Natalie POV
The heavy scent of roasted venison and spiced wine became suffocating as the hours bled into the deep midnight watch. While the lesser nobles of the northern territory continued to lose themselves in the intoxicating relief of a secured summit, the reality of our new empire sat heavily on my shoulders.
I leaned back against the silver satin of my throne, my hand dropping instinctively to my lap. Beneath the thick, structured layers of my emerald gown, my core thrummed with a deep, low frequency. The blood-stone was gone, but the primal tethers inside my chest were wide awake, drinking in the volcanic heat of the man sitting beside me.
Richard hadn't released his grip on my waist for the duration of the banquet. His fingers remained locked against my hip, his large thumb rubb
