The Cursed Tyrant and His Reluctant Queen

The servant who came to fetch me alone. The dark room and no witnesses around.

It all feels like a trap.

As if Ignis was planning to kill me.

One day, I will tell him not to scare me like this. But, for now, I'll just hear him out. We'll have dinner together after weeks. After months!

Time flew by, now that I can think calmly. I feel as if we parted yesterday, now.

But the nostalgia of those lonely days was so real, so powerful...

I walk inside the room, and the doors are closed behind my back.

If this is how Ignis welcomes girls, it's no surprise he had to look as far as in Narith for a potential bride.

«Veronica,» he says, turning to me.

Tonight, his expression isn't one of a stranger. I can recognise him.

«I've missed you so much!» he continues, walking to me with huge steps. He drags me in his arms, and his face sinks in my hair.

Is this a good sign? He missed me. It means he still likes me, right?

«I missed you, too,» I reply. «Your Majesty.»

He splits from me, observing my face with so much interest. He's different from this afternoon.

Are there two copies of him, by any chance?

«Don't do that,» he breathes, almost desperate.

As if I've offended him. As if what I say hurts his body other than his soul.

«Do what?»

«Don't push me away like this, Veronica. We are alone.»

«The Marchioness explained what shall I call you. Until the coronation, I am just like any subject.»

«Until the coronation,» he sighs. «But we're alone now. There's no need to call me Majesty. Just use my name.»

«If this is what you desire, King Aurelius.»

His eyebrows twitch, bending down and giving him the most desperate of the expressions. I can't help but tease him a little more. It's so funny, and he's adorable.

«How could I dare defy my King's orders?» I continue.

His face is just so cute. I have a lot of serious matters to ask him, and we have so much to discuss. But now, I can only do this: stare at him and speak weird things.

I press my palm on his chest, and I lean closer. I land my ear on his heart, and I listen to his beat for a few moments.

His tense muscles signal his uneasiness.

«Is my mighty King not going to punish a naughty wife?» I chuckle.

«You can say what you want in this room. It's safe.»

«Oh, I see. I can even complain about tyranny and bloody coups?»

«What you want, I said,» he spits out. «Now, are you going to continue for a long time?»

I sigh, splitting from him.

«I'm sorry,» I say.

I bow my head and wait for his reaction. In the end, I haven't confirmed his intentions yet.

«What is your final decision?» I ask. «Are you still willing to be married to me?»

«We can't divorce or annul...» he starts.

I scoff, annoyed.

«As if.»

«It's the law.»

«The law says a Queen can't be divorced. But I am no Queen. Not yet. You have a few days to decide what to do with me. If you change your mind, you can send me back.»

«Is that what you want?» he inquires, crossing his arms.

I join my hands in front of me, so that I can stare at the fingers.

«What I want is not relevant,» I say.

«To me, it is. If a divorce is what you want, I'll let you have it. Even if it means changing a few laws.»

«I don't want that, Ignis! Just, know that you have a choice. It's not too late to decide.»

«I would be a fool. After everything I've done to marry you, how can I consider letting you go?»

Then, he realises how his words sound, and he sighs.

«Unless you want it, of course.»

Give me a choice, ah? Too bad I don't have any use for this kind of choice.

«I don't want to get divorced.»

«I've never asked you if you wanted to marry me, Veronica. Now, without hiding anything from you, I can do it. Do you want to be my wife?»

«I just told you...»

«No, you didn't,» he interrupts me. «You said you don't want not to be my wife. You don't want to divorce. But what about staying married? You don't mind it, or do you want it? Which one is it?»

My heart starts beating faster as the words form in the depth of my throat.

«I want to stay married. This is my wish.»

«Then,» Ignis sighs, «let's stay married.»

I dare to raise my eyes and meet his gems. It's not a King I'm looking at. It's just my husband.

Even if he has many faces, his sweet and caring self always surfaces when we're alone. Under these conditions, I can spend the rest of my life next to a tyrant.

«Let's,» I repeat, smiling.

He steps forward, trapping me in his embrace. This time, he doesn't let me flee. His lips find mine, and we kiss each other after a long, long time.

Dinner is getting cold on the table, but we do not care.

«Now,» I murmur before licking his neck, «now, show me how much you missed me.»

Finally, I can do all the naughty things I came up with during his absence.

«Later,» he replies.

«Seems I wasn't clear enough when I said this,» I chuckle. «Are you already arguing?»

«Oh, Veronica,» he sighs. «I've missed you so much that I'd look at you for a whole week. I'd need no food nor sleep if I could have you so close.»

«I didn't say tell. I said show.»

He chuckles, reacting too mildly to my harsh tone. He's not getting angry nor stepping back awkwardly. He doesn't mind a naughty wife.

At the same time, he's not doing exactly what I want. Is this going to be a battle?

«We should eat first.»

«What?» I'm not hungry right now! I want something else...

«I haven't had time for lunch today, so I'm starving.»

Oh, he didn't? But he had time to come greet me. And even take a stroll together. A short and awkward stroll, but still...

Don't tell me...

«Ignis, did you skip lunch to come to greet me?»

«Ah? No, of course not. Lunch was already over when you arrived.»

«I was told you would be busy, so it was a surprise that you could come meet me. Is it because you worked during your lunch break?»

«Don't start nagging already,» he sighs.

«I'm not nagging. I'm worried. Are you even sleeping? Do you have any guards watching over you? Or do you feel safer here?»

His eyes avoid mine, revealing enough of his daily happenings.

«You don't sleep well,» I say. «And you don't eat regularly.»

«I do eat. I have people that think about that. Just today I couldn't have a single bite because I was so excited to finally see you again.»

«You're saying this just so I stop scolding you! It won't work!»

«I didn't even plan to come and greet you. My first intention was to look at you from afar. But then, when you got off the carriage, I couldn't resist. It had been too long without seeing you.»

«It won't work,» I repeat, but it's a lie. It's working perfectly.

In fact, Ignis drags me to the table. I sit on my chair while he places his right next to me. He moves the plate so we can eat one close to the other.

«How was your journey?» he inquires.

He even bends closer to me just to leave a peck on my nose. His expression is so sweet that I forget what I was complaining about.

When I walked in here, I was going to tell him that his courting technique sucks. Yet, at this point, I'm completely swayed.

And I don't even know what made me surrender like this.

I'm sitting here, eating in silence and accepting everything he leaves on my plate. I'm listening to his words and replying to each and every question.

In a daze, like hypnotised.

His courting techniques can be so powerful. How naive of me to think I had a chance to resist.

My chance for a counterattack comes soon, though. When Ignis offers me a grape, I open my mouth and let him feed me.

We've finished eating and are now nibbling on the fruits.

His fingers touch my lips, and an idea comes to mind.

With the next grape, I move my head forward and graze his fingers with my teeth. As I retreat, I make sure my lips caress the tip of his fingers in an odd, delicate kiss.

When his breath skips a cycle, I realise there are many things I can do to counterattack his courting.

I chew the fruit slowly, looking him in the eyes. My expression is calm and neutral, but my look entails a challenge to feed me again.. Only if his nerves can withstand it, of course.