Ash's POV

Xander's hand is gently resting on my leg as I sit next to him, at the head of the table for this court meeting. While I had wished to be left alone this morning with my husband, lazily lounging in a mess of silken sheets; the court had other intentions.

As Crowned Princess, I no longer can avoid these awful court meetings. Though, I will admit that they are much more pleasant with Xander by my side so I guess that is a win. However, his presence alone is enough to completely distract me from the blabbering old men's words. As his thumb slowly caresses the skin on the side of my thigh through my dress, flashes of last night fill my mind and I feel my face start to heat up.

Almost as if Xander can tell what I am thinking, his hand slowly creeps higher on my thigh and I unintentionally squirm in my seat. I keep my eyes focused on the room in front of me, grateful no one can see his hand since it is under the table. As more memories of last night steal my attention and breath, I flick his hand in warning and he reluctantly pauses his upward movement.

He blows out his breath, the sound like a stifled chuckle. I turn to look at him and sure enough, there is a slight smirk playing on his lips. I don't have time to really be mad at him because his thumb starts rubbing my leg again. The coolness from his hand seems to soak through all the layers of material and my skin tingles delightfully under his touch, making me want to leave this meeting just so I could simply feel his bare skin against mine again.

But this is a court meeting and I am responsible for my people so for now I settle for laying a gloved hand atop his. He glances over at me and winks, making me roll my eyes while a host of butterflies take flight in my stomach again. I take a deep breath and return my focus to the actual meeting.

"There is a group of vigilantes in Creden that have been stealing food from the vendors. From the limited reports we have, the vigilantes are described as fast and calculating. They are causing tension and problems among the townspeople. They are probably reckless teenagers playing pranks..."

"Or they are starving children who are doing what they have to do to eat," Xander casually interrupts.

All eyes, including mine, turn to him in surprise but he just continues, "I may new to official kingdom politics but I have been a citizen of Terraga my entire life. I know just as much as you do that Creden is the poorest city in the entire kingdom."

He takes a breath and continues, his attention solely on my least favorite man in the room. "Stealing to eat wouldn't be necessary if there was enough food in the first place. You are the Duke of Danley. Creden falls under your jurisdiction. Why are your people going hungry?"

Astonished gasps and grumbles echo around the room. While my emotions match the surprise of the others in the room, I am also incredibly proud of my husband. And maybe a little turned on. I have never seen this side of him before but it is a side that reaffirms my belief that he will be a good King; a King I would happily follow.

The thought catches me off-guard and while I watch the Duke of Danley fumble to come up with a reasonable excuse, I admire Xander. He gracefully challenges the Duke, remaining calm and collected the entire time. Seeing him like this makes me proud to be his Queen and I am excited to rule with him. That thought also catches me by surprise.

I have never wanted to rule with someone before and I certainly have been excited about the notion. In my lifetime, I have never seen a King who truly cares for his kingdom and his Queen. Actually, I don't know there has ever been such a man on the throne before and if there has, it has been a really long time. Far too long, if you ask me.

"I apologize, Lord Canmore. I do..."

"Prince," Xander quickly corrects, the muscles in his jaw twitching.

"What?"

Xander leans forward, his voice hard and condescending now, "Prince Canmore. Say my title correctly."

I have never heard him take that tone before and my body automatically stiffens in response as remnant echoes of the King's words ring around in my head. Xander notices my discomfort instantly and flips his hand over, weaving his fingers between mine as he continues to stare the Duke.

The Duke visibly pales under Xander's scrutiny and he looks as if he wishes he could disappear. He swallows before he speaks again, his voice sounding the most pained I have ever heard it be, "Prince Canmore, I deeply apologize. I will send resources from Danley immediately."

Satisfied with the answer, Xander leans back slightly in his chair, "Very well."

The room falls silent again, so I choose to speak up, "Are there any other immediate concerns that need to be addressed?"

"No, La...Princess Locklynn. That was the main one. With your permission, we can adjourn this meeting."

Happy to be done, Xander and I stand in unison. Our hands remain interlocked, a subtle but obvious sign that he sees me as his equal, not just as his wife. I notice the eyes that silently fall on our hands but no one dares to say anything about it. The guards posted at the door respectfully bow before us and when Xander clicks his tongue, they silently open the doors for us and Xander drops my hand and stops walking.

I glance back at him and he just smiles, sweeping his arm toward the door, "After you, my dear."

I feel my face blush as I hear more astonished gasps come from the court. The King never lets the Queen enter or exit a room before him. I was right about my initial assessment of Xander; he is not like most princes.

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Xander's POV

I rejoin Ashlee's side and once again take her hand in mine as we stroll down the hallway. I smile as I hear the grumbling still coming from the meeting room. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Sir West has fallen into silent step behind us and I give him a nod of acknowledgement. He dips his head in response and I return my attention to my wife.

"Ashlee?"

She looks up at me, her eyes briefly darting to my lips before they meet mine. I quirk an eyebrow at her and she blushes but holds my gaze. As the pink climbs her cheeks, I unintentionally smirk. She has always been relatively easy to make blush but after last night, I just have to look at her and she turns red.

Not that I can really say too much because she has made me blush more times than I care to admit.

"Are you hungry?" I ask softly and she quickly nods her head.

"Good. I have a little surprise for you."

She looks at me with curiosity but I just shake my head and continue leading her down the hallway. A few moments later, we are making our way out of the castle and into the gardens. I had requested our dinner to be outside, a picnic in the gazebo where I first laid eyes on her.

And just like that night, fairy lights are strung along the edge of the gazebo.

"Xander..."

"Yes, dear?"

She softly laughs, "What is all this for?"

"You, dear."

"Why?"

I stop walking and tug on her hand, encouraging her to face me, "Because you deserve it."

She quickly looks away, and before I know what I am doing, my hand is guiding her head to look at me while my other hand is pulling her closer to me.

She keeps her eyes settled on my shoulder, still avoiding meeting my eyes.

That simply won't do.

I sweep a few stray pieces of hair behind her ear and she sucks in her breath as my fingers run under her jaw before gently lifting her chin. Her eyes finally meet mine as she chews on the inside of her cheek.

"Ashlee, you deserve this, my dear."

She sighs and glances away again.

"Look at me, Ashlee," I whisper and she sighs again but looks back at me.

"I'm sorry you have been made to believe that you don't deserve nice things. Let me prove them all wrong."

Her face softens, "Okay."

With a smile, I quickly dip my head to place a kiss on her delicious lips. Her hands quickly snake behind my head and into my hair as she steps even closer to me, the smell of her hair mixing with the taste of her lips, sending me into overdrive. My hands unintentionally start to roam her body and she moans into my mouth as they travel over her curves.

God, I love the noises she makes.

I go to deepen the kiss even more when her stomach reminds us both that we haven't eaten since this morning.

Breaking the kiss, she looks into my eyes with a mixture of love and lust before she rests her head against my chest and softly laughs to herself. I wrap my arms around her and hold her, still trying to catch my breath when her stomach growls again.

"I guess I really am hungry."

We both laugh as we walk over to the prepared food for us. Sir West does not follow any closer but remains where he can keep a watchful eye over my wife. He stands straight, hands clasped behind his back watching as I help her into her seat, pour her drink and serve her food before sitting down myself.

I motion for to start eating while I serve myself but she hesitates, her fork held stiffly in her fingers.

"You don't have to wait on me, dear. Eat."

She smiles sheepishly, "Sorry. I just...I don't...I'm not..."

"I know. But you don't have to follow those rules around me, remember?"

She sighs and sets her fork down, before looking away from me again.

Confused, I reach across the table to rest my hand on hers, "What's wrong, dear?"

Another sigh.

And another.

Finally, she admits, "You scared me today."

Her words strike me like a blow but there is a truth in them that I need to acknowledge.

"I know and I'm sorry but he needed to be put in his place."

She glances at me, "He did. I just...haven't heard you talk like that before and I..."

I squeezed her hand, "I know but I am not your father. You don't have to be afraid of me. I love you and I wouldn't ever intentionally hurt you."

She squeezed my hand back, "I believe you. And I love you too."

And with that, she was satisfied enough to start eating so I followed her actions, both of us silent until we fell back into the comfort of our small talk. Eventually, I was able to make her laugh with another ridiculous story from my childhood. The sound of her laugh is beautiful and the way her nose slightly crinkles when she is fully laughing, fills my soul with joy.

She is perfect.