"What the hell?" The softly spoken words have the two jumping apart. Both of them blushing as they realize that they aren't alone.

Marcus looks around and finds Margaret standing there and staring at them, stunned. As he stammers trying to find the right words Margaret keeps talking.

"I never thought my mother would ever allow another man near her." She looks in wonder at her mother then at Marcus.

Marcus blushes then turns back to Aurora. "Forgive me, my lady. I went beyond what you allowed. I crossed the line. I won't bother you any longer."

Margaret is still trying to process the fact that her mother was kissing a man. She absently steps in his way. "Lady Margaret, if you would please excuse me, I think your mother would prefer I leave her room."

Margaret looks at him in confusion. "Why did it feel like you were kissing me, when you were kissing my mother?"

"What?" Marcus asks now a bit stunned himself. "That isn't possible." If what she said is true then...

His thoughts are interrupted by Margaret once more. "It felt like you were kissing me while you were kissing my mother." Margaret's eyes were shining. There is no doubt in Marcus's mind at this time that Margaret is fully one of them. Only Lockheartians eyes shine when they are aroused.

"Sire, would you kiss me?" Marcus startles a bit at Margaret's words.

"I have already over stepped things with your mother. My control isn't very strong right now. Should I kiss you, I would likely be unable to stop until I had you underneath me on that bed and a child on the way." Just the thought makes him hurt. There is no doubt that his own eyes are shining at this point. "I have already gone too far with your mother, crossing boundaries that I shouldn't have and losing her trust. If you felt my kiss, as you said, then she will feel all that I do to you. I won't violate her like that."

"I would feel what you do to Margaret?" Aurora comes out of her daze enough to hear him say that.

"Yes. I took the kiss I gave you too far, I won't hurt you further. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to violate your trust like that. I won't bother you again, my queen."

"You didn't do anything I didn't give you permission for, Marcus. You asked to kiss me and I gave you permission. Then you let me lead, anything you did you were just following me." Aurora smiles a bit dreamily, "It was a delightful kiss and I would love for another."

Marcus nearly groans as he sees her eyes glowing as well. There is no doubt that Aurora is Lockheartian with that response. He is hurting and his control is slipping with both of them showing just how aroused they are from his one kiss.

"Aurora," he begins desperately, "if you keep this up I'll lose control and take you to that bed and get you with child. That would definitely be more than what you gave me permission for."

Aurora smiles and her eyes glow even brighter. "I wouldn't mind, Marcus."

Then a thought comes to her and she stops her feet from coming closer. "I understand your need for a queen, and I understand that you are expected to have either a second wife or mistresses. If you take Margaret as your second wife, I can live with that. If you take any others then no. I will accept being your queen if you take no others than Margaret. I won't be just one among many. You already have five children on the way. You are confident that you will be able to get me and Margaret with child as well. There will be no reason for you to have any others than with her and I. If you are able to accept these conditions than I will accept being your queen and will marry you."

Margaret smiles in delight. She had liked Marcus from the first. After all it was because of him that her mother is still here and not dead. "If you will accept those conditions and you are wanting me, I will marry you as well." Margaret smiles and hopes that he will accept. She doesn't like the thought of being with another. Marcus is the only one that has called her attention in that manner. If he kisses like what she felt him give her mother, she will certainly enjoy being with him.

"There is another ship full of humans coming from Earth that is expected next week. I am expected to take some of the females for myself."

Marcus could kick himself. The chill in the air after he said those words was a far cry from the delightful heat that had been there before.

"I guess you've made your choice then, Sire." Aurora's chilled tones make him shiver. Margaret shakes her head and there is no sign of the happiness or the arousal from before.

"Goodbye, Your majesty," Margaret whispers and moves out of his way. Marcus knows then that he lost the only chance he was likely to get to have either of them at his side.

"I would like for you two to take your rightful places at my table at dinner tonight." He makes one last chance and hopes that it will work.

"I don't think so, your majesty. I don't have an appetite." Aurora tells him.

"I'll be staying with my mother. We've never been accepted in the dining hall any way." Margaret says shaking her head.

Marcus heads out the door knowing that he just made the biggest mistake of his life. He could have had them both agreed to marry him and be with his child before dinner, but now, he'll be lucky if he can get either of them to even speak to him again.

"Shit." He says as he leaves Aurora's room. 

"Sire?" The guard asks as Marcus pauses just outside the door.

"Make sure that they aren't disturbed. They are rather upset and will need time to be alone."

"Yes, sire." The guard wonders just what happened. 

"I'll be sending a gift for them. You can let that through and if they don't go down to dinner, then make sure that some is sent up for them." Marcus doesn't want them to go without. He knows that Aurora hasn't eaten much lately.

"Of course sire," He wishes he knew what happened, because he's sure that something important did.

Aurora doesn't cry. She thought that he might be different, but he wasn't any better than the others. She would rather be alone than one of many. If Marcus can't accept that then she won't be with Marcus. 

It's a shame really, for the firsts time ever, she had actually wanted a man to touch her, kiss her. She isn't stupid, she knows that last night wasn't the first time he'd been with females. He grew up when there weren't females, so she knows that he was with males as well. That was in the past, she didn't care about the past. it's the present and future that she cares about. He said that he wanted her as his queen, but he doesn't want to give up being with other females. That she can't live with.

"Mother, what just happened?" Margaret asks still not even sure what happened.

"What happened is the king asked me to be his queen, but is unwilling to give up other females for me."

"But I don't understand why I felt him kissing me when he was kissing you?"

Aurora gives her a pained smile. "I don't have an answer for you on that one. You've had the same schooling as I did."

"I really liked his kiss mother." Aurora once more gives her a pained smile.

"As did I. But I wasn't willing to be one of many. You are a grown woman and old enough to make your own decisions, if you wish to take him as a lover, then you are free to do so."

Margaret shakes her head. "If I felt his kiss, then you would be likely to feel what ever he does to me. I won't put you through that. Father already made you suffer more than you should have."

Aurora turns so that Margaret won't see the tears her words cause.

"You shouldn't worry about me, Margaret. I knew a long time ago that I wouldn't ever find any one that would want me the way I should be wanted. If you can find some one that treats you right, you have my blessing to be with them." She had thought, for a very short time, that perhaps she was wrong, that Marcus would treat her right. Then he proved to her that there would be no one.

The two lose all track of time as they are lost in their own thoughts. Aurora is just staring blindly out her window. Margaret sitting but staring into space. Occasionally she would feel her lips as if in memory of a kiss then drop her hand down once more and frown.

They are both startled when there is a knock at Aurora's door. Aurora frowns, she doesn't get many visitors. The servants respect her and don't come to her unless they are sent and the lords don't bother her at all.

Margaret gives her a look of confusion before standing up and answering the door. She steps aside as two servants come in, their arms full holding a carefully placed garment bag. One servant steps towards Aurora, "My lady, this is for you."

Aurora carefully takes the garment bag and the servant steps back. "Thank you, Susan." Susan smiles before stepping towards the door.

"This is for you, Lady Margaret." The other servant offers the other garment bag to her.

Margaret looks at the bag scowling, but nevertheless takes it. "Thank you Joanie." the servant bows and moves to Susan's side before they both leave the room.

The two women take the garment bags over to the bed and set them down gently before opening them. They both gasp at the dresses they find there.

Aurora finds a note, "If you will accept this gift, I will accept your terms. Please forgive me? I hope to see you at dinner tonight. Marcus"

Margaret finds a note with hers as well. "Please forgive me? I would accept your mother's terms, will you accept my apology? I hope to see you at dinner tonight. Marcus"

They both set the notes to the side and pull out the dresses. They look at the dresses and then each other.