"King Kilvas?" Sanaki asked suddenly as the two prepared for sleep. "May I speak to you?"

Naesala turned towards his tentmate. "Yes?"

"What was your first kiss like?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Short and clumsy. Why the sudden interest, Empress?"

"This is a very dangerous battle we are going into," Sanaki replied gravely. "One or both of us may die at any time. I would prefer not to die without having at least kissed someone."

"I see." He shrugged. "Although I understand the sentiment, I think it's a little too late for you to-"

"Kiss me."

Naesala blinked. "…what?"

"You, King Kilvas, are going to kiss me," Sanaki reiterated. "That would solve the problem, wouldn't it?"

"Is that an order, Empress?" he asked.

"Y-"

"If it is, we are going to have to have a serious discussion about your priorities," he informed her.

"Hmm?" She paused as she remembered what exactly Naesala refusing an order would entail. "…no. But it is a request."

"As you wish, Empress." He gently kissed the top of her head.

Sanaki glared at him as he withdrew. "That wasn't what I meant and you know it."

"Perhaps I do," he agreed amiably. "However, I'm opposed to you receiving your first kiss from a man ten times your age, and I'm sure your knights would be as well."

"Nine and a half times my age," she corrected. "It isn't like you to worry so much, King Kilvas. If they complain, I'll tell them that I asked you to, and they'll leave you alone after that. Besides, what's a kiss between friends?"

"Is that what we are now?" he asked, smirking down at her. "I was unaware that friends addressed each other by titles."

Sanaki sighed. "If I call you Naesala-"

"-and let me call you Sanaki," he interrupted, "and possibly beg-"

"-and let you call me Sanaki," she continued, ignoring the second part, "then will you kiss me? Just once?"

Naesala thought for a moment. "I will consider it."

"Fine." She took in a deep breath, and began to plead with him. "Naesala, I may very well die in this coming battle! I cannot bear the thought of leaving this world without once knowing the love of a man. Please, Naesala, please-"

"That's good enough," he said, and kissed her.

It was chaste. It was soft, and gentle, and completely unlike what she'd expected of him.

It was also over far too quickly for Sanaki's tastes.

"That can't possibly be it!" she protested as he withdrew.

"My apologies; I'm afraid that's it," he informed her, not sounding in the slightest bit unhappy about it. "That was probably a lot better than my first kiss, and it's as far as you'll go for a few years. Besides," the raven added, chuckling, "that was the corniest begging I've ever heard. 'The love of a man'? Apparently, I overestimated your taste."

"But they say that all the time in my books!" she told him, adding, "…and I did not beg."

"Yes, you did." He raised an eyebrow. "Do they, now? Is that all they say?"

Sanaki shook her head no. "The woman says that, and then the man tells her that he'll never leave her, and he kisses her slowly and tenderly, and then she takes off her dress and lies down, and he lies next to her and takes off his pants, and…" She shrugged. "I'm not sure why, but the books get really vague suddenly, until the next morning."

"And for good reason," Naesala muttered under his breath. "Remind me to thank whoever made Begnion's censorship laws, assuming he's still alive."

"Hmm?" Sanaki tilted her head to one side. "What did you say, Naesala?"

"I said nothing of interest to you, Sanaki. Except that I don't think you're old enough to read those kinds of books. Where did you get them from, anyway?" asked Naesala curiously.

"Astrid offered them to me. They're by her favorite author." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm old enough to fight and rule a country, but not old enough for this?" she asked.

"…You may have a point," he reluctantly admitted. "Irregardless, romantic novels are not the best source of information."

"But no one ever tells me anything!" Sanaki complained. "Can't you just tell me what really happens?"

"No," he said flatly, trying not to look at her. "I can't tell you, in fact."

"Oh. I see." Before he could be relieved, she tried again. "Well, then, can you just show me?"

"No!" he squawked, rising to his feet. "Absolutely not!"

She glared up at him and stood, taking a step towards him. "Why not!?"

"You don't know what you're asking." He took a step back.

"That's only because you won't tell me what I'm asking!" She stepped forward again. "Just tell me!"

"You're too young to know." He stepped back - and stopped when his foot met the tent wall.

"I'll be the judge of that," Sanaki replied defiantly, smirking at having trapped him - but her expression soon softened. "Please, Naesala. Can't you just do this one thing for me?"

"…fine, I'll tell you. On two conditions," he added before she had a chance to speak.

"What are they?" she asked, innocently smiling up at him. Naesala shuddered.

"One," he began, "you never, ever tell anyone I had this conversation with you. Your knights would kill me even if you reasoned with them. Two, you never attempt to do any of the things I'm describing to you for at least five years. You'll thank me later, trust me."

"Is that all? I accept your terms," Sanaki stated, in the same uninterested tone of voice she used when making tax adjustments.

Naesala sighed, slumping into a chair. "Well… when two adults have known each other for quite a while and-" He stopped suddenly.

"…what?" she asked. "You agreed to tell me, so keep going!"

He sounded pained. "…I can't tell you this while you're sitting in my lap."

"Oh. Sorry."