Queen Victoria shot her eyes open. The golden rays of the morning sun were streaming in through the open windows giving the room an antique look. She stared blankly at the ceiling when she felt some movement beside her. It was then that she noticed Lord Richard sleeping beside her while staring at the ceiling blankly as well. She also noticed they were both naked and the memories of their intense love making the previous night flooded her mind. Her cheeks turned rosy red when she remembered how she had shamelessly dumped herself to Richard.

Having a man by her side by this hour of the morning however brought a warm feeling in her chest. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw such a view and she had to admit it made her happy. The only difference was that it was another man, not her husband. Guilt filled her heart when she remembered how she had shamelessly seduced Lord Richard the previous night.

And now that she thought of him, how did he take it? Was he feeling the same as her? She turned to face him and found him resting his head on his elbow, his gaze still fixated on the ceiling. She was sure he had not blinked for almost five minutes now. His chest and abs were displayed to the sun rays such that he looked like a god to her.

"You’re awake?" She asked in low tone.

"Mmmh," was all he managed to say. Dread filled Victoria’s heart when the idea that he didn’t like her anymore crossed her mind. The way he was acting answered it all. He just wanted to get into her pants! But she was the one who seduced him! That at least made her to calm down a bit. And still, he was here with her. Maybe she was just overthinking. But why did he act so indifferent?

"Are you alright?" She asked after a while of silence. It was then that Richard turned to face her, letting his gaze travel on her curvaceous body under the sheets. But unlike last night, his gaze had no any lustful intentions. It was just a plain gaze! That made Victoria worried. Seems what she was thinking was true all along.

Lord Richard averted his gaze before he threw the sheets off his body. "Since you are alright, I’ll be going," he said, his back facing Victoria. Her heart hammered inside her chest like a wild stallion. Was this the end? A one night stand with her husband’s adviser? She didn’t want things to turn this way. She gathered the sheets around her small figure and stepped out of the bed with a worried expression. Lord Richard had already slipped into his pants and he was now buttoning his shirt absent mindedly when...

"Are you leaving already?" She asked, a hint of pain clear in her voice. Lord Richard stopped what he was doing and turned around to face her. Was that regret on her face? Was she regretting having him under her bed all night long? Well, he had her to blame. Had she not approached him with her sexual advances, all this would not have happened.

"Yes," he simply said.

"What about... us?" The last part came out merely as a whisper. A tear fell down her cheek and she couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. She sobbed softly alarming Lord Richard again.

"Don’t you like me?" She asked trying to contain her emotions. Lord Richard raked his fingers through his messy hair. Damn! This woman! And now she started crying again. He clenched his fists tightly. Yes he did like her, a lot. But this was the king’s wife for heaven’s sake. He had made one unforgivable mistake and he was not set to commit another. But again, she was crying because of him, and that, he didn’t like.

"Yes, I do like you Victoria," he said and surprisingly, she looked up to meet with his gaze with eyes of disbelief. He raked his fingers through his hair for god knows what time.

"Really? You do like me?" She asked after a while of silence. Lord Richard nodded simply and he could see her face sparkle in joy. And though he meant what he had said, he only did so to enlighten her sad mood, and it worked. Who would not like such a beautiful woman?

"But you know it can’t work for us," he added in a calm voice. "You are the queen and I am just a King’s advisor. I have committed a grave mistake already and don’t want to hurt your husband any more," he said, crestfallen.

"I don’t care!" She said, her voice turning a bit louder. "I don’t care what everyone else will think, not even my husband. The physician said he can’t last any longer so he’s as good as dead to me." Her voice carried a tone of finality that scared Lord Richard. He didn’t want to hurt her after he had some good time with her. Who knows what she might do to him if he refused to do as she wanted.

He had heard of cases where women had sex with other men and later forced them to marry them. Failure to do so, the women would take the man to court claiming he had committed sexual assault against her. Lord Richard feared Victoria would do the same, and given that she was a queen, the chances of it happening were higher.

"Fine. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll make love to you every night if you want me to. But you have to promise me one thing," he said. She looked back at him with that pained expression and he knew she was not going to like what he would say.

"Which is?" She asked raising a brow.

"Our relationship will only be based on satisfying our bodies needs and desires. Never a time will love come between us." Queen Victoria was thrown off by the request but she knew this was the only chance she had to get closer to a man for her whole life. Maybe love would develop on the way.

"Fine," she consented.