She wakes to soft kisses down her back, blinking at the bright sunlight flooding through the tall windows of her room. The pillows on the bed are soft, the covers even softer, but softer yet are the lips on her shoulder.

Mia turns her head and glances up to see Nicholas smirking into her skin.

"You know," she tells him casually, "the Queen would definitely not approve of this."

He gives her an odd look, still making his way across her skin as he kisses her shoulder blade. "You could always have me beheaded for trespassing upon your royal person."

And then, like a bolt of lightning, Mia remembers that she is, in fact, Queen.

Nicholas smiles at her softly mouthed 'oh'. "Mm, remember that coronation that we attended yesterday? It was kind of a big deal."

She would hit him if she could reach, let alone be bothered, but she feels so relaxed, so happy, and their own late-night coronation celebrations have left Mia feeling blissfully boneless.

"Shut up," she mutters instead, into her pillow, grinning.

The bed dips around her and she knows that he's hovering over her. His lips find her ear, and even through the covers she can feel how very, very naked he is.

"Is that an order, or a request?" He whispers, voice low and gravelly.

Mia turns onto her back beneath him so she can see his face, and Nicholas pushes her mad sleep-crushed curls out of her eyes as she peers up at him. He's rumpled, sleep-warm, pink from the warmth of the bed and her and the morning sun, and it makes her want to kiss him.

"I know you won't listen to either," Mia says, pushing away the covers between them and pulling him close.

His eyelids lower heavily as their naked skins meet and Mia begins to run her toes up the back of his calf. His fingers find her hip.

Nicholas hums in the back of his throat as he lowers his lips to her exposed neck. "You think you know me so well."

"I do," Mia scoffs, though her heart really isn't in it. "You do want you want, Nicholas. You don't take orders."

"Try me," he practically growls.

"Kiss me."

He does, lifting his head to capture his mouth with hers. His tongue touches hers, his warm breath makes her dizzy, and his hand is slowly stroking her thigh.

"Kiss me lower."

He smirks and trails kisses down her cheek, her neck, until he reaches her bare breasts. She sucks in a quick breath as his lips caress one tightening nipple.

"Kiss me lower."

His tongue finds her navel, his lips claiming the soft skin around it with generous kisses, and Mia only has the willpower to utter one more word of command, which he has followed so beautifully so far.

"Lower."

Nicholas stops, lifting his head until Mia looks down at him in a daze. His smile is wicked.

"You're right about me not taking orders, my Queen, except when it suits me."

Mia's panting, on the verge of something so great, and Nicholas is just laying between her thighs, eyeing her lazily and smirking.

She's about to pull away when his hands come down on her hips, pinning her.

"I think," he murmurs against the flat expanse of her stomach, "I will oblige, this time."

She gets it – she really does. He's his own agent, he likes to do what he wants, but he cares for her and that means bending to her will on occasion, even if it's not often. But at that moment she can't care less.

His lips come down hard on her and Mia throws her head back in a silent wail as Nicholas takes her to those unexplored heights.

When she catches her breath, she says only one thing. "Stop calling me 'your Queen,' Royal Consort."

"Fair enough," he murmurs against the inside of her thigh, still smiling devilishly. "Shall we...consort a little more before breakfast?"

She doesn't bother saying yes. He knows what her answer will be anyway.

Author's note: Another little jaunt! Thanks for reading (: