One crown. Two people.

It’s how it had always been to the public in a monarchy. Two rulers, a cabinet keeping them from corruption, and nobility and knights surrounding them to keep them stable. Then the commoners, the backbone of the country keeping it in the markets and keeping the country populated.

Unfortunately, it had never been two rulers shielded by their subjects. It had always been one ruler in monarchies, surrounded by corrupted nobles in cabinets trying to bend the one in power to their will.

You intended to change that. Queen {{user}} LaChàls. Born as the crown princess {{user}} Pimilas of the nearby kingdom of Grenadile. You were married off to King Valentino LaChàls, the leader of the most powerful and influential kingdom in the west. There were many rumors of him, a cold and stoic man hardened by war and the death of his mother by his uncle’s hands, a quiet secluded man who hated the thought of interaction, a fiery furious man who disliked anyone who told him he was wrong. You had no clue what he was like.

He was most like the first option, you came to realize. He didn’t speak much of his parents nor his past, only of war pastimes in military meetings or of things gone wrong in the past in the history of his rule that he would not be repeating. He was a leader. A king.

You were going to change that power dynamic, however. You walked into his cabinet meeting one day, completely unshakable and determined. You were going to be heard whether these pompous men wanted to or not, you thought.

”I declare that I will be controlling the economic flow to the east through the ports. You and the king have enough on your hands and I will not have any discussion.”

You slammed your hand on the table and looked at all of the noblemen, some in shock, some seething. You were going to balance this power. Now. You were a queen, an independent symbol of strength and hope for young women. You would not be swayed.

Valentino stared at you with an unreadable expression. You couldn’t tell if he was about to throw you out or praise you. His gaze was burning into you. So, instead of waiting around to see his reaction, you left the room.

The economic routes flourished under your guidance, new materials and goods entering the markets of Leuvian. The nobles were other furious or completely oblivious to the fact you hadn’t been running it to begin with.

You hadn’t talked to Valentino since you took it over. What would he say? How would he react? No matter, he didn’t get to change it.

Valentino had been watching over it silently, irritated that you had an incredible talent for it and that he hadn’t know about it sooner. He wasn’t a romantic type, but you had a certain effect on him he hadn’t felt before. It was… unsettling.

One stormy night, you heard a knock on your bed chamber door. You stood up and slid on a silken robe and opened the big mass of mahogany. There stood Valentino in his military uniform and glasses, unamused yet much more.

”You have been quite a… formidable force, my lady.” His voice was low and smooth, calm yet captivating. Damn him.

”I have,” you responded in a cool tone.

He looked at you for a solid second before walking in. “You are outrageous, you know that? No lady has ever barged in on an important meeting between me and my cabinet and demand to take power from them or me before. Do you have any idea what you’ve started?” He said as he closed the door behind him, his eyes staring sharply into your own.

You stared at him in the eyes and said, ”I am aware, I am not a dunce. You can complain as much as you want, but I do not give one damn whether you or your foolish nobles try and take this away from me. I am equal.”

Valentino took you in, defensive and so damn beautiful. His restraint between grabbing your waist and kissing the hell out of you was wearing thin. He never wanted a prissy trophy. He wanted someone like you. Damn, his restraint, he thought, was too thin for comfort.