Corym didn't have to look over his shoulder to know he’d finally struck a nerve. The change in her demeanor was almost palatable. But he gave no outward indication as he walked calmly and confidently through his palace, enjoying the peaceful silence while it lasted. He had no doubt that Cleopatra would come up with a scathing remark or bothersome question to which he would have to reply.
Cleopatra took a reluctant deep breath and unclenched her fists. It took an ungodly amount of self-control for her to reel herself back in, but once she did, a new thought occurred to her. Her steps became lighter and a deceptively sweet smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh, Corym~" she cooed, practically skipping now. "I was told that at your festival, there is a certain… tradition. Would you mind enlightening me as to what exactly it is?"
Corym visibly shuddered at the tone she used, though it was still a very small brief motion. “It's nothing you need to worry about.” he answered dismissively. “Besides, while it is a part of the festival, it is very unlikely to happen. So telling you about it would be pointless anyway.” he added, hoping to disway her from the topic. Oh, who am I kidding… She’s just going to keep pushing.
(Okay so… if you want me to tone down her inappropriateness, for lack of a better word, just tell me. But this is Cleopatra lmao)
Cleopatra dropped her flirting if only to get him to answer her question. While she didn't notice his shudder, she could tell by the way he spoke that she would get nowhere by irritating him. "Well, I don't want to look like an idiot if it does happen. Why can't you just tell me?" Her eyes glittered, and she smirked. "Is it embarrassing? Do you have to run nude through the town square?"
(No, no. You can leave her as is. I’m fine with swearing and innuendos, though Cor hardly does, so no worries.)
Corym actually let a short laugh at her guess and shook his head. “No. It's nothing like that.” he answered. “And I wouldn't say that it’s an embarrassing tradition. It's supposed to be a marriage or courtship ritual but since I don't have any romantic interests, we will be omitting that ritual this year.” he explained with a simple shrug.
(Okay, because I almost added another guess, but it took it out… 😅)
Cleopatra was surprised that she'd made him laugh. It definitely hadn't been what she was going for, but at least she'd gotten him to tell her. "Ah, I see… So what exactly is the ritual?" she asked. There was genuine curiosity in her question this time, rather than just trying to take digs at him. Allikos had never had any kind of courtship prepared for her since she was the first Queen Regnant of the kingdom to ever exist.
(lol I think I can imagine what that might have been… 😳😏)
Corym sighed as she continued the line of questioning. “There’s a traditional song that is played at the height of the festival and I am obligated to dance with as many people as possible.” he explained, rubbing his forehead. “I know it sounds ridiculous but the song was written by one of my ancestors and is said to draw the next royal couple together. If I was already had a partner, the dance would cement our relationship and there is a chance that we would be married before the end of the festival.”
(OMG please pm your guess I have to know 😂 Also, I'm going straight to hell for this post)
Cleopatra arched an eyebrow. As many people as possible? She covered her lips with her hand, but she couldn't contain the wild laugh that burst out. "Oh my goddess," she gasped through giggles. "I'm sorry… that's ridiculous. How are you supposed to know if it works? Do you get all tingly when you touch your hands? Or can you read each other's thoughts? Oh! No, wait! I know, when you know it's your queen, you get erect on the dance floor!" She threw her head back and laughed harder at her own crude joke.
Corym’s ears twitched fiercely as she laughed. “No! Of course not!” he nearly shouted, defending his family’s honored tradition against her crass comments. “Since I have no interest in taking a partner at this time, I don't know the particulars. But I know it's not that!” he said with certainty. “And I remember my parents couldn't read each other's thoughts so I doubt that's what happens either. I suspect it's just a feeling. A sense of knowing.”
Cleopatra finally regained her composure and couldn't hold back the scoff that passed her lips if she wanted to. "Please," she said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. How could you just… know?" She'd been with so many men and women that she couldn't keep track. And one thing was for sure – she'd never had a knowing sense about any of them.
“I don't know how. I just suspect that's what happens.” he replied, fixing his cloak. “And I don’t expect you, of all people, to understand. You don't have a reputation for being romantic, Cleopatra.” he pointed out since it was fairly well known that the “Conquering Queen” didn't just conquer kingdoms.
Her hazel eyes widened, and again her temper flared. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" she demanded. Her eyes then narrowed as she watched his little motions of fixing his cloak. "I could be romantic if I wanted to, you know," she added indignantly, lifting her chin after she spoke as if that proved her point.
Corym raised a brow at her outburst and fought back the urge to smirk. “Oh? You don't know of your extended reputation as a Conqueror?” he asked, honestly a little surprised if she didn't. “Now that would be something I would have to see to believe.” He didn't doubt that she could be romantic but whether it would be convincing. And not just to lure someone to her bed.
Cleopatra rolled her eyes dramatically. "Of course I do. It's my own life that I'm living, isn't it? But just because I sleep with so many people doesn't mean that I'm not romantic. I can be romantic!" she protested stubbornly. "If I want to be," she added, narrowing her eyes and arguing back even though Corym hadn't even responded yet. "I just don't always want to be! But that doesn't mean I'm not capable!"
Corym gave a hum that clearly said that he was not convinced. “I never said that you were not capable just that I would need to see it. Besides there is a difference between romance and seduction.” he said simply, even though his own experiences were limited. “And commanding someone isn't the same either.” he quipped thoughtlessly.
Cleopatra was taken aback. Her mouth dropped open, and she found herself lost for words. It irritated her to no end that Corym could state something so simple and leave her speechless.
There is a difference between romance and seduction.
She blinked and shook her head, visibly reeling from the words he'd just said. "I-I know that," she eventually retorted, though her voice had lost some of its earlier strength.
Corym raised a brow at the brief silence and the softly spoken reply. Had he really stunned her that much with his comment? He turned to face her, brow still raised, and spoke softly. “Do you?”
Before she could answer, he slowed his pace and gestured to the door beside him. “It seems we have arrived. I hope the room is to your tastes and the other members of your court are in this same wing.” he told her in his usual calm tone of voice, betraying nothing of their previous conversation.
Cleopatra was again rendered speechless. Why was she letting him get to her? Since when did she listen to a word that came out of Corym's mouth? And how was he able to get to her so easily?
She sputtered for words as they reached her door, but none came. The queen's hazel eyes still blazed with ferocity as she met his. "Thank you," she managed to say through gritted teeth before pushing the door open and disappearing into her room without so much as looking back.
Corym was almost as stunned as she seemed to be. Mostly because he actually felt a degree of sympathy for her if she was as clueless as she was acting.
He sighed as she walked into her room and continued on, heading toward the library. After their conversation about the festival’s tradition, he had a few questions about the specifics now that he hadn't thought of before. He hadn't forgotten about Cleopatra and her newfound ignorance but he was just choosing not to focus on it for the moment.
(Okay, so this scene has a purpose. It will come into play later ;))
Cleopatra paced heatedly across her floor and lashed out in rage at the air around her. How dare Corym suggest that she didn't know the difference between romance and seduction! How dare he make her feel inferior to him! How dare he remain so calm while–
She froze when she heard a soft knock on her door. It startled her since she had only just been shown to her rooms. If this was Corym coming back to bury the hatchet… Cleopatra opened the door herself, rather aggressively, and was surprised even more to see the wife of one of her courtiers.
"Your Majesty," the woman said, dipping into a respectful curtsey. Cleopatra immediately eyed her cleavage, forcing herself to meet the woman's eye line again as she rose. "My husband was hoping for a favor from you. He sent me to… ask you."
"Of course. Do come in." Cleopatra slowly stepped out of the way so that the woman could enter her rooms, effortlessly melting off all the annoyance that was lingering on her expression. "And what would your name be, my sweet?"
The woman's eyes widened, and she blushed a pale pink as she stepped into the queen's rooms. Her gaze stayed trained on the floor. "Petra Drâcoś, Your Majesty."
The name tipped off a memory of the courtier in question. Lord Drâcoś was a supremely arrogant man who treated all of his servants – and his wife – as objects to his name. He cared little for their well-being and rarely spoke to his wife. And he had been one of the former Peidest courtiers before King Bertram and Queen Lydia were overthrown. Cleopatra despised him.
“Darling Petra," the queen whispered, slowly and deliberately moving to trap the woman's back against her door. Everything from her previous conversation with Corym had buried itself temporarily in the back of her mind. "Do you love your husband?"
Petra began to breathe faster the closer Cleopatra came to her. "Y-Yes," she whispered.
Cleopatra moved her lips right beside the woman's head and whispered directly into her ear. "Don't lie to me~"
The woman jerked with surprise at the silkiness of the queen's voice, the feeling of warm breath on her ear, and the words she spoke. "No," Petra answered honestly, wincing as she said it. "I hate him."
Without further ado, Cleopatra lowered her lips and began to heatedly kiss Petra's neck. The woman's eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, and she moaned quietly. "Oh…"
Cleopatra quickly lifted a hand to stifle the sound, pressing her palm tightly over Petra's mouth. "We can continue this blissful meeting if you promise to be quiet," she growled. "Do you understand?"
Petra's eyes widened, but she nodded.
"Good. By the gods, your skin is so soft…" With that, she began to kiss Petra's neck again, fiercer than she had been last time.
Though as the queen’s fingers pulled down on the neckline of Petra’s dress and her hot lips traveled over the woman’s collarbone, her conversation with Corym resurfaced in her mind. The other monarch had always been a thorn in her side. She was honestly surprised when he’d acknowledged her title as thrice-crowned queen. They were consistently locked in an unspoken battle of wits to see who would be able to outlast the other. But his words to her ran through her mind with each kiss she placed on the noblewoman's skin.
There is a difference between romance and seduction.
Well, fuck it. Seduction was what she was good at. For the love of the gods, it was what she was known for. And she didn't need to be contemplating Corym right now.
As she took her newest lover to bed, Cleopatra couldn't help but think of how interesting the festival was going to be.
(🫢 Uh-oh… Did Cor actually manage to get under Cleo’s skin with that phrase? 😏😏)
Corym managed to make it to the library undisturbed and relaxed almost instantly in the peaceful atmosphere. Most of his staff and his sister knew they could easily find him here as he spent a good majority of his time here, studying from all the different books and trying to find ways to make himself a good and worthy king.
Right now, however, he was more interested in if any of his ancestors had written their experiences with what happened to them during the festival and how they knew that they had found the right one.
(Yesss hehehe. Shall we timeskip to the next day? Or whenever the festival starts?)
(well, I was planning on the festival starting at sunset and lasting for a few days… So yeah we can skip to when everyone is gathering for the festival to start.)
(Perfect!)
As the sun was beginning to set, Cleopatra ran her fingers through her hair. Beside her, Petra was still gasping for breath. It amused the queen, and she trailed her fingers along the woman’s jawline slowly. Petra stilled and turned her head slightly in Cleopatra’s direction.
Seduction was in the queen’s nature just as much as conquering was. And goddess, she was good at both!
“I should be going,” Petra whispered, but Cleoptra took the woman’s earlobe in her teeth and gently bit down.
Petra’s breath hitched as Cleopatra sucked lightly before releasing the cartilage and whispering directly into her ear, “Yes, you should. Though you never did tell me what favor it was that your husband wanted from me.”
Petra flushed brilliantly and closed her eyes. “Oh… how foolish of me. I suppose I got lost in the corridors and never did find out where the queen was staying.”
“That’s a good girl.” Cleopatra caressed Petra’s jaw and brought her in for a long, soft kiss. Once they separated, Petra redressed herself and left for the room she shared with her husband.
Cleopatra summoned her handmaidens and got changed into a white dress with golden embellishments. She again didn’t wear her crowns, electing for her prized choker instead. On her ankles, she wore jewel-studded golden ankles. Her wrists were occupied with golden bangles, and her fingers lined with golden rings. Her honey-colored hair was curled and let down to soften her facial features and show its treasured length.
When she was sure that she looked nothing short of ravishing, Cleopatra dismissed the ladies and headed out for the festival’s opening ceremonies.
Corym had, reluctantly, given up on his search some time ago in favor of preparing for the festival. But he had not had much luck finding the answers he was looking for anyway which only disappointed him. He was not looking for a partner so why should it matter right now other than his conversation with Cleopatra?
He sighed and composed himself as he adjusted the garnet-studded copper clasps on his sleeves and cloak before going through the usual precession leading to the festival. The first night was held inside the palace walls with all the honored guests and a banquet for everyone in attendance. But he and his sister actually enjoyed the second night more since it was often held outdoors, if the weather permitted, with many of the people who lived in the kingdom, not just the nobles. The only downside, for him at least, was the same as what was expected of him tonight.