Alina's

She wondered how any man could known her better than she knew herself, but she began to make certain noises, softly and slowly at first. She watched him as she did so, waiting to see if he was amused or aroused by the noises she made. "Oh, Sergio," she murmured. "Oh, please, harder!"

Jeyne laughed. "Now you," she said. She began to increase the volume and frequency of her cries and to bounce gently on the bed. "Let's see if we can make it creak," she urged.

Jeyne pulled a face at him in exasperation and continued to make her simulated sounds, whilst bouncing on the bed, harder this time. "You really are impossible," she whispered.

She laughed. "I want you to think about me. All the time. Until you are driven to distraction." She continued to bounce. "How long shall we keep it up for?"

"Do you? Let;s nt put that to the test with a pretence. I would rather you surprised me when the real time came." She grinned. "It will be much better then."

She bounced some more, and made some more noises, this time her sighs and groans began to turn to screams.

She rolled her eyes and continued to bounce on the bed, finishing her performance with a dramatic scream before she let herself sink back onto the bed. Her body shook with restrained laughter and she realised it was the first time she had truly laughed in years. But somehow the whole situation was too funny and she felt as if she were in the grip of some kind of hysteria where she couldn't stop laughing.

She giggled hysterically before gasping for breath. It was a while before she could speak. "It was the funniest thing I've done in a long time. I expect it would be better if we did it for real. I'd hope so, anyway. But even laughter is a release of sorts, and I seem to have needed it."

"I'll do it," she said. She reached for her dress and pulled it on. "Will you lace me up? I can undo them myself, but doing them up is rather more difficult. When the time comes, I'll be sure to wear something that's easy to slip in and out of." She smiled and stepped closer, her laces hanging loose. "Be careful, Sergio. You cannot hope for the king's friendship after this."

"My point is that the king may consider you an enemy if you are my friend. You will have to make sure you do not come to His Grace's attention too often. I'm sure you know what kings do to the people they dislike," she replied.

"Are they? Do any of them have dragons? Nothing is as dangerous as a dragon, I promise."

"So they must, but Maegor shows no signs of it yet. I fear he will live to be as old as his vile old grandsire." Jeyne sighed and tried to ease away from him. "You have not suffered as I have. You cannot understand the danger."

"How can you? Have you ever been close to one?" Jeyne demanded. "How could you, and live?"