"No," said the Queen, standing by the window.
"Yes," said the King, lounging in his chair.
"You can't."
"I can."
"You can't."
"I can't do anything I want," the King whined.
Irene fixed him with a narrow eyed stare which would have turned half-a-dozen misbehaving barons to fragments of ice. "You are the High King. You can do anything you want. As long as it is in keeping with your kingly dignity."
Eugenides seemed to consider this. "True."
Irene raised one eyebrow. "But?" she enquired drily.
"But things in keeping with my kingly dignity are not always as dignified as might be expected."
There was silence. The king yawned. "Like kneeling in mud. And being dressed up as a pitneen on public display. And being sat on by my two largest cousins – my two very largest cousins. So I don't see why the definition of dignity can't be extended to going – in suitable state, complete with the ball and chain and half the barons – to share the amusements of my subjects and watch Emipopolitus for my birthday."
Irene folded her arms. "Why?" she demanded.
"Like an okloi, I want a good laugh?"
"That's not a reason."
"It's my birthday," the king whined. "Why can't I do what I want on my birthday?"
"Because you are being deliberately provocative and infuriating," said Irene frankly, turning to look out of the window.
"That is a reason," said the voice at her shoulder a moment later. A feather-light finger stroked her hair. "A very good reason, my queen."
Irene sighed. "Why do you want to go and watch a silly play for your birthday? You threatened to exile Cenna when we were first subjected to it."
"Because I am yet another year older," said Gen. "People have ceased to cast my youth up to me, and are yet to bait me with my age. Nobody has seriously insulted me for years. Baron Susa has stopped endeavouring to live up to his profession of fealty and devotion, and actually become so – almost grandfatherly so, since he got that rheumatism in his leg. I will be presented with sincere good wishes and entirely suitable presents and the crowds will cheer because they are actually glad to see me … and so I think we all need a really good laugh."
"To lighten the gilded cage?" said Irene, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"It's not a cage," said the king. "It's the gracious providence of the gods. So I want to watch Emipopolitus like an okloi, and then I want to play hide-and-seek all over the gardens with Hector and Eugenia, and then-" He slipped his left arm around her waist. "Then I want to dance under the orange trees, just with you. Just with you, my queen."