“you aren’t jealous that agatha gets a boy and a crown and a kingdom and everything else?” hort pressed in disbelief. “you aren’t jealous that agatha’s a queen?”
he saw her stop at the gates, faced away as students streamed past.
“a tiny bit, of course,” she said softly. “but then i remember…”
sophie looked back, smiling bright as a diamond.
“i’m me.”
“you know what went through my head as the axe was coming down?” tedros asked. “ that we never had nicknames for each other, like every other couple.”
“we’re not like every other couple,” said agatha, looking at him.
“no, we’re not,” tedros admitted. “not every king finds a queen who’s smarter, stronger, and better than him in every way.”
agatha put her hand to his golden cheek. “you are the pretty one, at least.”
tedros grinned, leaning in. “mmm, you might have me beat there too.”
agatha folded her arms. “well, you didn’t apologize to me back then, so why should i apologize to her?”
“because you’re a better person than me, obviously.”
“is that the defense you’re going to use in every argument from now until we die?”
“works, doesn’t it?”