[FweepFwopFwoop]

Emmett sat back on the throne, enjoying the show the fool was putting on and rather surprised at the warm reception he had received. But as nice as it all was, he found himself feeling a little uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting. After over a decade of living a solitary life, to suddenly have the eyes of a kingdom on him was rather jarring, and he wasn't quite sure of how to deal with it except to simply go along with what was happening. He held Armand's hand, needing his husband to be his anchor in this confusing time.

Toward the back of the room stood Lady Lucia Bordello-Villiers, now the wife of Sebastian Villiers, and her belly holding new life as well, though only conceived within the last week. Inwardly, she was fuming. How could the king marry someone of no noble lineage, who'd simply wandered in off the streets, who couldn't even be bothered to wear proper clothing on his first meeting with the king? Meanwhile, the eldest daughter of one of the kingdom's oldest and most highly regarded noble houses had to settle for second best and marry one of the king's advisors instead. That wasn't right at all! That was entirely unacceptable! It seemed as if Lady Lucia was going to have to make a few inquiries. Quietly, of course. She knew how to manipulate people, and now was certainly going to be a good time to put that skill to good use.