Nike blinked the sleepiness from her eyes lazily, her cheek pressed to something warm. She noted the slow rising and falling of Livi's chest, the sound of his breathing loud in her ear. Half-formed thoughts about how nice his scent was floated through her head.

She couldn't remember what day it was. There was sunlight filtering through the window, which suddenly struck her as odd. Livi was almost always out of bed before she was, and definitely gone by the time the sun was up. Neil had strict orders to fetch the king before dawn every morning, so she usually woke to an empty bed. Yet there he was, fast asleep, and she was definitely resting her head on his shoulder.

She reached over and poked at his face. "Livi, wake up."

"Mmm." He frowned in his sleep.

"Livi, it's late. You need to wake up."

"No... not that one..."

"Livi," she repeated, more loudly. He groaned and turned over, wrapping his arm over her waist.

"Nike, you're being loud," he muttered. A light snore escaped him. She pinched his nose.

He thrashed and sat up, pulling his arm out from under her. Eyes wide, he looked around frantically for his attacker.

"GAH! What the hell?! Wha... Nike?! Did you do that?"

"You weren't waking up," she shrugged, sitting crosslegged next to him, her nightgown draped haphazardly over her shoulder.

"And why the hell are you trying to wake me up?"

"It's late."

"So?"

"So don't you have things to do today?"

He groaned and flopped back onto bed, pulling his pillow over his head.

"No," came the muffled response. "I told Neil to schedule a day off for me after that fiasco of a week. And you just ruined the best part!"

"You didn't tell me you were taking a day off. Besides, I didn't know you liked to sleep in," she lied. In truth, she knew he took naps during the day to make up for his busy schedule cutting into his sleep. When she first met him he had to take drugs in order to rest, but now he seemed to fall asleep on his own just fine. Perhaps a little too well, though he didn't like people to know that he took naps like a child.

"I just forgot to tell you," he said through his pillow. " And I don't, unless I've just been through a week of hell; and since I have, I'd like to at least sleep until noon."

Nike made a small noise of disbelief; Livi, sleeping till noon? Ha! Still, he had a point. The last week really had been a page out of a nightmare.

After the incident at the wedding, several emergencies suddenly popped up. One of the main dams to the north began to crack and required a hasty and difficult repair job to protect the drinking water supply. A princess from the Cloud Kingdom who spoke none of the international tongue went missing on her way to Ginitarix, nearly sparking an international incident until she was found, completely lost without her translator, two cities away. Half the castle staff caught the flu, forcing those who were spared, including the king and queen, to double the amount of work they had to do. On top of that, the wedding reception had been held two days late, and it was every bit as tiring and draining as Nike had been dreading. The actual party aside, she was required to make several appearances throughout the capital, including speeches, promenades, and summoning the rain. She especially hated doing the latter unless it was necessary, but Livi had convinced her to do it just this once, as part of the campaign to legitimize her claim to the throne.

All of this was made worse by the fact that the assassin had not been caught, which meant that Nike and Livi were under constant surveillance, even at home. The only exception was their bedroom, and even then there was a full guard posted outside the door and beneath the window throughout the day. It was stifling not to have any personal space, so it was no wonder that Livi had scheduled a rare day off.

"So you're just going to sleep all day?" she asked.

"Not anymore," he groaned and threw the pillow at her. "And why the heck are you so damned energetic this morning? Usually I can't even get you to open your eyes until Neil comes with the cold water."

"I'm not energetic," she said, failing to catch the pillow. It hit her in the face, but she chose to ignore it. "I'm just so tired that I don't think I can rest anymore." She knew she had shadows under her eyes that hadn't disappeared in days, and her whole body ached from running around all over the capital.

He blinked at her slowly and grabbed her arm suddenly. "You woke me up, so take responsibility."

"W-what..?!" She blushed, thinking about the delayed wedding night that still hadn't taken place. Every night since the ceremony they'd all but collapsed into bed and were sound asleep in minutes.

"I can see the indecent thoughts on your face, Nike," he said, a sly grin crossing his lips when he noticed her expression. "But no, unfortunately I'm too tired for that, so hurry up and be my pillow already." He pulled her to his chest and held her tightly.

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?"

"Nuh uh, now shhhh, it's sleep time. And don't move so much," he complained. "You always end up hitting me in the face."

"You deserve it. Most of the time."

"You're probably right, but not now, kay? Livius needs sleep," he murmured into her hair.

"Livius needs to stop being so selfish."

"After he wakes up, princess. After he wakes up."

Something was wrong, but Talea couldn't quite put her finger on it. The Dainer household was eerily quiet, and though it wasn't a particularly lively manor in any circumstance, there seemed to be precious few servants wandering the corridors. She hadn't seen her father for at least two days, and though she was due to leave for the Ocean Kingdom by the end of the week, she hadn't seen anything resembling the bustling preparations that had preceded her sister's move to the Ocean court.

She voiced her concerns to her mother one evening over dinner, but the older woman just shrugged and told her to do as she was told. That's got to be the most hypocritical advice she's ever given. She would have reconsidered hiring her old nanny for us if she knew all the stories the old lady told us about her less than obedient youth...

She spent several days just wandering the grounds, reading or working on her languages. It was dreadfully dull; though she often kept to herself, she had grown used to the perpetual company of the several dozen courtiers that lived in or regularly visited the castle. There was always something interesting to do at court, whether it was watching the latest scandal unfold, having full access to the king's public library, partaking in an event set up by the nobility, going horseback riding with the other court ladies, or just enjoying the royal gardens and listening to the princess singing through the open window of her bedroom in the afternoon.

At home, she was expected to be quiet and refined at all times, which meant that the few freedoms she had become accustomed to at court were basically nonexistent. No one laughed heartily in the Earl's household. No one told bawdy jokes, or played sports, or went out into the capital at their leisure. No one ran around barefoot like the Princess of Rain (or occasionally the king himself), no one practiced archery or swordsmanship or held contests of any kind, and no one was interested in what the youngest daughter of the Earl of Ferana had to say or think.

Though she'd never felt happy at home, she felt more stifled than usual. She had only been at court for a little under a year, and it had baffled her when her father, who had insisted she go into the princess' service in the first place, suddenly demanded she come home immediately after the royal wedding. She was equally confused when he said she would be going abroad; her sister had been sent abroad several years ago, but that was with the intention of marrying into the Ocean nobility. Talea was expected, as the youngest, to make a less prestigious match with someone from the Sun court. She wondered if she had somehow disappointed her father by not encouraging anyone's advances over the last year and mentally berated herself for being so aloof.

Still, the days passed and Talea heard no mention of the upcoming trip from her parents. The manor in Ferana remained cold and quiet, and when the day before the move arrived, Talea was feeling apprehensive.

Not surprisingly, when Livius woke, Nike had somehow managed to disentangle herself from his embrace and her arm was inches away from smacking him in the head if she made any sudden movements.

How does she even get herself into these weird positions? he asked himself, surveying the ridiculous angle of her body as she snored away peacefully. He yawned and blinked, propping himself up lazily on his arm. Gazing at his wife's blissful expression, he couldn't help wanting to laugh. To say that she took up the majority of the bed was an understatement. Livi often found himself shocked awake in the middle of the night when he nearly rolled off the edge of the mattress, a real feat when one slept in the king's own canopy. Nike unconsciously spread herself out, her limbs bent at strange angles, and even occasionally stole his blanket. She was a real terror in the sheets, and not in the way he wanted.

She's cute though, he thought, I just really wish she wouldn't kick me. As much as he liked to complain, though, he never felt as relaxed as he did when she was sleeping next to him. Which was why he had taken to sleeping with her from the start; at first it was to tease her, but soon he found he didn't need drugs to sleep when she was there, and before he knew it heading to her room had become part of his routine. Under normal circumstances, it would have been improper for an unmarried couple to share a bed, even if they were engaged, but Livi was secretly thankful that his age let him get away with it for so long. It was the only time he had thought it was nice, being younger than his betrothed.

She muttered something in her sleep, and he saw she was drooling slightly.

"Ugh, c'mon, seriously?" he said aloud, and reached to gently wipe the corner of her mouth. Her nose twitched but she continued to sleep. Am I married or am I keeping ANOTHER pet? He snorted. He probably shouldn't compare them; his bird was needy but much more refined now that it wasn't a helpless chick. On the other hand, growing older only made Nike care less about appearances. It was only another thing that he'd grown to love about her.

He pinched her nose shut.

"AGHH!"

Revenge really was sweet.

Talea had never felt as unsettled as she did that morning. Not a single article of clothing had been packed for her, and apart from her satchel of books, nothing seemed prepared whatsoever for her departure the next morning. More worrying was the fact that she couldn't track down a single maid to help her, much less her mother. She didn't even dare approach her father's study, so she pulled out her trunk and started to fill it on her own.

According to Laia, the Ocean Kingdom was very cool year round, so Talea began to pack accordingly, pulling dresses, chemises, corsets, hats, and scarves from her boudoir as she went. She became so engrossed in her work that she scarcely noticed how strange it was that the maids hadn't come to get her for breakfast.

She packed sketchbooks, pencils, shoes, her favorite brush, her sewing kit, anything she thought she might need or want. She had no idea how long she was expected to stay abroad, so she decided to err on the side of caution. Before long her trunk was full to the brim. Still, the maids did not come. It was past noon when she finally realized she was hungry.

How did it get so late? She frowned and opened her door, checking both sides of the hall for a servant, anyone. The corridor was empty. Where is everyone?

She dressed hurriedly and as tidily as she could without help. She was aware her corset wasn't tight enough to pass inspection and that her hair looked less like a bun and more like a disheveled plant, but she was too unnerved to worry about the minutiae.

She did not cross a single person as she made her way downstairs. When she reached the kitchen, it was silent and there were no rich smells to indicate that anything had been made at all that day. The dining room was immaculate, but no silverware had been put down for lunch and the fire was out. A quick search of the servant's quarters and the drawing room yielded similar results. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end.

Her mother was not in her room. She wasn't in the library, the parlor, or even the ballroom. A quick glance out the window told Talea that no one was out on the grounds either, not even the gardeners. She tried to assuage her rising panic.

Maybe they've all gone out... But... wouldn't they have informed me? And why would all the servants be gone too? What's going on?

The last place she had to check was her father's study. She was forbidden from ever entering without permission, but this seemed enough of an emergency to warrant at least a quick look. If her father was there, he might be able to answer her questions, and if he wasn't, she could at least be sure that no one was home at all.

She crept up the stairs to the second floor, her heart thumping in her throat. The corridor to the study was as empty as the rest of the manor. She paused at the first door, half convinced this was a terrible idea and that she should go back to her room immediately. I have to be sure. She took another step. And another.

She was almost standing in front of the door when she heard a voice. It was her mother's.

Oh thank goodness, she's here. She visibly relaxed and raised her hand to knock and request permission to enter. The sound of her name stopped her cold.

"Talea is crucial, without her the plan fails." It was a man's voice. Her father's.

"Yes, but how are we sure she'll cooperate? She spent too long at court, it's made her... sympathetic. What if she refuses?" She didn't recognize the speaker; it sounded like a man, but not anyone she recognized.

"She will obey, or she knows the consequences." She felt her chest tighten in conditioned fear. Instinct told her to run, to avoid hearing any more of this terrible conversation and remain blissfully unaware of what the Earl expected from her. But her curiosity got the better of her.

"If you're sure of her loyalties, then she needs to be moved to Keilt, quickly," the unknown voice continued.

"Rest assured, we have already sent our household in advance," Lady Dainer said. "Talea will be moved immediately."

"In that case we need only worry about the other party. Will they succeed in convincing him?"

"Convincing? Ha!" Lord Dainer gave a derisive snort. "If we could have convinced him, we wouldn't be in this horrid mess. Still, we'll be making an offer he won't be able to refuse. If there's something we've learned over the years, it's that he isn't entirely sane when it comes to that."

"But an empty threat doesn't seem like it could faze him..."

"Empty? Are you daft? We're not leaving anything to chance! If we want the plan to succeed, we have to do everything to ensure things go smoothly. That includes having a valuable hostage, whether that hostage knows its being held ransom or not." A pause. "It might be better that they don't realize it, actually. It will cement our control over him. I've deployed a capable person to take care of it. He'll recognize the danger once it's pointed out to him, and he's not fool enough to try anything when there's something that precious at stake."

"Won't he just take precautions and ignore us? He's not known for negotiating."

"Our operative is under orders to assimilate into the household. In fact, they've been doing so for the last two years," Lady Dainer replied.

"The plan has been in motion that long?"

"Not at all; we just make it a point to have connections," Talea heard her father say. She swallowed, her tongue feeling swollen and dry. "He'll never be able to pick out the mole before we strike, and he won't risk the hostage's safety."

"Then the plan goes into motion tonight?"

"Tonight. Before it's too late."

An overwhelming terror settled into the pit of Talea's stomach. She fled.

"I'll kill you!"

"Ha, you couldn't even reach me that time!"

Nike ripped a pillow from the bed and lunged it with all her might. Livi dodged it neatly and laughed, throwing her last projectile back. "Quit moving you little bastard!"

"Yes, sound battle tactic there, Nike," he said sarcastically as he dodged yet another pillow. His victory cheer was drowned out as the next one hit him with such force that he was thrown to the ground. "Ow! Okay, okay, enough!"

"Aha!" She threw one more for good measure. "Revenge!"

"Idiot, you can't get revenge for revenge."

"Sure I can, and I just did. Now where's my apology?" she asked, crossing arms and legs on the mattress as she waited.

Livi sighed and stood up. He bowed. "I'm very sorry, Your Highness. I will never do it again." He straightened up and gave her one of his roguish grins. "Unless you do it first."

"Brat."

"Hypocrite." He climbed back onto the bed. "No one asked for such a rude awakening to begin with. It's only fair you get the same."

"I was your pillow as compensation!"

"Yeah, but then you fell asleep too and the sweet moment was ruined," Livi shrugged. "So it's still fair."

"You're terrible!"

"Yep. You really should be used to it by now," he teased, taking a lock of her hair and raising it to his lips. He kissed it and let it go slowly, the hair cascading back into place. She blushed despite herself. Livi made a contented noise and lay on his back to look up at the canopy. "I wasn't planning on a pillow fight, but it really is nice to have a day off once in a while."

Nike stretched herself out to lie on her stomach next to him. "Isn't it? We rarely get to spend so much time together."

"Mm, I like being able to watch you sleep longer than a couple of minutes," he said seriously.

"W-what? You watch?!"

"Sometimes..." he said slowly, dragging out the word. "You make a lot of funny expressions, you know."

"Sh-shut up..."

"It's cute though. I like watching you."

"... That's embarrassing, Livi."

"What's embarrassing about it, I'm your husband, you know?"

"Still." She avoided catching his eye and pressed her face into her pillow.

"Why wouldn't I want to look? You look ridiculous asleep, but you're still beautiful," he said.

"Liar," she snorted. "You said I was a bumpkin for ages."

"Oh you are. But you're still pretty."

"Now you're just flattering me," she said in a deadpan voice, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Nope, telling it like it is," he winked at her and brushed some of the hair out of her face. "You have zero queenly presence, absolutely no grace or elegance, and the manners of a country farmer. But even then I think you're the loveliest woman there is." There was a hint of a joke in his words, but somehow she thought he was being sincere.

"You might need your eyesight fixed, Livi."

He burst into laughter.

"Oh gods, I can't breathe," he wheezed. She couldn't help laughing with him. It took a minute for him to recompose himself. "Ahh, sorry, I just wasn't expecting such a serious response." He chuckled and without warning, he moved in to kiss her forehead.

"H-hey!"

"Whoops, sorry, I messed up." He leaned in again, but this time he kissed her on the lips. Her stomach made a dive. "There," he said, satisfied at the sight of her blushing cheeks.

"Liviiiiii... you little..."

"I know, I'm a little devil, right?" He laughed but then his expression grew soft and she realized he was blushing. "But you really are the best, Nike. Whether you're pretty or plain, clumsy or stoic, fun or serious, I love you." She felt her heart jump up into her throat.

Ughhh, stop it! I can't handle this much cuteness! She groaned, covering her face with her pillow. He pried it away slowly.

"Nike..." he whispered, his face much too close. "Don't hide, Nike. I want to see your eyes,"

"Livi..." The rest of her sentence was silenced by his lips.

His took her hands tenderly, and she found that his palms were trembling slightly. She could feel the heat from his skin, from his breath, as he proceeded to kiss her cheeks and eyelashes. He kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. She kissed him on the lips.

Once, twice, three times.

The caresses changed. He pulled her close and kissed her jawline, her throat, her collarbone. Her skin burned wherever he touched, her heart pounding furiously in her ears. She knew she had something she was supposed to say, but she couldn't remember, she couldn't focus. She buried her face in his shoulder and said the only thing that came to mind, before that too was forgotten.

"I love you too, Livi."

Talea was summoned to the parlor that afternoon. In less than two hours, she had been properly dressed, fed, and she, her satchel, and her trunk had been packed into a carriage. The only things in her hands were her parasol and her violin case. She was finally being sent to the Ocean Kingdom, her mother said. Laia would be waiting for her when she arrived.

Talea knew it was a lie, but she was too afraid to say anything.

The carriage set course for the town of Keilt, the only passenger a lone girl of sixteen heading toward something she couldn't begin to imagine.