[With the battles happening more often now, and so few of her dragons lost to the kaiju, it's no wonder that he will find her lost in thought, pouring over the maps spread out across the bed on which she kneels. Her armour is only half off, the leather strapped to her body still, her hair not yet pulled down from its braid.
She looks up at the sound of his voice, her expression softening with the recognition.]
[She looks beautiful like that, half covered in armor, her hair still in its braid. That's his first thought. The second is that he almost doesn't want to tell her what he he was told just a few moments ago because he doesn't want to give her bad news.
Again.]
If only we were that lucky. [He pauses for a moment, sighing to himself mostly.]
[She forces herself into that zone where these attacks don't hurt. She forces herself away from the person that wants to grimace and curl up under the blankets, because she's the queen and she can't afford that. They'll have to get her dragon ready.
She'll have to get ready again.
The papers on her bed are left there, as she climbs off with with a determined look, weary but ready.]
[Her request doesn't startle him, the way it did the first time she asked. Raleigh's rather practiced in her armor now, in both taking it off and putting it back on, that he meets her halfway, reaching out with sure fingers to start working at the straps on her clothing.]
[There's a humourless little laugh that manages to escape, while he's in the middle of adjusting a strap, and she looks at him over her shoulder.] My maids are not as gentle.
[Her maids also never help her undress. Nor do they undress her with purpose, and a glint in their eyes that holds a promise. She stills his hand on her shoulder, turning her head to press a faint kiss against his knuckle. And then it's back to pinning her hair up, wrapping the braid like a crown.]
[Her maids should be grateful for him then, to be taking on part of their duties himself. Maybe he's making them lazy and should stop doing that for them. But Raleigh does enjoy unwrapping her like a present, making his queen weak in the knees.]
Of course I'm sure. [She stands there, shoulders stiff as if preparing for battle. It comes at the cost of not being hyper-aware of his fingers under the straps of her armour, of his breath near the nape of her neck, now laid bare for him. To him - not for him. It's not the time.
One day, she'll let it be the time, god willing.] Who else knows my maneuvres as well? Who else does Lady tolerate, if not her former rider? I would have no-one else by my side tonight, and you know it.
[It takes Raleigh a moment longer but then he's done fastening her armor and she's ready to go. His fingers linger on her anyway, along the back of her neck before he drops his hands and steps back.
No, now is not the time but he can't resist her all the time.]
Of course, your majesty. I'm ready to go now if you are.
[No, not the time, but it ends up being the time because her heart leaps in her chest a little, and she is reminded of the danger in each battle against kaiju. Every moment of tenderness, or not of tenderness, can likely be the last when you get on a dragon.
Sure, they're the best riders this side of the world, but it doesn't make the risk present. The risk is always present.
And his fingers along the nape of her neck give her reason to pause, to turn towards him, hands held together in front of her stomach, words low and careful.]
[The smile he gives her is purely indulgent, along with the way he reaches out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He could never deny her anything, she's his queen and he is eternally loyal to her but it's more than that too. It's how much he respects her, how he knows that she would never abuse his loyalty to her, that is what keeps his trust, and makes him want to lay the world at her feet.]
As my lady wishes.
[And this is Raleigh leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her cheek.]
[She doesn't always ask more of him, never had at the beginning at least. Never more than his loyalty and the eagerness to fight at her side. The respect and kindnes he showed her warmed her up to him, and everything that followed blossomed over time, without pause. There is no official claim or declaration, but she does not hide that she favours him. Loves him. It is more important for her to defend her country and people from kaiju than to host a royal wedding, but when there is finally peace - he'll have a proposal at his feet, and her whole world with it.
Of course, the kiss to her cheek surprises her; she doesn't always ask much of him, but she does expect some things to happen, just because - it's Raleigh. And yes, she was expecting a different kiss.] Raleigh?
[Raleigh likes taking her by surprise sometimes. Like kissing her on the cheek when he knows full well that she was expecting one to the lips. They don't talk about what they mean to each other, about how she plans to make him her consort someday, because there's more important things than that right now.
The war is more important. Protecting her people, fighting the kaiju, staying alive. He knows that and he doesn't fight it, he'd wait years to have the honor of marrying her if he had to.
Though hopefully that won't happen, since that means it would take years and cost dozens of lives to defeat the kaiju.]
[He may not know it yet, but he leaves an emptiness in her stomach sometimes, regardless how full her heart is. She can't blame him, or get mad at him for it, because there are more pressing matters to attend to. Always.
With a royal-like graceful movement, she straightens her back, squares her shoulder, and nods.]
I will remember to be more specific. [Now it's a matter of getting her sword and the two of them may go.]
[If there wasn't anything more pressing happening right now, he'd probably grab her by the wrist, pull her in close and kiss her properly, just because he felt bad for teasing her. But if he does that, he knows that he won't stop right now, not for a while and that could be dozens of lives and that's not an acceptable loss.
He waits until she has her sword and then he turns to lead the way out.]
[Of course, he's right. He's the best choice she could've made, because he complements her where Mako is lacking. It's why it's absolutely necessary that he stays alive, but Mako has stopped ordering that because she knows he hears it everytime she says:]
Let's move out. [And she follows him, as if he escorts her to a carriage to be taken to a ball, instead of escorting her to battle. This is the part where she stops being the Mako who is ridiculously in love with the man walking ahead of her, and turns into the queen.]
Which other dragons are saddled and ready?
sorry for the wait boo i have to be ~in the mood~ for medieval things i guess
[Raleigh loves her no matter what woman she is, the soft quiet one he steals moments with and the fierce queen that leads them into battle. She's perfect the way she is, if you were to ask him, there's absolutely nothing he would change about her. Nothing he wouldn't do to keep her alive, safe.]
Striker, and Cherno. [It's pitiful, really that they're down to just a handful of dragons when in her father's day, there were dozens of them, and dozens of riders. The cost of war, it would seem.]
[Don't remind her of the cost of war. The ravages on her country, the losses of her people. Three dragons and their riders is all they have. But she has slain kaiju with just one as well.]
Better to let them recover than push them into another battle to lose them. Striker, Cherno and Gipsy will do.
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She looks up at the sound of his voice, her expression softening with the recognition.]
Please come with good news.
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Again.]
If only we were that lucky. [He pauses for a moment, sighing to himself mostly.]
There's been another attack.
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She'll have to get ready again.
The papers on her bed are left there, as she climbs off with with a determined look, weary but ready.]
Help me dress - I can't send for the maids again.
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I feel like I'm becoming your maid.
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[Her maids also never help her undress. Nor do they undress her with purpose, and a glint in their eyes that holds a promise. She stills his hand on her shoulder, turning her head to press a faint kiss against his knuckle. And then it's back to pinning her hair up, wrapping the braid like a crown.]
I want you on the dragon with me today.
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You're sure?
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One day, she'll let it be the time, god willing.] Who else knows my maneuvres as well? Who else does Lady tolerate, if not her former rider? I would have no-one else by my side tonight, and you know it.
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No, now is not the time but he can't resist her all the time.]
Of course, your majesty. I'm ready to go now if you are.
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Sure, they're the best riders this side of the world, but it doesn't make the risk present. The risk is always present.
And his fingers along the nape of her neck give her reason to pause, to turn towards him, hands held together in front of her stomach, words low and careful.]
No kiss for good luck?
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As my lady wishes.
[And this is Raleigh leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her cheek.]
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Of course, the kiss to her cheek surprises her; she doesn't always ask much of him, but she does expect some things to happen, just because - it's Raleigh. And yes, she was expecting a different kiss.] Raleigh?
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The war is more important. Protecting her people, fighting the kaiju, staying alive. He knows that and he doesn't fight it, he'd wait years to have the honor of marrying her if he had to.
Though hopefully that won't happen, since that means it would take years and cost dozens of lives to defeat the kaiju.]
You said a kiss, my lady, you didn't say where.
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With a royal-like graceful movement, she straightens her back, squares her shoulder, and nods.]
I will remember to be more specific. [Now it's a matter of getting her sword and the two of them may go.]
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He waits until she has her sword and then he turns to lead the way out.]
Perhaps after we kill some kaiju, my lady.
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Let's move out. [And she follows him, as if he escorts her to a carriage to be taken to a ball, instead of escorting her to battle. This is the part where she stops being the Mako who is ridiculously in love with the man walking ahead of her, and turns into the queen.]
Which other dragons are saddled and ready?
sorry for the wait boo i have to be ~in the mood~ for medieval things i guess
Striker, and Cherno. [It's pitiful, really that they're down to just a handful of dragons when in her father's day, there were dozens of them, and dozens of riders. The cost of war, it would seem.]
Crimson and Echo are still injured.
you gotta do you boo
Better to let them recover than push them into another battle to lose them. Striker, Cherno and Gipsy will do.
snugs
I thought so too, your majesty. I also thought we should let Cherno take point.