Chapter Text
For a very brief moment, Caramel Arrow wondered if she'd overplayed her hand entirely too early. In the silence that followed her request, Affogato regarded her with open suspicion, as if this display was nothing but a ploy to make good on her standing threat of murdering him. "Hm. All of this of your own volition?" The tone of his voice suggested disbelief, which she couldn't exactly blame him for.
"Yes." Caramel Arrow lightly ducked her head, as demurely as she could pull off. "I was hoping to pass the time with less contention than usual."
Affogato visibly scoffed at that one, although with more amusement than before. "Do you truly believe yourself able to resist telling me how much you hate me for an hour?"
Damn it all. "Self-restraint is a virtue," she responded, with as much personal self-restraint as she could muster - even still, she could hear the edge creeping back into her voice. Why did everything have to be so complicated with him?
"Ah, yes." Affogato sneered. "Virtuous to a fault. You'd be somewhat boring if you weren't so bad at upholding that one in particular."
Caramel's head shot up, eyes blazing, fists clenched... and caught herself just before responding to the criticism with one of her own upon realizing that she was playing right into his hands. Restraint . It hadn’t even been five minutes in his presence and she already wanted to end him. Instead of giving him what he clearly wanted (provoking her into losing her cool), she straightened up, softly (yet audibly) exhaling, and resumed her deferential pose. "Our time together is limited, Your Majesty."
A less attentive cookie would've missed the way Affogato's face fell at her not taking the bait, but it passed as quickly as it had come. "Very well. There's no harm in humoring you."
The assertion that he was graciously looking away from an obvious ulterior motive was annoying, but she'd take what she could get. "Thank you."
Just a few weeks prior, walking around her birdcage with her hair down would have (and had) resulted in tripping over it, but now Caramel Arrow had mastered the art of moving gracefully with her long waves of hair lightly brushing against the floor behind her as she made her way over to the table and seated herself across from Affogato. Everything she needed was laid out perfectly, with the assistance of her attendants, and she had the satisfaction of seeing him looking rather impressed. "I see you've been making good use of your wealth of free time." Barbed compliments, as per usual.
"I have," Caramel responded, simply. He didn't need to know how . After rearranging her layers of silk and embroidery, she gestured towards the table - the ever-present bowl of sugar cubes, four delicate porcelain cups (two for each cookie), two teapots, already filled with their respective ingredients, and the vessel of boiled water allowed to cool slightly for a few minutes. "Since I am still unfamiliar with your exact tastes, I've prepared two separate blends of my own creation." Normally bickering would have broken out already before the damn tea was even steeping, but for once Affogato seemed genuinely interested in the process of preparation, watching intently as she added water to each pot while continuing her presentation. "The first makes use of unprocessed cacao nibs, soaked in cold water for an hour beforehand. The result, if timed correctly, should be subtly sweet even without the addition of sugar." She reached for the pot indicated and poured a cup of rich amber-colored tea for both of them.
"Interesting choice," Affogato mused. "And the other?"
"This one uses preserved white jadeberries." Despite the name, the tea itself was a lovely shade of light pink once doled out. "As before, this is also a blend that's sweet enough on its own, no sugar cubes needed."
Affogato raised an eyebrow. "I'm sensing some unspoken criticism here."
"Not at all, Your Majesty," Caramel responded sweetly, with a pleasant smile that indicated the exact opposite. Knowing the question that would follow, she took the initiative to take the first sip from one of her cups, feeling a twinge of pride at the taste. Not an exceedingly useful skill for a Watcher, but one she could still find value in having attained. She'd assumed that seeing her drink the same tea she'd poured into his cups would dissuade accusations of trying to poison him, but it came anyway. "Should I be concerned about what else might be in this cup?"
What. Caramel Arrow stared at him incredulously, slipping up in her act and glaring at him. Did everything have to be a battle? She sipped her other cup of tea, too irritated to appreciate the taste this time, and when that only resulted in further suspicion, she ground out, struggling quite hard to keep an even tone (the deferential aspect was certainly gone, though). "Why would I poison myself as well, Affogato? If I truly wanted to end your life, I'd have taken one of the many opportunities you've given me to do so, sword in hand or not."
"I suppose I should be grateful for that," Affogato conceded. "Although-"
"Oh for the love of Cacao, please stop talking and try the damn tea! Must everything be so difficult with you?" Caramel finally snapped, exasperated, all semblance of grace and high bearing evaporating in an instant. She realized her mistake right away and focused on a spot on the table, the sugar cubes, everything but him lest they have a repeat of their very first time having tea together (during which she’d thrown something at him five minutes in).
As if finally managing to worm his way under her dough had restored some sense of normalcy to the situation, Affogato directed his attention to sampling his tea, inhaling the aroma theatrically before taking the first sip of the jadeberry blend. The air of scrutiny faded altogether, replaced by a faint yet genuine smile. The other blend produced the same results, and for once whatever mask of duplicity he wore slipped, though only for the briefest moment before sliding back into place. "Not bad," he commented. "But I question your claim regarding sugar detracting from the taste."
"I've already prepared for that comparison," Caramel replied, with a level of smugness that was impossible to hide. She poured another cup of one of the blends and dropped a couple of sugar cubes in it before sliding it across the table to Affogato. He retrieved the cup and regarded both it and herself with revived suspicion. "You're going quite far seeking my favor today."
There was no point in lying, and it was against her nature to do so. "Perhaps I am," she replied, simply, with a shrug. "It doesn't seem to be a deterrent."
"Hmph." He reached for the sweetened cup and sipped it reflectively, and, after a moment of quiet contemplation he sat the cup back down. "I am forced to concede. Additional sugar does, somehow, render it a touch sweeter than preferred," he admitted, holding up his hands in mock surrender.
"There's specific timing for boiling the water before adding the blend." Despite the purpose of picking up the skill (and bitterness over the necessity) Caramel still experienced another wave of pride from the indirect praise. "Of course there are variations between roots, berries, and leaves, and the exact ratio of ingredients to water must be taken into consideration."
"You've been occupying your time in my absence well. I'm rather impressed. Especially given how difficult it can be to harvest jadeberries while they're still in season."
That was more of a thoughtful response than Caramel Arrow was expecting out of him. She kept forgetting that aside from the variety of colorful insults she had on hand that he was an apparently talented apothecary. It was how he'd wormed himself into the citadel, after all. "These were a token of appreciation from the head of one of the more remote settlements north of the citadel." Tension aside, she felt herself smiling faintly at the memory. Even with their own dire straits the cookies of the villages between the citadel and the Great Icing Ridge had welcomed her with open arms during her exile whenever she dropped by, willing to share their meager supply of food and humble space. "They grow within the vicinity so it's much easier to gather the berries during spring as soon as they ripen and preserve them by packing them in snow. I wouldn't have accepted them since they clearly need all of their resources, but the village head was insistent."
"I've been there." The revelation shouldn't have surprised Caramel Arrow, but she rarely thought about what Affogato had been up to before turning up at the citadel and effortlessly making himself at home. "It's quite the hovel and the hospitality was a bit lacking, but that's to be expected of settlements that remote. And they did express their appreciation for my services generously."
His assessment of the village and its inhabitants was to be expected but it was still aggravating to hear. Caramel was curious regardless. "What business did you have there?"
"Why are you so surprised?" Affogato huffed. "This is my homeland as well."
"I suppose." Caramel Arrow conceded. "But I can't imagine you willingly visiting and assisting a village... hovel full of the so-called weaker cookies you obviously look down upon, especially one without anything valuable to offer in return." She couldn't reconcile the image of Affogato helping anyone without any type of power to gain in her head.
Affogato shrugged, polishing off another cup of tea with a graceful flourish. "Value is relative," was the only explanation offered, and perhaps the conversation would have continued without further exasperation on Caramel Arrow's part if he didn't keep talking after offering it. "I am also familiar with white jadeberries. When processed in a certain manner they can be used to create a sedative that's quite effective, so it's good to have a small supply on hand." He followed the statement up with a sly grin
"Can we not have a single conversation where you refrain from emphasizing how much of a conniving creep you are?"
"You needn’t worry. I've no intention of using any of my concoctions on you again." The reference to the one and thus far only instance of such an occurrence made Caramel Arrow stiffen where she knelt. "That is..." Affogato added, with just a hint of a threat in his tone, "Unless you give me a reason to."
Caramel's glare remained trained on him as she reached up to pluck her bridal hairpin out of where she'd tucked it, gripping the ornament as if it were one of her twin blades. "You are free to try, Your Majesty.”
In the moment of tense silence that followed she watched Affogato's expression rapidly shift from indignation to amusement, chuckling to himself. "Impertinence aside, I truly enjoy these little chats of ours." Caramel Arrow couldn't exactly agree with the sentiment, letting out the heavy, Earthbread-weary sigh that was rapidly becoming a characteristic of her own while tucking her binyeo back into place. "That makes one of us," she muttered.
"Nevertheless." Affogato leaned forward, resting his chin atop his palm in feigned disinterest, an indication that he’d already deemed whatever she was going to request as inconsequential. "While I appreciate you taking the initiative, I get the feeling that there's an ulterior motive behind this display. What might that be?" His usual self-indulgent sneer returned in full force, although it most definitely didn't reach his eyes, as per usual whenever a certain topic came up. "Are you going to ask to see your slumbering king again?"
Caramel Arrow flinched despite her best efforts to avoid doing so. That was a sore topic that she'd learned to avoid. For all of his absence, King Dark Cacao had seemingly taken up residence in his head, continually fueling Affogato's obvious insecurity. Pointing that out was the one surefire way to get under his dough just as much as he got under hers, but doing so wasn’t at all conducive to being granted the freedom she desired. "No. I simply wish to be let out of this room." Affogato raised an eyebrow in rekindled suspicion, so she pushed on ahead. "I've no intention of attempting to flee or attack anyone without sufficient provocation." She hated the desperation creeping into her tone against her will, and the struggle to maintain eye contact while essentially pleading. "I can no longer tolerate being idle like this. Even if I'm no longer allowed to fulfill my duties as the First Watcher, my time would be much better spent beyond these walls, attending to my duties as a queen."
"Oh? And what are the duties of a queen aside from serving her king?"
Caramel Arrow was fully prepared for this response, and this time her confidence didn't waver. She sat up straight, with the most regal bearing she could muster. "Overseeing and ensuring the safety and vitality of the kingdom while supporting the king wherever possible."
It wasn't very often that she managed to leave him speechless, but Affogato looked unbalanced by her response. "Well, that's more of a refined answer than I expected from you ," he finally commented.
"If I am to play this role, I wish to do so wholeheartedly." Caramel Arrow threw caution to the winds, fully leaning into a performance that was less feigned submission and more an open declaration of her dedication to the kingdom. She rose to her feet, crossing over to the other side of the table and sinking into a pose of deference before a tense and still floundering Affogato, with her head bowed - a position she'd assumed for the true king countless times. "Please, Affogato. I can still be of some assistance with the affairs of the kingdom in some way, and it's a better use of both my time and yours."
"Say that again."
"What?" Caramel Arrow lifted her head to meet his eye and found herself faced with a particularly malicious leer. It was the same level of triumphant smugness she'd seen on his face on the day of her exile, watching her walk past the citadel gates while willing herself not to increase the shame already weighting her down by shedding a single tear - at least until she was completely out of sight of her former home and could safely sob her heart out. Now, over half a year later, she was staring at that same expression, and the only word that came to mind was a dumbfounded, "Really?"
"Say it again."
She was breaking character, and she knew it, but this was just too much. "Oh for Cacao's sake. Please ." When that didn't garner a response other than an unnervingly wicked grin Caramel gave up. "Are you serious?" She snapped, leaping to her feet with her fists clenched. "What more do you want from me?"
"Beg."
Her nails dug into her palms as her indignation rose to fever pitch. "What??"
" Beg for it." Affogato stood up as well, and Caramel Arrow resisted the urge to take a step back, unwilling to give him a single inch, even as he closed the short distance between them. Cowardice aside, he was in his element, reveling in the power he held over her. It was evident in his demeanor, and deep, deep down, within the part of herself that contained the feelings that she refused to acknowledge, fear began to simmer. "Put on a good show and I'll consider granting your request."
"Craven worm !" She was shouting now, with her self-restraint having completely dissolved. "You can't keep me locked up in here forever!"
Her outburst had little effect on him, moving closer still, closing in on her like a peak prowler menacing its prey. "Maybe not forever," Affogato conceded. "But long enough for you to break , former First Watcher, whether isolation or idleness gets to you first."
My life for the king, for this kingdom . The mantra ran throughout her head on a daily basis, every time she caught sight of herself in a mirror, anything reflective. That vow ran deeper than anything else, and it was this that made her back down, dropping her gaze to the floor while doing as commanded. "Please allow me to leave," she asked, quietly.
A hand beneath her chin, tilting her head upwards to meet his gaze. "Again. Like you really mean it."
"Why are you so hellbent on humiliating me?" The question was loaded with months of mutual antagonism and resentment - that she hadn’t started, only engaging to finish it. "Do you really take that much pleasure in seeing me like this?"
"Clearly." Affogato released his hold on her, although he made no move to relinquish her personal space. "Now convince me how much you want your freedom, however limited it may be."
So she did.
Affogato had no time to react as she surged forth with enough force to send them both toppling over onto the floor, leaving him only able to manage a yelp of surprise before Caramel seized the collar of his regalia and pressed her lips against his. It wasn't her first kiss, nor one she actively wanted to give, but the rush of vindictive pride at effectively shutting him up for once lent far more passion to the act than intended. She'd landed in his lap, shifting to straddle his midsection and only breaking away from the kiss long enough to sit up and slip her hairpin out of her topknot and allowing it to join the waves of hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back. She noticed, gleefully, the way Affogato's eyes widened at the sight, obviously assuming that she was finally making good on that standing threat to kill him but too stunned to do anything about it.
"You-" Whatever he was going to say, or at least attempt to, was cut off by another kiss, deeper than the first, as if Caramel Arrow was seeking out the faint traces of bitter coffee and cloying sweetness with her tongue. Such a strange, contradicting blend, but not unpleasant. The moment she felt him returning the gesture, hands drifting up to intertwine themselves in her hair she broke away with a gasp, deftly gripping his wrists and forcing them back against the floor. Between the two of them there was a clear difference in physical strength, hers honed by years of the rigorous training all soldiers were required to undergo, and she took full advantage of it, effortlessly keeping him pinned to the ground. She didn't give him the chance to protest the denial of control, capturing his lips once more.
Once breathing became a necessity she drew back, chest heaving and just slightly lightheaded. She stared down at Affogato, who was in a similar state of disarray, noting the way his pupils were blown and his face flushed. He still made no move to push her away or regain control of the situation, even after she released her hold on his wrists. For the second time that day he seemed incapable of finding anything to say, insult or otherwise. There was a difference between merely possessing power and actually using it, and in that moment of breathless haze Caramel Arrow realized that she had far more of it than she'd initially thought.
"Please let me leave." She spoke with raw honesty, as always, reaching out to brush a lock of soft, silky white hair off to the side and tucking it behind his ear. "Allow me to help you keep watch over our kingdom, Your Majesty. I will accept and perform my duties as a queen to support your duties as a king."
Full clarity was beginning to return, as did awareness of the rather compromising position they were in. Caramel Arrow slowly moved back to let her disheveled spouse sit up; this was the longest she'd ever seen Affogato go without speaking save for when he was asleep. After a brief moment of silence broken only by the sound of them both breathing heavily, Caramel retrieved her binyeo, simply holding it and tracing the curves of the triple scoops of ice cream with her fingertips. Making eye contact required a level of fortitude on par with slaying a beast out in the wilds. "Was that good enough for you?"
"I suppose that little display was more than satisfactory." Affogato's voice lacked its typical arrogance. He was either unable or unwilling to return eye contact while fussing with his robes and hair, obviously still very flustered. "Very well."
Caramel Arrow lifted her head, residual embarrassment immediately dissipating in favor of the first faint flickers of hope she'd experienced in weeks. It could be yet another mind game, getting her hopes up and snatching them away at the last minute, retaliation for that brief power grab...
"I'll grant your request." Affogato sighed, rising and, in an unusual gesture, extended a hand to help her up as well. The true motive behind the act of courtesy swiftly became apparent; no sooner than she was on her feet Caramel Arrow found herself being tugged forward into a none-too-comfortable embrace - quite possibly the expected retaliation. The mask was firmly in place again with any true emotion obscured, save for something new... well, revived. It reminded her of that day weeks ago, damn near helpless in the arms of someone that viewed her as a possession, and for a moment, the hands that were now running through her hair did so in a manner identical to those loosening her binyeo and combing through it possessively while she was incapacitated. That predatory edge was also back as well, and she couldn’t suppress a shudder at the words being whispered into her ear, "But you may only leave if you're accompanying me. And if you try to sneak off and sow dissent, I'll revoke that privilege and ensure you never pass beyond that door again."
Definitely retaliation.
Caramel Arrow merely nodded in response, too overcome to speak, even after he released her. "Not what you wanted?"
"No... no, that's more than acceptable. Thank you." She said, with a weak, shaky smile. Gratitude and relief spoke louder than anything else at that moment. "Thank you, sincerely. Anything is better than learning to make tea all day long."
And I have something to protect, no matter what .
"I appreciate your efforts. You're quite good at it." Genuine compliments from Affogato without an ulterior motive were exceedingly rare, and Caramel Arrow couldn't help her skepticism towards them. As if reading her mind, he added, bluntly, while glancing heavenward in dramatic exasperation, "If I hadn't truly enjoyed it, I would not have partaken of multiple cups of it."
"It's nowhere near your usual fare," she pointed out, now in the process of twisting her hairpin back into place atop her head and shifting the layers of her dress (thankfully still immaculately clean) back into place.
"I'm allowed to have varied tastes, am I not?" Affogato shrugged. "In fact... perhaps it should be an additional duty of yours."
And there it was, that self-interest behind every word. Granted, the request seemed to indicate that he'd simply liked the tea and wanted more of the blend - and lacked the ability to just ask for it without any traces of manipulation. "If that's what you want, I suppose I don't mind," Caramel Arrow agreed. It could be far worse… and as much as she’d grumbled over it she’d honestly enjoyed creating the unique blends with Cocoa Butter and Cocoa Powder serving as critics. “That’s fine.”
Affogato retrieved his staff, left leaning against the door after arriving, most likely done so to avoid being surprised should anyone else attempt to enter without announcing themselves.
It occurred to Caramel Arrow that her husband was excessively paranoid.
"Well?" He glanced back at her, impatiently.
"Give me a moment." Caramel Arrow began to clean up the remnants of tea and other implements left scattered across the table, halted only by Affogato loudly clearing his throat.
" T hat is what servants are for," he said. "And if I'm not mistaken you just willingly acknowledged your place in the kingdom."
"Oh. I see." She hadn't thought about how her choice would, to some degree, place a social barrier between herself and the other residents of the citadel. King Dark Cacao may have been actively involved with the lives and wellbeing of his subjects, but his presence commanded a level of respect and deference that everyone submitted to without question, including herself. It was going to take quite some time to adjust to everything her new role entailed, but having the ability to watch over the kingdom and its residents was well worth the discomfort.
On her way out of the room, Queen Caramel Arrow caught sight of herself in the mirror, reflecting both her dedication to her true duty and a small, hopeful smile that she hadn’t seen for quite some time.