"Thank you for the escort, Icaros."

Sera grins at Icaros, who hands her back the large basket containing the lunch she'd cooked for Lucien. The rest of the food she'd made was on a cart being pushed back to the cottage by Fawn. Her heart palpitated in her chest as the large engraved doors to Lucien's office winked back at her. It was the first time she'd ever properly cooked for Lucien. 'I hope he likes it' Sera bit her lip, thinking of his reaction when he saw the food. She'd done her best to arrange it all beautifully on painted plates, even adding some small leaves of a plant that smelled of basil atop the tomato soup.

"It's my pleasure, my Queen." Bending into a gallant bow, Icaros winks at Sera. He doesn't kiss her hand like a noble would to accompany the bow. He wasn't ready to die yet.

King Lucien crosses his arms, looking at the two of them from over his gold-rimmed glasses. The thin rims reflected the light, making him look-, well, hot.

"Icaros, what are you doing here?"

'Hot wasn't even beginning to cover it.' Sera thinks as she appreciates the view. The glasses in combination with white, rolled up sleeves, his tan muscled forearms emphasized by the crossed arms. And his hair! The freshly-cropped hair was no longer in the tight formal hold from the morning, relaxing in a curl over the center of his forehead made Sera stare at the man like he was made of chocolate. Which was saying a lot, considering that chocolate didn't exist in this world. Or any other type of sweets, for that matter, with the absence of sugar in Thornmere.

"Apologies, Your Highness. Her Majesty insisted she stop by here to give you your lunch."

Sera peeks behind Lucien, to the House Heads that sat at the tea table in Lucien's work-chamber, every inch of available space covered in sheets of paper. There were even some well-off commoners in the mix, sitting together with the nobles and discussing passionately. Along the wall, young pageboys stood, holding silver trays that contained more scrolls of papers. From the bits of conversation she could catch in the room, it had something to do with the imprisoned criminal nobles and their judgements. Something about land and rights?

Holding up the basket she'd brought, she hands it to Lucien.

"Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No, just tea."

Sera shakes her head. Lucien tended to forget the flow of time when he was focused on something. Even during the Great War, she'd had to remind him to take the time between training and strategizing eat.

"I knew you would forget to eat your lunch."

"I was going to eat." Lucien relaxes his shoulders, looking gently down at the unyielding petite woman, dark brown ringlets coiling around her face.

Cocking her head, Sera asks: "What time? What time were you planning to eat?"

Lucien mumbles his words, lowering his voice as he looks away from her gaze and down at his crossed arms. "......When I remembered."

Sera sighs.

"Here, I brought this for you."

"You cook?"

"Mhm, I learned a few recipes from my mother.." Her heart clenches at the memory. Ma, being surprised when Sera asked her for cooking tips. The pride of making her first meal on her own for her family. Laughing with Ma when she'd added too much baking soda to the cookies, making them hard and bitter.

"You miss her." It was a statement, not a question.

"There's a lot of things I miss, Lucien. My family, my friends, running water, phones, television..But they aren't what I chose."

Sera stands up on her tip toes and tucks a loose strand of hair off Lucien's forehead and back in place. The gentle touch of her fingers against his cheek makes Lucien's eyes soften.

"I love you, remember?" Though she whispers the words in Lucien's ear, it still makes her cheeks blush a hot tomato red. Sera couldn't get used to saying those words.

The moment was broken by an older Head that Sera recognized, the grizzled Minister of War, calling Lucien from within the room.

"Your majesty, the agreements require your signature."

"I'll look over it soon enough." Lucien throws over his shoulder, not looking away from Sera. He would stare at her any chance he could, imprinting the images of her in his mind. It didn't matter if she was in men's clothes with a coal beard or made up in a beautiful gown. He wanted every side of her, as many as he could gather. How he'd wished for a 'chimera'. He'd wished many times, every since Sera told him about the creature that flashed and had the images it saw painted faster than you could blink.

"Eat with me." He asks, ignoring the flurry of activity that continues behind him. All the other nobles look

Sera shakes her head no, biting her lip. Though she was sorely tempted... She nods out to the other men in the room behind Lucien, who send the two curious glances as they continue to work on the mountains of papers in the room.

"There's still a lot of work you have to do, isn't there? I'll only get in your way."

Sera shakes her head again when Lucien tries to pull her into the room, digging her heels into the stone floor of the hall.

"And besides; I have a surprise for you tonight."

That makes Lucien immediately perk up. Large hands circle around her waist as he pulls her closer. Sera blushes harder. Lucien was much more open when it came to his displays of affection towards her.

"What kind of surprise?" He whispers in her ear, making her shiver.

It wasn't fair that it was always Sera losing her composure.

With a mischievous grin, Sera whispers back, sliding her arms around his neck. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, would it?"

She slips out of his hold when he tries to pull her tighter to him.

"We'll see you at dinner!"

Handing the basket containing Lucien's meal to a nearby page boy, she pecks Lucien on the cheek and lightly steps back to leave. But something was caught on her skirt.

Frowning, she pulls at her skirt. Maybe it got caught on the engraving at the door. Though the designs were beautiful, there were some bits of it that stuck out and caught on her clothes at times.

She doesn't look down, tugging at her skirt again. Until she notices Lucien's lowered shoulders.

Lucien's face, eyebrows lowered and expression frozen in a grimace would make anyone think that he was displeased about something. Only Sera could see his lips waver the tiniest amount. He was nervous about something.

"Yes, Lucien?"

The large, rough hand gripped her skirt by the fingertips, oh so gently. Blinking, Lucien looks up at her, as if he'd just realized what he'd done.

Clearing his throat, he lets go of her skirt, repeating his words.

"..............Can.....can you bring me lunch every day?"

Sera blooms into a wide smile. "Of course! I promised, remember?"

------------

"Your Majesty, would you mind sharing your meal with the poor Captain?"

Incredulous, Lucien stops mid-bite to glare at the unashamed Captain of the Guard.

"Do you not receive enough pay? Go buy your own lunch." He waves a hand off as Icaros hovers by his desk, sending longing glances at the warm meal on the desk. Lucien had pushed aside the mounds of papers covering every surface of the desk to free up a patch of brown wood.

"But your food looks so good! We all want to know what the Queen's cooking tastes like."

Some of the braver, honest young page boys waiting for finished paperwork to deliver nod.

Everyone was jealous after watching Lucien devour the sandwiches and soup with gusto, nodding with every bite he took. Sometime, he would even hum as he chewed, displaying his immense approval of the meal.

"What about the small meat rounds? A bite wouldn't hurt-"

Icaros' hand creeps in to steal what Lady Sera had called 'meatballs'. He'd watched in the kitchen as she chopped up raw meat and herbs together with vegetables, wrapping it around chunks of cheese, and cooked it on the spit. He was drooling just thinking about it.

Thud!

A dagger lands right before the tip of Icaros' fingers, making him withdraw his hand.

"Hands off my lunch. My wife made this for me."

Nonplussed, Icaros makes another try, this time for the juicy sandwich that contains smoked meat, glistening tomatoes and crisp greens.

Thud!

Another dagger lands on the desk, this time right between his outstretched fingers.

"Fine! It probably doesn't taste that good anyways!" Dramatically, Icaros checks his fingers for cuts in mock anger.

The other nobles pale at the Captain's recklessness. One of the younger noblemen whispers a small prayer under his breath for the man. The King's dark moods were infamous. It had taken 5 years for the King to finally begin his duties as the ruler of a nation. They'd gathered together after

Lucien just ignores him, silently popping another meatball in his mouth.

From beside him, Icaros just foolishly grins. He was King Lucien's oldest and closest friend. Of course he would know just how far he could push. As a friend, it was practically his job to dance on the boundaries of pissing off the King. How else would he be able to keep himself entertained while on the job?

He straightens his back, going back into work mode as the older Heads of the House shake their heads. The very few who supported King Lucien from the beginning were used to this dynamic. They'd practically forgotten though, after not seeing it for the many years the Queen had been gone.

It would be surprising to the newer nobles because of the image of the fierce Red King. What they didn't know was that with Queen Sera's return, his friend was finally loosening up again.

Smiling, he pulls out the handkerchief in his breast pocket to reveal the goodies within.

Of course, he'd anticipated this. Which was why he'd nabbed a slice of buttered yellow 'potato bread' from the basket on the way up to the workroom.

Icaros takes a sniff to appreciate this new, strange food. It was softer than the hard breads he was used to, but it did smell delicious. He closes his eyes to eat it all in one bite-

One big bite, with nothing in his mouth.

He'd eaten air. Opening his eyes, Icaros sees his empty hand, and the King, frown between his brows softened and looking quite pleased with himself.

This bastard King had swiped his food!

"Oh come on! It was only a bite!"

The Minister of War lets out a bark of laughter as the other Heads unsuccessfully hide their smiles, the King shrugging his shoulders with his mouth full of bread.