The Royal Palace

As he stared down at his plate and tried to figure out how best to placate his wife, the woman herself was looking at him... and a soft, warm smile curved her lips. It fled in the next moment as she spoke, clearing her throat first and wiping her mouth on her napkin.

"Actually, it occurs to me..." she began and stood up, moving around the table to take off the chilled lid. Berries and cream beneath. "... that I haven't been very grateful," she murmured and slipped right into his lap.

Warm. Soft. Her thighs and knees and calves mostly bare, her breasts full and lush as they followed slightly against his chest.

"Thank you for the picnic today, darling," she murmured against his mouth, and then she kissed him. Deeeeeply.

Somebody was getting lucky tonight.

"That's the idea," she said against his lips just before he kissed her deeply again. Her breath caught in her chest and her skin instantly warmed, tingles rushing between her thighs as she pressed against him and melted against him and caught his lips between her teeth and swept her fingers through his hair and just sank deeper and deeper into their building heat. She ached for him, there, in the sweetness between her thighs where it had been too long since she's last felt him hard and powerful. Sighs, whimpers, they sparked from her hot, sultry mouth against his, the satin of her robe slippery against her skin and doing very little to hide the eagerness of her breasts to be touched and held and fondled by him. Yet somehow, someway, she eased her mouth from his, her lips slightly kiss-swollen, made softer by their passionate abuse. "Now let me show you how grateful I am," she told him, her eyes dark and sultry and a little wicked as she scooped cream onto her fingertip... and eased down between his thighs and onto her own knees.

Oh boy.

She was exhausted, and sore. A good sore. A sore she hadn't felt in a long time that made the rest of her body feel lazy and tired. She was snuggled into the fluffy mattress and warm pillows and blankets and was only vaguely aware of the sunlight that slanted over their bed. Her red hair was a tousled, silky mess over the pillows and sheets.

Renaux kissed her neck and rolled out of bed, making the mattress shake just a little bit, making her moan lightly and shift in bed. "mmmmno," she murmurs, hugging her arms around a pillow and nestling even deeper. She didn't want to get up. And in the haze of sleep, she'd forgotten about the gifts she'd received the day before.

Her eyes popped open at the word "flight."

Flight! That's right!

She sat up with a gasp, the sheets and blankets falling to her waist. "Argent!" she cried, and whipped her blankets off. She was naked as the day she was born, and she practically ran across the room, ducking underneath Renaux's arm as he pulled his shirt off and slipping into the bathroom.

"Get out of the way, Renaux!" she called and went to hurriedly bathe and dress herself for the day. She also needed to get her hands on Voltaire, a need to cuddle her baby steadily growing with her conscious hours.

She was dressed in exquisitely made rising clothing that be fit a queen, her scarlet hair artfully arranged out of her face and styled with a small hat and veil. She was beautiful, even more so as she held her son and smiled down at him, cooing to him. No expense was too much for the Crown Prince and his nursery was a work of art. A mural of flying Pegasus was on his ceiling. Arianne looked up when Renaux entered.

"We will have to add the foal," she told him, gesturing to the mural

"Mmhm, of course, as soon as I'm done with Voltaire," she said absent-mindedly to Renaux as she eagerly took her babe back into her arms and began to bounce him a little, walking over the lush carpets toward the window where the sunlight dappled through.

She took her time with her son, which is to say, she wasted the time of others. She insisted on being the one to bathe him, as she loved the way Voltaire delighted in the small splashed of water. He was so tiny that he fit into one of the ornate porcelain hand baths that she had had especially made for him, with his initials in gold along the side.

And then she clothed him, taking her time with that, too, as the baby was just so darling, and finally, at last, when she could not dawdle any longer, she made her way to breakfast that was shared with a few of the high-ranked lord and ladies that made up most of her own and her husband's cabinet council.

Arianne was as charming as usual, asking questions and making witty remarks. She was practically bouncing by the time breakfast was finished and they made their way to the courtyard, and she smiled broadly when she saw Argent already there.

"Hello, Argent," she said to the pegasus and swept forward to give her hello to the pegasus.

Renaux chuckles as Arianne puts everything on hold to tend to their child. There was nothing that could not be put off when it came to the time the queen spent with the prince. Renaux hardly blamed her and indeed whenever he could he joined her in those little moments. There was nothing that made him happier than spending time with his child. Though unlike his wife he would not make the whole kingdom wait upon his pleasure.

With his meal finished before Arianne's Renaux heads to the courtyard to prepare. When the queen does make her way there she of course immediately rushes to her pegasus petting the beast lovingly. This gets a grin from Renaux as those the squeal of delight from Voltaire when he is settled on a blanket with Neige his foal. The two young ones would be watched while he instructed the queen.

When Arianne is finished her greeting Renaux approaches and hands her a coat. It is a military style jacket in the royal colors of white and gold, cut to fit her full form well over her leathers.

"This jacket has a slow fall enchantment sewn into the seams. If you fall it will save your life, so wear it at all times when you are flying."

Once she takes the jacket and puts it on he'd get to work explaining the saddle. A pegasus saddle is slightly different from a horse saddle. First there are no reins to hold to, and second, there are two leader straps attached to belts attached to the pommel and the rear. These he explains are wrapped around the waist to keep you attached to the saddle, he then goes through the quick release for the straps. The quick release being necessary in the event that you need to detach from your pegasus in an emergency.

Renaux was about to continue his explanation when the gate is opened and a group of people hurries inside. The king raises and eyebrow and he is about to demand what is happening when he sees Genevieve. Instantly he shouts to the servants.

"Fetch the healers!"

But as if those words summoned them Gaspar and a gaggle of healers enter the courtroom. The group rushing to the queen sisters side and assisting in the healing process.

As the carriage moved he awaited signs for Genevieve to return to consciousness. After all that happened, he could not let her die. Every so often he would see it in her and the scene, the raven hair, the burning walls, his arms small and insignificant. 

When they finally stopped the young Knight carried the woman, this time in the usual ceremonial manner with his arms under her legs and neck. While not practical he felt any other way was not acceptable in such company. His hand under her neck would move to hold her hand, where the injury was. It was his left hand, and as such the letters "VVLT" would be the ones branded on his fingers, now giving off a light glow. As he carried her, a few tears would go down his cheek and drop onto her. "You are safe now, everything will be... everything is okay." He said. 

"Eventually one or both of you will tire, I'd rather replacements be on hand if needed."

The king's response to the healers insistence that the two would be enough is given calmly. If the two could keep the woman alive by themselves very good, but to have the other healers and not need them, then to need them and not have them. The king nods at Gaspar and the order is understood without words. Anything that can be done will be done to save Genvieve. Turning to his queen he sees the look in her eyes.

"Stay with your sister my queen. I will keep my eyes on Voltaire. Gaspar will get the healers whatever they need."

At Gaspar's direction, a pair of guards bring over a stretcher to carry Genevieve with utmost care to a bed. While the king goes to fetch his son from where the lad is cuddling with the foal Neige on a blanket.