[Music Recommendation: Love Me Like You Do ~ Ellie Goulding]

Morning broke, and the first light of dawn crept into the room. Oriana stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She lay still, her gaze fixed on Adric, who slept peacefully beside her. The memories of the previous night came rushing back and, as if her body remembered it again, she blushed, hiding her face with her hands.

Oriana’s movement and giggling woke Adric up, and he opened his eyes, looking at the girl beside him, whose body was shaking because she was trying to stifle her laughter.

Adric sat up, resting his back on the pillow, "You’re up already?" he asked, his morning voice low and rough.

Oriana raised her face, pressing her lips gently, and nodded. "Ana, please... No! I mean yes, I am. Good morning," she slapped her lips, closing her eyes as her ears burned with embarrassment.

Adric chuckled. He just couldn’t with the woman he had come to love, who always let her intrusive thoughts win. "Do you like it when I call you Ana?"

Oriana touched her neck, throwing her face to the side while trying to keep her blush at bay. "Well..." She couldn’t deny that something churned inside of her, melting her to nothing when Adric called her like that.

Adric watched as she tried to act shy in front of him. He stepped down from the bed, "I didn’t know my chicken brain could be shy. You always act like you have everything under control," he said, walking towards the bathroom with loose trousers hanging on his waist.

Oriana frowned, "Is it not normal for every girl to be shy the next morning?"

Adric turned to look at her, his head tilted to the side, "Since when did you start choosing normal?" he asked, taking towels from the table before he entered the bathroom.

Oriana jumped down from the bed, using her gown that was on the ground to wrap herself before running after Adric. "I’m not choosing normal. I was just- wait, are you saying I’m-"

Adric shook his head, "I didn’t say anything," he turned on the faucet, touching the water to check if it was warm enough. Then he added flowers and scented stones inside the water.

"Then what are you saying?" Oriana narrowed her eyes at him.

Adric stood up from the bath he had drawn and went to Oriana, "Raise your hand," and she did so obediently. "I’m saying that you’re adorably quirky, and I don’t care how you act. I love all shades of you."

Oriana blushed again, looking down at her feet, which she was now curling mindlessly.

Done with removing her dress, Adric dropped it on the floor. He tugged Oriana’s hand, walking her to the bathtub. He held her waist and carried her inside.

Oriana sat inside the bath smiling, "I didn’t know you could be so sweet too. I thought you were just one cold-hearted and evil..." Her voice trailed off when she realized what she was saying.

Adric smiled, thinking about it. Oriana was right. He didn’t know he would ever be so in love with a woman to the point that he couldn’t think straight if she wasn’t in front of him. Tugging his trousers, he joined Oriana inside the bathtub. "I can be just anything for you, my Ana."

After bathing, the love birds left their room, going to join the family for breakfast. Adric held Oriana’s hand until they were inside the dining room. He pushed out a chair for her. His action didn’t go unnoticed by everyone at the table.

"I am relieved knowing that the palace is now in safe hands even after I leave," Fidelis smiled, eating his food.

Oriana smiled before she started eating her meal. With her happiness, she didn’t notice the two people who were glaring at her at the moment.

Sophie didn’t eat her food, her eyes on Oriana, and all she could think about was being looked down on and thrown to the side just because Oriana was now queen, even after everyone found out that she was not of true royal blood.

Adelaide, on the other hand, clenched her fist with anger. She had never lost any of her schemes before, and accepting defeat this one time was really getting on her nerves. Her mother had been sent out of the palace, and now Jasmine was leaving. She knew it wouldn’t be long before she would be asked to leave.

The thought of being sent away from her home because of a mere lowly girl boiled her blood so much that she imagined stabbing Oriana or even poisoning her, but then the case was different now, and such a plan would be risky, seeing that Adric now had his eyes on the girl.

In silence, everyone ate their food with their different inner thoughts. It was only after their meal that Jasmine and her sons set to leave the palace.

Fidelis hugged his son closely, "I’m so happy I’m alive to witness this day. All I can say is, son, you made the right choice." He patted Adric on the shoulder before moving back. Then he turned to Oriana,

"Oriana, from today you are no longer my daughter-in-law but now my daughter." Fidelis said, "I have so much hope in you, and I will always support your decisions."

Oriana nodded to the man she was really grateful to. "And thank you so much, I really wish you would stay with us."

"I will be right back once my grandchildren start running around this big palace," Fidelis said, patting Oriana gently on the shoulder.

Jasmine looked at the palace, the home she had always known, and she sighed when she saw Adric’s personal guard standing with no expression on his face like he did not just break her heart the previous night. The princess sighed,

"Brother Adric, I think it’s time for you to change your personal guard," saying this, she walked to her carriage without saying goodbye to anyone.

Adric chuckled, knowing what had been going on between Jasmine and Rowan. He turned to his nephews and hugged them closely, "Kai, you’re the eldest. Always protect your mother and brother."

"And me too, I will protect Kai," Walter shouted. "Uncle, always come and visit us and buy me the best gifts."

Adric nodded, "I will do just that, and always be a good boy."

Oriana joined them. She touched Kai on the shoulder, and seeing that the boy didn’t move away, she smiled. The boy had really started opening up to her. She got on her knees and hugged him. "Kai, always remember that you can be a child too and do what you always want, like playing with your brother."

"Yes!" Walter clapped, "And when you come to visit us, we can go buy the iced crystal cream again."

Oriana nodded. She moved back and watched as Adric carried the two boys inside the carriage. A mischievous thought came to Oriana’s mind, and she smiled, waiting for the carriage to leave.

Adric walked back to Oriana. He noticed the look on her face and asked, "What?"

Oriana waved her hands dismissively, "It’s nothing... but since you insist on knowing... I saw how great you are with children, and I was thinking, what if we go back inside the room and make our own babies," she whispered.

Adric scoffed, rubbing Oriana’s head gently. "Get some rest. I have to meet with the general and also draft a plan for our attack." Without waiting for Oriana to talk, he left with Rowan.

"Why??" Oriana raised her hand and cried dramatically. Looking around, she frowned and entered the palace, pouting.