Matthias pondered her question – very briefly. He had always known the answer, that love never existed within a marriage. He had saw it with his own father and how that morphed when his mother grew ill. The only love, affection he knew of, died with her. To think another was capable of bringing him joy, to care for him in such a manner that did not bring harm – he could not possible find that true. All that he lived within, was harm. Threats. Fights. He experienced constant pain that apart of him forgot what it felt like to live, to desire, to be happy. He felt secluded in his own world, hiding behind books and manuscripts. All he longed for was to ensure his father was happy so that perhaps, briefly, Matthias would be spared of such trauma. “I cannot dream of what I would never understand. The only love I ever held died when I was a young child.” What came after that, why that molded him into who he was today. Could she fault him for such? He was not raised by parents who doted on them for every little thing. Hans was strict. He was controlling and he knew how to play his sons against another. There were scars to show, burns and bruises even today. He never had the luxury of a gentle kiss, someone to wipe his tears away and tell him he would be okay. How she believed a boy like that, someone so broken, would be capable of understanding love was beyond his own comprehension. Matthias chocked out a laugh. To hold his standards? Did he seem to be such a difficult man to please? Surely quiet and certainly rude, but he never cared much for intimate settings. They fed his appetite regardless of level. “Have you ever felt such a thing?” He question, inching forward so his voice could fall into a whisper. “To be touched underneath that dreadfully long dress. To have a hand curl between your thighs?” He moved his hand upward, placing is gently against her hips. “I may seem cruel and unlovable, but I am surely not a monster. My father and I are two separate men. While he was difficult to satisfy, I am simple. I am sure you cannot be up to par without understanding what goes on in a bedroom. I cannot fault you at that. But you should know that I would be a loyal husband and perhaps king, to you. I share not bare other children besides what we share. I shall not toss you aside for the wolves or bring along a mistress.”
Matthias turned his body, adverting all such attention from her. He craved many things, but those such thoughts would never leave his mouth. “Freedom, perhaps.” He mumbled, wondering if she could hear. It was a strange thought to have, though he often longed to be simple. To be a normal boy without such responsibilities. To have no war. To long for no throne. To be a farmer without the stress of holding a broken kingdom together. “That is fair. Then I must take it upon myself to teach you.” He knew she would wish to resist, to crawl away and long to return home. But that would admit defeat and Matthias had longed to make it work. He would morph her into the Queen Westergaard needed, one that would be loved and feared altogether. She simply needed to believe in herself. “Hatred is their form of appreciation. To love and to be hated, that is what we desire.” Matthias reached forward, hand moving to grab her. “You need not be afraid of what others would perceive you as. They hate you now because they see you as weak. They see you as the little Arendelle dove that came here to wed the prince. They would hate all such woman who came for such duties. But they will come to care for you, to wish to be like you. Being a viper, it is nothing to be feared. We all become people we do not recognize behind a mirror.” Matthias often thought that as his persona. In truth, he was quite a soft and caring man. Though he never dared show that to the many. He feared people seeing his true nature, the fact that he would have loved to marry someone as tender and as affection as Anissa. Yet he did not allow himself that satisfaction. He knew that to show such care would put her in danger and that would ultimately break him. “You have been spared a visit from my brother and his lackeys. They do love to fight.” But there were times in which others had lashed out. They only ever ended poorly for the opposing group. Matthias took his seat, grabbing his glass of wine as he tried desperately to think of Anissa in this court. It was difficult to picture a lady, so like his mother, taking over these halls. Soon they would be married and if she had a child, Hans would have favored Matthias for king. Then she would truly be the Queen and such responsibilities would be even more difficult.
“Yes, of course. I will be here to help in whatever manner that you need. I wouldn’t be so cruel to let you do anything on your own. I know it will be overwhelming. And no, I would not be opposed. They would, of course, need to be vetted first. I know my father is particular on who he allows in court, but he can be persuaded.” Especially if they were married, at this point. Matthias saw no reason as to why Anissa would wish for the downfall of her marriage and of course, her own reputation. If it would bring her comfort to have someone familiar, than Matthias saw no reason to deny it. “It is common for us to have our own guards. Demetri has the same. We just need to be careful. It is harder to monetize your own personal guards than that of a larger royal army.” Though he knew that was not all entirely true. Matthias had his own guards because his family was a threat. Despite being of blood relation, they all lived under constant threat of each other. Matthias was the least of the three, but that had not meant he wouldn’t dare to make a move. They simply needed to be careful, there was no strangeness in that. Matthias carefully lifted his eyes, watching her as she spoke. The softness of her form was enticing and Matthias knew he could grow to love it dearly. It scared him, definitely, to know that someone so small could very well be his downfall. He did not want to be weak, he could not for the sake of his kingdom. But god he wanted to break down so easily for her. Smiling, just so briefly, Matthias fingers curled against her touch. He squeezed back, listening carefully and understanding her desire to go rest. This was a very troubling day for her, she desired to be alone. “You are to be my wife soon, there is no need to speak with such a formal manner. You are free to do as you wish without any repercussions, I promise you that. I shall not lay a finger on you unless asked otherwise, by you.” He explained, pushing his chair back so that he may get to his feet. “Of course, as you wish. Shall I walk you or do you wish for another escort?” He moved behind her chair, grabbing ahold of it so that she may get out easier. “I can call for your guards. And that sounds wonderful, there is much that you should see.” He hesitated momentarily before signaling for a guard to come to her side. “I need to finish some paperwork, though I shall be in my room in no time. If you need anything else, I or Sir Henrik can assist you.” Matthias moved away, wanting to give Anissa time to be alone. He had no more work to do, in fact he finished it hours ago in order to prepare for Anissa’s arrival. But he did not want to trouble her with his constant attention. She deserved time to think, to understand and process her new life. “Tomorrow then?”
Anissa stared up at him in despair as her oversized heart constricted. Her delicate hand tentatively circled his arm. It never occurred to her how love could be foreign the concept would be to him. No child, no human, deserved to be brought into the world void of love. "Matthias—I'm so sorry." It was all she could say while grasping for the proper words. "You deserve love, Matthias and I pray one day you find it." If she had only known what she did now, she would not have acted so rashly towards him at the beginning. If, for him, love could be found between the sheets — or at least an illusion of it, she would not dare to stop him next time. Anissa's heart hammered against her chest. Matthias could be described using countless words but attractive was undoubtedly one of them. It was impossible to resist visions of his intimate depictions. Dare she confesses that she wishes to know the sensation of his hand travelling beneath her dress? Images of his fingers digging into her thigh forced her lip to curl inwards. She stared upward at him with her doe-like eyes, attempting to preserve a look of innocence. Yet, all she could think about was what it would be like to be in the bed of one most powerful men in the country, to have such an athletic body pressed against her’s. Never did she dream that a man she once viewed as an enemy would arise such a deadly hunger within her. Anissa inhaled sharply when she felt his arm border her waist. In a desperate attempt to clear her whirling mind, she blinked in a daze, hoping to erase those unholy images. Heat crept up her neck as he drew closer. His warm breath skimmed her ivory skin, rendering every hair on her body to straighten. Immediately, she shook her head at his intimate question. Her teeth dragged across her lower lip before voicing herself in a softened tone. "No, I suppose I waited this long so I could feel you do it." She held her gaze, only briefly letting it slip towards his lips. "A future king deserves a wife that is completely, utterly, his. Don't you agree?" She spoke in a near whisper as if not to break the spell between them.
With a fixed gaze, she nodded in understanding. The more the pair spoke, the more her misconceptions of the prince faded. "I never viewed you as unlovable but rather unaccepting of love." She clarified, letting silence fall between them. Her mouth fell open, speechless at the unexpected oath. "Why?" She managed to mutter in disbelief. "You are a prince. Don't you wish to partake in all the delights it offers you?" She replied, skeptical of his promises. Anissa might have been naive to the pleasures of the bedroom, but she certainly wasn't clueless. She saw and heard whispers of courtly love and the deeds that came with it. However, such a seasoned lover would require more than gossip and glimpses. "I can change that." She said eagerly. "I can learn how to please you. That lady you were with, she can teach me everything you enjoy before our wedding." The feeling of being inadequate was one she thoroughly detested. Growing up in a large household, there was constantly lingering pressure to prove yourself. It always felt like a competition for perfection, and the reward was approval. Innocence illuminated across her face in the form of a deepening blush. Her lips almost grazed his ears when she leaned in to whisper. "What if I visited you and practiced what I learnt before the wedding? We won't need to do everything, just enough to show you that I can satisfy you," If he was going to make such grand promises, she must do her part to ensure they were easy to keep. The man was to be their husband; she saw nothing sinful in the act. "Though if we did do everything, would working towards and heir he so wrong?" Becoming intimate sooner could be beneficial for both parties. Signs of fertility would secure a place here and surely would launch Matthias into favouritism which in turn was good for her. Not ever admitting it to herself, Anissa had always repressed her desire to be queen. It was a feeling that was buried deep but had permanently lingered inside of her. She had ideas that could bring change and the poise to execute them, but admitting that felt vain and covetous.
Anissa hesitated to respond to his low murmur. If it weren't for her being so actively alert, she would not have heard it. "Many would believe people like us had the most freedom as we are above the law, but I know that is far from the case." She started, matching his low voice. "What would freedom look like to you?" Anissa was uncertain how to feel about his mission of turning her into a queen. On the one hand, she found the idea of transformation exhilarating but was frightened of the consequences. Her desire was not to be unrecognizable. Besides, she had a different perspective than Matthias. She viewed her kindness and warm nature as an asset. It was an element that had been vacant from this palace for far too long. She winched at his directness, knowing it was nothing but honesty. "I do not wish to be seen as weak." She muttered, pushing around her food desperately, trying to appear busy. "How do you intend to mold me into your queen?" Fearful of the answer, she kept her glance low. Gathering her courage, she forced her eyes to meet his eyes again. "Turn me into your serpent queen if you must, but you will not have a viper as a wife." It was clear to Anissa that Matthias needed something completely different in a wife. She speculated his towering walls were built to conceal parts of him that needed to be handled as delicately as a frayed piece of paper. She had wanted to be gentle towards him, a safe place where he could remove his mask. The rim of her goblet brushed her lips as he spoke. Before she could drink, she lowered her cup as a look of excitement spread across her face. "Are you referring to the works of Machiavelli?" Ashamed of her curiosity about power, she often hid her choice of literature from the rest of the world.
Anissa brightened, the corner of her mouth tugging upwards. She attempted to conceal her happiness, but soon, a toothful smile betrayed her. "That would bring me great joy. It would be wonderful to have a small taste of my old home in my new one. I even believe my ladies would be pleasantly surprised at the reality of things here.” It was not the beckon of light Arendelle was, but certainly not a complete nightmare as she was often told. If nothing else, she was confident her ladies would at least be a little jealous over how handsome her match was. Matthias was not only young, but his eyes were a hue of blue that even the ocean would envy. Anissa’s eyes suddenly grew, fear flicking behind them, but she nodded simply, maintaining a smile. However, she knew well enough that such security practices were not ordinary. Butterflies flapped rapidly as soon as his fingers curled around hers. Her hand appeared so miniature when engulfed in his. It felt girlish to get such a rush toward the man she was set to marry, but she could not hide it. The Matthias she had seen in private made her excited to get married but was prepared for this side of him to be fleeting. Love didn’t seem to blossom in an environment like this. Nodding with affection, she returned the gesture. “Of course. The same goes for me. Feel free to speak openly and without formalities. In truth, I would prefer it. I wish for friendship beyond politics with you.” A soft chuckle escaped her. “If your touches are without malice, you have permission to touch me all you wish. I am to be your wife, after all. ” His abrupt sweetness made her crave his affection more. She cleared her throat before continuing. “May I touch you as well? In private, of course.” She asked shyly. Anissa was naturally affectionate but hadn’t wished to scare him off if he wasn’t accustomed to it. Her mouth fell open to protest, but she hadn’t wished to appear needy or clingy. She was mindful he presumably had far more important matters than walking her and would not dare keep him from them. “I do hope Sir Henrik has the same effect you do. It’s just—You have a way of making me feel secure even when I know this environment isn’t.” She offered him a shy smile as she arose from her chair, tucking her golden locks behind her ear. It would be inappropriate of her to ask him to stay with her, but the idea of sleeping alone struck her with terror. “Tomorrow.” She repeated in a wistful tone. Once back in her room, she got changed into her nighttime attire. She clutched her silk robe for warmth as she explored the dim room. The Southern Isles weather had surprised her by being far colder than she had packed for. Her eyes drew to the empty fireplace. It was not unsurprising that those who got her room together would seemingly forget to start one for her. She paced briefly, debating what to do, before inching towards their adjoining door. Gently, her fist made contact with wood. “Matthias?” She called out in a stage-like whisper, turning the handle ever so slowly. “Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting your paperwork. It’s just, well, my room is rather cold and embarrassingly, I do not know how to start a fire.” She fibbed, knowing very well she learnt the skill from her father at a young age. “Do you mind if I warmed up in here for a short while?”
