The retired general finally spoke, to Atheline’s immense relief.

At least military discussions made sense.

"The people will watch and assess you. Your victory in the hunting competition is not the end. You’re just across the middle of the bridge. "

He nodded.

The general folded his arms.

"Nobles watch rulers."

"Yes."

"Soldiers watch leaders."

"Yes."

The general pointed toward him.

"But common people watch men," Atheline said earning a nod.

"It seems you’ve done your homework."

The room became quiet.

The general continued.

"No one cares about ancient rituals."

He threw a glance toward the historian. The man looked offended.

The general ignored him.

"They care about confidence."

Atheline listened carefully.

The general’s voice remained calm.

"When you walk into that ceremony, thousands of people will decide what kind of king you are before you speak a single word."

Atheline considered that.

The general nodded.

"So stand properly."

It was a simple advice. Yet somehow it felt more useful than three hours of ceremonial history.

The etiquette instructor immediately took over and things became significantly worse.

Atheline prided himself on learning etiquette and being good at it. He quickly learnt the walks, though it took a little while to get used to the newer rules.

It felt as though he had gone back to those childhood days when he’d get punished for taking a wrong step.

Everything was almost the same but also slightly different. Walking had rules, standing had rules, greeting foreign delegates had rules, and holding a wine glass had rules.

By the time training finally ended, the sun was setting. He had never felt more tired.

The tip of his ears even hurts. Atheline didn’t know how that could hurt, yet somehow it did.

He returned to their room looking as though he had spent the day fighting monsters. Lilith was seated near the fireplace when he arrived. Several reports rested on the table beside her.

Without looking up she spoke.

"How was training?"

Atheline dropped heavily into the chair.

"Terrible."

She turned a page.

"I see." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"I thought I had learnt enough, but more and more things just keep coming up. You’re more complicated than high elves. "

Lilith remained silent. Atheline pointed dramatically.

"Did you know that?"

"Yes. Even my own people hate the ritual, they call it too pretentious."

"Anyone would have lost their marbles by now. Thank goodness we’re married"

"That’s why I married you."

Atheline groaned then slightly smiled. She finally looked up, her eyes held just enough amusement to come across as both annoying and beautiful.

He crossed his arms.

"The general was the only reasonable person there."

"The general?"

"He told me to stand straight and look confident."

Lilith nodded.

"Good advice."

"Much better than three hours discussing ceremonial banners."

She laughed, a brief small sound that was gone almost immediately.

Atheline stared at her then moved closer until he could smell her distinct perfume.

She raised an eyebrow and placed her pen down. Her hand cupped his cheek.

"Do you want to kiss me?"

He nodded. "Since you’re asking, I won’t..."

Her lips met his, cutting him off. Atheline pulled her onto his lap, pulling her closer without breaking their kiss. It felt as electric as always.

For a while, they simply just kissed and caressed, enjoying each other’s warmth in the most sacred way. His hands pushed her dress further up but was met with resistance. She caught his hands. He put them back on her waist and squeezed slightly.

Eventually, Lilith pulled away from him. They both stared at each other, with heavy breaths.

"I’ve missed doing this, we’ve been so busy," Atheline quietly said.

She nodded. There was no attempt to get off his lap, not like he minded.

"Anything happen in the meeting?"

"The final date has been set. It’s a week from now."

He sat up straighter. Lilith leaned back slightly and picked up a document from the pile on the table. She handed it to him.

His eyes moved across the contents. There were lists of official delegations, foreign representatives, ceremonial schedules, security arrangements, and attendance lists.

Everyone and their mother seemed determined to appear.

Atheline slowly lowered the paper.

"This is actually happening."

For the first time, the words felt real. Lilith studied him quietly.

"Are you nervous?"

The question surprised him, he hadn’t really thought from that perspective. Was he just excited, nervous, or in between?

Atheline thought for a moment then nodded.

"A little."

Lilith waited for him to continue. He stared into the fire as he spoke.

"I wasn’t supposed to become king," a faint smile touched his face," I was raised to serve one. Fate can be really unpredictable."

She nodded.

"It is. That’s why you shouldn’t fully believe in it."

Atheline chuckled. "You appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet, quite literally. And somehow, here we are, married."

She considered before she spoke again.

"You make it sound accidental."

"It wasn’t?"

"It was partially accidental."

Atheline laughed. She moved from his lap and sat beside him. Atheline wrapped one hand around her shoulder pulling her closer to him. Neither spoke for a while.

The fire crackled softly. Outside, the kingdom continued preparing. Inside, Atheline stared at the coronation schedule resting in his hands.

The next Chapter of his life was approaching rapidly. He would become a king, a husband, and a ruler. Titles that still felt strange.

Lilith finally broke the silence.

"You’ll do fine."

He looked at her. The words were simple yet they carried more weight than all the lessons he’d received that day.

He smiled slightly.

"That’s the sweetest thing you’ve said to me this week."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Your standards are low."

"Probably."

For once, neither argued. They simply sat together before the fire while she explained to him everything that he needed and what to look out for.

The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, a rarity for them especially now. Atheline found himself not thinking about war, politics, or conspiracies but what kind of king he wanted to become.