56. That, that right there is mine.

"Can we just sit down and talk, please?" The look on his face screamed misery. If the Queen didn't know her mate so good- she would suspect that his emotions were an act. Yet, the thing about Eros was that he didn't tend to show off what he felt if someone besides his children or wife was near. The King was a very closed person, one who wouldn't flash his personal life all over the place. Eve silently debated if she needed the conversation- discussing issues might bring them to yet another argument, but the same would happen if she ignored their hardships. The Queen knew how vital work was in relationships; both sides had to put effort into them for them to work in the first place. If she ignored his pleads and left as she did years ago- only the Moon Goddess knew what the consequences might be. Even mated couples had their dark times, and everyone had to go through them hand in hand.

"Anto, could you give us some privacy? I will call you when we're done here. Please, stay near; I might need you." Eve placed a hand on his shoulder, nodding her head. The woman tried to express that she was safe and would follow her husband by choice; the Watcher had nothing to worry about. Unless she called for him if the conversation didn't go as smoothly as she hoped. That wasn't something Eve took in as an option, though; she knew that Eros would never hurt her. The King had a short temper, but even if he grew overly jealous and possessive- he never hurt his mate.

"As you wish, my Queen," Anto bowed and disappeared in thin air. Eve smiled; she knew that the male would watch over her, even if it wasn't necessary. She nodded at Eros, encouraging the male to turn around and head for the office- that's where she assumed the private conversation would happen. The Queen knew that he wanted to apologize, but she had no idea if there would be anything more Eros would try to talk about. Perhaps he held an interest in her pregnancy and wanted to know why she was sneaking around and hiding the fact.

Eros opened the large door and held it for his Queen, patiently waiting for Eve to pass him. The woman thought that he would walk in front of her, but Eros kept near her side, keeping the distance between their bodies. His eyes traveled down to her belly every two to three steps, perhaps wondering if he would have the chance to see his son. The Queen held power over him and their children- she was the one to decide if Eros would ever be worthy enough to meet their third child. As they approached the office, Eve stood by its door, waiting for her mate to unlock it. Instead, Eros shook his head and motioned towards the hall, which leads to their bedroom. Her shoulders fell, the woman was too tired to argue and end up in his bed once again, but Eros caught on her thought and spoke up.

"No, that's not my intention. I mean, it always is, but I know the limits, especially when I fucked up. Our bedroom is the most private room in this castle if we speak there- we shall remain alone, unlike the office, where anyone could disturb us. I won't try anything on you, I promise," he held his hands up in defense.

"Alright, let's get this over with; I'm too tired to argue right now," Eve sighed, hurriedly walking to the bedroom. The Queen didn't want to stay there for too long- if they really needed a break, sitting in that room would make her task to leave even more difficult.

Eros nearly ran in front of her, opening and holding the door like a true gentleman. No, it wasn't something new or an extra thing he did for Eve- the King always held the door for his Queen. He still offered her the coat and took it off as soon as they got back home. Eros never failed to surprise Eve, men like him were a dying breed, and she was grateful to have such an affectionate mate by her side. The woman nodded at him and whispered a weak thank you before slowly stepping inside the room. The sound of the lock didn't bother her- Eros always locked them in for some extra privacy. Especially now, when Bea was big enough to run into their room and ruin the moment both had. Eve sat on the edge of the bed and let out a deep breath, waiting for him to speak up.

"You probably knew that I'd do this, but first of all, I really want to apologize," Eros stood near the door, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. The usually calm and collected male was gone; all power and aura of dominance surrounding him were dropped. Instead of the King, there was Eros- her mate and husband. He didn't stand there, showing off his power and superiority.

"I suspected you would, not that I complain. Everyone should apologize and acknowledge their mistakes when they have wronged someone. I appreciate you still following the simple rules we set up. Thank you." Eve yawned, feeling a little more tired than she would admit. It has been a long day; the stress caused by their fight didn't play to her favor. All she wanted to do was to wrap herself in bedsheets and close her eyes.

"But I want to talk about what happened in, you know... I want to fix this, redeem my wrongdoings and stupid narcissistic attitude. I won't lie, Eve, as much as I want to do that- I think you should rest first. Perhaps you can sleep for a couple of hours? I will sit here, still keeping my promise, and wait till you wake up." Eros leaned against the closest wall. He wanted to approach his mate, hold her until she fell asleep, but the King understood that he didn't deserve such a blessing right now. He had to slide his hands into pockets of his jeans since the male's palms itched in need. And it wasn't only the need to hold her; it was the need to feel his son's heartbeat.

"Eros, it's alright; I will keep on walking around half-asleep and cranky for a few months now. I can sleep whenever I want. Even if this conversation doesn't change anything, I can still sleep in a guest room before leaving, remember?" Eve laughed, hiding the sadness she felt for the sudden change in her mate's eyes. When they first entered the bedroom, he had the sparks of raw hope in his eyes, which died as soon as Eve mentioned leaving again. But what did he expect? Having an awful temper as a leader was one thing, but accusing her of being a cheater and throwing her out of their home was another thing. The same as him, running after her before she got to leave. Lately, Eros had been acting extremely bipolar. Of course, he still showed off his love and affection, but time by time, he locked himself in the office, refusing to see anyone. There were days when he would avoid his mate till late evening and even sleep on the couch. How was she supposed to know what was happening if Eros hid the reason behind his actions?

"Yeah, I guess you can," the male whispered and averted his gaze. Eros stared at his feet for a longer time than Eve could take. He brought her to the bedroom, hoping to talk, yet stood quiet like a statue.

"If there isn't anything you'd like to discuss, I'll be on my way." Eve stood from the bed, holding her head high. The Queen wouldn't show off her hurt, especially to one who hurt her the most. The one person she trusted with her life and future.

"No, no, please, don't go. There's a lot of things I want to say, probably hundreds of questions I want to ask; I just don't know where to start. I'm not good at this thing- the talking out emotions and expressing thoughts thing, you know. May I join you and sit down? I won't sit too close, promise. It's only natural that you wouldn't want me to be touchy or just rub against your arm as we talk." Eros approached Eve, keeping the promised distance, yet too impatient to wait for her answer. The male sat on the edge of the bed, Eve silently following his action. The Queen awkwardly stared down at her hands, wondering what had happened between them. The whole Kingdom admired them- their rulers used to be the perfect couple, yet now, they had to face unthinkable issues.

Again, the room fell deadly silent. Eve wouldn't avert her gaze from her hands, and Eros kept biting onto his bottom lip. Fully grown shifters acted like teenagers on their first date, both speechless.
The Queen silently wondered how their life would change if she really left. Their older daughter must be marked by now, she found her mate, and Ally didn't seem to show off disappointment. Eve accepted Wrath for as long as he made her daughter happy, but she wouldn't say that out loud. The deadly sin had to prove that he was worthy first. Their middle child- Bea, was more like the most ignorant persona walking the face of Earth. The little girl didn't care what happened around- she enjoyed her privacy and slept more and more by each day passing. Their daughter was as lazy as a small child could ever be. And now, they were expecting a son- an innocent soul which stuck between their parents' arguments. Eve feared that the conversation might go wrong, causing high levels of stress- that might affect their baby. The Queen feared that her children wouldn't need her anymore- the biggest nightmare of any loving mother.

"Eve, look at me," Eros whispered, letting out a deep breath. He didn't try to force her; his voice alone showed off the desperation he felt. The King couldn't forgive himself if his actions pushed his mate to leave. Eros couldn't imagine life without Eve by his side, not anymore.

As soon as she turned around to face him, the male's bottom lip trembled. "For how long have you known?" He didn't need to add any extra words; the question was way too clear.

"For a while now, long enough to surprise that damned little box and plan a surprise gender reveal," Eve's eyes held no emotions, yet Eros hoped that something would appear soon. He would be content with her showing off anger and hatred- for as long as it wasn't nothing.

"I'll be honest, so please pay attention to my words. Both of us have acted quite strange lately- your emotions were all over the place, but I know the reason why now. On the other hand, I have spent a lot of time in privacy with myself, avoiding you, and others. I see that sudden spark in your eyes; I know you want to know why I did that. The reason is simple, yet please don't misunderstand me. You know that I love you more than anything; I can't imagine life without you, which is my weak spot. I didn't notice many things before anonymous letters started coming in. For a month, I've been reading them and thinking if I could ever trust the words. They were about you, and at first, I didn't want to believe that anything said there could be real, but... But as soon as more letters were delivered, you started acting suspiciously differently. You disappeared from the castle, left for hours without saying a word. That wasn't the way my mate would act, so I was stupid enough to believe those lies. When I walked onto you and that Watcher, so close, I lost it. Completely. I felt like I lost my mate and the only woman I could ever love. It seemed as if there was some kind of intimacy between you two, and for me, it was easier to let you go- making myself look like a monster. Your happiness matters more than mine, and I was, and still am, willing to give up on myself if that makes you happy. If you want to go with him- go, I'll live for as long as I won't have to see how you might fall in love with someone else. It would tear my soul and heart apart, but I am ready to face anything to know that you're happy." Eros averted his gaze; the male couldn't watch how tears formed in her eyes. The King knew that Eve wouldn't cheat on him, yet there was still fear of losing her. There was still the possibility that those were tears of her job for newfound freedom.

Unexpectedly, Eve threw her arms around his neck and pulled Eros close, sobbing against his chest. At first, her action confused the King, but he regained his senses quick enough to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. Eros didn't think about much; the only thought on his mind was his mate's words- once she stated that nothing makes her feel as safe as him. Perhaps she needed that feeling of safety.

"I didn't plan to leave with Anto because I had feelings or something like that; forget the idea, please, it's vile. I wanted to leave because we might need some time apart- lately, it's been hard on everyone, and I didn't want to sink deeper into despair," as the words left Eve's lips, both of them fell silent once again.

Finally, the King could breathe. His mate still loved him as she did before, and she wouldn't leave him. Not that she promised not to, but Eros would make sure that she stays where she belongs. Instead of hiding everything, he would talk about any issue and stop avoiding problems. They had to work on their happiness, and the male was more than ready to do so. A light knock on the door startled both of them, Eros still held Eve, yet she used the chance to wipe her tears.

"My King, a guest, is waiting for your highness to join him. The guest requested to see the Queen as well," a formal voice spoke from the other side of the door. Most likely, one of the guards was sent upstairs to warn King and Queen.

"We shall join the guest within a few minutes; please offer some refreshments as we prepare to see whoever arrived," Eros spoke in a cold tone, unbothered by who their guest might be. He simply didn't care- the main priority was Eve.

"Ready, love? Or should I leave you to get some rest? I can run there, check who and why requested to meet us, and get back in about ten minutes. I could hold you as you sleep," Eros smiled at Eve, wondering if she would take the offer or if she still felt anger towards him.

"I'll join you; the guest requested to meet both of us. After that, I'll fall asleep in your arms." She smiled up at Eros and closed her eyes in delight as the male kissed her forehead.

The King didn't allow her to walk around; in his eyes, Eve needed more rest since she carried another baby. Eros held her bridal style and headed for the living room, where the guest would wait for them. As he walked down the stairs, he noticed a large frame, observing them.

"Honeymoon?" A deep voice spoke up, chuckling in amusement.

"Might say so, pretty much stuck in that phase," Eros replied, trying to seem like the most regular person ever. He didn't like the feeling when someone went to meet them and felt lower than the Royalties. Most of the time, they were simple shifters, doing a little bit bigger things than others.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Sloth, I came here to see if my friend would be around," as the male spoke, he yawned, rubbing his eyes. Of course, another deadly sin decided to visit them. Thankfully, this shouldn't be one with a nasty temper, just way too lazy.

"Would you be looking for Wrath?" Eros raised an eyebrow. The King sat on the sofa, with half-asleep Eve on his lap, and motioned for the male to sit down. As the sin's eyes fell on the exhausted Queen, he lowered his voice, whispering as quietly as he could.

"Yes, exactly whom I'm talking about. My friend told me that he found his mate, which seems to be your daughter. I haven't seen him for days, so I had to look for that hyperactive idiot. Is he around?" For some reason, this deadly sin gave off way too neutral vibes. He wouldn't make Eros feel suspicious, but his presence didn't make the male happy either.

"Last time I've heard from him was when he sent the little seeder girl to announce that he would mark my daughter. I sent out multiple search groups, yet none had found them. I assume that both are trying to enjoy their privacy, can't tell that way too loud; my precious mate isn't the biggest fan of your friend." Eros chuckled, feeling how the relief washes over him as his eyes fell on sleeping Eve. She needed rest and the fact that she didn't try to refuse it made the King happy.

"Interesting..." The male started to speak but fell silent before another word could leave his lips. Sloth stared at something, wholly frozen on the spot, his mouth half-open.

Eros followed his eyes; whatever he stared at must be important. And it was- the deadly sin stared at their youngest daughter, who lazily followed her nanny down the stairs. Little Bea whined about everything she didn't like, dragging a plush teddy after her.

"The fuck, stop staring at my daughter! You are a guest here, not a friend, and that can be easily changed," Eros growled lowly, warning the deadly sin. He tried to be quiet, despite the anger he felt. His pregnant mate stirred in his lap; the King was ready to kill Sloth if Eve woke up because of his provocation.

Sloth ignored the King's words and pointed the finger at Bea. "That, that right there is mine," he announced, unable to avert his gaze.