Writer's Note: This one is for Morgeil, who gave me the prompt of "Patience". I had to think about when I wanted it to take place, and decided that after the series would be a good idea. Admittedly, since it's been many years since I've poked my SR muse awake, it's not the best it could be, and will probably, with time, go through some edits, but for now, here it is! And yes, it's vague on purpose. Use your imagination. Enjoy!

Testing the Limits

"No."

It was a word that, Graveheart suspected cynically, Jade loved to hear herself say. It couldn't have just been him; the way she said it was often evidence enough. Her voice was firm, her mouth was set, and her eyes flashed with something like challenge. And if Graveheart knew anything, it was that Jade loved a challenge.

"Why," Graveheart answered flatly, not even bother to add emphasis on anything. He crossed his arms over his chest and met her gaze. Something sparked in her eyes, and he knew that instantly she was ready for a fight.

"Because I said so," Jade replied, leaning back in the throne and crossing her legs slowly. "And what I say is law."

If anyone had heard that, there would have been some sort of reaction to it, but Graveheart suspected that she only said it, not only because she knew it would irk him, but also because they were alone in the throne room. She knew just as well as he did that her word wasn't law, per se. It took an agreement amongst the council in order to make something a law.

But, deep down, Graveheart also suspected that perhaps she wasn't speaking as a Queen.

"Jade, come on," he said now, unable to keep his exhaustion from his voice. "You know you're being stubborn about this. You know it makes sense in the long run; why are you stonewalling the inevitable?"

Jade propped her chin on her hand, her eyes narrow. "I'm sorry, was there some sort of change in the way things work in the last two years that I've been on the throne?" Her voice was clipped with her anger, and inwardly he winced. "There's no mandate that states that this is something that has to be done."

Suddenly, Graveheart wished he could just bash his head on the marble floor beneath his feet, just to end the conversation. He should have known better than to assume that she would change her mind, let alone even listen to him. She had been set in her decision for two years now, just like she said.

But…it was ridiculous.

"What about common sense?" Graveheart suddenly snapped. Jade's eyes narrowed even more, almost in warning, but he ignored it. "How about using your mind for once, instead of being stubborn just because you can?"

For a moment, Jade said nothing. Them slowly, she got to her feet and stared him down. Graveheart met her gaze, gritting his teeth a little. He knew what was coming, and he braced for it.

Suddenly, her fist slammed down onto one of the armrests of the throne, proving him right. She hit it so hard, some of it crumbled. It was an eerie reminder of her predecessor. "You are, without a doubt, a jackass!" she snarled. "You have no sense of logic, or propriety! You're the one without common sense!"

"I'm the one…?" Graveheart echoed. "I've been incredibly accommodating, waiting without much protest, and the one time I so much as bother to bring it up again, you have the gall to call me a jackass?!"

"Yes!" she snapped back.

Graveheart barked out a dry laugh, one completely lacking in humour. Jade's eyes flared at the sound. "You're laughing at me?" she growled.

"Yes," Graveheart replied honestly. "I'm laughing at the hypocrisy."

Ah, that did it. This time both fists slammed onto both armrests. "Get out!" Jade shouted, actually pointing towards the door.

Graveheart said nothing. He just raised an eyebrow at her. Jade gritted her teeth and glared at him. "You know something, Graveheart? I've had enough stress in the past two years. I don't need you to constantly get on my nerves and ask me questions that don't even matter!"

Something bit deep to his core. "'Questions that don't even matter'?" he echoed, his voice small.

"In the grand scope of things, do you honestly think that something like that is on the top of my list?!" She shouted. "I have to look after an entire planet, one that is still suffering the loss of thousands upon thousands of people! I have to try and support another planet, as well, one that is collectively homeless and spread out over three of my moons! Add that to trying to ease the finances, set the laws, and keep the piece between the rest of the system…YES, I would say it DOESN'T MATTER!"

Graveheart winced outwardly this time. By this time, she was shouting so loud that he had no doubt the guards on the other side of the door could hear her.

"Let's get to the heart of it, then," Graveheart said, his voice hollow. "Do you care about me at all?"

Jade blinked, obviously taken aback. "What kind of asinine question is that, Graveheart?" she demanded.

"Just answer it," he muttered, his voice hard.

"Yes, of course I do, more than care, you idiot," she seethed.

He wanted to smile at the last part, but found that he wasn't able to. "So if you care about me, why won't you even consider what I am asking seriously?"

Jade opened her mouth, then closed it, at a sudden loss for words. It was rare, he knew, to be able to strike her dumb. But he also knew that when he did, it was a serious situation in deed.

"Nothing has to change," he rushed on, taking advantage of it. "You know that, right? You'll still be you, and I'll still be me."

"If nothing has to change, then why change it?" she answered, her voice poisonous.

Graveheart suddenly wanted to introduce the floor to his forehead again. "You know something?" he said suddenly, his patience gone. "Just forget about it. I don't know what I was thinking." He turned around, away from her, and started towards the end of the throne room. All he could feel was his anger, his frustration, and all he wanted was to be as far away from its source as possible.

Behind him, he heard quick footfalls, and before he could even gather his wits, he felt a rough hand clamp down on his shoulder and pull him roughly back. He jerked, trying to pull away from her grasp, but she dug her fingers in, and he couldn't pull free. He reached up to prise her fingers off, but she just clamped her other hand down on his other shoulder and dragged him closer.

"Jade, listen…" he started, but was interrupted, understandably, when she dragged him forward and kissed him, hard, taking both words and breath away from him. For a moment, he forgot about pretty much everything else, and got lost in her kiss. She had always had that affect on him.

It was only when she pulled away that he remembered he was mad at her, still. He opened his mouth, but she reached up and covered it with one hand. "No, shut up," she snapped. "You have got to understand something, Graveheart. This is not something personal, nor is it something that has to do with you and who you are to me. There is just…" and here, for a moment, she looked very young, and very tired, all at once. "There is just so much, and so little time in which to get it done."

"I know that," he said softly. "You think that I don't know that?"

Her eyes shone a little in amusement, but it never reached her lips. "Can you just…be patient? Just for a little longer?"

"I'm not going anywhere, if that's what you mean," Graveheart answered drily.

"Honestly, I thought everything would be sorted out by now," Jade admitted. "But…it really isn't."

"No…" he agreed. "It really isn't."

Jade sighed and let go of his shoulders. Gingerly, he reached up and rubbed some feeling back into them. She looked away for a moment, then sighed, deeply. She looked back over at him, her mouth open to speak, but he shook his head, smiling faintly, and she smiled back, looking relieved.

"So…" Graveheart leaned in a little, smiling wider. "Should I ask again in a week or so?"

Jade groaned and punched him, hard, in the stomach. He wheezed, but choked out a laugh, and it was enough.