She looked at him but made no move to speak.
"Is there something going on here? Between you two," he asked.
That gave her an idea.
"Can we sit back down," she asked.
He went back to the table, but he was still angry if his glare was anything to go by. She sat down across from him.
"Ben and I...we started something a few days after we arrived. It wasn't anything serious. And then I found out about him and Mara. She and Ben, they'd been together for a long time. Almost their whole lives. And even though they weren’t together anymore, Mara was still in love with him. When I realized how Mara felt, I broke it off," she said, looking right at him so that he would know she wasn't lying. And she wasn't. About this, anyway.
"I haven't been involved with him since. But I guess he still wants me. Anyway, today in the village, he saw me buying something, and he got jealous. He yelled at me. He thinks I'm sleeping with you. So yeah, he was jealous. That's why I didn't want to eat in the throne room tonight. I was worried that he'd make a scene. And I wanted to avoid that. Avoid embarrassment."
She studied his face, trying to figure out if he believed her or not.
"What'd you buy," he asked, his face giving nothing away.
"What?"
"You said he saw you buying something that made him jealous. What was it? What made him so jealous?"
She hadn't thought about that when she decided to tell him the story. She blushed and looked away. "Nothing...just-just a nightgown or whatever," she said, still not looking at him.
"What kind of nightgown?"
"Just a fucking nightgown," she said, angry now.
He was smirking at her again. "Can I see it?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Then why'd you buy it? You won't be sleeping alone unless I'm gone. Unless you plan to wear it for someone else?"
"Fuck you, Lex. I bought it because I wanted to!"
He laughed. "I knew you couldn't resist my smirk," he said.
Before she could stop herself, she picked her wineglass up. The next second, Lex's face and shirt were drenched in wine.
She got up and went into their bedroom. She found a pair of soft pants and a shirt to wear to bed. She got under the covers and made sure that she was as close to the edge as possible.
Eventually, she heard him come inside. He went to the bathroom first before getting in bed.
"Are you awake," he whispered.
"No," she said.
"Aria..." he said, and he reached over to put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me," she snapped, shaking his hand off.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you..."
She turned to face him. "Then what exactly were you hoping to achieve?"
"Nothing...I just...shit. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I would never insinuate that...that you..." he stuttered. She'd never heard him stutter before. He was usually so confident.
He sighed. "I apologize for what I said. I was being an asshole. I'm sorry if my comments made you uncomfortable, okay? I'm not-I'm not really sure how to talk to you.”
Aria was a little shocked. "It's okay," she said, "Maybe I overreacted a little..." She thought about the wine.
"No, don't apologize. If I ever make you uncomfortable, I'd like for you to let me know. As I said, I'm not really sure how to talk to you. I've never really had..." he didn't finish the sentence.
She studied him, lying on her side now. "You've never had what? A girlfriend?" She couldn't stop herself from smiling.
"You're obviously more than a girlfriend...and I'll have you know, I've been with many women."
"But you've never had a girlfriend?"
"Not exactly."
"Oh my god," she said; she couldn't stop herself from laughing.
"Shut up."
"The king...the king's never had a girlfriend..."
"Please shut up," he groaned, turning his back to her.
She couldn't stop herself. "Wow. The kings never had a girlfriend!" she said, pulling on his shoulder, forcing him down on his back. "I've had more girlfriends than the king!"
He shook his head.
"So, what is it? You sleep with random girls and never talk to them again?"
"I talk to them. I'm not that big of an asshole. But I know how to talk to them. You're different. More than a friend, obviously. And unlike the others, I actually care what you think about me."
That made the laughter die in her throat. She realized her hand was still on his shoulder. She pulled it away.
"Oh...."
They lay in silence for a few minutes.
"So... how about that nightgown," he asked, his voice innocent.
"You asshole," Aria yelled, but she was laughing. She sat up and grabbed her pillow. She hit him over and over with it.
He was on his back again, and Aria was sitting up on her knees at his side.
"I've had enough," he said after she brought the pillow down on his chest again.
"You'll have enough when I say so," she yelled, bringing the pillow down. But her voice didn't sound as stern as she wished it would; she was still laughing. "I am the queen!"
At that, he got up. So fast that Aria didn't have time to prepare herself when he pushed her back down. His hands pinned her wrists above her head. He was hovering above her on his knees, his body between her thighs.
"Yes," he whispered, "But I am the king. And I say I've had enough."
His face was so close to hers, and for a moment, she was mesmerized by his eyes. They held so much emotion at that moment. So intense.
"And one day, you're gonna want to wear that nightgown for me, I promise," he said, smiling down at her before letting go of her wrists.
He moved back to his side of the bed, and for a second, she missed the heat of his body so close to hers.
"Jackass," she said, but her voice came out weak.
"I know," he said, turning on his side, his back to her.
He was infuriating. And she still wanted to slap him. But heat
