Just some silliness. When do these two ever have conversations, just to have them?

Zachary gracefully dismissed the last individual who had met for an audience in the throne room and sat back in his chair with a serene expression on his countenance. It was already a late spring afternoon, and the sun had begun its descent across the sky. Castle staff retainers began to quietly usher groups from the room.

Karigan, who had been observing from Laren's side, tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms as she regarded him. 'How do you do that?'

He arched a brow and looked at her with a bemused expression. 'Do what?'

She waved an arm dismissively, 'Make the statue face.'

Both eyebrows shot up. 'The statue face?'

She rolled her eyes with a grin, then took a brief scan of the room before walking from the side of his chair to the steps of the dais. Plopping down on the first step by his boots, she propped her chin on her hand peered back up into his face. 'You hold yourself very still, and put on a glazed yet calm expression.'

Zachary's face currently hosted wry amusement as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees. 'I had the best of teachers.'

'Fastion?' she quipped.

'No, my grandmother Isen,' he said with a snort, leaning back into his chair and holding out an arm for her. Karigan made a noise of protest, 'There are still people here.'

Zachary glanced around. 'No one who will mind.'

Karigan pointed at Laren, 'She will.'

The Rider captain looked at them both indignantly, 'Don't you draw me into this. I am going to get supper, you can entertain yourselves. With propriety,' she added with a menacing finger. And with that, she strode off the dais and out the double doors with a casual wave over her shoulder.

Zachary used the brief distraction to haul Karigan to her feet and set her on his lap. She squirmed only for a moment before leaning into his chest and relaxing. 'So this is what the king of Sacoridia sees on a daily basis?'

'Yep,' he said simply.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes. He tightened his arms around her and rested his chin on her collarbone as he closed his eyes tiredly.

Her voice woke him from his dozing. 'What do you do if you get bored?'

'A king doesn't become bored with the affairs of the kingdom,' he said with a yawn. 'And neither will the queen,' he teased with a quick squeeze.

Karigan shifted to look at him skeptically. Zachary met her gaze only for a few moments before he caved. 'Fine. Sometimes I daydream.'

'You what?'

'I sit here with the "statue face" and daydream, mostly about you,' he finished with a chuckle.

Her eyes drifted to the shadowed eaves of the room, where brief flickers of movement hinted at the hidden Weapons. She hoped they were not listening too closely.

Looking straight forward and leaning back again, she affected a nonchalant air. 'About me? Must not be very happy ones. With such a sour face.'

Zachary stood from his chair and bodily hoisted her to her feet, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist as he led her down the steps of the dais and towards the center of the room. 'Mostly they were rather melancholy, thinking about how far out of reach you seemed.'

She subtly checked her hip against his. 'Ah so really, you were pouting.'

He wrinkled his nose but acknowledged her with a brief nod of his head. 'A sad state of being that should reinforce how essential you are to my mental health.'

'And now that you have me?' she teased.

Zachary pretended to think hard and sighed heavily, 'I still daydream but they have a bit different context.'

Her eyes widened and she reached out to swat at his shoulder when he laughed at her flushed expression.