The Duke's Masked Wife

"Why is that the only thing on your mind, Edgar? Isn't there something else you wish to have for your birthday? Something that doesn't require me getting undressed," said Alessandra.

Edgar had the perfect solution to still get what he wanted. "I can still have you without you needing to get undressed," he cheekily replied. There was nothing she could say to him that he wouldn't have a solution for. He enjoyed the way she eyed him like the kittens would when they were attempting to attack his hands. 'Fiesty little thing,' he thought.

Edgar wanted to test out the fire she had during their hours of making love. He desired to test what was her limit of roughness and pain she would find pleasurable.

"Edgar, I want to give you a present that isn't myself. What do you want?"

"Nothing. Whatever I have ever wanted I have already bought. There is nothing that catches my eye other than my wife so I suggest you start thinking of what position you will be waiting for me on our bed. If only I could be in your head for the thinking process. That would make a nice gift too," Edgar said, tidying up his papers as he spoke.

"I wish you could be poor for a day," Alessandra muttered.

"Then you would also be poor for a day. I've never seen someone so upset that there isn't a gift they could offer me. Normally they dread how expensive it will be for them. How about this? I would enjoy food cooked by you," he suggested.

"I don't know how to cook," Alessandra reminded him. She wasn't supposed to be wandering around her house so she was not meant to be in the kitchen. And the one person she would rather learn to cook from was angry with Edgar.

"That is the point. I shall have a good laugh and then make love to you to make you feel better," Edgar replied, quickly grabbing Alessandra's hand when she reached out to pinch him. "You are so much like those kittens."

"I am leaving," Alessandra stood up. "Have fun with your work and your dreams of things that will not happen on your birthday. I will find something you do not have and give it to you. I am already preparing something that you do not have."

"Hmm, I look forward to it and I hope you keep in mind what I suggested. It is important for the birthday boy to be happy, right? Before you go," Edgar said, taking hold of her hand when she tried to pass him. "You should know that Hazel and Tobias have officially traveled out of the palace for a couple of days so your sleepover is on hold."

Alessandra was happy to hear Hazel was getting a break from the palace. As someone who spent a short amount of time in the palace and had bad encounters, Alessandra could not imagine having to be there every day. "It is good for them to have a vacation," she said.

"It is a vacation but they are not taking it to relax. They want time alone to try for an heir again. More and more people are making Tobias aware of the lack of an heir and Hazel is feeling the pressure. More women will be visiting the palace to be picked as the ones who will provide the next king. The kingdom can only be without an heir for so long," Edgar explained.

Alessandra's happiness quickly went away. It would never be easy to have your husband sleep with another woman to have a child you could not conceive. There was nothing Hazel could say about it either. As queen, Hazel was forced to think about the kingdom rather than her feelings.

"I hope Hazel will be the one to carry the next king. It is an awful position to be in. What if I cannot become pregnant, Edgar?" Alessandra asked, now concerned about her chances of having a child.

"Then we shall have none. I am not in a desperate position like Tobias is to have a child. Before you came, I planned to either take a child from an orphanage and teach them my ways or pick a young relative of mine that I like. Do not overthink it," he said, placing his right hand on her flat stomach. "Not when we have only just started. Stressing about it will only burden your body."

To lighten the mood Edgar added, "As a last resort, we can always send Alfred to get someone pregnant and then take his child. He is always speaking of raising our children so it is only fair we would take his."

Alessandra chuckled. She would bet her right arm that Alfred would never agree to have a child at his age. "The way you think it is amusing. Goodbye Edgar," she said, stepping out of his hold to leave. "I will be painting or will Sally if you need me. Wait-"

"Finding it hard to leave me?" Edgar asked since she was failing to leave the room.

"No. Did you hear anything about Sophia? Has she received her punishment and do you still plan to do something to her?" Alessandra inquired. She only remembered Sophia now that they were talking about the palace.

"A letter from her husband came last night but I only read it before Caleb came a moment ago. Her punishment is on hold because he wishes to speak with us to think of another punishment. He doesn't want her to lose her hands, which is odd considering there were rumors of him cutting off a finger from a servant he thought wanted his wife."

"I see. I don't want to meet with either of them. I just want the matter to be dropped. The shame of being locked away will keep her from throwing stones again. Promise me you will get Tobias to release her and she will have both hands. Thank you," Alessandra added after Edgar reluctantly nodded. She kissed him on the cheek and then finally proceeded to leave the room.

Edgar watched Alessandra leave the room, only looking away when the door was closed behind her. He read most of what was sent to him by the town guards and had an idea of what the man they were looking for was shaped like. He decided to put this case on hold as it was time he visited his new captive.

Priscilla had spent enough time in the dungeon by now and if she wanted to stay silent even more, he sent someone to get him rats and whatever would scare a woman of her status, to be released in her cell.

Edgar tidied up the papers, placed them in a drawer, and locked it. His room was off-limits to servants but there would always be that one foolish person looking to sell information. It happened twice before, each time with the same outcome. He ended up with two captives who never left his dungeon.

As Edgar proceeded to leave the room, he looked at his clock wondering at what time his father would start requesting to have his wife back. For some reason, his father let them leave quietly but Edgar knew this peace wouldn't last long. Not that he cared. No one was getting his mother until she learned her lesson.