In the ballroom, the party was still going on. The sound of music, laughter, and people's chatter filled the room. Queen Marianne conversed with several noble ladies.
Some guests were actually curious about what had happened between King Nicholas and Duke Romanov, but chose to discuss it far away from the queen dowager. A lot of them knew that the queen had frail health and might faint if they misspoke about her son.
The rest were none the wiser and they simply enjoyed the party, unaware of the situation that was unfolding in the king's chamber.
***
"Ahh... Nicholas..." Karenina bit her lip as she climbed the bed where Nicholas lay down. She sat on his stomach and touched his firm chest. "You must be feeling so hot right now. Let me help you..."