The Usurper's Queen | COMPLETED

25 | the untold

He was standing so close to me, and I felt his breath fanning my cheeks softly. I was unable to reply, as I had no answer. Indeed, I was unsure as to why I am still loyal to him after all that happened.

I wanted power, which he could give, but he could also die while trying to get that power. I could have become the queen by accepting the king's proposal, but I was quick to reject him. The thought of anyone other than Edmund was alien to me, and I could not imagine being married to anyone but him.

In my notebooks and diaries, I had begun to style myself as Lady Anne de Chauvelot, Duchess of Cindertrappe, and I never considered the possibility of another man's title to decorate my name. It was always Edmund, and I shall be the Duchess of Cindertrappe and nothing other than that. But why was I thinking like this? I was far from a loyal person, and my heart was as fickle as it could get, so why was I still standing right beside him?

"I don't know," I admitted truthfully. "I never considered marrying anyone else, and all this time I was simply focused on my future with you, as Queen of Phoenicia."

Edmund's lips curled slightly as the melancholy faded from his eyes. "Anne, do you love me?"

In an instant, I felt as if all the air was sucked out of the room, and my mouth felt horribly dry. It was as if the cat has caught my tongue and I had lost my ability to speak. However, Edmund was eager to hear my answer, and he leaned closer on me, his pale green eyes meeting mine intensely.

"Well, do you Anne?" he insisted, and I saw his pale eyes turn darker, as if he were a predator that was excited to see his new prey. Edmund then seized my chin with his rough hands and tilted it upwards, bringing me closer to him than ever.

"I don't know," I stammered, my words all jumbled up due to the erratic beat of my heart. My hands were trembling and my knees were shaking, but he did not seem to mind.

"That is not an answer, Annie," Edmund laughed, and he began to stroke my cheek, his smile growing even wider. "Why are your cheeks so red, Annie dear? You are never shy with me, so why are you blushing so furiously?"

His incessant teasing made my ears burn, but I was still too flustered to muster up a response. I looked down at my hands in my lap, not wanting to see his smug face.

"A little bit," I choked out.

"A little bit of what, Annie?" he chuckled, now even louder than before.

"I love you, a little bit," I admitted.

Edmund smiled in satisfaction, and said, "I love you too, Annie. But a tad more."

I looked at him in shock, not at all expecting that those words would escape from his lips. For the past two years, I mostly viewed him as an ally, a friend, and a companion. Romantic feelings have yet to bloom inside my heart, and I assumed that Edmund felt the same. I was aware than most royal marriages were made just for the sake of convenience and love usually was not included in the package. It is a blessing enough if the couple does not hate each other, and love is awfully rare.

"Is this a competition? To measure who loves the other more?" I chuckled awkwardly, but Edmund shook his head while stroking my cheek softly.

"We will be married in less than a year, Annie. After that, we will spend the rest of our lives together. Our married life will not be an easy one, even after I claim the throne. There will be countless people who will try to tear us apart, but I won't let them. In the past, I fought for my mother and sister, but now I fight for you too.

And I am glad that you are fond of me too, Annie. My mother and father had a very loving relationship, and I had hoped for something similar to that. One day, I shall crown you as my queen, and we shall reign together for a hundred years."