After the intense ’negotiation,’ Mark and Luna lay back on the bed to keep talking more calmly.

The princess was curled up against him, hugging him with her legs intertwined around his and her head resting on his chest while Mark had one arm loosely around her, staring at the room’s ceiling.

Luna’s wolf ears moved every now and then, brushing against his chin, and her tail swayed lazily behind her.

"Is it really necessary for me to go to your kingdom in person?" Mark asked, glancing at her sideways. "Because if what you need is backing, I can give you resources, a letter of support, whatever... I don’t see why I’d need to go there myself."

"Of course it’s necessary," Luna replied, curled up against him. "A letter is nothing more than a piece of paper that can be forged or ignored. But you showing up in person to back me... nobody will be able to deny or downplay that, not even my father."

"...Can’t it wait a little?"

"No, it’s best to secure the succession as soon as possible," she replied firmly. "Every day that passes is another day I give my eldest brother to maneuver, and believe me, that bastard doesn’t waste time."

"You talk about your brother as if he were some kind of evil genius..."

"Not quite to that level, but he is a very cunning son of a bitch," the princess replied, letting out a dry laugh. "And to top it off... everyone knows he’s my father’s favorite to inherit the throne."

"Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a competition between all the heirs?" Mark asked, turning to look at her with a furrowed brow. "If your father already has a favorite, what’s the point of the competition?"

"On paper it is a competition," Luna replied with annoyance. "In practice, everyone knows my father organized it as a mere formality... An elegant way of handing power to my brother without openly humiliating the rest of his children."

"I see"

"So when he wins, the rest of us will have to accept it in silence because, after all, ’it was a fair competition,’" she said, making air quotes with her hand. "A farce, basically."

"Wow... And here I thought a father shouldn’t have favorites among his children," he said in an amused tone. "Or at least, if he does, he should have the decency not to rub it in everyone’s faces so shamelessly."

Luna let out a small laugh against his chest.

"Do you really think that?" she asked, lifting her head slightly to look at him with a smile.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"No particular reason... it’s just that I didn’t picture you as that kind of man," she replied, resting her head back on his chest. "Though, thinking about it, that probably means you’ll be a good father."

Mark stayed quiet and, almost without fully realizing it, tightened his arm around Luna slightly.

It was barely an instant, an almost unconscious gesture, but it was enough for her to notice.

The princess smiled against his chest, though she made no comment about it. Instead she tilted her head to glance at him sideways.

"So..." she said in a lighter tone. "Will you do it? Will you come with me to my kingdom?"

Mark let out a sigh.

"I need to discuss it with my advisors since it’s quite an important decision," he replied without looking at her. "But rest assured I’ll give you an answer as soon as possible."

Luna frowned slightly.

"What is there to discuss? It’s the best move you have on the table," she said, separating from him to look at him directly. "My siblings hate you, I’m their only viable option, and allying with me benefits you in every possible way... What else do you need to think about?"

"A lot, actually," Mark said without getting agitated. "For starters, I just took this kingdom. I’ve barely had the situation stabilized for a few days, and there are still cracks everywhere waiting to open up."

"..."

"I can’t just pack up and disappear as if nothing matters... If I leave and something goes wrong here while I’m away, everything I built falls apart."

"That’s easily solved," Luna said after a few seconds of thought. "Nobody needs to know you left... You travel incognito, show up for just enough time to back me, and leave before anyone even notices you were gone."

"That’s a good idea, but even so..." Mark said, thoughtfully. "I’d prefer not to commit to anything without discussing it first with the people who trust me."

Luna looked at him for a couple of seconds, clearly not entirely satisfied with the answer, but eventually gave in.

"Fine... think about it as long as you want," she said, dropping back onto his chest with a small pout. "Just don’t take too long, alright? As I said, my position isn’t exactly the most comfortable in the world, and time is working against me."

"I’ll keep that in mind... And thank you for understanding why I can’t give you an answer right now."

"Just so you know, I’m not usually this understanding," she said, still a little annoyed. "Consider it another one of the exclusive benefits for you."

Mark let out a short laugh and, after a while longer, finally got up from the bed.

He straightened his clothes, gave Luna one last look, she was still lying there watching him with a satisfied smile, and headed toward the door.

"Get some rest," he said before leaving.

"You too, Emperor," she replied, lazily waving a hand. "And I hope you dream about me."

Mark shook his head with a smile and left the room, closing the door behind him.

And barely moments later, the door of the room opened again.

The princess’s assistant came in with her usual serious expression, finding Luna standing beside the bed, stretching with her arms above her head and a lazy yawn.

She looked at her for a moment. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"So... you did it" Emi said, crossing her arms.

Luna stopped stretching and looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"For now, the deal is up in the air," she replied with a shrug. "he said she needed to discuss it with her advisors. But don’t worry, I’m completely certain he’s going to accept."

"You know perfectly well that’s not what I was referring to..."

Luna blinked, and then a completely carefree smile spread across her face.

"Oh, really?" she said, bringing a finger to her lips with feigned innocence. "Then I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, hehehe"