The view through one of the larger windows in her bedroom was situated towards the Southern Gate, the road beyond stretching into the forest. The forest with the road that came up beside the Winding Arrow, sourced from the mountains with the pass to the desert far beyond what Aravis' physical eye could see from her castle window. Spring being at its peak with lush greenery, the view of the road towards her homeland was much obscured and all that could be seen of was the land cleared closest to her castle.

Most days it was almost a relief to have one less reminder. While there were memories that she held close to her heart, there were far too many others to let her want to stroll down that lane. Her father had disowned her, proclaiming her dead in his eyes when she had gone back to reconcile with him once she had settled at the castle in Anvard. The recent birth of his new daughter, from his new wife (a young woman not much older than herself at the time.) had likely helped ease whatever pain there may have been. There was nothing and no one for her to return to. So she left and never returned. Thoughts of her lost family and her memories of them locked away in the deepest parts of herself.

Now, nigh close to 12 years later, she had a child with the boy whom she'd once thought so beneath her, she was a queen in a good-hearted, prosperous land, and she was content. Despite that, in her mind's eye she could still see that fateful first walk up to the castle and how it had felt. So hopeful and so very alone. How could she have imagined that she would be blessed beyond anything she would have ever dreamed?

As if summoned, a set of strong, lean arms wrapped around her waist and a face grizzled with hair buried into her neck briefly follow by a kiss on the shoulder before moving to her cheek, "What is it that has you so pensive this morning, my queen?"

Aravis allowed herself to melt into his embrace for a moment before turning to bring her own arms around him, "I'm not quite sure." Parting from him but keeping him at arm's length she attempted an accusatory look at him, "But it has come to my attention that you are not where you're supposed to be." Unable to keep it up, the look was replaced with a knowing, if laced with only slight disapproval, smile, "Are you not supposed to be working on that preposition to the council about -"

"Now, now," Cor screwed up his face, pulling away some as if to save himself from her words, "I've finished that early this morning while you got your beauty sleep." A small smile crept across his face as he took the moment to look her over, only in her morning dressing robe, before resting on her face with the love that had only gotten stronger as the years had gone by, "Which was well deserved and," He came back towards her, giving her soft kisses along her jaw, down her neck.

Aravis felt herself flush despite herself, backing up against the window opening, "Cor," She tried to sound firm. There were things to do, duties called. A kingdom to be run. Their son to be cared for.

But would the world crumble if it had to wait just a moment more?

"Aravis," He began his ministrations back up to whisper in her ear, "I think it will be quite alright if a steal a few precious moments with the love of my -" His tone changed to one of confusion after a pause, "Now who might that be?"

Aravis fixed the front of her robe before quirking an eyebrow, "I stopped falling for that trick a long time ago. If you wanted to get out of something you would have been better continuing your original course of action."

Her husband shook his head, his eyes still on the road, "Not this time."

"And what is it that you see?"

With a nod of his head towards the gate, confusion still lacing his gaze, Cor answered, "It appears that there's a Calormen walking up to our gates."