CHAPTER 11

The electronic gate to the palace flips open and the Black Lexus car rolled to a stop, in front of the entrance. The car door was promptly opened by one of the bodyguards, with the house staffs lined up at the entrance to welcome the royal couple back home. It has been two weeks of honeymoon in the Mauritius island but sadly they have to cut the honeymoon short. Alexander explained that there was an emergency he had to attend to, promising to bring her back to the island soon.

Pamilerin gave the staffs a warm smile as they usher them inside into the palace, she was not surprised when Alexander excuse himself to attend to kingdom matters, leaving her in care of the maids. She was led upstairs into a large tastefully furnished bedroom. From the fabrics, wall covering, trimmings, window hardware, bedding to handcrafted upholsteries.

"Love this place" admiring the upholsteries, she did not expect anything less seeing how magnificent the estate is.

"We're glad you like your bedroom, Your Majesty, if you want anything changed, please do not hesitate to ask," The woman Pamilerin assumed was the head housekeeper said.

"I seriously doubt it." Crossing the room into the adjoining bathroom, designed with light green tiled wall, and a white patterned bath tub in a corner, with enough room for two. She stepped back into the bedroom, still getting a feel of the place. She noticed a closed door, across the room, "where does this door leads, walking to it.

" That's his Highness Master bedroom—"

"Wait, you mean this place is for me alone? Not that I will share it with my husband?"

"His Highness has always maintained his room," she explained, confused by Pamilerin's outburst.

"Then I think things need to change around here, I'm moving to his room, I can't sleep by myself in this big bed. Move my things to his room. I believe its big enough for two"

"But your majesty the king—"

"I did not remember asking for your opinion. I'm telling you." She held on to the last shred of control she had. Enough is enough. She had played the naive little wife for the past two weeks on their honeymoon while Alexander refused to consummate their marriage, saying he was taking things slow for her sake.

She is certain now that something is definitely wrong, I mean how do you explain her still being a virgin after spending two weeks on honeymoon. Now she will be sleeping apart from him. Well he is getting a shocker if he thinks they are going to have a separate room, Pamilerin thought silently.

"Sorry that I snap at you, I'm feeling a bit tired from all the flying"

"It's alright, your majesty, we will start moving your stuff immediately," she said, snapping to attention, giving out orders to the other maids in the room.

Pamilerin pulled the adjoining door open, moving aside to let the staffs get to work, as they brought her belongings into the room. If she thought her room was beautiful, the master's bedroom was a work of art. She smelled his spicy scent in the room. Taking a look around, her eyes landed on his bedside, where a small, framed picture of his late wife was. Pamilerin had only seen her picture on few occasions, but nothing as beautiful as this, she sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her picture. It was obvious he was still in love with his wife, judging by the frame he kept at his bedside.

"Guess I know why he has not said those three little words to me, he is still in love with his dead wife" she murmurs to herself.

Under an hour the whole place was organized and her things were set and in place.

"Anything else your majesty?"

"That will be all thank you" dismissing them.

"Very well your majesty, ring the bell beside you if there is anything you want, dinner will be served shortly. Excuse us."

Alone at last, she removed her cloths and sashay into the bathroom. She run a warm bath for herself, remembering the scented candles, and washing gels with fragrance that's simply breathtaking that, she bought while on their honeymoon, she made a quick run into the bedroom, and lit it around the bathtub edges, pouring a little quantity of the washing gel in the warm water filled tub.

"I will just soak for a bit, before dinner" climbing inside. A moan of ecstasy escapes from her throat, as the warm soapy water lapse around her. She reclined her head on the leather headrest. "Just for a while," she told herself, but sleep claimed her, and that was how Alexander found her.

Alexander did not know the meeting will last for more than hour, but it did. One of the community recently suffered an outbreak of the flu. Luckily it has been contained and the people involved are now receiving treatment, but measures need to be put in place before it affects other parts of the kingdom. He finally adjourned the meeting to the following day. He was surprised when they informed him that the queen has not come down for dinner, making him to wonder what she was up to. "May be she is busy re-arranging her stuff," he thought to himself.

He knocks on her room door, opening the door when there was no response. The room looks the same, but with no Pamilerin in sight. He checked the bathroom, came out with nothing. "Where could she be" he mutters, deciding to change from his suit before he goes back downstairs to look for her. "She may decide to look around" The fragrance hit alexander the minute he steps into his room. Feminine and divine. Two things that crossed his mind. He followed the smell into his adjoining bathroom to find Pamilerin soaking in the bathtub, asleep, with scented candles lit around her like a pagan goddess.

"God help me, this woman will be the death of me, what is she even doing here" he said with a growl. His eyes tracing her exposed delicate body. He moved to shake her awake. "Wake up, darling," he watched her stir awake like a lazy cat lying in the sun.

"Hey baby, you are back. Sorry, I fell asleep. I wanted to just relax a bit. I must be tired from the flight" rising from the bath, dripping water on the floor. She looks like an Aphrodite goddess, Alexander helped her down, lifting a terry robe to cover her. She murmured her thanks, but refusing to tie the robe sash around herself, gazing at him with longing, Pamilerin stan up on her toe to press her lips against his, in gentle persuasion, coercing his lips open to gain access inside. Alexander breaks the contact before she can suck him in. "I think you need to dress up now, dinner is ready."

"But I want you baby, besides dinner can wait." She drew him close to her, but he moved out of her reach, sauntering out from the bathroom and leaving her to follow him out.

"Well I'm hungry now, I only came to call you for dinner, why are you even using my bath tub, is yours not good enough" he snapped.

"Well, pardon me, Your Highness, I didn't realize my needs were of no concern to you," Pamilerin scoffed, moving into the walk-in closet to choose an outfit. "As to your question of why I am using your bath, well I now stay in this room as well"

"What! Why? You have your room is it not good enough?"

"I discovered I like yours better. Besides, we are newlyweds, and I want you close to me, seeing as you've refused to consummate our marriage." She turned to glare at him, thoughts of clothes forgotten. "You know, at first I thought you were really concerned about me, because I was inexperienced, but now I realize it's for your own selfish reasons. Guess what I found out!"

"What do you mean you found out?" The veins on his neck beating wildly, thoughts of how she found him out feels him with dread.

"Is it not obvious, her picture is by your bedside. Of course you are still in love with your late wife and that is why you could not bring yourself to consummate our marriage, or even tell me you love me" eyes blazing with fury.

Alexander released a quick a breath, thankful his secret was still safe. She couldn't have been more wrong, he kept the picture not for any reason but a reminder of how he had failed in his first marriage, but he is not going to disabuse her of the notion. It was better for him if she thought that was the reason for his abstinence.

"Like I said, I am hungry and not in the mood to argue with you, dress up while I freshen up as well." Shrugging off his cloth.

"So you won't say anything about what I just said?" Hurt that he didn't refute her claim.

"I will remove the picture."

"Fine do what you like, but I'm not leaving this room" she declares, with her chin up. She turned away, rummaging around for clothes to wear, with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.