"Deryn, this is silly!" Alek shouted up the stairs. He didn't bother banging on the door or fiddling with the handle. It was locked. And Deryn had knocked him down the stairs on accident before, swinging the door open without knowing he was on the other side. He almost wouldn't have been surprised if she replicated the situation on purpose, provided she was angry enough.

"I don't care! I'm not going," she shouted back. Alek leaned against the wall, sighing heavily. Deryn had always been good at dealing with antagonism from very nearly every front (and the gossipy old women at church were hardly the worst of her critics), but with the hormones due to her pregnancy helping along, she'd finally snapped.

"Please, darling? It is Easter. Mass is only an hour-"

"It's two."

"-an hour or two, and I'd appreciate it," he said gently, hoping charm might help.

"I don't give a clart! Go on your own, if it's so important!" She snarled.

Well. So much for that.

Alek straightened, smoothing out the fabric of his good suit. He knew she couldn't see him, but he felt much more imposing when he looked his nicest. More like the emperor he could have been if he hadn't abdicated to marry her. Maybe...

"You know, I could be attending Mass in Austria right now," he bemoaned. "But I'm here with you instead, and-"

"It was your barking idea to give up the throne, so don't go trying that again!"

No. He hadn't been able to guilt her into anything in... ever.

Fine, then. He would just have to order her. They needed to be off in ten minutes to get to the church on time, and Deryn wasn't even dressed. He straightened up, pulling the sleeves of his jacket into place again. He set his face in a severe, determined expression and cleared his throat.

"Deryn, I- Aleksandar von Hohenburg and more importantly your husband, order you to unlock the door now!"

He was greeted only by another shrieked obscenity.

Oh well. It had been worth a shot.