Harmony in State and Marriage
Anora gently tapped a slender finger on the arm of her throne, a soft but consistent rhythm that ticked away the afternoon with only the barest hint of irritation. The Queen sighed through her nose, drawing on the sudden intake of air for strength, or perhaps it was simply for patience?
The throne room was silent mostly, save for the deep tones of Arl Eamon of course. The elder statesman was droning on about the state of the Bannorn, most of the details familiar to Anora of course, but she could hardly roll her eyes and kick the renowned and widely beloved Arl out of her palace.
When Anora had been crowned queen in her own right, Eamon had been most keen to make his presence felt in court. He attended every meeting he could, forced a viewpoint or two into every conversation and generally endeavoured to make his existence in the capital a permanent one. In fact, it seemed these days that he rarely ever returned to his holdings at Redcliffe. At times, he was little more than a thorn in the Queen's side, which was almost certainly part of the act. Eamon evidently didn't fully trust Anora with the reigns of the kingdom, so where better to keep an eye on her than in her own palace, in her own meetings, at her own side almost? There was also no doubt that he still harboured some resentment over Anora's success in securing the crown over his man Alistair.
Although, perhaps that was being a tad unfair to the Arl, while he and Anora had never quite seen eye to eye, Anora knew Eamon to be a most capable statesman who had always put Ferelden's welfare above all. Even when the Queen and Arl engaged in heated argument, Eamon would always be amenable to the facts of the situation and would never let his personal dislike of the Anora get in the way of what needed to be done for the greater good. In that regard, he was perhaps her most valuable of vassals, one who could be trusted to analyse a situation and question her when he felt it was truly needed, not nod along meekly to her every word or disagree to everything she said simply out of spite.
None of that ever made Eamon any less taxing to deal with however.
"Of course, the reports of flooding in the Hinterlands has us all concerned." The Arl was saying. "We should send aid as soon as possible to reduce any risk to life, and relieve disruption."
Anora noted the use of 'we'. "And I certainly shall, Arl Eamon." Anora smiled diplomatically. "I already have men procuring provisions and food to send to the Hinterlands as we speak, along with workers ready to repair the damages. Rest assured, not one Ferelden will be left to suffer under my rule."
Eamon bowed his head slightly. "That is good to hear, your Grace. It's pleasing to this old man's soul to see that the Crown remembers the less fortunate, particularly after the horrors suffered during the Blight."
If Anora was being unkind, she would have thought that the Arl was attempting a sly jab at her father's crimes during said Blight. From several other lords of the realm, that may well have been true. Arl Eamon however, was a consummate gentleman and certainly not known for playing petty word games to rile or cajole.
"We must do all we can to help the people when disaster strikes, whenever and wherever the need arises." Anora offered with a slight smile. "That is surely the only way we can be worthy of our respective positions."
Anora however, was not above such trifles.
"Wise words, your Majesty." The Arl smiled in return, seemingly genuine. "Knowing that you have the matter well in hand fills my mind with ease. Well, I think that about sums up everything I had to offer the court today. With your leave, your Grace, I will take mine."
"Thank you, Arl Eamon. A pleasure as always." Anora replied with a nod and a well-practiced smile.
The Arl bowed once more before the Queen before turning crisply on his heel to retreat from the throne room. The doors at the opposite end of the great hall opened before Eamon neared them however, and the familiar form of Anora's husband strode through.
Aedan paused before the Arl with a smile in greeting. "Arl Eamon."
"Prince-Consort." Eamon bowed a little, back perhaps a little less curved than conventional protocol would dictate.
"It's good to see you well. I'd heard you'd come down with some sort of illness recently."
"Thank you for your concern, your Grace. Rest assured, it will take more than a mere cold to keep me from my duties." Though the Arl had his back to the Queen, Anora could tell Eamon's demeanour hadn't truly relaxed, in spite of his cordial tone.
Aedan smiled in reply. "That's good to hear. Well, I know better than to keep you from them." The Prince-Consort stepped aside amicably.
Eamon inclined his head respectfully before heading once more to the doors.
Anora regarded her husband carefully as he watched the Arl leave the throne room. The Prince-Consort let out a little sigh then turned to approach his Queen. It wasn't the first time Anora had witnessed such a tepid exchange between the two nobles. In the build up to that fateful Landsmeet that changed the course of Ferelden's future forever, Aedan had originally been in Eamon's and Alistair's 'camp' after all, before publicly declaring his allegiance to Anora of course. Eamon had seemingly never quite forgiven that perceived slight.
The Prince-Consort's lips twitched into a smile as he reached his Queen. "Your Grace." He greeted her with a formal bow but his lips barely hid an amused smirk.
Anora smiled warmly at her husband as he took the smaller throne to the side of hers. The Queen's throne stood at the centre of the dais, the focus of the attention of the entire hall, and the focus of power. Early in their relationship, she used to wonder just what Aedan truly thought of the arrangement, being second in status to a woman. It was not a position many men would accept gladly, even though the positions of the sexes in Ferelden's society were broadly equal. Her husband had been more than a pleasant surprise however, and had taken to his position as Prince-Consort with a quiet determination and a strength of spirit that she found she could draw from herself. She was more glad of that than he would likely ever know.
"Did your training go well this morning?" The Queen asked idly, almost as if they were a normal couple, her the diligent housewife, managing the home until her husband returned from a hard day's manual labour.
"Very well, thank you." Aedan jerked his head slightly to the throne room at large. "I hope the business of ruling is proving less troublesome today?"
Perhaps he was asking about Arl Eamon in particular, or simply the court as a whole. Maker knows Anora had spent many an evening venting her frustrations with various courtiers to her Prince-Consort while he had been ready to receive them with a soft smile and a calm demeanour.
"Indeed, nothing to cause me any sleepless nights at any rate." Anora responded with a smile.
"Good to hear, I'll order the troops to stand down then." Aedan winked at her.
Anora let herself smirk a little. Since the night their marriage had first been consummated, things had become somewhat more relaxed between the Queen and her Prince-Consort. For better or worse, Anora found herself craving her husband's company, more so than had been the case with Cailan. And while a child had not yet been conceived from their efforts, both Queen and Prince-Consort were working to rectify that. Primarily for the good of the realm, of course, but it was a task both Anora and Aedan had taken to readily.
"For now at least, the day is still young." The Queen responded with a slight curve to her lips.
"True enough, there may be a beheading or two yet."
That almost got an actual laugh out of the Queen. She quickly raised a hand to disguise the sudden noise as a cough. A handful of the assembled courtiers looked to the Queen at the sound, but didn't seem to register the break in her composure. Anora turned a distinctly unamused and accusatory glare at her husband.
Aedan merely smiled back, expression all too innocent.
The doors at the far end of the throne room opened once more. Anora shot Aedan another quick glare before resetting her face to a diplomatic smile.
One of her stewards was striding up the hall with a stranger at his shoulder. The newcomer was clad in vibrant blues, whites and yellows and had some sort of matching mask attached to the upper half of his face. At first glance, Anora was tempted to presume a theatre performer or something equally out of place in a royal palace. She had the distinct impression however that this curious fellow was an Orlesian, and as such had intentionally dressed up like a peacock. With an inward smiled, she idly noted the guards stationed at the side of the room, who watched the multi-coloured Orlesian pass by with expressions that ranged from quizzical to perturbed.
The steward bowed studiously before the royal dais. The presumed Orlesian followed suit with an excessively flamboyant motion of the arms.
The steward raised his head. "Your Grace, an Imperial messenger from Orlais wishes to have an audience."
Anora nodded her assent and looked to the messenger.
The masked fellow stepped in the spot the steward had vacated in the centre of the aisle and bowed once more respectfully. "Your royal majesty, Queen Anora Theirin, I bring the warmest greetings and salutations on behalf of her Imperial Majesty, Celene Valmont, first of her name."
Oh Maker, Anora thought with a hefty dollop of disdain. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Aedan raising a hand to rub at his upper lip. He was probably just trying to hide a smirk. He knew well how Anora detested correspondence from Orlais.
"Oh? This is a most pleasant surprise." The Queen smiled diplomatically, feeling anything but pleasant. "What word comes from Val Royeaux?"
The messenger reached for a pouch at his side and withdrew a small yet finely decorated scroll from it. A large red wax seal held the two ends together. The messenger pulled the scroll open, breaking the seal with a quiet snap. He cleared his throat with vigour and began to read.
"To your Majesty, Anora Theirin, Queen of Ferelden. I extend to you my most heartfelt greetings and sincere regards. In the name of continued friendship and co-operation between our two great realms, I humbly request a formal meeting between Empress and Queen so that we might continue to develop the peaceful relations between the Empire of Orlais and the Kingdom of Ferelden. To that end, it would be my honour to welcome you to Val Royeaux personally. I eagerly anticipate your response. With warmest regards, her Imperial Majesty of Orlais, Empress Celene Valmont, first of her name."
When finished, the messenger rolled up the scroll once more, bowed yet again, then handed the message to the steward. The steward approached the throne and handed the document to the Queen.
Anora raised an eyebrow as she inspected the pretentious invitation, the message was written in the exact same flamboyant words as the messenger had delivered them orally. To add to the sense of theatre, the parchment was decorated in a plethora of lines and squiggles that danced around the sheet's border. Anora leaned back in the throne slightly as she considered. It was a curiously short message and a seemingly innocent request, though things were seldom innocent when it came to Orlais' dealings with Ferelden. Such a meeting could have easily been facilitated through a private letter, not via the very public pomp of a court messenger. Even now the courtiers assembled mumbled and whispered between themselves in interest, many eyes now looked to Anora, waiting with baited breath for her response.
Just what was Celene up to? Was Celene simply trying to ensure Anora would agree to a meeting by making the invitation so public? If that was the case, why would Celene be so keen to ensure a meeting of the two monarchs went ahead? What ulterior motives could the Empress have? Anora doubted Celene's motives were simply a benign policy of bridge building. History had taught Anora well that Orlais was not in the habit of playing nice with their neighbours.
Anora closed the scroll and placed it on the arm of her throne before looking to the messenger once more, though her words addressed the entire court as well. "A most magnanimous offer, though I confess, such a request comes as a bit of a surprise. Unless I am much mistaken, I daresay no king or queen of Ferelden has ever even set foot in Val Royeaux before, except for the usurper kings, of course." Anora added pointedly as she regarded the messenger.
"Not to my knowledge." Aedan added to the side as he scratched a stubble laced chin in thought. "Far be it for me to question the Empress' word, but given the … difficult histories between our two nations, it hardly seems, well, sensible for the Queen of Ferelden to walk into Orlais."
"I assure you, your Grace, Empress Celene's intentions are genuinely peaceful." The messenger protested, addressing Anora directly, almost as though competing with her husband for the Queen's decision.
"Given recent history, that proclamation hardly seems like something we can afford to take at face value." Aedan murmured, triggering a smattering of hushed whispers around the hall.
The messenger was clearly irritated by the mere notion of foul play. He turned to face the Prince-Consort. "Are you questioning the word of her Imperial Majesty, my Lord?" He asked, bordering on anger.
"Please, forgive my husband. He can be awfully protective of my wellbeing." Anora smiled at the Orlesian diplomatically before Aedan could reply to the challenge.
The messenger paused for a long moment before smiling back with a nod, grateful and somehow condescending at once.
Aedan glanced at Anora but did not provide a response. The look in his eye was amused if anything.
"However, my Lord husband does raise a valid point." Anora continued, slowly tapping a finger on her throne once more. "The Empire of Orlais has repeatedly shown nothing but ill intentions towards Ferelden and her rulers throughout the centuries. This much at least, is historical fact. Our reticence is well founded, wouldn't you say?"
"Her Imperial Majesty is most keen on building more positive relations, your Grace." The messenger offered, still bowed low, but there was something resembling defiance in his voice. Perhaps it was offence taken to the questioning of his mistresses intentions, or perhaps he took offence to being sent as a messenger to bow before the Queen of the 'dog lords' who had once been Orlais' slaves. Or perhaps this was simply his normal way of speaking and the Orlesian accent just poisoned the good intentions to Anora's ears.
Anora raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Well, if her Imperial Majesty is so eager for peace, perhaps she should come to Denerim."
A wave of whispers echoed around the throne room.
The messenger lifted his head slightly to look up at the Queen through his mask. "Is … Is that an invitation, your Grace?"
Anora was already nodding. "Yes it is, we would be honoured to host the Empress of Orlais here, in Denerim." There was only the slightest hint of an emphasis on Celene's title. The Queen turned to the Prince-Consort. "Wouldn't we, dear?"
For his part, Aedan blinked once, looking as though he was trying to figure out Anora's line of thinking, a curious look in his eye as he smiled. "Absolutely."
xxx
"What are you up to, Anora?" Aedan asked his wife quietly as they left the throne room together a while later.
The Orlesian messenger had been sent on his way with a formal invitation to deliver to the Empress. The man had surely blinked two or three dozen times before he understood. Perhaps the only one present who was more surprised was Aedan himself.
"If Celene is genuine in wanting peace, then surely she'll have no issue with coming to Denerim, will she?" Anora murmured.
"Perhaps, but what's the point in inviting her here? Do you even want to meet the Empress?"
Anora regarded Aedan with a stern look. "Want has nothing to do with it. I couldn't very well refuse her messenger in front of my court now could I?"
"I don't know, that might have won you a few admirers. Despising Orlais is a favoured pastime among many Fereldens after all." Aedan smirked.
Anora chuckled softly. "Perhaps, it would probably have been worth it just to watch that messenger boy squirm a bit more. I didn't like the way he behaved."
"To be fair to him, we did question his liege's integrity a fair bit." Aedan smirked.
"Semantics." Anora waved a hand dismissively. "Regardless, it wouldn't be a good look to reject a peace offering out of turn. If we did that, other rulers wouldn't be particularly inclined to work with us in future. That we have such a bloody, and admittedly one sided history with Orlais offers us just the right amount of leverage to alter the playing field I think. Well, we'll see if we are graced with a reply from Val Royeaux in the coming days."
Aedan hummed noncommittedly in his throat. Before he could reply, a lady in waiting approach demurely and offered Anora a small bundle of what looked to be letters and documents. The Queen's work was never done it seemed.
Anora smiled gratefully as she received the bundle and started looking it over as the royal couple walked.
When the lady in waiting had vacated the corridor, Aedan continued with a furrowed brow. "Still, this is Celene we're talking about, given your personal history …"
Anora sighed. "She is just another ruler, Aedan. I have dealt with kings and queens before. I will deal with them again."
"But an empress?" Aedan asked, eyebrows raised ever so slightly.
"An empress is just a queen with a pompous title, Aedan. Even if she is the most difficult woman in all of Thedas, I am sure I can handle it."
Aedan smiled, somewhat assured but he felt there was something more Anora wasn't saying.
Perhaps Anora picked up on his reticence to say something further for she continued. "I won't lie, the idea of meeting with her doesn't fill me with any joy, but I am … morbidly curious, for want of a better phrase. I've never had the opportunity to meet with her Imperial Majesty before. I think it would be good to look her in the eye, see who the woman is behind the mask and the reputation."
Aedan nodded a few times softly before smiling at a thought. "Alright. Just- Try not to murder her over tea at least?"
Anora chuckled, perhaps more amused at the mere thought of stabbing the Empress with a butter knife than the sheer absurdity of it. "All the bloodshed and the occupations we've suffered at Orlesian hands, and you're worried that I'm the one who'll be causing more?" The Queen looked to the Prince-Consort, eyes sparkling with incredulity mixed with amusement.
Aedan shook his head with a smile. "I just don't want to start another war, not so soon after the Blight at any rate."
"Well, you are the Commander of Ferelden. It is your role to lead our armies into battle after all."
"And you're the Queen of Ferelden. You're supposed to diplomatically not stab foreign rulers with the cutlery."
Anora chuckled again, almost bordering on a full laugh. She reached up a hand to rub at her eyes. "What are you doing to me, Aedan Cousland?" She turned her gaze to glare at her husband, though her amusement was more than evident. The Queen glanced behind them. "You'll make poor Cauthrien think I've gone insane."
The knight didn't so much as crack a smile, her face an impenetrable mask of professionalism as always, though Aedan could have sworn that there was the slightest hint of light in her eyes. "It's not at all insane to wish harm upon our enemies, your Grace." Cauthrien murmured.
"If they are our enemies." Aedan added pointedly.
Ser Cauthrien gave no response beyond the slightest tightening of her jaw.
"Are you truly suggesting our former oppressors are not enemies of Ferelden, dear husband?" Anora asked with a curious look in her eye.
"I'm only suggesting that that might no longer be the case, Anora." Aedan countered with a smile. "Celene did not rule when Ferelden was an Orlesian colony after all, nor has she launched an invasion against us."
"Yet." Cauthrien added somewhat snidely.
Queen and Prince-Consort both turned a somewhat surprised look to the knight. Anora's bodyguard lowered her gaze, somewhat abashed. She never normally put her opinion into conversation like that without being asked directly. Not so succinctly at any rate.
"There is always the potential for future conflict." Aedan conceded with a slight nod to the Knight. "But if Celene truly intended to invade, why did she not do so immediately after the Blight, when Ferelden's military was spent from dealing with the darkspawn?"
Cauthrien appeared discomfited. "Perhaps it did not benefit her to act at that time. Rumours are abound that there is growing discontent within Orlais with the Empresses rule." She added with a small measure of satisfaction.
"Perhaps." Aedan murmured. "It wouldn't be the first time a ruler launched a foreign war in order to distract from their domestic troubles after all, but is Celene really such an Empress? I have my doubts."
"I suppose we shall see for ourselves soon enough." Anora offered diplomatically and carried on walking. "Though if we do find ourselves receiving an invading army, I trust you both will be ready to repel it?"
"Of course, your Grace." Cauthrien swore immediately.
"Absolutely, you never need ask." Aedan declared likewise.
Anora smiled. "Excellent, that's all I need to know. At the very least, we've managed to avoid a sudden trip to Val Royeaux, so I would call it a victory at this point, a clear advantage at the very least."
Aedan smiled. "And here I was thinking perhaps I should have kept quiet?"
Anora shook her head as if the idea was ludicrous. "Not at all. In fact, your input helped allow me to sidestep Celene's invitation quite nicely. I'll happily take more interruptions like that, Prince-Consort." Anora smirked a little.
"I aim to serve, your Majesty." Aedan swept a flamboyant bow, clearly mirroring the Orlesian messenger, albeit very poorly.
Anora rolled her eyes but smiled fondly as Aedan swept up her hand and placed a kiss to her knuckle. When The Prince-Consort released her, she moved her hand to caress his cheek, running a thumb over his stubble. She gazed into his face affectionately for a long moment.
"You need to shave, dear." Anora murmured with a sigh.
Aedan cocked an amused eyebrow. "You don't like it?"
"It's not that it doesn't suit you aesthetically, it does. I just think smooth is a lot more … agreeable to me." Anora emphasised the word pointedly.
Aedan's eyebrow stayed raised in confusion for a moment, then, realisation dawned with a hint of pink on his cheeks. He was suddenly glad Ser Cauthrien happened to be stood behind him at that moment. He chuckled. "As you command, your Grace."
"Good." The Queen tapped the Prince-Consort's cheek twice with a wink before turning away and heading to her office.
Aedan shook his head with a fond smile.
"Oh, and Aedan?" Anora called as she returned down the corridor.
"Yes, Anora?" Prince-Consort turned back to face his Queen.
"I almost forgot, I think this might be of interest to you. At the very least, I imagine it might benefit you to research it a bit." Anora handed out to him a moderately thin book from the bundle of documents her lady in waiting had procured for her. It was a simple thing, bound in plain black leather. Its edges were frayed slightly as a sign of age.
Aedan quirked his head as he accepted the gift, nonplussed. "Thank you."
"Please, don't mention it." Anora smiled ever so sweetly. Then, she turned and left the room, with something of a spring to her step.
Aedan narrowed his gaze at the retreating back of his wife. He turned a confused glance towards Ser Cauthrien who lingered at his side for the moment. The knight gave a half shrug. Intrigued, Aedan thumbed open the pages. The first thing he noticed were diagrams of some sort decorating the pages, annotated in detail. The Prince-Consort frowned slightly as he read the top few lines of the page he'd landed on, scientific terms of some sort he didn't recognise. He looked closer at one of the diagrams. Wait, that looks like a …
Aedan slammed the book shut with a loud clack, cheeks pinking. His annoyed glare immediately searched for his beloved wife, who was naturally no longer in sight.
The Prince-Consort slowly turned to Ser Cauthrien.
The knight regarded him with an expression that landed somewhere between perturbed and concerned. Her eyes darted between Aedan's reddening face and the book he held clenched shut in hand.
"Err … A joke." Aedan swallowed an uncomfortable lump in his throat. "My wife is having fun at my expense, I believe." I hope, he added in a silent aside.
Ser Cauthrien opened her mouth, and then shut it again.
An awkward moment more passed between them.
"Your Grace." The knight nodded stiffly then turned on her heel and made to quickly follow in Anora's wake.
Alone, Aedan sighed.
xxx
"This book seems to be written for children." Aedan murmured, nose deep in said book as he lay in bed that evening.
"That should be about right, it was mine after all." Anora smiled. The Queen pulled her hair free from her buns to fall over her nightgown.
"Oh?"
"When I was a girl, I would sometimes come to Denerim with my father, while my Mother would stay in Gwaren. He gifted me that book when I just so happened to experience one of the earliest signs of my blossoming womanhood whilst in the capital." Anora quietly chuckled. "I remember waking up one morning, nightgown and bedsheets stained red. I ran to his room as fast as I could. I'm certain he was more scared than I was."
Aedan rubbed at his face with something of a bashful smile. "That can't have been easy to deal with, for you or for him. I don't envy him there."
"You never know, you might be in that same position one day. So read up." Anora smirked. "He did his best, my father, though he did leave my more detailed questions to be answered by my nursemaid."
"Speaking as a man, that was probably wise."
Anora hummed in agreement as she slipped herself into bed alongside her husband. She eyed him reading the book raptly with an amused smirk. "You don't need to memorise it all, I won't be quizzing you."
Aedan's cheeks flushed a little as he glanced bashfully at his wife. "Well, it never hurts to learn, does it? Besides, you're right, it could be me who has to deal with … that one day, best to be prepared."
Anora shook her head softly with a warm smile. She reached in to lay a soft kiss to his cheek.
"What was that for?" Aedan quirked an eyebrow at her with a smile of his own.
"You're going to be a wonderful father." Anora murmured with a warm smile.
Cheeks a little flushed, Aedan hefted the book in his hands. "Well, if this is all it takes then it's a wonder more men aren't good fathers."
Anora quietly snorted with a playful glare. "The point, dear husband, is that you are thinking to put the effort in. It is appreciated."
"Now we just need to have a daughter, otherwise this will all be for naught."
Anora chuckled as she reached for a book on the nightstand by the side of the bed. "Well, it's an even chance." If we get that far, went unsaid.
"Though if we do get a boy, I should probably teach you about the male experience, in case you're the one he goes to with questions."
Anora snorted. "Please, I already know everything there is to know about the male experience."
"Is that right?" Aedan laughed.
"Indeed, men only think with the one organ, and I assure you that it's not the one between your ears." Anora smirked as she leafed open her book. "There you are. I've just summed up all mankind in a single sentence."
"We're not always thinking like that." Aedan protested with a chuckle.
Anora levelled him a disbelieving smirk.
"Alright, perhaps we do a little." The Prince-Consort admitted.
"More than a little, dear husband." Anora murmured without heat.
"Is it wrong for a man to find his wife attractive?" Aedan gazed at his wife lovingly. "In case you weren't aware Anora, you are so very beautiful."
Despite herself, Anora couldn't possibly keep her smile down at the compliment. "There is a time and a place for everything, Aedan."
With a smirk, Aedan leant in ad began to press soft kisses to Anora's cheek. "Well, we are alone, in bed together, my dearest wife."
Anora hummed in her throat, keeping her eyes on the pages before her though her attention drifted to the man at her side. She found it harder and harder to concentrate on the words with the desire building within from every heated touch. "I suppose I set myself up for that, didn't I?"
Aedan's only answer was to kiss her further.
"You are only proving my point, you know?" Anora murmured with a smirk but made no attempt to resist. "Well, we do still need an heir. It would be negligent of us to not make use of every opportunity."
A smirk grew on Aedan's lips. "Is that your way of requesting intimacy?"
Anora rolled her eyes, but a sly smile did break free. "I would never be as clumsy as that."
"Of course not, your Grace." Aedan pressed another kiss to her cheek, then another and another, going down to her neck and clavicle, each growing in heat as he went.
Anora did her best to keep her attention on her book, she really did. It soon became apparent however, that her interest in the pages was close to non-existent. She reached a hand up to cradle the back of his head as she sighed blissfully under his attentions.
"Still, we should … maximise our chances." Anora purred in a slow drawl, biting her lip slightly as her collarbone was nipped at.
The Prince-Consort ghosted a chuckle against his Queen. "Maximise our chances?"
"It's only logical." Anora breathed, gaze hooded in a growing lust. There was so much more than logic in her eyes.
"Well, who am I to argue with logic, my Queen?" With a smirk, Aedan rolled over and onto his wife.
Deciding that this was indeed the time and place, Anora let go of all pretences and threw her arms around Aedan's neck, kissing him hungrily. Her book slipped off the bed to the floor, now long forgotten. Aedan responded well, and the two quickly dissolved into each other and into a blissful oblivion.