Playing with Fire

"...Well I would be delighted if you allowed me the honour of helping you balance the two. Fatherhood needn't make you boring, but I highly doubt you would ever come under that category, my King." Eris smiled charmingly up at him, head tilting as she did.

As he pressed his hand lower, she met his gaze and took her lower lip between her teeth, allowing her body to sway with the final few notes of the music. She wanted him to know that she was aware of such a gesture, and also wanted to encourage such behaviour (obviously). It would make it easier to seduce if he wished to play along, which she had hoped he would considering the whispers she had heard. Not that she doubted her abilities to get him wrapped around her little finger, but his obvious desire for attention was palpable.

Carina was also not blind to what was going on. Considering the close eye she was keeping on her husband and the woman in his arms, it felt as though she had just been punched in the stomach. She swallowed hard at the sight of his hand slipping ever so slightly lower, the conversation with Andrew dying as the words dried up on her tongue. It got even worse when she watched him escort her away from the dance floor for a drink.

Quickly she smiled to Andrew, knowing that the man still wasn't fully aware of everything that was happening. She didn't want to ruin his night, especially when it seemed to be going so well for him and Natalia. But that didn't stop her from taking another drink from another passing tray to hastily finish and then pick up another. Andrew's smile faded momentarily, looking around to make sure no one saw. Carina hurriedly continued the conversation, forcing a warm smile to her lips and trying to sink into the buzz that was beginning to fill her veins.

Eris, on the other hand, gave a soft laugh as she picked up her own drink and faced the monarch before her. "Well perhaps I can encourage His Highness to... dive into the depths. I would enjoy getting to know you a bit more... personally." This time she allowed the beginnings of a mischievous smirk to show as she lifted the glass to her lips, keeping her eyes on him.
 
Until now, Sven could have used the excuse of being naive to Carina's observations. It wouldn't have made his behaviour anymore palatable for her -he was still guilty of encouraging the advances from Eris and responding to her mischief with his own flirtatiousness- but he would have at least been able to claim that he hadn't known she was watching; that his actions were never meant to personally hurt her.

Yet, that potential excuse vanished the moment he happened to turn his head and catch sight of her along the periphery of the ballroom floor, beside Andrew. Whether it was the paranoia that she had a crush on his brother intensifying at the sight of them beside one another, or the remnants of hurt after the perceived rejection of intimacy, Sven didn't know - but what he did know and purposely set out to do was smile across to his wife.

A seemingly innocent expression by itself, but when accompanied by the noticeable glint in his eye (and the fact that Sven could be rather cruel when he truly set his mind to it), it became taunting; a smirk designed to emphasise his closeness with Eris... and hint at the possible actions the two could engage in later that night.

He hadn't ruled out the possibility of sex - why should he? This was a party, a night where he intended to enjoy himself, and nothing quite appealed to him more in that moment than spending his night with a woman who actually wanted him. He couldn't quite say the same for his wife, who had only seemed to recoil away from the most gentlest of touches.

That, in his eyes, had signalled the complete breakdown of his marriage, leaving it destroyed beyond repair. Perhaps rubbing Carina's face in his newfound romantic interest was cruel - but she had abandoned him on the ballroom, left him standing pathetically amongst his peers.

That, to him, was just as cruel.

"Please, call me Sven. I see no need for such rigid formalities; not when I am sure that you and I will become great friends, Eris. Great friends indeed," the King responded as he raised his glass to emphasise his point, only then taking a sip and sighing in satisfaction at the clear quality of the product. He was used to the finer things in life, and while he enjoyed being a 'man of the people', a King who had no reservations in talking to his subjects without airs of superiority, he wasn't so down-to-earth that he refused to indulge in expensive champagne and quality food.

"I would enjoy getting to know you too, of course. I would like to get to know everyone in attendance a bit more intimately, but... I must admit, I'm perhaps more keen to know you than I am to know them," he continued with his own smile, forcing his eyes to remain on her face and not to drift any lower, however keen he was to remind himself of just how perfect he found Eris to be.

"So, do you have any aspirations for marriage? Motherhood? Not that these things are necessities, but for people like us, it's... more or less an expectation that we undergo them as soon as we're able to, isn't it?"
 
At the look from Sven, Carina was confident it was completely and utterly over between the two of them. His earlier words had clearly meant nothing, and while she knew she had been abrupt in her departure, she had still uttered that she loved him still. And for him to go so quickly from being hopeful to rekindle their relationship to enjoying the presence of another woman in his arms, Carina had no other option but to think that it had all been a lie. Otherwise how else could he have undergone such a dramatic change in opinion.

She knew what her husband's smile spoke of. It gleamed in his eyes, that cruel promise of hurt that she hadn't witnessed in months now. Even after he had been attacked and her life was in his hands. She had been terrified, but this was something different. This was unnecessary spitefulness that he was willingly putting her through for reasons she couldn't comprehend.

As a result, the young queen halted her fidgeting fingers, which pulled and pinched at the material of her dress to keep it away from the skin, and turned away from the view, no longer wanting to see anymore. She could see what he wanted in his eyes, and in that moment, he was not the Sven she loved. Carina thought very little of this Sven, who seemed to relish the attention of another and was taunting her with suggestions of what he could be doing later that night. So she left Andrew, and the view they had of her husband and the unknown woman, and threw herself into socialising with other guests.

Andrew, on the other hand, was left flabbergasted and slightly lost. Until that moment, he had thought all was well with the couple and soon felt guilty that he hadn't seen the truth to what was going on before earlier. The looks shared between the royal couple, Sven's behaviour with the noblewoman and Carina's hasty drinking and departure did not fill him with confidence.

The younger man went in search of his date after the queen had left him, picking up two glasses of champagne along the way before locating her and smiling. He passed her the drink silently, not wanting to interrupt her conversation, and remained quiet at her side until she was done. Only when the conversation was finished and those Natalia had been speaking to had moved on did he speak.

"So, uh, am I... am I missin' somethin' here?" He questioned under his breath, facing outwards to the room with a pleasant smile, "I thought Sven and Carina were... well, I thought they were alrigh' but clearly not." He elaborated, adding a subtle nod in Sven's direction, watching as the woman the king was with tilt her head and bite her lip through a smile. "He just sent her a look like nothin' I'd've seen before."


"Oh I don't think I could do that, Your Highness. A man of your grace and power... I couldn't call you by your first name alone." Eris answered breathlessly, as if in shock that he would even suggest such a thing, "Perhaps King Sven, if you would indulge me."

Eris hadn't cared about whatever look Sven had just sent whoever, in all honesty, she didn't care about much the king did so long as she still held his attention by the end of it. Being the King's Mistress, while a difficult role to maintain, would open plenty of doors to her afterwards. Either still at his side, or if he became fed up with her eventually. A marriage to a viscount or even a duke could be on the cards that way. If not something further with the King. Because, surely, if he was entertaining the idea of having her... his marriage was no longer desirable. Accidents happened all the time and if one happened to remove the Queen from his life... perhaps Eris could swoop in for the ultimate prize.

But baby steps. Those had to be taken first.

"I take your interest in me with the greatest flattery, King Sven. If I must be so bold... I must confess I'm also rather pleased. It's always heart-warming to know that the... fascination is mutual." Eris continued, holding his gaze easily as she continued to be coy about the situation they both found themselves in.

She knew that they both had that attraction towards one another, both intrigued to find out more and delve further into the exchange they were having. But having to maintain some sort of propriety considering he was a married man.

"I've yet to find the right man that... makes me wish to settle for those two things. I'm hoping that may change soon." She then answered, tilting her head with a suggestive smile to her lips and a light bite to her lower lip.
 
The invitation to attend the ball as a guest, rather than a continuation of her duties, genuinely meant a lot to Natalia... though she wasn't willing to necessarily honour the expectations of a guest - not when her role within the castle meant far too much for her to fathom spending hours abandoning those duties. This was, after all, her second chance in the job she loved; the second opportunity that she couldn't let just slide through her fingers now she had a grasp on it.

Thus, she was all but determined to simultaneously enjoy her time at the masquerade, with Andrew, and maintain her observations over the party to ensure nothing went wrong - and to be on hand, first on the scene, should things take that downward turn. Her job title was of advisor to the King, but that didn't come close to the actual responsibilities she took on in her day-to-day life, her job having swollen to encompass everything from tending to the Queen (who had become a friend to her in these recent weeks) to putting plans into action. One of those plans had, of course, been the masquerade itself, Natalia having proudly overseen the event transform from details on paper to the celebration taking place around her.

She couldn't fathom spending the entire night caught up in having fun when the event was so clearly tied to her. She had a duty to see it conclude successfully, even if that meant keeping a part of her mind dedicated to her work. It didn't stop her from enjoying her night with Andrew, though. In contrast to the difficulties Carina and Sven had undergone that night, the ball would remembered fondly by Natalia, memories of dancing with Andrew and feeling his arms strongly supporting her as they swayed to the music (however badly she might be at it) guaranteed to replay within her mind for the foreseeable future.

So lost in the joyousness of it, she hadn't noticed Sven's behaviour, nor the hurt it had caused Carina. It was only until Andrew approached, making that revelation, that she allowed her eyes to peer to the King. She didn't need to know every detail to realise what actions he had chosen to pursue, her jaw tightening in a mixture of dismay and anger at his petulance. She had witnessed him act flirtatiously ever since she had known him, even first-hand when they had their fling as lovers, but she had naively believed such behaviour to be behind him now he had a wife he confessed to loving and a son he promised to prioritise.

Evidently, he hadn't moved on from that romancing past quite as well as he had claimed to.

"...I didn't want to say anything behind Carina's back about her personal life, and I certainly didn't want you discovering just how much of an asshole your brother could be, Andrew, but here we are. Clearly I can't keep that a secret now he's out here acting a damned fool," she muttered sharply, the anger behind her words not aimed at Andrew, though the abruptness of them caused her to grimace and smile apologetically towards him nonetheless. She reached to rest a hand on his upper arm to emphasise that apology, her other hand tilting her champagne flute to her lips, the alcohol helping to compose her.

"They've been having difficulties, I think that's the nicest way I can put it. Your brother... has a past of seduction, of having several lovers on the go at the same time, but I thought he had worked past that; matured. Apparently he's decided that working on his marriage isn't as enjoyable as... as flirting with the first woman to throw herself at him. Her behaviour isn't subtle," she continued, unimpressed as she rolled her eyes to herself. "I'm sorry, I-- your brother is-- a good man, deep down. He just lacks self-control and makes ridiculous decisions that have consequences he won't care about until it's too late."


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Sven wasn't oblivious to the hurt and embarrassment he had caused Carina.

He just refused to care about it; not when he had suffered his own bout of humiliation. Frankly, as much as he could relate to what his wife was feeling and therefore ought to not perpetuate that, he believed what they had had now crumbled and was, in a word, worthless.

He wasn't going to deprive himself of the first hint of romance and pleasure that had come into his life, even if it wasn't exactly a serendipitous engagement. He wasn't naive to the fact that part of Eris' flirting might be solely because he was King and could provide her with countless opportunities... but that was another thing he just failed to care about.

Right now, he wasn't heading into their conversation hoping to fall in love. Falling in love with Carina had been magical, a feeling strong enough to make him want to change his ways, but that had burst into flames and badly impacted him. After that experience, he didn't care to develop strong bonds if he could help it - he was more than happy simply finding a lover who could make him feel less alone, and remind him of how free and strong he had once felt.

"You should feel no reason to settle down unless you're truly ready to. There are benefits to it, of course. Finding 'the one', starting a family... they're wonderful things. I can't imagine my life without my son in it; without cradling him in my arms and letting him tightly wrap his entire hand around one of my fingers. It's... an experience I can't successfully put into words because no words will come close to describing it. However, you shouldn't feel you need to achieve such things until you're ready. There are benefits to... being young and free to do as you wish without those responsibilities," he hummed flirtatiously, maintaining the subtlety as well as he could. As easy as it would have been to drop more explicit references to his interest in her, they were still attending a public ball, where all it took was a stray glance or an overheard word for gossip to spread like wildfire.

It was why he kept a reasonable distance from her now they weren't dancing, even if his eyes found themselves straying back across her form whenever he had a chance - though he happily welcomed her interest in doing the same to him.

"I have a feeling you'll find a man you like soon, Eris. I find it difficult to imagine any man not being enraptured by your beauty and vibrancy. I certainly find such attributes... appealing, let's say."
 
Andrew blinked at Natalia's reaction, sharply looking back to her at the harshness of her words. He had never heard her speak that way of either the King or Queen, so to hear the abrupt comments now in the middle of such a warm and joyous party was rather jolting. But he smiled softly in response, a silent acceptance of her apology and reached out a hand to gently hold her upper arm in response.

He glanced once more to the flirting couple, watching them for a moment before casting his eyes around the room in such for Carina whom he couldn't see. He hesitated, briefly wondering where the young queen had disappeared to, and reluctantly looked back to Natalia.

"I'm sorry if me pointin' this out to you has ruined your night." He apologised, unable to help it considering it seemed like a touchy subject. Although he could definitely understand why. Considering his upbringing, Andrew had never experienced the opportunity to really indulge in one love, let alone multiple. He was happy to love one person at a time, considering he never had the chance to love anyone before due to his concerns of controlling his flames. But he was also obviously the result of someone taking a casual lover, and knowing how his mother was treated and how she had been left alone... he didn't wish that unfairness on anyone.

He took a sip of his champagne, watching her for a moment as she battled with her emotions but also the right way to act in the crowd they found themselves in.

"You don't need to apologise to me about this," he then told her firmly, moving his hand so it slipped around her waist to rest at the small of her back, bringing them that step closer to one another. Perhaps it wasn't the proper thing to do considering the circles they were mixing within, but he didn't care. They were both single, they had been open with one another about their attraction, and had no reason not to be touching. "There ain't nothin' for you to apologise to me about. You gave me the opportunity to form an opinion, on my own, about my brother, an' you kept someone's personal business their own. I ain't going to begrudge you because of that."

He dared to reach down and steal a kiss from her, smiling cheekily as he pulled back. Andrew took another sip from his drink, casting his eyes back out to the room. The King and noblewoman were still talking, but Carina was now out on the ballroom floor dancing with some young nobleman of her own. She was laughing and smiling, her movements fluid and graceful, but starting to seem a little uncontrolled by now. However, the smile didn't seem to reach her eyes now that Natalia had mentioned the private issues within her life.

"I hope you won't... hold my brother's actions against me," he then started, looking to the woman he held in arm, "I don't share his enjoyment for multiple women, an' I hope you never have to feel worried about that." He paused, partially turning more towards her, "Natalia, I know... we ain't know each other for long. But I really do care for you an' I don't want to ever screw things up between us. Now-- I don't wanna say anythin' that's too deep right now or somethin' I think may run you off," he chuckled, "But I just want you to know that... I really consider you to be my... person. If that-- if that makes sense? I just, god, look at me. Can't get my damn words right."


Eris spared a glance to the ballroom floor when the band started up again, amused to see the queen out there with another dance partner. Whether it was due to keeping the noble happy or to try and make Sven jealous meant nothing to her. It was of no concern. From the look he provided in Carina's direction a moment ago, Eris was certain he wasn't going to be leaving her side that evening.

And she was determined to sink her claws further into his vulnerability.

She knew she would be able to give Sven everything he seemed to be searching for - attention, desire, sex. Eris was no prissy little girl who flushed at the mere thought of being touched. She had taken a handful of lovers herself, sometimes to the chagrin of her father. But when that man realised just what an advantage it was, he was just as eager to have Eris throw herself in front of the king as she had been to do so too.

As he spoke about his family, it was glaringly obvious that he thought little of his wife and their relationship. If she hadn't suspected, or witnessed things, that evening, his words would have said it all. His lack of mention of her in his explanation of his life spoke volumes and it sparked an excitement within Eris, encouraging her to continue with her game of chase. Even if he wasn't really running from her.

"Oh I don't feel pressured into anything at all... I'm rather enjoying the... freedom that my life has to offer, I shan't lie. But I do feel as though I should make the offer to you, my king... if you ever wish to feel young and free again... you are more than welcome to join me on a little excursion." She dared to maintain eye contact, lingering there before she allowed her gaze to wander over his figure with her glass raising to her lips to take another sip of champagne.

She then chuckled, lowering her glass to rest it on the table besides them, "You flatter me... but I fear that any partner that I believe would match me and keep me on my toes may already be taken." She allowed the words to float in the air between them, gaze once more flickering over his features before she cast her gaze across the room.

"Ah, my parents are after me," she hummed, releasing her glass and leaving it on the table. Her parents weren't really beckoning her, but she had to go now, in order to leave him wanting more. It was best to not give a starving man his fill, but leave him with the hope of more. She glanced back to him, hesitating in her departure, "Perhaps you will indulge me in one more dance before the evening is over, King Sven. I am not an easily satisfied woman." She teased, lowering her voice for the last comment to avoid any eavesdroppers.

With a final, low curtsey, Eris passed him by, ensuring that her hand and lower arm brushed against his on the walk by.
 
As determined as Natalia was to put the issue of Sven and his childishness to the back of her mind, there was very little chance of that happening now she had been made aware of the events -and their consequences- being played out in the very same space she was in. There might not be anything she could do to prevent the King from following the course of action he seemed content with (indeed, she knew bringing her dissatisfaction with his behaviour to his attention would just petulantly spur him onward with it) but she couldn't just accept that and waive aside just how infuriated she was with him.

Ultimately, as deeply as the problems in the royal couple's marriage seemed to run, Natalia hadn't lost hope that they could reunite; that the false presentation of happiness would, one day, serve no purpose to them, replaced instead with the real, genuine article. There was no doubt in her mind that they loved one another in spite of their issues and mutual upsets with the other's actions and choices, so if that love was as genuine as they had claimed it to be, why wouldn't they work on recapturing the magic that their marriage had once contained?

That hope had dimmed in recent days with their lack of communication and continued avoidance of each other, though only now did it diminish completely, torn entirely from the advisor who could no longer keep wishing for something that seemed far beyond the reach of those involved. Sven had given up on the marriage completely if his actions with Eris were anything to go by, and Carina's acceptance of that in her reluctance to approach her husband only consolidated to Natalia that wishing for them to get their act together was a false hope she was better off abandoning, for the sake of sparing more room in her mind for other, more pressing, priorities.

She was only convinced to glance away from Sven when Andrew apologised, her immediate response to it being to almost roll her eyes. Not in annoyance with him, far from it - she found his decision to apologise when he was guilty of nothing to warrant it being remarkably adorable, so much so that she couldn't quite believe that this was someone related to Sven. Though Sven could have his adorable moments, they were rather lacking in recent weeks - and he was hardly able to recognised as displaying those when he was exuding a clear romantic interest in a woman who wasn't his wife.

The fact that man, flirting and sharing subtle touches with Eris despite his wife's observations, was related to someone as cutely awkward as Andrew, though never before had she been more appreciate and grateful of that fact. Andrew wasn't a high-ranking aristocrat with riches and wealth... but she didn't need him to be. All she needed was someone sweet, who made her laugh and feel safe - and he had those qualities in abundance.

"...You share his blood, Andrew, but not his traits. I know that. Don't for one second think that I would believe you had such a capacity for... cruelty. Whatever his justification, what Sven is doing is cruel and selfish, and I can't imagine you ever doing such a thing - because you aren't him. You share physical features and the same blood, but... that's as far as the similarities go," she reassured after the kiss, her cheeks blazing red in response, though she couldn't spend too long dwelling on the sparks that had ignited for her at the contact of his lips pressed so gently against hers. She wanted to dedicate minutes into soaking that feeling up; of knowing that she had someone in her life that she actually foresaw a happy, fulfilling future with... but Andrew's apparent concern that she thought badly of him -or would grow to think badly of him in their future- needed quashing, and so took immediate priority.

"If it helps, I'm all but certain that you're my person too. It's a sweet sentiment, I... I really like how you worded it, Andrew. I really like you," she stressed for emphasis, biting her bottom lip quietly. Not in the effort of seduction like Eris, but in bashfulness at the vocal admission of her feelings. She wasn't used to the transparency nor the vulnerability of confessing something so personal, but she trusted Andrew, despite the little time they had known one another.

"As my mother says, when you know, you know. We're taking our time, I know that, but... I think we are onto a good thing together. I'm slightly shocked you're still interested in me despite my appalling dancing, stepping on your toes all night, but if you can accept that about me, you have to be my person. No other man would put up with that, Andrew; you're remarkable."

The moment of playfulness, of openly joking, was something rare from Natalia when she was usually so methodical and work-orientated (which aided the 'stern' impression most gained of her), but unfortunately cut short by Sven's appearance. The King, having had his moment of flirtation cut short by Eris' falsified need to return to her parents' side (albeit temporarily - he had every intention of chasing her up for another dance before the night concluded) wasn't entirely keen on standing to the side, drinking his champagne without company or conversation, and so opted to trail over to his brother and Natalia. Their kiss was something he had witnessed, though he failed to really feel at all irked by it. Their closeness was something he had been inclined to feel aggrieved by, but what was the point in denying their happiness?

He didn't feel alone anymore, not when Eris was a clear avenue of happiness he had to pursue, so 'losing' Natalia to Andrew, and vice versa, wasn't a concern he held; not now he had that hint of something fun and exciting to explore with Eris.

"You two are getting along rather well. I hoped you'd grow to like one another, but I confess I didn't expect you to like one another this much. Not that I dislike the idea of a, ah... relationship. No, I've come around on the idea now. You make a wonderful couple - or will be when you officially unite. Maybe I'm jumping the gun," the King snorted, the alcohol he had consumed starting to take a slight effect as his words slurred - not too horrifically, but enough to be noticed. Yet, with his mood as cheery and energetic as it was, in the atmosphere of a successful, enjoyable party, the drunkenness wouldn't be condemned by his guests. Rather, they would recognise the King as having had as good a time at the event as they had; a man unafraid to let his hair down and join in to the best of his ability.

Not that Natalia was especially happy to acknowledge Sven's good mood; not when it contrasted to the clearly fake smiles that Carina had to force that night.

She sucked her breath in sharply between her teeth, unable to even celebrate her friend's apparent support of her and Andrew. How could she when she knew, deep down, he had only come around to the idea because he had something in his life to occupy him; to keep him from being left alone, rather than out of a genuine belief that they were good for one another?

"She's an awful dancer; I hope you didn't wear good shoes tonight. They're bound to be ruined by the amount of times she inevitably stood on your toes, Andrew," he continued jovially, stopping a nearby server to place down his empty glass and collect a full one. "You look dashing, though. Really smart. We could be twins, you know; I've had countless people remark to me tonight how similar we appear. You're just-- you know. More rugged. Toughened by the elements. Trust me, the ladies love that. You could have your pick of them tonight if you weren't interested in our dear Natalia."
 
"Yeah well... considerin' I only care about the opinion of one lady, I don't really care about the pick I could've had with 'em." Andrew responded, his arm slipping further around Natalia's back to hold her waist. His thumb softly stroked against her side in an attempt to help keep her composure, still learning how to read the woman's body language and not yet certain if she was trying to keep herself from saying anything. He thought it best to offer that support just in case, than to not offer it and regret it later.

His eyes lowered to the glass Sven had just picked up for himself, lingering there for a moment before raising again to meet his brother's gaze. He didn't dare suggest that perhaps he had had enough, the beginnings of a slur to his voice a testament to that, the lack of want to do so coming from the fact that Sven was in such a jovial mood. He didn't want to ruin that, purely because it seemed like he had some sort of acceptance to the relationship he and Natalia now had.

"As for the dancin', I think I'll be fine, I wore a size too big. Filled it with stuffin', so all she's really been doing is steppin' on the padding." He looked down at Natalia, offering her a sincere, mischievous grin so she knew he was only teasing. It was a comment he had been about to make in retort to her earlier quip.

His smile faded, however, as he looked up to see the approach of Carina. However, in order to not deter her, Andrew quickly replaced the smile with another and inclined his head to her.

Carina held a glass in hand, another almost empty, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Either due to the dancing, or to the alcohol, but who was to know what the real cause was. She smiled warmly to Andrew and Natalia, but didn't dare look to Sven as she stood by his side.

"I'm glad to see you've found more pleasant company, Sven." Carina drawled, taking a sip to drain her glass of the last dregs of champagne. She looked down at the glass for a moment, allowing Andrew the time to glance to Natalia, shifting on his feet as he sensed the storm brewing within the young queen.

Carina looked up again finally, putting the glass down on a passing tray but not bothering to pick up another. She had come to confront her husband, and then potentially leave. If he didn't have the courtesy to help her maintain their little act and acted like a horny teenager at any woman who made any flirtatious suggestion towards him, then she wasn't going to bother carrying the both of them. In that moment, under the influence of alcohol, Carina had decided she was too tired to do that. Too exhausted of his bipolar behaviour that was giving her whiplash. Too embarrassed to continue after having fallen for his words of still loving her.

"I just came to say I'm going to retire early. I'm tired and I wish to see Lorcan before I go to bed tonight," she shot a look to Sven at the mention of their son, "But I'm certain my absence won't be missed. Not with our gracious king here flirting with every woman who throws herself at him."

She stepped forward to embrace Andrew and then stepped across to stand in front of Sven and hug Natalia, "Thank you for all your help in organising this evening. For the most part, it has been wonderful." She pulled back, smiling slightly. Carina turned next to face Sven, the smile tightening on her mouth.

"At least have a bit of subtly for the rest of this evening, darling. It won't be my fault if questions of our marriage are raised. I've done my part as well as I could, as you've asked. You're the one who'll ruin it if you're not careful." She warned sharply, keeping her expression warm but her voice lowered to avoid anyone overhearing, "Be discreet. That's all I ask, and not for me. I know you'd rather rub it in my face-- don't think of interrupting me. I'm done with you interrupting me... now I ask that you be discreet for those who aren't clever enough to notice your interest in the Litost woman. If we can continue to play our parts in this sham marriage, then I will. Not for either of us, but for our duties and for Lorcan."
 
Sven hadn't been anticipating an arrival from his wife, having believed that he had made his point -that he wanted nothing to do with her if he could avoid it- crystal clear to her. It was why he couldn't quite arrange his face to appear stoic and unimpressed when her voice rang out from nearby, his surprise at her decision to interject into the conversation flooding his features before he could prevent it from doing so. He reached to tilt his champagne into his mouth as a form of distraction from having to even look at her, hoping that her one comment was all she was willing to say to him - the fact she moved onto speaking to and congratulating Natalia was, he hoped, evidence of that fact.

He sipped at the alcohol to give him time to compose himself, even if standing in such close proximity to a woman who provoked him with such anger wasn't particularly helpful. Only a short time ago, he had been confessing his love to her, admitting that he had a keen interest in rekindling their marriage and reviving it from the ashes.

Since then, things had taken a dramatic turn downward and he couldn't even look at her without his lip curling and unbridled rage firing within his eyes. He felt lied to and manipulated; led to believe that they had a chance at reforming everything only to be let down at the final second by (what he perceived as) an unsubtle disgust at his romantic intentions.

When she turned her attention back to him (a fact he had been hoping to avoid), he bit the inside of his cheek to bite back an immediate retort and instead focused on downing the rest of his champagne, uncaring if the abruptness of the decision to drink it all down in one was a bad one or not. He was already teetering the edge between tipsiness into full-on drunkenness, but, like Carina, there was some comfort in letting alcohol numb his thoughts and feelings. It wasn't a crutch he intended on falling onto all the time, but just tonight, for one night only, he could make an exception.

"I'm sorry, you've done your part? That's laughably false, Carina, and you know it," he laughed, the abrupt sound sharp and cutting despite the amusement that shone on his face. He set his glass down to avoid dropping it in his sudden good humour, shaking his head as if in complete disbelief.

"You hardly did a good job in feigning the state of our marriage when you dashed off from me in the middle of a dance, recoiling in disgust from a hand on your thigh. After I genuinely confessed my love for you, genuinely wanted to patch things up, how did you react? You looked disgusted, panicked, and couldn't have run faster from my touch. You embarrassed me in front of everyone here; made me look a fool as I was made to stand, alone, in the middle of the ballroom floor. So tell me again, my love, that you played your part well - I'll try not to openly laugh in your face at the ridiculousness of such a statement."

His laughter, and the smile that had accompanied it, faded as the hurt from her actions cut deeper than he wanted it to, breathing out sharply to avoid letting that emotion show on his face.

"So yes," he continued slowly, his eyes narrowing in on hers, "I will pursue the Litost woman. I see no point in hiding it from you - Eris responds positively to my presence, unlike you, so I think I'm entitled to pursue an avenue of romance when you feel no inclinations towards me anymore. I would encourage you to take a lover, considering you are so disgusted with me and have no love for me anymore, but I can't imagine you'd fine one that easily. Not many men are interested in a woman with a heart of stone -or ice, that's more appropriate- like you, my love."
 
"You think you have it all figured out, don't you." Carina breathed, a smile gracing her own lips to mask the pain his words caused, "You think you know everything. The mighty king Sven, who had his parents' demise planned from such a young age. The wise king Sven, who clearly knows all. The perfect king Sven... whose not once put a foot wrong."

She could have slapped him at his talk about a heart of ice, the twitch of her fingers on her right hand which otherwise remained still at her side the only hint to that desire.

"I gave you everything I had to give. I opened up to you about my father, about my emotions, about loving you despite all you have done to me. Despite all your beloved kingdom did to me. Yet you're disgruntled over me leaving you and your-- your fucking wounded pride in the middle of a ballroom. After, may I add, that I told you I wanted to continue that conversation."

Her lower lip began to tremble, yet Carina was quick to bite at it, adding another smile to disguise the petulant sign of upset. She balled up her pain until it formed a tight knot in the middle of her sternum and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Perhaps you're right. Not many men might be interested in a woman so apparently as cold as me. And you must be saint for putting up with me for so long. But I certainly know that not many women are interested in men who will set them alight at the first sign of a disagreement." She then retorted, lashing out with her pain just as he had done to her. She was fed up of attempting to take the higher ground, of walking away before she could say anything that would further damage their relationship, "I do hope, for her sake, that she doesn't have a brother either. We're all aware of what happens when you get involved with siblings."

Carina stood there, staring at him and holding his gaze while she stood her ground, "And don't dare continue to insult me by saying that you wished to make amends. If you did, you wouldn't be giving another woman fuck-me eyes the moment I'm not in the room. If you did, you might have dared to ask the person you apparently love - someone you earlier condemned to death - what the matter might be." Her head then turned to flash a charming smile to a couple who walked past and acknowledged their monarchs, but she looked back to face Sven.

Her knuckles cracked softly behind her from how hard her hands were twisting together, "Try and be discreet, when you take her back to your room. Have some dignity, because you surely don't have any respect." She looked him up and down, swallowing thickly against the lump in her throat that had formed at the idea of him being with someone else.

It was then that she made the choice to leave, slipping out one of the side doors rather than the main doors that led out to the rest of the palace before her anger could be replaced with torment she felt.
 
The cold-hearted comment wasn't uttered in the expectation of it being met with silence. Sven didn't need to be a genius to know that such an insult, delivered venomously, would be met with a bitter retort - and he welcomed that. He didn't entirely appreciate or enjoy insults being flung at him, nor the reminders of past behaviour he genuinely regretted (no matter how badly things became with his wife, the murder of her brother would always stand out as a course of action he despised himself for taking), but if he dished out low-blows, he was wise enough to expect the reciprocation of them in return.

It didn't stop him growing more irritated by the second as her outburst continued, the blue of his eyes almost darkening as his brow furrowed and his glare intensified. There was little he could actually do to engage in his anger when a) he was still in attendance of a successful event and b) was aware of the difficulties he had in controlling his flames when he was angry or when he was drunk.

And right now, he was both of those things. Allowing himself to delve into feeling the rawness of his anger was a recipe for disaster, and even if she chose to throw that in his face by referencing another of his major regrets (the expulsion of his flames and the screams that had arisen as a result still haunted him, even if he and Carina were at their lowest point in their marriage), he was determined not to rise to it; determined not to let the words have such a detrimental effect on him.

Though admittedly, the cheery mood he had been relieved to feel for the first time in a good week or two had deteriorated the instant Carina began to speak. The hopes he had had for the night, of concluding the masquerade with a celebratory bottle of wine or champagne shared with Eris in his office (and that, he hoped, would lead onto them moving to his bedroom to continue the celebrations) had now disappeared, replaced by a desire to just head to bed alone and sleep.

If he was sleeping, there was no risk of him dwelling on everything Carina had said, of reminding himself of the breakdown of their marriage and the hatred seeping into it.

Of letting it all get to him and losing his temper as a result; a temper that would inevitably bring along the fires he was desperate to keep within his veins.

"...I think I'll also retire for the evening. Perhaps you could announce to our guests that particular fact, Natalia, I have no desire to do so."

"I don't... think that's entirely appropriate, they'll be wanting you to say a formal goodnight to them, Sven," began Natalia, somehow managing to find her words through the shock (and upset) at observing the bitter, cruel words shared between the couple. The love she had hoped to see spring up was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead with such spewing of vitriol and heated, disgusted glares - and frankly, if Sven hadn't spoken directly to her with a request, she would have remained speechless for the best part of several minutes.

"I don't care how inappropriate or rude it is, I'm fucking going to bed," he corrected sharply, exhaling hard in response to his own angered tone. "...Just do it, please. I don't wish to take my anger out on you or Andrew, so don't push me on this; just let me go to bed and deal with-- this," he gestured broadly to the ongoing party, "for me, would you? I want to put this night behind me, it's ended horribly and I haven't the patience to put on a fake smile so-- so just tell them where I've gone. They can continue into the early hours if they wish. I have no interest in doing so myself."
 
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"Go to bed, Sven. We'll handle it." Andrew hastily answered for Natalia, not wanting her to take the brunt of whatever anger was lingering within his brother's veins. After what he had just witnessed, he realised he hoped to never be on the end of such a barbed exchange with either the king or the queen. Both had been so harsh and bitter, it made him wonder just how well their acting was for when he first arrived.

His hand at Natalia's waist gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, and he forced himself to smile at Sven at the same time. He knew nothing of how to handle a crowd at a party as big as this, and ultimately knew that he shouldn't have been cutting in to the conversation...but given what he had just witnessed, he wasn't sure he would be able to stand by and listen if Sven provided Natalia with a few cutting choice words too.

Andrew was certain that she could handle herself, and had a faint inkling as to the sort of behaviours she was used to from Sven too... but that didn't mean he would be happy to sit back and witness her having to take whatever Sven threw at her.

"I-I'm sure they won't notice for a little while longer. Besides, it's already getting a little later now too. It won't be long before people'll be driftin' off to their rooms or carriages." He smiled, almost nervously, as he continued to talk. "Ain't no need to worry. You may even see one or two of 'em in the mornin', y'know, before they leave, so you can speak to some of 'em then too."

He was rambling, he knew when was. He was nervous after what he had just witnessed and simply wanted to help where he could. However, he held his tongue eventually, not wanting to accidentally evoke the wrath of his sibling just because he was running his mouth. Nor did he want to annoy Natalia, not after they had had a reasonably lovely evening together too.


Eris, meanwhile, had been keeping a subtle eye on the king after she had left him. Seeing the queen leave, without so much as a kiss to her husband's cheek and rather abruptly told her all she needed to know about the events of that conversation. As Sven gestured to the party, Eris murmured her excuses to her parents and slowly began to move around the outskirts of the festivities.

Her eyes moved between the king and where she was going, slipping past groups without so much as a careless bump into them. As she neared, Eris discarded her almost empty glass onto the last table she passed and smoothed out the material at her waist with one hand.

"I hope you aren't attempting to escape without that final dance you promised me, Sven." She dared to tease as she approached him from the other side of the door, emerging from the dusky shadows that had fallen onto the furthest corners of the room, "I may have to request you find another way to make it up to me if you are..."
 
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The nervous ramblings from his brother weren't subtle, far from it. Even in the drunken state Sven had found himself in, Andrew's blatant anxiousness was more than clear, whether it be a result of witnessing such an intense argument or the predicament he had voluntarily placed himself in by promising to 'handle' the situation for him. Probably, Sven reasoned, it was a combination of the two, and as uncomfortable as he was with the knowledge that Andrew had observed his and Carina's abandoned facade of happiness (or he would be uncomfortable when he sobered up in the morning), he couldn't help but be highly amused by the latter; that somehow, Andrew was going to speak to the important figures in the room and keep them all in the loop.

The time he had spent getting to know Andrew, once he worked past the unsettlement of him and Natalia growing closer, was well spent, with Sven discovering that he rather enjoyed having a younger brother. Despite their differences, he could honestly claim to like the person Andrew was, so he meant no offence (for once) in smiling so brightly and amusedly at the idea of him talking with any confidence to the gathered royals and aristocrats.

Just having Andrew in their presence had been mildly amusing for Sven, but him handling the situation in his absence? That gave him a good distraction from his anger, the young King happy to focus on the amusement bubbling inside him at the idea of his brother, a man who had grown up in an environment directly contrasted to the privilege every other figure in the room had enjoyed growing up (Natalia excluded), interacting with them with some perceived -or feigned- notion of authority was laughable.

He adored his brother, deeply and genuinely, but there was always going to be an element of snobbishness towards him, whether conscious or otherwise. This was one of those times, Sven unable to really imagine Andrew handling anything with any confidence when this environment was entirely alien to him.

But he at least believed and trusted in his brother to give it a good shot, as exemplified by him resting a hand on the man's shoulder and offering a grateful -and supportive- squeeze.

"Go for it, I trust you. It shouldn't be too difficult anyway. As you said, they'll start filtering themselves out anyway," he smiled, keen to ensure the expression was as casual and light-hearted as it could be... even if the brutal exchange of bitter words with his wife was, understandably, still playing on his mind, and probably would do for the rest of the night.

All he wanted to do was forget about it, even if for a few hours. Avoiding Carina completely was impossible when they shared a kingdom, a home and a son, so he would always be reminded of the war of words they had embarked upon... but he wanted to get to sleep, and there was no chance of doing that if his mind continued to be overrun with residual emotions from their confrontation. The sooner he found a way to distract himself from dwelling on their issues, the better.

And though he had just minutes before decided that pursuing Eris wasn't the solution, her appearance at the doorway at least provided an opportunity to talk to someone who wasn't linked to Carina; who wasn't going to frown disapprovingly and remind him at every moment of how badly he was handling his marriage.

"I'm afraid I'm a little tired, I was hoping to retire to bed before the party concluded," he admitted as he carefully straightened his posture, determined not to let the woman have any insight to the difficult emotions that proceeded to torment him... albeit less noticeably now he was in contact with her. It might have hindered his ability to flirt openly with her, that flirtation currently missing from his tone, but the fact he had stopped and decided to engage with her was at least indicative of his interest in her. Had anyone else stopped him, he would have politely made his excuses and abandoned the conversation before it had started.

"...I'm not in a celebratory type of mood, I must admit, but I now I promised to guide you to your sleeping quarters, didn't I? I'd be letting myself down if I went back on that promise so allow me to accompany you, Eris. It'd be my pleasure."
 
"That's a shame," Eris murmured in response, reaching out to place a hand on the frame of the door near her as they stood in front of it, "I do recall you saying that fatherhood is a rather taxing profession... I hope that you may still wish to take me up on... helping you liven your life up again some day." Her head tilted, a knowing smile gracing her lips as she watched him.

He was still talking to her, so at least that was a good sign. It would have been more difficult to remind him of her presence if he merely wished to dismiss her straight away. So long as they were talking, the more suggestive comments she could make that would hopefully wake him up again. She had enjoyed their previous exchange, and now, being further away from the main party, Eris wondered just how far she could take things with the young king. She would have to still tread carefully, as she didn't know what his limits may be or if his less than joyous mood would make him less receptive to flirtation, but she was willing to take that chance.

"Like I said, I'd be more than willing to think of another way in which you could make it up to me." She chuckled, daring to take that step closer to him. She could notice his aftershave once more, her eyes dipping down from his face to take in his upper half due to how near they were to one another.

Her hand reached out, but instead of touching him, she let it land on the door handle at his side. It meant she had to lean further into his space, eyes continuing to hold his under dark, thick lashes as she pushed the handle down and opened the door for him.

"But for now I will settle for a private escort to my room... though don't think me an easily satisfied woman, Sven." She concluded in a drawl, lips pulling up into a knowing grin.

Despite the fact she had opened the door for him, Eris closed the final remanences of the gap between them and gave pause as she stood as close to him as they had been when dancing earlier. Her hand released the door handle only to raise and gently graze her fingertip under his chin until it came to a halt at the end, holding there as her own face neared until their lips were a whisper apart.

"Because I will come seeking what I'm owed." She teased, finally slipping her finger from under his chin and taking a step to the side to walk through the door and into the corridors that promised a more secluded and private escape from the party.
 
Sven remained silent throughout much of Eris' remarks, so loaded with suggestiveness and flirtation that he almost found it difficult to remember to breathe. He was far from naive to the fact that she had a forward nature; she saw what she wanted and made no secret in communicating those intentions, even if this instance, in the context of a very public party, there had to be some element of secrecy.

He enjoyed that more than he led on. It had taken longer than he wanted it to to embark on a romance with Carina, with the nature of their confessions having taken months to arrive because of their inabilities to admit to one another how they felt until finally, everything kickstarted into action. If one of them had simply admitted how they felt a lot sooner, he would have had more happy days of marriage with her to reflect upon than the very few they actually had together.

Having someone whose intentions were inarguable (at least, he knew she sought out some form of intimacy, unaware of the depth of the planning that had gone into her decision to pursue him) was a breath of fresh air. He found it incredibly attractive to be faced with someone who knew what she wanted and had no qualms in striving forward with such intentions - but it was still surprising to witness it in action, the King rendered speechless as he felt her press close, the lips he had an urge to kiss pulling into that same knowing smile that rested so temptingly on her face.

He exhaled slowly to keep himself calm, to not get too carried away with the sudden arrival of his desire for her. It hadn't disappeared but had perhaps become overshadowed by the upsetting conversation with Carina.

Only now could he put that aside, realising that there was probably no better distraction from his marital troubles than spending a night with Eris.

It might not be his wisest decision, but he was tired of selflessness; of putting everyone else above his own desires. That night, emotionally raw and alcohol-fuelled, he wanted to be selfish; to fall to depths of debauchery he had been unused to for months. A little return to them was something he not only wanted, but felt he needed.

And he wasn't going to feel guilty about that; not for anyone.

"I would never think you to be easily satisfied, Eris. You have standards, and I imagine you take great pride in upholding them. It's unfortunate that so many fall short of matching our expectations, isn't it? I struggle with it myself; of being let down and disappointed. But I assure you, my dear... I know how to satisfy. I'm confident in my ability to... let's say... please you," he hummed in response, taking advantage of the silence and privacy the empty corridors possessed as he allowed his words to increase in volume... and the flirtatiousness that smothered them to be as unsubtle as they could possibly be (albeit without ruining the playful hinting they had taken to enjoying).

There was nothing wrong in being blunt and honest with his growing desire for her, that was true, but he was enjoying the playfulness of their exchanges. He didn't plan on continuing it too much longer, not when action had to take over at some point, but it was a useful lead into that next step; a confirmation to Eris that he acknowledged her flirtation and had no qualms in returning it to her.

"Perhaps, given the opportunity, I can show you that my words aren't baseless; that they harbour substance. I am confident, but I would love to show you that that confidence isn't false, nor misplaced. That my promises of pleasing you, of meeting your standards, would see fruition."
 
Despite her not really knowing the way to go, the Litost woman ensured to walk just in front of Sven in the dimly-lit corridor. His response was music to her ears and a knowing smirk pulled her lips. While she was there to seduce him, she knew she could also take her fun from it. The king was not an unattractive man, and she had heard along the grapevine of what kind of lover he was, or at least how he was before his love for the queen halted his excursions. The thrill of having the king, of all people, in that way ran up her spine.

Eris hummed softly, as if in consideration, of his remarks. Her footsteps slowed and her gaze remained on the length of the corridor to ensure no one would be approaching them. The door behind them had not opened since their departure, so it seemed as if they would remain alone for the time being.

His reaction to her earlier, playful teases had only confounded her belief that he wanted this. That he wanted her. There was no being polite and simply taking on her flirtations like that of a buzzing fly that one couldn't dismiss so thus just put up with the constant noise. He was receptive, and seemed to enjoy the attention, offering up his own veiled desires and providing her with suggestive banter for her to continue playing off.

The woman thus stopped so she could be along side him and turned to face her king. Despite the lack of lighting, a teasing if challenging smile played along her lips as she considered him, "Then perhaps you would indulge me... I haven't been satisfied in a very long time." She purred.

From there, Eris pressed towards him until she had him with his back against the wall. She reached out to take his hands and guided them onto her body, running them from her waist and down to her hips and then her thighs. She stepped closer until her chest grazed his, eyes flickering over his features as she attempted to get a read on how he was feeling. Upon seeing nothing that would cause her to stop, Eris trailed a hand up the side of his neck to his cheek where her thumb would lightly brush over his lower lip.

Her mouth soon met his, her hand moving to tangle fingers into the hair on the back of his head, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Her hips pressed to his and her tongue darted out to run over his lower lip, grazing the same path as her thumb a moment ago. Eris' other hand grasped the lapel of his dinner jacket before releasing it to run down over his chest and abdomen.

Needing air, she pulled back, but only slightly to keep her body in the same position - pressed against his. Her nose almost brushed his from how close she remained and a slow, mischievous grin grew before she bit at her lower lip.

"Are you still tired, my king?"
 
It was abundantly clear to Sven that there was something on the cards between him and Eris (he would have to be a fool not to realise such a thing) but the extent to which they would venture that night was, perhaps, something not quite as clear-cut. The flirtation suggested that there would be an intimacy shared between them at some point, but whether that night would conclude with that was unknown.

He was entirely satisfied by the flirtatiousness and the seductive edge their interaction had taken on, of course - after the confrontation with Carina and the mood it had inevitably put him in, Eris somehow managing to bring him out of those depressive, angry depths and introducing some fun back into his life was something he was incredibly grateful for, and thus, he would be quite happy to end the night on that playful suggestiveness alone. Sure, something more physical, leading off from said flirtation, would be great... but it was an additional bonus, his happiness and intrigue in Eris not residing solely on a sexual encounter.

The obliviousness on his end allowed Eris to take the lead (even though she had mostly taken that position since initiating contact with the King, as per her and her family's plans), though he wasn't quite prepared for how dominantly she would stake her claim to it. The boldness of her approach caught him by surprise as much as the following course of actions, the feel of her hand gripping at his lapel in order to close the distance and allow their lips to crash together momentarily stunning him. His love life had always been eventful (at least, in his life pre-Carina, anyway) but never before had he really shared his time with someone who was as confident as Eris; someone who knew what she wanted and sought to achieve it.

Ultimately, he would be lying if he said he didn't find Eris' confident and dominative actions incredibly attractive, evidence of that attraction arriving in the form of a deep-set, crimson blush across his cheeks, though it soon spread to his neck the more their kiss, and its effects, lingered on him.

"I... no, I quite think that, ah... that woke me up a little. How could it not?" He laughed as he straightened his posture as best he could, attempting to regain a little of his composure - however hard it was to move past the surprising intensity of the kiss and the desires it not only awoke in him, but intensified.

"No, I'm more than awake now," he continued as he shot a glance up and down the corridor before daring to take her hand in his own, moving ahead of her to lead the way, even if having to break their bodies' close proximity irritated him. Yet, it was a temporary move - he had every intention of returning that closeness back to them.

"Perhaps a lady like you would prefer sleeping quarters that are more... special? More suited to the impression she's made on me? The only room I can think of that fulfils that criteria is my own," the King drawled, a playful look sent over his shoulder in her direction, his thumb lightly grazing across her knuckles affectionately. "Of course, neither of us are quite tired enough yet for sleep, but I'm sure we can find other activities to keep us entertained; activities that might... help to tire us out."
 
"I'm not an easily tired woman... I can only hope that you have the stamina to keep up with me." She quipped back, moving her hand so they were entwined together, fingers lacing with his. "I do hope I live up to this expectation you have in your head now, especially with you inviting me back to your room."

Eris was not an easily embarrassed woman and didn't care for who heard what, hence her lack of desire to keep her voice hushed in case of any lingering servants at the end of the hallway. If anything, she wanted any eavesdroppers to hear her claims. She wanted them to listen in and take that information back to their little groups where it would spread like wildfire through whispers. Let the queen hear that her husband was with another woman. She had seen the look on Carina's face during the course of the evening; the hurt, the pain, the anguish. She knew that this would undoubtedly push the other woman over the edge... and Sven could be hers to play with.

However, while at the moment both monarchs had been an easy read, Eris knew not to take that for granted. The king before her could have one night with her and decide that that was enough. She had to keep him interested, intrigued... wanting. She would have to play this carefully, and consider all her angles.

"Perhaps we ought to pick up a bottle of something... or ask a maid to bring one to your room... we might need something to refresh ourselves with." Eris continued, eyebrow raising with a small quirk to the corner of her mouth as the beginnings of a playful smirk teased at her lips. "If nothing else, it will help to make for an entertaining rest of the evening..."

As they neared the edge of the corridor, she sidled up to him and slipped close to him, moving his hand so it rested on her lower back. She then dipped it further so it grazed the one cheek of her behind, "Though I have no doubt that you'll be able to entertain me by yourself." She raised a hand to stroke the cheek on the opposite side of his face, "I look forward to seeing these... special sleeping quarters."
 
The overt sexual tension, aided along by the continuous flirtation (in all its unsubtlety) and increasingly daring physical touches, was almost becoming too much for the young King to fully and completely comprehend. It wasn't easy for him to wrap his head around the fact that he was suddenly enthralled by the promise of intimacy; an experience he, not even a few hours prior, could never have imagined himself being involved in given the utter breakdown of a once thriving, loving marriage.

He didn't even contemplate that intimacy coming from anyone other than his wife until Eris' approach that night. An approach that seemed to set things into motion so quickly that Sven hadn't really managed to take in the change in his circumstances.

Not that he would come to regret them once they did settle in. He had never embarked upon an extramarital affair -nor any affair at all given he had never actually dedicated himself to a woman before Carina- and there was every possibility that he would feel guilty for it and the impact it would have on his family.

But regret? He couldn't imagine himself ever regretting any time he spent with Eris; not when she was showering him with the sort of attention and affection he had longed for from Carina for weeks.

"I can-- have a bottle of wine brought along to us, that sounds like a good idea," he agreed, his voice maintaining its quiet pitch - he was, after all, perhaps far more concerned with their intimacy being discovered than she was. While he had no qualms in those who existed within the castle on a regular basis discovering the fling (or affair, should it continue beyond the night), he didn't want to expose it to those important figures who had travelled to Ignis under the impression that he and Carina's marriage was strong and stable enough to provide a better, brighter future for the kingdom at large.

Though he had no doubt that other royals and aristocrats currently under his roof weren't squeaky clean and had engaged in affairs or casual flings of their own, they were wise enough to keep that business behind closed doors - not every royal was like Sven's father, who hadn't cared about airing his private business with his lovers, even if the openness of such crass behaviour had earned him no support. Sven wasn't eager to repeat those results, hence his desperation to prevent his and Eris' close proximity and flirtation from being noticed.

...At least until the castle was free from the guests currently residing within it.

"You really aren't that patient, are you?" He teased in return at the wandering hand, the surprise of it having momentarily rendered him speechless. He couldn't imagine Carina doing anything as daring, and while he had always loved her regardless and didn't expect her to act in ways she wasn't comfortable with, he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy Eris' behaviour; that it didn't excite him.

His grin only widened as a result as he beckoned her into his bedroom, the grand space -inevitably- fit for a royal of his power and influence. He moved towards the bed, once shared with Carina, and, with his hand taking hers (the privacy the bedroom offered at least encouraged him to be less subtle in his attraction towards her), he pulled her close to him, unwilling to hide his eagerness.

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable and I'll go and enquire about that wine? The bathroom's just over there should you need to freshen up - but I shouldn't be too long. I'm sure you can practise a little patience for me, can't you?"
 
A soft laugh, rich with amusement, escaped Eris as he pulled her closer to him. Her arms immediately raised to lay and wrap around his shoulders, hands pressing against the back of his neck where she hummed and pressed even further against him. "Well, now that you mention it..." She purred, head tilting to the side slightly, "Now that we're here... alone... in your bedroom..." Each part of her sentence was punctuated with her hands slipping from around his neck and lowering down to the buttons on the garment that adorned his upper body, "Perhaps wine isn't entirely necessary."

Soon, Eris had his shirt unbuttoned, but not once did she look down to see what she was doing. Her fingers were nimble, and lacked the slowness or sluggishness of someone who had enjoyed a few drinks. She was dead sober, wanting to be, in order to seduce the King of Ignis.

Her hands then teased their way under the opening, palms flattening and running over his sides, allowing her to close an extra inch more of a gap between them. Her eyes lingered on his, looking up through her lashes in that perfectly practised way, as she stopped her hands against his back. Careful to avoid the skin that was undoubtedly still sensitive after the attack. Her skin had broken out into goosebumps, a faint dusting of them on her arms and shoulders, all due to Sven's unusually high body temperature.

"You know, if it weren't for the flames that I know you royal Ignisians are famed for... I would have been extremely concerned about just how hot you are running." Eris teased, a grin at her lips and fingers plucking out the rest of his shirt from his waistband.

She gently began to push his shirt off his shoulders, head tipping to the side as she studied him. Then she stilled, keeping a grip on the shirt that she was encouraging from his body which had fallen to his upper arms. After a moment, her fingers were tangled into the back of his hair and her nose was brushing lightly against his like it had done earlier in the corridor.

"Tell me now, Sven, if this isn't something that you want." She whispered to him, "You can tell me no, leave to get that wine and by the time you come back... I'll be gone. Or... you can take me again and again in this room until morning arrives. You know what I want... now tell me what you want."
 
The moment he felt Eris' fingers tangle within the fabric of his shirt was the moment a fluttering of panic sent its way throughout the young King's body, residing mostly in his chest as his heartbeat picked up pace. He wasn't necessarily self-conscious about his physique, he knew he was in good shape and made sure, no matter the circumstance, that he kept up with his training, but he was self-conscious about the scar he was left with; a permanent reminder of the attack he had endured.

Others might see the scar, currently still ragged and reddened as a result of its relative newness, as a reminder of their survival, of overcoming a terrifying ordeal and living to tell the tale... but Sven didn't.

How could he when he felt like a fool for the attack taking place?

He was an Ignisian, one of royal blood, who was taught to be tough and to present that image of strength to the world at all times. Even if he had abandoned some of the more damaging philosophies of his father's reign in favour of a more inclusive and peaceful platform, the way he was raised was still engrained in him - and appearing vulnerable, or having a weakness of his exposed, was something to avoid at all costs.

He withheld his breath in the genuine fear that she would notice the mark and think him weak for it. In reality, it was his paranoia once again at play, though unlike other moments in his life where that paranoid thinking would jeopardise his wants in an example of self-sabotage, Eris' lack of waiting was of great benefit to him. He had no time to consider that fear a moment longer; not when the woman had removed the shirt entirely and pressed back in close, the words lace with seduction mirroring her body's movements up against him.

The panic gradually ebbed as he allowed himself to fall back into the moment, letting himself fall victim to it entirely. He had already made his mind up - even if it meant falling into old habits, this was a chance to spend the night having fun; feeling like himself again. He wasn't going to pass that up.

"I think I've made my desires abundantly clear," he began smoothly as he took a seat on the bed, that movement signalling his intentions more than words ever could. He quietly grinned to himself as he leaned back, palms flat on the bed behind him and eyes remaining fixed on Eris' expression, eager to witness the reaction he was met with.

"I want to spend every single minute of the next few hours, until the sun rises, with you, Eris. Not that I'll be sleeping during those hours of course - but you already know what we'll be doing with that time instead," he hummed mischievously, a glint flashing in the bright blue hue of his eyes. "...So either continue to press me for my answer or we can let our actions talk for us instead."
 
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