I didn't back down.
I stood up from the chair and walked over to him, stopping just behind his shoulder.
"Well," I said, my voice steady. "I am your wife, yes. Future Empress, yes. But am I a trophy wife? No. Am I just some pretty vase for you to showcase in the Empire? Absolutely not."
He went perfectly still. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the wind rattling the balcony glass.
Then, slowly, he looked over his shoulder at me. To my utter shock, the absolute zero of his gaze thawed just a fraction.
"My apologies," he said. His tone was still cool, but the dismissiveness was gone. "I did not mean it that way."
He turned fully to face me, his eyes dropping to mine.
"I have heard about your... activities in the royal kitchen. And I read the report on how you captured the intruder from the Aethros Kingdom."
