When I first realized the sacrifice I would have to make to mold Kari and Jede into one kingdom I was reluctant, but nothing ever made my heart tick as well as the well-being of my people. When everyone was as happy as they could be, I slept at night. When they suffered I stayed awake, struggling to find solutions to our problems.

But such a thing as war could have been solved in only one way--by taking a Prince away from his kingdom and making him a figure next to my throne, an obedient voice of the unknown. Now, I realize that such a plan never would have worked. The Kari council was made of Kari set in their ways and always eager for power. Taking orders from a figure so far away wouldn't have made a difference, no matter if our kingdoms became one or not.

Still, even when I said yes to a union with Rin and found our solution in our heirs, I felt the dread of being tied to a male I despised and who despised me.

But Rin surprised me. With every word he spoke, every bow he took, Rin tightened those invisible strings between us and made me his own. Now, after months of waking up in his tender embrace, there wasn't a place in both our kingdoms where I'd rather have been.

His hand was wrapped around his protruding belly as he curled into me, asleep. I loved to pull the sheets from his body every time I woke up before him and just watch as he moved so naturally in his slumber.

These days his hand was always around his belly, protecting our unborn children, and as he pressed his face against my chest I knew he found comfort in my closeness. Rin hated to wake up without me, and he slept most easily when at least one part of my body was touching his. But holding him close, touching his gentle, pale skin wasn't a hardship. Just seeing him next to me as I opened my eyes made it worth all the torture my reign would bring that day.

The thought of the risk our heirs presented was still blood chilling. I loved the look of his three-lined scars, loved how sensitive they were and couldn't be more amazed by the fact that those three lines marked Rin as a child bearer. No matter how much a part of Kari culture they were, for me it was still a miracle that Rin had been determined enough to risk bleeding out during childbirth. How such small beings, our precious heirs, presented such a danger in the best of times. I loved my Prince more than words could ever say.

I moved the playful strands of hair away from his face and watched as Rin's fingers tightened over his belly. His soft murmurs were enough to make me smile and eventually I couldn't resist kissing him.

It was only a soft peck against his hair, but my Prince stirred, tilting his head upward and looking at me with a smile. He couldn't even see straight yet, as he was blinking the sleep from his silver eyes, but Rin still demanded a kiss, and I had no intention to refuse.

Rin was soft under my fingers, pressing his cheek into my palm, offering his lips in a blatant display of desire. Always so easy to please. But that connection between us, even if it was as simple as the touch of our lips, could never be described by mere words. We breathed each other, both took and gave, and even with the whole world surrounding us, only the love we held for one another mattered.

What I thought before I had the privilege of seeing that soft gaze, tasting those too sweet lips, wasn't of importance at all. What mattered now was the life I would give for him and the lives I would take for his safety. Rin was mine, and there wasn't a Jede or a Kari that shined brighter in my eyes.

I turned him on his side and trailed a wet path of kisses down Rin's neck. So soft, so warm. He still had the scent of sleep around him, that freshness of clean sheets and oiled body. He moved lazily, pressing against me but not awake enough to touch. I loved mornings. I loved seeing his face without troubling thoughts marring those perfect lines. The way his hair was just a bit messy and his eyes half-closed. It called to me. Rin called to me.

So I kissed down the length of his spine, sidetracking as I reached his waist to press a kiss against the curve of his belly where our children rested. Then I continued on my way, licking the small of his back, dipping my tongue in his crack, just shy of his entrance and thinking how something I desired so shouldn't be possible or real. There were enough temptations for a king.

But I kissed my way up again, rubbing against his leg, side, and his shoulder blade and all the way down his arm to those long and graceful fingers. I loved touching him, looking at him. I just loved him.

Rin reached for the oil vial next to his pillow and coated my cock with it, massaging in a way that made me feel as if I had been completely innocent before being touched by his hands. As he went to move his hand away, I took hold of his wrist and dipped those fingers between his ass cheeks, loving the blush that took over his body at the act. They slid easily over the smooth skin, just touching that beautiful place I wanted to be inside. I entwined our fingers, resting them against his belly and slid my cock over the slick skin until the head dipped into his heat.

We loved each other every morning. Our bodies moved in a rhythm that was entirely our own, and the rush passed almost like a fever. Our hearts screamed their beat through our chests as we shouted our pleasure for all to hear and we held each other like we had absolutely nothing to fear. Nothing, as long as we had each other.