I swore I was just helping raise our daughter

Evening cloaked the Southern palace in blue velvet, the lamp-lit windows glowing like stars against the sea-dark walls.

Sarisa paced the carpet of the room assigned to them, her bare feet sinking into plush, foreign patterns as she clutched her notes—a half-written speech that had begun as thunder and ended as a whisper.

She read the opening lines aloud for the third time, her voice trembling at the edges, unsure.

"To the people of the Southern Isles: I come not as an outsider, but as a sister—" She paused. It was wrong. Stilted. A royal lie dressed as comfort.

Lara lay sprawled across the bed, one ankle crossed over her knee, hands laced behind her head, looking so infuriatingly at ease. She watched Sarisa with that hungry, knowing grin, the one that said she'd already read Sarisa's every secret.

"Sounds good," Lara drawled, stretching. "But you sound like you're about to apologize for bad soup, not rally a kingdom against pirates."

Sarisa dropped her notes onto the trunk, exasperated. "I'm not you, Lara. I can't just bark orders and expect people to fall in line."

"No," Lara agreed, sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, "you're not me. You're better. You can move a crowd just by breathing the right way. You just need a little incentive."

Sarisa snorted. "And what would you suggest, General? Threatening to burn down the docks?"

Lara's smirk was wicked, dangerous. "Something like that. Or…" She stood, coming to stand just behind Sarisa, her hands settling lightly on Sarisa's hips. "Maybe you need a challenge."

Sarisa's body thrummed at the contact, memory and anticipation swirling hot beneath her skin. "A challenge?"

"Mm-hmm." Lara brushed Sarisa's hair aside, lips grazing her neck. "Give your speech. All of it. Without moaning, without stammering, without losing focus—no matter what I do."

Sarisa twisted in Lara's grip, incredulous and laughing at once. "That's not fair."

Lara's eyes sparkled, her hands bold as they drifted down Sarisa's sides, over the soft linen of her nightgown.

"Nothing about the world is fair, Princess. But you want to learn to keep your head under pressure? Let's see what you've got."

Sarisa's pulse thundered. The absurdity—no, the thrill of the challenge made her laugh. "And if I win?"

Lara's mouth quirked up. "You get whatever you want. Royal decree."

Sarisa narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "And if I lose?"

Lara pressed her lips to Sarisa's ear. "Then I get whatever I want. And you'll beg me for it."

A dangerous bargain. But the edge in Lara's voice, the heat in her eyes—it made Sarisa ache to accept. She squared her shoulders, summoning every ounce of royal bravado she owned.

"Fine," Sarisa said, chin high. "But if I get through the whole speech, you're in my debt."

Lara's answering grin was pure wickedness. "Deal. Start from the top."

Sarisa moved to the window, notes in trembling hand. She drew a breath and began.

"To the people of the Southern Isles—" Lara's hands slid under her nightgown, calloused palms skating up her thighs. Sarisa gritted her teeth, focusing on the words.

"—I come not as an outsider, but—" Lara's lips brushed her shoulder, teeth grazing the sensitive skin.

Sarisa bit down on a gasp, pushing on. "—as a sister, bound by a common cause—" The condom packet crinkled in Lara's hand; Sarisa saw the flash of silver out of the corner of her eye and nearly lost her place.

Lara, relentless, nipped at her neck. "Keep going, Princess."

Sarisa clutched her notes tighter, her breath coming faster.

"—bound by a common cause: the safety of our homes—" Lara's fingers slipped between her legs, bold and knowing, and Sarisa's knees nearly buckled.

"—and the promise of a future—" Her voice quavered. She dug her nails into her palm.

Lara pressed against her from behind, her arousal hot and hard against Sarisa's hip. "You sound nervous, Your Highness."

Sarisa shot her a glare over her shoulder. "Shut up. I'm concentrating."

Lara only smiled, eyes dark with hunger. She rolled the condom on with practiced efficiency, never breaking contact. "Prove it. Finish the speech."

Sarisa took another breath, starting again.

"Together, we will stand—" Lara slid inside her, slow and inexorable, and Sarisa's words nearly dissolved into a moan. She forced herself to continue, voice shaking. "—as one people, united against fear—"

Lara thrust shallowly, hands braced on Sarisa's hips. Sarisa's vision blurred, the world narrowing to the feel of Lara moving inside her, the burn and pleasure coiling together until it was all she could do to choke out the next lines.

"—We will—ah—show the world—" Lara's rhythm stuttered, teasing, as if daring her to falter. Sarisa gripped the windowsill, head bowed, breath ragged. "—that we are not—ah—afraid—"

"Are you sure?" Lara whispered, biting her shoulder. "Because you sound afraid, Princess."

Sarisa growled, her pride a thin lifeline. "Not afraid. Just—distracted."

Lara thrust harder, filling her with every stroke, the sensation nearly too much. But Sarisa would not yield.

"—United, we are strong—" Her voice trembled, pleasure threatening to drag her under. She heard Lara's laugh, low and rough.

Sarisa squeezed her eyes shut, focusing only on the next line. "—We will drive the pirates from our shores—"

Lara reached around, fingers finding her clit, circling in time with each thrust. The pleasure built, unbearable, waves breaking inside her.

"Keep going," Lara urged, her breath hot against Sarisa's ear. "Or I'll stop."

Sarisa whimpered, but forced the next words out. "—We will—ah—reclaim our seas—our peace—our—oh gods—future—"

She was so close. The words blurred, running together. "—I promise you—your queen—will never—never—abandon you—"

Lara thrust deep, the angle perfect, and Sarisa bit down hard on her own lip, the taste of blood sharp, the scream trapped in her throat.

"Last line, Princess," Lara murmured, fingers working faster.

Sarisa clung to the notes, her voice a desperate, breathless whisper. "—Together, we rise. Together, we win."

Lara stilled, buried deep, and Sarisa exploded around her, the orgasm so fierce she saw stars, her whole body convulsing.

She dropped the notes, hands gripping the sill as she rode the aftershocks, shuddering, breathless.

Lara caught her, arms wrapping around her, holding her upright as her knees threatened to buckle. "You did it," she whispered, kissing Sarisa's sweat-damp hair. "Didn't stammer once."

Sarisa laughed, the sound half a sob. "I almost passed out."

Lara grinned, nuzzling her neck. "You win, Your Majesty. What's your wish?"

Sarisa turned in Lara's arms, looking up into her eyes, her voice low and raw. "Again. But this time, I'm on top."

Lara's answering groan was pure surrender.

They moved to the bed in a tangle of limbs and laughter, Sarisa straddling Lara, reclaiming control.

She rode Lara slow, drawing out the pleasure until they were both trembling, the challenge forgotten in the heat and hunger that flared between them.

This time, Sarisa set the pace—teasing, relentless, pushing Lara to the edge and pulling her back, savoring every whimper, every gasp.

When Lara came, it was with Sarisa's name on her lips, a litany of worship and need that made Sarisa shudder in turn.

They collapsed together, bodies slick and tangled, sweat cooling on their skin as they drifted in and out of a satiated, blissful haze.

The speech lay forgotten on the floor, the ink smudged, but Sarisa no longer cared. She felt invincible. Powerful. Alive.

Lara traced idle patterns on her stomach, her voice lazy and content. "You're dangerous when you want something."

Sarisa grinned, curling into her side. "You have no idea."

They dozed, the hush of the palace settling around them, a gentle lull before the next storm.

When Sarisa woke, the moon was high and the speech was waiting, her mind sharper and her heart lighter.

She slipped from the bed, wrapping herself in a blanket, and sat at the desk, pen in hand. The words came easier now—simple, clear, true.

By the time Lara woke and padded over, pressing a sleepy kiss to her shoulder, the speech was done.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Lara murmured.

Sarisa nodded, her voice soft but sure. "With you here? I can face anything."

Lara smiled, wrapping her arms around her from behind, and together they watched the moonlight on the southern sea, hearts full of secrets, hands entwined, a new world waiting on the horizon.