A/N: Long time no write, sorry for the delay but at least it isn't ten years this time right? Here's a short one full of fluff to help me get back into the swing of things.

Longer important author's note at the end of the chapter.

Happy reading!

Alice awoke slowly with a deep sigh and a stretch as she recalled a lovely dream from the night before, the scent of lavender and amber filling her senses. Mirana had been in it, she thought. Alice paused as she blinked blearily at the ceiling above her, registering the out-of-place sconces on the wall, and the way the light entered the room from a different angle. A realization washed over her groggy mind; this wasn't her room.

"Sleep well, Darling?" Alice turned to meet dark orbs watching her, a look of pure adoration on Mirana's face where she rested on her stomach, her right arm folded under her head.

The Queen closed her eyes and gave a long stretch, making a contended noise in the back of her throat that made Alice's stomach drop in the best way as she stared. Dark eyes met hers again with a soft smile.

"Personally, I slept better than I have in say…seven years." The smile turned mischievous as a Lilly white had reached out to brush against Alice's bare ribs, the blonde shivered pleasantly. "What sleep there was anyway…"

A dozen thoughts rushed to the forefront of Alice's mind. I slept wonderfully, I love you, How are you? Please tell me I didn't snore, Marry me? All among the most pressing.

"It wasn't a dream," Was the first to push its way out of her gaping mouth. A slow grin overtook her face and she reached out for the wandering hand. "My god, it was real. I told you, you love me back."

"It was, you did, and I do," Mirana whispered, her brow pinching softly as she propped herself up on her right arm. Alice's eyes couldn't help but follow as the sheet slid down pooling at the other woman's bare waist, eyes catching for a moment on the silver locket resting proudly against the Queen's breast, her eyes continuing to rove hungrily over ivory skin before meeting Mirana's nervous gaze. "Do you…do you have second thoughts, Alice?"

"No!" Alice shot up in concern, her hand automatically finding home on Mirana's waist, and pulled her closer, their bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. "I could never have a second thought about last night, about us, any of it, Mirana. Last night was a literal dream come true, well several dreams actually."

Alice blushed and fought not to avert her gaze from the other woman's. "This, being here with you just like this, is the pinnacle of everything I've ever wanted. I love you, Mirana."

"I love you too," Mirana leaned her forehead against Alice's. "I just worry, Darling. You're so wonderful and I would hate for you to feel bound to me, you have so many options, Alice."

"Said the Queen to the commoner." Alice scoffed.

"You are a Lady of the White Court and Knight Commander, hardly a ruffian off the street, dear."

"Because you saw fit to make me thus," Alice challenged back playfully. "Before bayard drug me back to your castle, gaudy drapes for a dress and three feet taller than I ought to have been; I was no better than the average ruffian. I was just Alice."

"You were never Just Alice," the Queen scolded affectionately, playing with the hair that fell in loose curls over Alice's shoulder. "I thought we settled that on your last visit. Besides I didn't make you a hero, you did that all on your own."

"Be that as it may; you seem to think that I'm too good for you when I assure you it's the other way around, love. I'm the lucky one."

"We'll have to agree to disagree then." Mirana leaned back, the slightly uplifting corner of her mouth betraying the peevish expression on her face. "Though I must say, I am a bit cross with you this morning."

Alice laughed, stroking small circles on the soft swell of the Queen's hip under the blankets. "Oh? What have I done?"

"We've been awake for…" Mirana's eyes darted to something over Alice's shoulder before meeting her Champion's adoring gaze again. "Six and a half minutes and you've yet to kiss me good morning. And I distinctly recall a promise made by a certain someone last night, to kiss me until I couldn't remember my own name as soon as I opened my eyes this morning. And yet here I am, kissless and fully aware."

"So you are," Alice grinned as she leaned closer, whispering; "Please forgive me, my love."

"I'll think about it," The Queen quipped back as warm lips found her own. Mirana let out a contented hum in the back of her throat, her hand sliding up Alice's strong shoulder to tangle in golden hair.

Alice pulled Mirana closer by the hip, deepening the kiss. She began to kiss down the other woman's throat, lavish affection over a dark mark just above her collarbone. She nipped at it playfully causing Mirana's breath to catch in her throat with a breathy whisper.

"Alice," She tugged gently on her Champion's hair, redirecting their lips together for a slow languid kiss. After what felt like hours but also far too little time the other woman pulled back with a smile, placing several soft kisses on delicate cheekbones, over eyes, and finally her love's forehead.

"Promise fulfilled," Mirana murmured dreamily, pushing on Alice's shoulder so she would lay back. The Queen quickly cuddled close, nuzzling her face into Alice's neck, an arm thrown across her waist as strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close.

Alice gently squeezed the other woman tighter, leaning her cheek on the crown of her head, eyes closed as she gave out a contented sigh at the feeling of so much of Mirana's body pressed against her own. This was her life now, she was allowed to have this. She was no longer relegated to guilty daydreams of the love of her life; she could touch, she could hold, and kiss, lavish affection and profess her love every day. She now allowed herself to think of the future, a future like this, at Mirana's side, not as her loyal champion but as her partner. She couldn't fight the grin that crawled across her lips, she didn't want to.

"I love you, Mirana."

A soft kiss was pressed against her pulse, Alice could feel the lips tick into the hint of a smile when it jumped against them. Mirana pulled back and propped herself up on Alice's chest. One hand absently drifted down to skim down her ribs, across her stomach, exploring both the new and old scars that dotted her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. When their eyes met Alice was taken aback by pure happiness and love unlike any she had seen before shining back at her.

"I love you, Alice."

Alice couldn't help but grin, wrapping Mirana in her arms and pulling her closer. "I can't believe I waited so long to tell you, I feel like such a fool."

"And to think, we could have been starting every morning like this," Mirana sighed. "Though I suppose I could have also been forthcoming with my feelings, it takes two you know."

Alice chuckled. "What a pair we make, eh? Well going forward I have no secrets from you, my beloved; I'm an open book, peruse at your leisure."

"An open book you say? Well then since you won't put on a brave face and mislead me," cool fingers landed on the mostly healed injury to Alice's ribs, one she had lavish attention and affectionate to over and over again the night before. "How are you feeling? Any discomfort? I realize now you're still healing and we may have been a bit too…energetic last night…"

"I feel fine," A manicured eyebrow raised in disbelief. "Really I do! I feel a bit sore overall and that area smarts a bit more than the rest but in a good way. I imagine if I get hit there it will hurt more than usual, but the treatment you gave me has made me feel loads better than I have any right to. Oh,'

What?" Mirana asked.

"I just realized, last night was the first time I saw you undressed, but it wasn't the first time you saw me." Alice blushed.

" Only down to your underclothes." Mirana amended softly, hand still drifting absently. "I tried to preserve as much of your modesty as I could. I didn't want to appear as though I was using it as an opportunity to take liberties with you, but your injuries and the poison were…worryingly advanced."

"I would never have thought you were taking advantage of me, I trust you so completely." Alice squeezed her reassuringly. "Besides you were trying to save my life, and it wasn't like I was shot in the arm and you could have just cut my sleeve. It required a little undressing, I know that. I just realized that you had already seen a bit more of me than I had of you, is all."

"No longer an issue anymore, we're on completely equal footing in that department." Mirana quipped. "Speaking of when you were hurt, I saw something and wanted to ask you about it but it didn't seem appropriate at the time."

'You can ask me anything, Mirana. You know that."

"What happened here?" The Queen's hand drifted across her abdomen to the scar she had noticed all those days ago and thought anxiously about since. "Were you in terrible danger while you were gone? Did you have an encounter with one of those large orange cats you told me about while in China? Or thrown overboard and into a reef?"

"No nothing like that," Alice laughed softly and covered Mirana's hand with her own. "We had a tense run-in with some pirates off the south China shore, I wasn't as good with a sword then and things got a little tense."

"A little tense? Alice, this looks as if someone tried to perform a botched surgery on you!"

"It wasn't as bad as it looks," Alice soothed and then began to recount the whole ordeal, ending with the explanation that in the final skirmish while the cut she took had been wide and long it had been fairly shallow. It was a while later that Mirana felt reassured and began to ask Alice about other aspects of her time away, answering questions from her Champion about her own side of things during their time apart.

They continued like that for some time, talking, trading soft kisses and gently familiar touches, and just enjoying the peace of each other's presence. Mirana stood, slipping her dressing gown over her shoulders, leaving it untied as she made her way to fill a glass of water from a carafe on her bureau. She took a long drink and refilled it, eyes landing on the woman in her bed.

Alice lay there on her stomach, blankets pooled at her waist, eyes closed, and one arm tucked under the pillow, as she rested. She was perfectly content and unguarded. Mirana felt her heart swell with adoration as she observed the sight, making her way back over.

"The morning draws to an end, I fear we'll have to get up soon my darling." Mirana sat on the edge of the bed and ran her hand down the sculpted muscles of her love's back. "Everyone will have slept off the worst of their drink last night and be looking to sop up the rest with breakfast soon. The tournament starts in a few hours."

"I refuse to leave this bed, It's somehow even more comfortable than mine," Alice stretched and opened one eye to appraise Mirana with a grin. Hair tousled, dressing gown to reveal nothing underneath but a series of dark bruises stark against soft skin. The other woman looked radiant" And the company is beyond anything I could have ever asked for."

'Well, the company will have to leave as she's the one opening the tournament and is expected to observe. Just as you are expected to compete, Ser Alice." Mirana's hand skated up to play with disheveled golden hair.

"I forfeit," Alice groused.

"No, you don't." Mirana laughed as she placed the water on the nightstand for Alice and stood, loosely belting the dressing gown around her waist as she sat down at her dressing table and began to sort out the tangles of her hair. "You told me yourself how excited you are to compete. And besides, if you withdraw, it means one of the Mithrune brothers will likely be victorious again. And people were so looking forward to someone giving them a run for their money, myself included. And like always they'll be incredibly smug about it. I worry you might regret not having had a chance to displace them and having to wait a whole year to try. Since you can't stand either of them on a good day, I shudder to think how your blood would boil if they gloated."

"You realized I find them awful then? I tried to hide it." Alice sat up and blushed having been caught out.

Mirana put down the brush and her eyes met Alice's in the Mirror with a raised eyebrow. "My Darling will you excel at hiding your affections, your disdain is as easy to spot as a hairless snagglebear in a herd of fairy-mice. You have a bit of a temper."

Alice let out a laugh and drank from the glass of water. "You're not wrong."

"Besides, leaving bed just means you have something to look forward to at the end of the day when you come back to it." Mirana hesitated. "If you want to, that is."

"I'd love nothing more." Alice smiled dreamily but startled at a knock on the door.

'Who is it?" Mirana called out.

"Wenzle, your Majesty." Came from the other side of the door. "I have your tray and the schedule for the day."

"Don't let her in, I have to get back to my room." Alice hissed, attempting to gather the sheet around herself. Mirana grinned back at her in the mirror mischievously, Alice's eyes went wide. "Don't-"

"Come in, Wenzle dear!" Mirana called out. Alice swore and dove under the blanket pulling it up over her head and holding her breath at the sound of the door opening and a pair of feet stepping in.

"Good morning, Your-oh goodness." The feet stopped abruptly and Alice heard the fabric of skirts swishing sharply and a metallic rattling. "Yes thank you, child, I'll take that now. She's still in bed, so you go on."

There was another, softer voice Alice couldn't quite make out over the door creaking slightly more closed before Wenzle replied. "Yes Aurora, I'll take it through to her shortly. Never you mind that, now you go tell Her Majesty's lady's maids that she'll be ready for them a little later than usual."

Another muffled response. "It isn't their business why, just tell them. And then after please go see that Ser Alice's armor is ready and on its way to her tent at the tourney grounds, I'll send for you and the others when she's ready to dress."

With that, the door closed sharply and Alice heard the other woman let out a deep sigh as she continued further into the room. The clatter of a breakfast tray being set down on the table near the chaise. "Well then; Good morning, Your Majesty."

Another clatter as a second tray hit the table. "And good morning, Lady Kingsleigh."

Peals of laughter echoed around the room as Alice groaned under the duvet. Letting out an embarrassed "Good morning, Wenzle."

Alice peaked her head out from under the blanket to see Wenzle setting out their breakfast, the table having been moved to sit in front of the settee. "How did you know?"

"My Lady you don't work in a place for as long as I have without being able to spot a person-shaped lump in a bed it shouldn't be. Besides," She gestured around the room and bent down picking up a familiar shirt from the floor. "The trail of clothing I dressed you in last night flung across the room is more than enough of a giveaway."

Alice blushed deeply, clutching the blankets to her chest as if she did so hard enough she would turn invisible. "I apologize, I didn't think Mirana-I mean the Queen would let anyone in so quickly."

"Oh no need for that, I'm sure you and her Majesty are more than comfortable using each other's first names by this point. Besides I'm almost positive she did it just to see that lovely shade of scarlet you're turning, isn't that right your Majesty?" Wenzle made quick work of collecting both sets of discarded clothing.

"It is such a treat to see, my darling," Mirana walked over to the table and relaxed back into the chaise. "My one wicked streak I'm afraid."

"Wenzle hummed and before either woman could say anything gathered Alice's now folded clothes in her arms, darting through the door to the common room, while Alice contemplated how to salvage her dignity having been caught and now left clothing-less by the other woman.

She didn't have much time to think however as Wenzle reappeared holding Alice's own dressing gown. "Here we are, my lady. Would you like help getting into or…?"

"No! No thank you," Alice interrupted, It was one thing for Wenzle to see her in her underclothes, another thing to see her completely naked and debauched as she was."Thank you if you leave it here I can do it myself."

Alice cleared her throat awkwardly. "Thank You, Wenzle."

"Of course my lady, I'll just get this sent over to be washed. Just ring when you're ready to-," She gathered The Queen's dress in her arms and paused. "Would the pair of you prefer if I sent both Your Ladies in Waiting and the girls over to dress you both here? Or should I send the girls over to Ser Alice's rooms?"

"I don't intend to hide my relationship with Alice, or the nature of how serious it is.." Mirana looked over at her champion. "Naturally there will be those who think it inappropriate for us to share a bed and dress together, so if you wish we can keep that aspect private for now?"

"No," Alice sat up more, careful the sheet didn't dip. "I don't care what others think, I'm not going to hide any aspect of us if you don't want to."

"Very well," Mirana beamed and turned back to the other woman. "You may send them all here, thank you."

"Yes, Your Majesty. And if I may be so bold, anyone who sees the way you two look at each other and how happy you were when you left last night and raises issue with it, well they're a blasted fool and you send 'em to me. I'll set them to rights quick."

"Thank you, Wenzle," Alice smiled. 'And speaking of last night, did you and your dance partner enjoy yourself? You were barely separated all night."

Wenzle blushed and looked pointedly around the room. "Well, we certainly didn't enjoy ourselves as much as the pair of you seemed to. But yes, The Duke was a perfect Gentleman as always and after explaining his no longer involvement in the suit for Your Majesty's hand he asked me to dine with him tonight. I accepted, as long as my Queen approves-that is. I am after all a maid and he is a Duke."

"Of course, I approve," Mirana said with a soft smile. "In fact, I give you my royal blessing if you'll take it. You both make each other happy, that's what matters; not station or birth. And I couldn't be happier for you both. "

"Thank you, your Majesty," Wenzle breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back. "And if it means anything at all, not only am I overjoyed for the both of you; but the staff will be overjoyed to learn of your match. We've all been rooting for you in secret, I think the girls even have a bet with Your Ladies In Waiting on how long it would take."

"Well, that's certainly reassuring." Alice chucked. "Thank you, Wenzle. We'll let you know when we're ready to dress."

"Of course, My lady, Your Majesty." With that, the maid gave a sharp curtsy and departed.

Alice rose from the bed, slipping into her dressing gown as she joined Mirana on the settee, snagging a piece of fruit. "Happy endings all around it seems."

"In a way," The Queen mused as she sipped her tea. "Though really it feels much more like a happy beginning, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Alice grinned and placed a loving kiss on upturned lips.

A/N: So originally I had planned this to be a longer story, but with how this short chapter wrapped up I feel like this could be a natural end to the fic. If it continues it will be a little more focused on the plot surrounding the tournament and the whole Ircabeth is back thing. Our girls and their relationship will still be front and center, but you can't exactly write about two characters pining for one another after they get together. ya know? it'll be more honeymoon phase, moving into serious relationship stuff.

Thank you all so much for your patience, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Please let me know if you want me to continue it or if you want it to stop here!