Chapter 171 - You Must Not Play Favorites

Emmelyn was wondering if Mars would love her that much to also change the colors of his country for her.

"So, the colors of black and grey are from your father and mother?" Emmelyn asked. "What was the color before?"

"Before, it was only black," Mars explained. "Black is the Strongmoor's color."

"Oh..." Emmelyn nodded in understanding. Now, she could see King Jared differently. Yes, the man was her enemy and he was blood-thirsty for all the invasions he planned and conducted in the past.

However, behind that reputation, he was a loving husband and a good father. His decision to include grey in his coat of arms and army uniforms showed that he considered his wife as his equal, that he was sharing this kingdom with her literally and figuratively.

"Your father must love your mother so much," she said. "Will you change the colors after you ascend the throne?"

"Change the colors to what? I like both colors now as they represent my parents and their love for each other," Mars replied. "Besides, I don't like unnecessary spending on new uniforms and other stuff. Black and grey already look nice."

Emmelyn nodded. "I see."

The Rosehill's color was silver. Emmelyn actually thought grey and silver were not that much different. So, she didn't even try to ask the prince if he would change Draec's grey to silver after they got married and he took the throne.

She didn't want to be seen as demanding and presumptuous. Obviously grey was his mother and he loved her so much. Emmelyn wouldn't even suggest to have her color added.

The glow wine in her cup had run out and Emmelyn really wanted more. However, when she reached out her hand to take the jug, suddenly the jug moved farther away.

The prince was faster than her and moved it. He shook his head when Emmelyn looked at him and gave him her best puppy eyes. "No, half a cup per day. That's what Mr. Vitas said."

Emmelyn pouted, "It's really not fair. You brought me to heaven and then pulled me out of there before I could enjoy the beauty."

Mars laughed when he heard her exaggerated words. "Your standard for heaven is really low."

"Glow wine is not low..." Emmelyn protested.

"No, but it's not that high either," Mars replied.

"You cannot appreciate it as much as I do because you are used to it, so you take it for granted," Emmelyn retorted.

"Hmm.. maybe you are right," Mars said. "But it still doesn't negate the fact that Mr. Vitas said only half a cup."

"Well.. he said half a cup of wine. Pure wine. This one has herbs and so many other things mixed into it. So, I believe ONE FULL CUP of glow wine equals HALF A CUP OF NORMAL WINE," Emmelyn now tried to use her negotiation skills on Mars, after realizing that her puppy eyes didn't work.

"Well, we have red wine, white wine... and glow wine. They all have 'wine' in their names, so they are wine, no matter what are the ingredients. Mr. Vitas said, 'half a cup'," Mars replied.

Emmelyn smiled seductively and touched his chest with her right hand, then her naughty hand traced his skin lightly, making him tingle, while she whispered to his ear, "But if I took extra today, you won't tell Mr. Vitas, will you? Just... today."

Her hand had slid down his stomach and slowly went inside his pants.

The prince just lost the negotiation.

"Just.. this... once..." he groaned softly as he grabbed her head closer and claimed her lips greedily. They kissed for a long time and made out passionately. The intimate session soon led to another amazing sex.

The appetizer before dinner, as they both called it.

The mood was perfect, the place was nice, and the light from the fireplace made their lovemaking feel magical. 

***

"Only this one time," Mars reminded Emmelyn as he watched her pour another half a cup of wine and drank it merrily.

He didn't know why he was too weak and couldn't refuse her temptation. This woman had too much power on him, he thought.

Luckily, she loved him and wouldn't abuse her power over him.

Mars actually agreed with Emmelyn that glow wine was too light compared to normal wine because it had so many other ingredients. So, he didn't feel too guilty about breaking Mr. Vitas' medical advice.

"Yes," Emmelyn replied cheekily. She sipped her wine slowly. Since it was too good, she didn't want to finish it too quickly. 

The taste was heavenly, and it gave her such a pleasant warmth. The prince could only shake his head when he saw her enjoying herself.

Well.. at least she was not high maintenance, he thought. It was easy to make her happy.

Ahh.. that reminded him. He was preparing a gift for Emmelyn. He believed the gift would make her truly happy. He could imagine her face when she saw it... It would be truly priceless!

Ahh, the prince couldn't wait to show it to her. It's too bad that he needed extra time to make it happen.

Well, good things were always worth the wait, he consoled himself.

"Ahh.. it's so good," Emmelyn licked her lips when she finally put down her empty cup. "Now, let have dinner!"

"Haha.. okay," Mars ruffled her hair and took her hand to leave their chamber. They went to the small dining room and ate dinner.

During meal, they discussed their secret wedding plans. Mars would send a letter to Athos and explained his intention, so his cousin can help prepare. Also, he would love to introduce Emmelyn to Lily, Athos' wife.

Lily was an experienced mother with three successful births under her belt. She might be able to give Em some tips about pregnancy and labor.

And who knows, if both ladies hit it off, maybe they could even become friends.

Mars didn't want to see Emmelyn feeling alone and lonely. It ached him to hear that the only person she considered as a friend in Draec was a village witch in Bydell, just because she was from Wintermere.

If they were going to have a long life together, Emmelyn must find her roots here in Draec. Mars wanted her to start having friends.

Lily would be his ideal choice for now since she was his cousin's wife. She was also nice and a princess by birth, before she married Athos. 

Having so many things in common between both women hopefully would help foster a good relationship between them.

"Can you really trust your cousin?" Emmelyn asked Mars.

The prince nodded. "Yes. He is family and has been loyal to me from a long time ago. I have some other cousins, like Harland and a few others who would jump in to betray me if they saw the opportunity to take power from me, but Athos is different from them."

"I see," Emmelyn could only agree. She thought Mars knew his friends and family better. "What about your friends? Will they be invited?"

Mars shook his head. "Unfortunately no. The fewer people who know this secret, the better. I will probably invite Edgar, but that's it."

"Hmm..." Emmelyn furrowed her brows. "I don't like Gewen that much, but he is your friend. I do believe he would feel offended if you bring Edgar but not him. You don't treat your friends differently and play favorites. It's not nice."

"You think so?" Mars was conflicting. He didn't want to invite Gewen because that man was a chatterbox. He might not be able to keep the secret. Plus, Mars knew Emmelyn didn't like Gewen.

But this girl actually advised him to invite Gewen?