Elaine straddled Aldric's waist, holding his hands down on both sides of the bed. The silk sheets bunched beneath them, cool against Aldric's skin as he lay motionless beneath her, not resisting, not reacting. His breathing stayed even, like this was just another dull afternoon.
She glared at him. "You will attend my birthday banquet tonight." Her fingers tightened around his wrists, nails pressing just shy of piercing skin.
He sighed, "Fine, fine." He looked up at her face, curious. "Only if you say please."
Elaine snorted and sat upright, letting go of his wrists. She smoothed the wrinkles in her gown with exaggerated care, watching him from the corner of her eye. "I don't beg," she said.
He grabbed her wrist, pulling her in and reversing their positions in one swift motion—not forceful, just sudden enough to make her gasp. Now it was Aldric hovering over her, straddling her. "Do tell if I'm heavy." He said, sitting down on her stomach.
Elaine scowled. "You're bony."
He chuckled lightly, then smiled, "Hey, you aren't trying to throw me off the balcony yet."
Elaine rolled her eyes, though her pulse betrayed her irritation. "Don't tempt me." She shifted beneath him, testing his balance, but he didn't budge. "Move. Now."
He tilted his head, "Is that an order?"
Elaine's lips pressed into a thin line. "You are my consort."
He leaned in, their noses barely not touching, holding her wrist above her head. "Is. that. an. order?"
Elaine exhaled sharply through her nose, fingers curling into the silk sheets beneath her. "You're being insufferable today."
He smiled faintly, "You aren't answering. So you want this to continue."
Elaine's nails dug into his forearm, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to sting. "Do you want me to call the guards?"
He sighed. "No. Just say 'yes' when I ask you if that's an order."
Elaine scoffed. "And why should I?"
"Because I only follow orders. Requests are optional." He smirked.
Elaine arched a brow, unimpressed. "You're being pedantic."
"If you don't say yes within 5 seconds, I'll kiss you." He deadpanned.
Elaine froze. Then laughed: short and incredulous. "You wouldn't dare."
"4." He kept his smile.
Elaine's breath hitched. "Don't joke-"
"3."
Elaine's pulse thrummed beneath his fingers where they still pinned her wrist. She twisted her arm but his grip didn't loosen. "Aldric-"
"2."
Elaine's eyes narrowed, her earlier irritation sharpening into something colder. "You overstep."
"1." Aldric leaned in, burying his head on her shoulder and kissing the base of her neck.
Elaine jerked, but her hands were captured in his, tied over her head. His lips lingered: soft, warm, almost teasing, before he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. Her chest rose and fell sharply, but her voice came out icy. "That was pathetic."
He tilted his head, "You still haven't said yes."
Elaine's lips parted, then snapped shut. A flicker of something- anger, amusement, perhaps both crossed her features before settling into practiced indifference. "Fine. Yes. It's an order. Get off."
He got off lazily, sitting beside her on the bed.
Elaine sat up, smoothing her gown again, though the fabric remained hopelessly wrinkled. She shot him a sideways glance. "You're testing my patience."
"You could've said yes earlier," Aldric mused, stretching his arms behind his head with an infuriatingly casual air. "Would've saved us both the trouble."
Elaine flexed her fingers, resisting the urge to smack the smirk off his face. "And you could remember your place," she countered coolly. "Unless you'd prefer I remind you—publicly."
He tilted his head, "Don't anger me, princess. Otherwise..."
Elaine scoffed. "Otherwise *what*? You'll throw a tantrum?"
He smirked, "Yes, I won't attend your birthday banquet if you anger me."
Elaine's eyes narrowed. "You're petty."
"Always was." He laid down on his back, stretching his hands, staring at the canopy above them. "You're lucky I even considered attending. You know how I detest crowds, all those nobles pretending they don't stare at the foreign prince like some exotic pet."
Elaine exhaled sharply, fingers twitching against the silk sheets. "You're not a pet. You're my consort. Act like it." She stood abruptly, unable to smooth the wrinkles from her gown. "Wear the emerald doublet. The one with the silver embroidery. And for once, try to look like you belong at my side instead of some sulking shadow."
Aldric shrugged, "Say that to the butler you assigned me. I'll wear whatever he throws at me."
Elaine paused mid-step, turning back to glare at him. "You're impossible."
Aldric rolled onto his side, propping his head up with one hand. "Yet here you are, still talking to me."
Elaine's fingers clenched at her sides, the fabric of her gown crumpling further. "Because I have no choice," she snapped. "No one else would tolerate your insolence long enough to marry you."
Aldric's smirk didn't waver. "Ah, so you do admit I'm intolerable. Progress." He sat up lazily, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "Though I'd argue you married me precisely because I'm intolerable. Saves you the trouble of pretending to care."
Elaine's jaw tightened. "Don't flatter yourself. Politics married you to me, not your charm." She turned toward the door, but hesitated, her back rigid. "Be there by seventh bell. If you're late, I'll have Regulus teleport you directly into the soup tureen."
Aldric didn't stop her, just watched as she went out.