Silence. Then it was Laurent who responded.

“Yes, surely that would be the case,” he said as if he hadn’t thought of it. He was trying not to smile as he glanced at Beauty and then back to the others. “After all, we would be your sovereigns, and having been slaves ourselves, we may advocate subtle changes with considerable enthusiasm.”

“Oh, yes, this would be most welcome,” Lady Eva responded. She looked directly at Beauty as she spoke. No fear in her whatsoever, Beauty noted. “But these would be improvements to what has always been so essential to our way of life, would they not?”

“Yes, Lady Eva,” Beauty replied. “Improvements to what we all hold dear. Exactly.” She looked from Lady Eva to Alexi. “It was my strong feeling years ago that the Queen did not fully understand her slaves, and that at times her slaves played games with her of which she was never aware.”

Laurent laughed softly under his breath. Captain Gordon appeared shocked, and Lady Elvera, the most distant of all those in attendance, cold Lady Elvera who had once been Laurent’s hard mistress at the castle, remained absolutely impassive.

An awkward pause, yes, and then Alexi spoke. “That’s true,” he said, looking from Laurent to Beauty. “That is very true. The Queen did not understand fully the personalities or the needs of her slaves, and she was often caught unawares by their conniving.”

Lady Elvera looked away as if this were contemptible. Well, so be it, thought Beauty, but it is true.

“Precisely,” said Laurent with his easy self-confidence. “We slaves who rebelled did so because we wanted to be sent to the village.” He looked pointedly at Lady Elvera, but she did not respond to this. “And our mistresses and masters didn’t seem willing to acknowledge that this was the case, as they refused to acknowledge so much else.”

At last, a faint smile played on Lady Elvera’s lips. And slowly she turned her frigid gaze on the King.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she said under her breath. “There were many things the Queen never understood. And old Lord Gregory—a gentleman who was old already when he was young—never fully understood the tricks played by slaves upon their betters either. And yes, my queen, I think I understand your meaning, when you speak of refinements, improvements. And both words suggest you are in tune with the spirit of the old ways perfectly.”

The Captain of the Guard couldn’t suppress a short muffled laugh.

“You have something to say, Captain?” asked Beauty. She was enjoying this more and more by the minute. “Speak up.”

“Your Majesty,” Captain Gordon replied. “We want with all our hearts for you to assume control of the kingdom. Of course you will inaugurate new rules. You will be our king and queen. No one knows better than . . .”

“Yes, Captain?” Beauty prompted. “No one knows better than we?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said. “No one knows better than you and King Laurent how vital the customs are and what can and cannot be done to improve them.”

“Let me be blunt,” said Lady Eva, who was clearly the bravest of the lot. “If Your Majesties do not accept the rule of the kingdom, the kingdom will perish. There will be no more pleasure slavery. And the land will be carved up by the kingdom’s neighbors. We are more than willing to accept your complete authority! And as these letters show, so is the royal family.”

All agreed to this, it was clear.

Tristan, who had been quiet all the while, spoke up. “Of course you will bring your own ideas to Bellavalten,” he said with the air of one who had once been a king himself. “Fresh ideas, innovations, expansions of the old customs, what could be more welcome? This is precisely what the late queen hoped for. She’d lost all interest. She would have given you the kingdom herself while she was living if you had ever come to visit, because she knew that she and her son had nothing further to give to the realm. The kingdom has suffered for many years from her indifference. You’d be appalled if you knew. You knew it in its greatest time. It’s been in a slow but steady decline for over a decade.”

The others nodded to this.

Tristan went on. “We’re eager for a new wind! What we ask is what all loyal subjects ask: that you rule with discretion and full resolution.”

“Yes, precisely,” said Prince Alexi in a more muted voice. “Discretion and resolution. But you know what it is we want to preserve here. You know! You know why we’ve come all this way. You know what our hopes are!”

Again all were nodding and murmuring in assent.

There it was again, thought Beauty, Tristan speaking for those who must serve as to the paramount importance of masters being masters, and Prince Alexi showing the old subtlety. How well she remembered Tristan’s old story, of how he’d rebelled against the diffident Lord Stefan because Lord Stefan could not master him, and in the village Tristan had found the harsh punishments by Nicholas the Queen’s Chronicler very much to his liking. He’d loved the sternness of Captain Gordon as well. And so had her beloved Laurent.

“Well, now, my lord,” Beauty said, turning to Laurent. “Let us perhaps discuss this in the privacy of our quarters so as not to keep our honored guests in suspense any longer than necessary.”

Laurent gave her the most confidential and amused look. But he rose at once, and all the others rose as well.

“Yes, my dear guests,” Laurent said. “My queen and I will have an answer for you tomorrow, I promise you. Until then, please do enjoy whatever comforts we can offer you. But I ask that all of you remain ready to be summoned again by us at any time, singly or together, as we might require this for further discussion. We will not retire until quite late. And again, I assure you, we will have an answer one way or another tomorrow.”

Within minutes, they were alone together behind their bedroom door, the vast chamber warmer than the great hall, and empty of all courtiers or servants.

Laurent at once took Beauty in his arms. She could see and feel that he was feverish with passion, his kisses bruising her lips as they hadn’t for some time. It took all her will to hold him off, her own blood heated as it was.

“Ah, but wait, Your Majesty,” said Beauty, stepping back, trying not to be entranced by the impish smile on his lips. “You are passionate, of course, your usual vigorous self, I understand that. Seeing your old lovers has done its work with you, Laurent.”

“Is that so surprising, and what about you?” Laurent said in a low voice, and immediately he kissed her again and again, his lips sucking the breath out of her, his powerful fingers closing on the back of her head, yet she pulled away, pulled away from him and from what she herself wanted to do with him, and she laid a hand firmly on his chest, though he towered over her.

“Yes, what about me, my lord, the very question,” she responded, looking up into his playful dark eyes reprovingly.

“Well, what do you think?” asked Laurent. “Surely you’re going to give me a quarter of an hour now in that bed before any intelligent discussion can take place! And to rule Bellavalten! Don’t tell me you don’t want it. I know you. I was watching you in the great hall. I know you in a way they can’t know you. You want this, Beauty. Now, must I squeeze it out of you!”

“I want it and I know you want it,” she said. “And I wish I had time to tell you of the strange dreams I’ve had of late, oh, I really do. Such dreams—that something like this was in the offing, so you would realize completely what this will mean for you and for me, for us as king and queen. But there isn’t time for all that. However . . .”

“Dreams,” murmured Laurent. “You talk of dreams.”

“Yes, but I am pressing another point here if you will only listen.”

Laurent stood quiet looking down at her. But the smile hadn’t left his lips, and his brown eyes narrowed as if he were going to laugh again.

“Your Majesty, pay heed to what I’m saying,” said Beauty firmly. “In all these years, I have belonged to you entirely and exclusively.”

“Ah.”

Beauty studied his face carefully. “I have never asked you what you did in foreign lands,” she said gently, “or at sea, or after this or that battle, or even now and then in the bedchambers of our own kingdom. You are the King, yes, and kings will have their way as subjects well know, including that subject of the King who is the Queen. But don’t you see? If we rule Bellavalten, then I must have the very same prerogatives that you have always had. Laurent, that is the way of Bellavalten, that a woman may have what a man has, and men and women must serve men and women.”

Laurent stood silent for a long moment. Then he nodded.

“I know,” said Laurent softly. A bit of color flared in his cheeks. “Yes, how well I remember.”

“And so if we take this step,” Beauty said, “we take it together, and I shall rule beside you with all the prerogatives that you enjoy.”

Laurent hesitated. Then he smiled again. “I realize this, Beauty,” he said. “You will have your slaves, your days and nights of pleasure with them as freely as I will have mine, your days and nights of pleasure perhaps with those who are no longer slaves . . .” It appeared to be sinking in.