Royal Austrians Show Why That is Bad…

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“You want me to sleep with a woman who is still wedded to his man?” you asked while feigning surprise.

“I was married as well.”

“You're a widow, mother. Father is dead, so you are free to marry anyone you wish… well not now that you are my concubine but that can easily be remedied.” You prior suspicion inspired you to suspect that Edythe the First just made a verbal slip regarding your suspicion that she was unfaithful to your father, with your brother…

“I still don’t understand why you refrain from marrying Meiyue from Zhong-Gu-O…?… She may be a divorcee, but her country is an entire continent and ocean away from us. All of our nobility are ignorant of the country & her background.

“You could say she has any background you wish. What is the likelihood of them refuting your claim? You could say she was the Emperor's daughter, & our people will believe you.

“You are King. Regardless of their personal feelings on the matter.”

You paused in thought. Tonight began with you intent on upgrading a concubine back to a Queen. However, Edythe suggested a different woman & her argument was surprisingly persuasive. You remember having said you preferred to cede the decision to her in the past. So any attempt to backtrack would also serve to disempower her.

“Mother, you are already pregnant with our child, from when you came to me three months ago with your noblesse oblige plan to safe guard my rule.

“You had me put my seed in you for a month straight, and then when the royal doctor confirmed the heartbeat of a fetus, I brought you to court as my concubine & the good news of siring yet another bastard. They were all a twitter over that one.

“All to avoid you becoming a target for some other nobles, who you still refuse to name, attempting to coerce you into marriage. If I were a less incestuous & lecherous son, I might suspect it all was a ruse precisely to worm me back up into your womb.

Edythe swore lightly at your vulgar mind & ruin of her argument, “Alexander, the child is to safeguard your rule, not to be your heir. I never agreed to this, & if you try to command me to marry you. Then I will just take that potion of which your brothers and you are so proud.”

You were confused by the vehemence in the words used by Edythe. “Are you not in love with me mo… Edythe? You lay with me, you hatch elaborate plans increasing how much I lay with you, and you display every sign of your interest. Yet you dare threaten to kill our child?” You refrain from elucidating upon her confusion; The potion was ineffective after the child has a heartbeat.

With a frustrated sigh Edythe caressed her hand against your cheek with considerable affection, all but confirming your words. Yet then said, “Marry Meiyue you foolish boy… I will not have you undo your father's hard work.”

Switching tactics you said, “I am not sure she would agree to it…” you replied unable to hide the glint of mischief in your eye. “She is merely mine, instead of a concubine at the moment.”

“I don't understand.”

You rolled your eyes with a dramatic sigh, “We haven’t had sex…”

“Don’t lie to me Alexander. She was seen going into your room with her attendant. Then you yourself publicly proclaimed that you fucked a married woman, & wished to take responsibility for his ruined wife the next morning. You actually won over more nobles than you lost with that move.”

“It was a deception. If you were there you would understand. I said the night was pleasurable. What I did was have sex with her attendant… Siew Chew of Zhong-Gu-O is my concubine.”

“That is wrong Alexander. It is untenable. A noble woman from any country cannot be insulted in such a manner without repercussions.”

You raised your eyebrows. To be honest, you expected this night to go very differently. “What?”

It was Edythe’s turn as her eyes rolled at you while showing an amused smirk, “You know women so well as to get them to agree to be your bedroom wives but are ignorant of the life of a noble women in particular…?… I suppose you are right if I had enough of a backbone to raise you myself, then you would understand.

“At the moment, your charade impugns the honor of Meiyue. Privately you say she is unclaimed but publicly you are saying she is your woman. What do you think would happen to her if something happened to you?”

Edythe’s words inspirited you to remember an earlier concern when she approached you about giving birth to a bastard as a concubine to protect your reign and legitimate heir. That was when you first wondered if she had anything to do with the deaths of your father and brother. This only caused that suspicion to arise again.

Without a thought in the present, you asked, “Why are you even thinking of my ****?”

Exasperatedly Edythe exploded off her chair and starts frantically pacing. After a few moments she looked at you for a moment with a forlorn expression. She seemed to loath whatever idea of which she was thinking. You wondered if you were now destined to get a knife in your back. Or maybe she would use poison… that seemed to be the preferred method among women in general.

Seemingly and suspiciously Edythe easily deciphered your unspoken words. “Honestly, Alexander! You are more precious to me than you have any right to be, yet you have the gall to think I would conspire to have you murdered! My own blood…!?!… just to raise your bastard on my own?

“You realize that I am a noble from another state, but you fail to consider what that means for me. The nobles are more likely to accept a bastard of yours from a common whore than to respect my marriage with your father. Without him or you, I am royal only in name. Why did you think I ripped you out of the abbey so quickly?”

The response caused you to be flabbergasted and bewildered. Yet you managed to quietly utter, “I don't know what to say…”

“You don't have to…” Abruptly Edythe flew across the room and molded her exquisite body flush against your own, before forcefully and deeply kissing you. For a few minutes the two of you forgot yourselves in the moment. “Please believe me when I say that I had every intention of letting you continue your life with your future wife without my participation. I was prepared to be your concubine only to protect our lineage.

“My intent was to avoid ever ‘falling’ for my own son.

“Your father failed to be my perfect Prince Charming but he was still a soul-mate of another flavor. He made my life dream-like, especially given the nightmare other sold brides like your aunt Katherine encountered. I had every intention of honoring his legacy.

“However, that changed after I saw you two decades after giving birth to you. The two facts fail to line up in my head, though I know they are true. It is wrong and it is insane.”

Breathless Edythe paused in her diatribe, but you continued kissing her in your embrace. You knew exactly what she is talking about. You knew she was your mother, but you were sent away at the age of six. There were other siblings in the cloister with you, but they all had the same experience. They were as ignorant of mother as you.

“Well, if it helps, the moment I saw you, I was bewitched. I’ve marveled at how you could have the body you do after giving birth multiple times.”

Edythe giggled between your lips, “Yes your father was also flabbergasted by that. All I can say is that I know what to eat, and when to eat it; Specially to prevent unborn unknowing fetuses from leaching strength from my own body.”

You looked at Edythe with confusion after slightly parting your lips from hers. “So why are you so against our marriage?” You then noticed that she was slighted dazed now from you caressing her exquisite body. It seemed to be something she had often fantasized about the last couple months.

With renewed resolve and determination you insisted, “Mother, I refuse to stand for any child of ours to be born except with a mutual love for each other. The child is a result of our love, not because of duty or noblesse oblige. I felt your love the night he was conceived… and all the other nights we spend together…”

“Just now you were talking to me about lust… lust fails to be the same thing as love. I am falling deeply in love with you the more I learn of the man before me. Yet you-”

“-It can’t be both?” You asked incredulously.

Now freed of all reservation Edythe playfully swatted the back of your head, while she played with your hair with her other hand. Her arms wrapped around your shoulders as lovers. “I doubt you have the experience to truly decipher the difference Alexander.”

“You don’t think the other monks taught me how to control my emotions through meditation…?…”

Edythe paused as she considered your words, “Maybe, yet I remember what it was like a little over two decades ago. I was a teenager in a far away land married to a man I barely knew. Fortunately, your father was a good man and lust took care of the rest.”

You chuckle and start kissing Edythe again. Somehow knowing that she felt she was never actually in love with your father helped ease your concerns. Which was a little insane to truly contemplate, so you avoided it.

Of course, it could also be a lie. Yet, now you are more resistant to letting paranoia run rampant regarding your mother. You were being driven mad dealing with all the drama of being King. You have little doubt you would have been already killed without Edythe guiding your hand every day.

“So, you think I just lust for you? Do you think I am blind and ignorant of how dependent I am by your guidance? Yet you refuse to let me reward you.”

Edythe sighed between your lips but kept kissing for a few minutes. Her passion for you is a surprise but very welcomed one at that. “No…” With a soft smile all the facial muscles in her face relaxed as she sank further into your kiss. “That was all part of the plan, to platonically help you become King.”

“Who's plan?”

Edythe giggled at your stubbornness. “Your father, he loved all of you very much. The abbey was simply necessary to protect the country.

“I feel your honest affection when you consider my words and ask what I want. That you care for me as a woman instead of just another object to sate your lust. That is what ultimately led to my disgrace and drew me inexcusably into your embrace.” Edythe continued while staring in rapture at your eyes.

“Just object? So, you don’t actually mind the others?” You let Edythe’s self deprecating words slide though they incensed you.

Giggling Edythe took a minute before choosing to respond. “You know what I mean… I admit that I have been… rather hard on certain concubines of the past. My experience has taught me a great deal of humility…

“Yet your attitude does serve to support my point. You treat women, as women, instead of things to worship or property to own and command. If there were ten thousand men like you in this country it would be infinitely better off.

“And well… my sister seemed like it was pushing the limits, but in general no. I have already met Meiyue, and she kept up with your deception… which is another reason why I favor her as Queen.

“Meiyue has already committed herself to you. It would break my heart, for you to leave such a beautiful young woman, who has sworn herself to you so fully, without a hope for a future.

“Meiyue has given everything of herself to you, a King from a foreign land on the other side of the world from her home. Yet you are oblivious to the question of why. Then you have the nerve to tell me that you want to keep her at arms reach for the rest of her life.”

An epiphany insinuated itself into your mind. “And maybe you see a little bit of yourself in her?”

“Maybe… go to bed, and I will send her to you. We will have our time later.

“After all I am already carrying a child for you. All the nobles already know that I am your woman, much to my current vexation. In addition, you cannot make me anymore pregnant than I already am…

“In addition, I will disown you if you do otherwise.” The last bit was an obvious lie on Edythe's part. She would sooner gut herself before distancing herself from you at this point. It is shown in how she still lovingly embraced you & the way her lips acceded to your own.