Mikhailis blinked, the question catching him off guard.
"One thing that I want?" he repeated, his tone curious.
Elowen nodded, her gaze never leaving his.
"I feel like I've been receiving so much from you. Your support, your ideas, your ti... and I haven't given you enough in return. I want to know what you want, Mikhailis. Sothing that I can give you."
Mikhailis stared at her for a mont, his mind racing. It wasn't often that Elowen spoke like this—open, vulnerable, willing to give. She had always been so strong, so composed, and seeing her like this made his heart swell.
Sothing I want, huh...?
He reached out, his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb gently brushing her skin.
Let's answer this like a chad.
"Elowen," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth, "you've already given more than I could ever ask for. Just being with you, being able to share these monts, that's more than enough."
Elowen shook her head, her eyes glistening.
Eh? That's not enough?
"No, Mikhailis. I want to give you sothing more. Sothing that you truly want. Just tell , and I promise I will do whatever it takes to make it happen. I already took you from your world, and make you spend your life in just this room,"
"Well, that's sothing that I want, though," Mikhailis shrugged.
"Consider it as my pride, Mikhailis. I have a pride as a queen, and I want to make sure that not just my people, but including or rather, more importantly, my husband could get the benefit from being the queen," Elowen seem to be more desperate than he ever saw.
Her pride, I see...
Mikhailis looked at her, his eyes widening slightly at her words. Elowen's expression was earnest, and the sincerity in her eyes struck him more deeply than he had expected. He let out a small sigh, trying to think of what he could possibly want that she could grant.
But seriously, I can't think of anything currently. It's still barely a month since I start living in this place, after all.
"Elowen, I honestly don't think there's really anything I could ask for…" he began, scratching his head as he thought it over.
Elowen frowned, her eyes darkening as she looked away, her voice low.
"That's... quite hurtful to hear so bluntly, Mikhailis."
It took a mont for her words to sink in, but when they did, Mikhailis felt a pang of guilt shoot through him.
His eyes widened, realizing how his words might have sounded. It was like he was implying that she had nothing to offer—that she was sohow useless to him. He reached out quickly, grabbing her hands, his expression turning serious.
"No, no, no! Wifey, you've got it wrong!" Mikhailis blurted out, shaking his head rapidly.
"I didn't an it like that. You've already given so much, and I just... I just didn't think about it, that's all! Wait a second, I'll think of sothing I want,"
Elowen looked at him, her gaze softening a little, though her lips remained pressed in a slight pout. Mikhailis tried his best to put on an exaggerated thoughtful face, tapping his chin as he looked around the room with a "Hm...", pretending to be in deep concentration.
It earned him a slight giggle from Elowen, and he smiled inwardly, glad to have broken the tension.
Rodion's voice chid in his ear, and Mikhailis listened as the AI began listing off several suggestions, each one more extravagant than the last. He considered each one, frowning slightly. Most of them seed to either be too much of a hassle or sothing that would ultimately bring more attention to him—sothing he really didn't need right now.
Then, suddenly, an idea ford in his mind. It wasn't anything grand or even particularly useful, but it was sothing he had wanted for a while now. He smiled, nodding to himself. Yeah, this was it.
He looked at Elowen, his eyes lighting up with excitent.
"Alright, I've got sothing," he said, his tone playful.
Elowen straightened up, her eyes widening with interest.
"What is it?"
Mikhailis leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret.
"I want permission to sneak out of the castle sotis," he said, a grin spreading across his face.
Elowen blinked, clearly taken aback by his request.
"Sneak out?" she repeated, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Yeah, you know," Mikhailis said, waving his hand casually, "just to go out into the city, wander around, see what's going on. Of course, I'd go incognito—I don't want to make a scene or anything. But, well, I just want to explore a bit, you know? Get out of these walls every now and then." He shrugged.
"Besides, I doubt I'd have the energy to go out every day and socialize with people anyway. But sotis, it'd be nice."
Elowen was silent for a mont, clearly considering his request. Mikhailis could see the conflict in her eyes—the concern for his safety battling with her desire to fulfill his wish. She took a deep breath, finally nodding slowly.
"I suppose... if it's just within the capital city, it should be alright," she said, her voice careful.
"But I will make sure that there are guards with you at all tis. It's not safe for you to wander around alone, Mikhailis."
Mikhailis raised an eyebrow, pouting slightly.
"Guards? Co on, Elowen, I can take care of myself. You've seen what I can do. I'm abducted but still alive and well,"
Elowen gave him a look—a look that clearly said she wasn't buying his bravado.
"No, Mikhailis. You may be have the potential of being called capable, but this is non-negotiable. You need to have guards with you," she said firmly.
Ouch. I guess I'm not that trustable.
Mikhailis sighed dramatically, leaning back against the couch.
"Ugh, fine. But do they have to be so obvious? I don't want people staring at because I've got a bunch of burly guys following around."
Elowen smiled slightly, shaking her head.
"We'll work sothing out. But I think it's ti for you to have your own personal guards—people you can trust, who will be discreet but also capable of protecting you."
Mikhailis frowned, considering her words.
"Personal guards, huh?"
Elowen nodded.
"Tomorrow, I'll bring a few candidates for you to et. You can choose who you feel comfortable with, and they'll accompany you whenever you leave the castle."
Mikhailis sighed again, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"Alright, alright. But I still think I could take care of myself just fine," he said, his tone teasing.
Elowen shook her head, her expression softening.
"This is for my peace of mind, Mikhailis. You asked for sothing, and I'm granting it—but I need to know that you're safe."
Mikhailis looked at her, his heart swelling at her words. He knew that, despite her stern tone, this was her way of showing how much she cared. He reached out, taking her hand in his, his thumb gently rubbing against her knuckles.
"Alright, wifey. I get it," he said, his voice warm.
"If it makes you feel better, I'll pick out a couple of guards."
Elowen smiled, her eyes softening as she looked at him.
"Good. You have to choose at least two, alright?"
Mikhailis chuckled, nodding.
"Yes, ma'am. Two it is."
They sat in silence for a mont, their hands still intertwined. Mikhailis could see the relief in Elowen's eyes, the tension slowly fading from her shoulders. He knew how much she worried about him, and he didn't want to make things harder for her. If having guards ant she could sleep a little easier at night, then it was a small price to pay.
He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Thank you, Elowen," he whispered.
She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with emotion.
"No, Mikhailis. Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
They stayed like that for a while, the warmth of their shared embrace filling the room. Mikhailis could feel the weight of everything—his responsibilities, the complicated relationships, the growing chira ant colony—but in that mont, none of it mattered.
It was just him and Elowen, sharing a quiet, intimate mont together.
After a while, Elowen pulled away slightly, her lips curling into a small smile.
"So, tell ," she said, her tone playful, "what are you planning to do when you sneak out of the castle?"
Mikhailis grinned, leaning back against the couch.
"Hm... You know, the usual thing you would do in a city," he said, waving his hand casually.
"Check out so shops, see what kind of weird trinkets they're selling, maybe grab so street food. Just... normal stuff. I want to see the city like everyone else does, not just from the castle windows."
Elowen raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusent in her eyes.
"Street food?" she repeated, her tone skeptical.
"Are you sure your stomach can handle that?"
Mikhailis laughed, shrugging.
"Hey, I've got a pretty strong stomach. Besides, I've heard so of the best food cos from those little stalls. You've got to live a little, Elowen."
She smiled, shaking her head.
"You truly are one of a kind, Mikhailis," she said softly.
Mikhailis winked at her, his grin widening.
"And that's why you love , right?"
Elowen rolled her eyes, though there was a smile on her lips.
"Yes, I suppose it is."
Mikhailis leaned in, pressing another kiss to her lips, his heart swelling with warmth. He knew that the road ahead wouldn't be easy—there were still so many challenges to face, so many uncertainties. Especially the thing with Serelith and Lira.
But in that mont, with Elowen by his side, he felt like he could handle anything.
"Alright, enough of the serious talk," he said, pulling away and grabbing the remote.
"Let's get back to our movie. I want to see how this war of four kingdoms turns out."
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