dressing gown for bed" Maxim approached the prince slowly 

"I sleep free, Maxim, you know this. he stood up in a rage and nearly collapsed his whole anatomy on display. "I shall retire to my room," he made to take a step, and his legs didn't catch him, and he collapsed on me 

"your highness, I think the nearest bed will have to do," I grunted under his substantial weight. 

"so be it take me to the guest bed" Maxim rushed to his other side to take some of the weight as we deposited him on my bed. 

"here, have a tea to calm your stomach before bed" I handed him the sleeping draft. He may say now he is ready for bed, but he demanded Cora be at his side not too long ago. 

"I don't want the tea woman." 

"If Cora dear were to come and find you only to see you again covered in vomit, would she be happy?" I questioned, and instantly he downed the draft "oh thank the... the lord" Maxim gave me a confused look at my broken exclamation 

"Is there anything else I can do to be of service?" 

"no, Maxim, you are dismissed. I will call if I need any assistance" he nodded and left. I looked at the prince bare as the day he was born was already sleeping on my bed. Naturally, I grabbed a blanket and settled on the couch for the night since I didn't think he would like to share a bed. 

*** 

Hours later, I wake to the sound of stirring. The prince is moving about on the bed, about to rise. It is still the early morning hours, so no servants have been shown to stoke the fire or open the curtains. 

"where am I?" he questions

"well, dear, you are in my bed" I stood and wrapped a rob about myself. he instantly shot up and looked at the state he was in. "I cleaned you up and put you to bed. No need to worry about your virtue. You were in no state to perform, although based on previous experience, I wonder if you are ever in a state to perform" 

"How dare you," he roared, standing, then he remembered his state of undress. 

"well, I have my own experience, and then there is the fact that you failed to get lady Cora pregnant..." I answered calmly. There is a chance raising his anger is a mistake, but with all the hormones coursing through his veins, I'm hoping it will be the push he needs. He stormed to me, standing over to intimidate me. 

"and I know what you are doing, little 'innocent wife," he practically spits in my face. I could feel his breath as he backed me to the wall "you play nice and innocent, but you are really a snake sent here. You take the paperwork for the kingdom and do lord knows what with it, and I know your ladies are trying to marry all the important men in the kingdom. you are spies; vipers sent for our downfall" his hands slammed on the wall on either side of my head 

"of course, my ladies are trying to marry well. That is our only job as women to marry well and produce babies. That is our lot in life. As for the work assigned to you, well, I am simply helping the kingdom where you are failing it out of your own selfish agenda. if you don't know what is going on, why don't you ask your father about the state of the nation and the job I have been doing for you, so you didn't get in trouble" I didn't look away; I didn't flinch "I am no viper I was traded like a piece of furniture by your father and mine I am never to see my home again, and you treat me like dirt and plan to deny me the family I have always wanted and leave me ruined, so no one else will have me" I was crying and yelling 

"I didn't want you!" he screamed in my face. 

"and I wanted a husband who was capable of pleasing me, so I guess we both lost!" he slammed his fist right next to my head. I flinched this time; he was so close to my face, and I didn't expect it or his next reaction.