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The first rays of the morning sun entered the room and she stirred in the bed, slowly waking up.
"Good morning, my princess." a voice whispered softly.
When Asuna opened her eyes, an equally softly smiling face greeted her, shining like the sun itself. She just couldn't not smile back at him.
"Good morning to you too, my prince," she replied and poked his nose playfully, "but you know I'm not a princess since we're not married."
"But to me, you are already one."
And that earned Kirito a slight slap with one of their pillows right on his head.
"It's too early for your cheesiness, Prince Dork."
"But you know that's not my name." he told her with a smile.
"But to me, it is." she said with a mischievous grin.
And this earned now Asuna a slight slap with a pillow.
"Oh, so you dare challenging me to a pillow fight?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and looked him in his determined face, "okay, you're on!"
Several minutes of hitting each other with soft cushions ensued, both contenders giggling happily at every successful hit or dodge. After all their pillows were lying on the ground, the couple met in a peaceful hug.
"So I guess it's a draw then." he concluded.
"No... we're both winners... because we have each other..." she mumbled dreamily.
"See? You can be cheesy too."
"Only because you're rubbing off on me." the woman stated and smiled at him, "do we have to get up already or... c-can we... lay down again?" She asked him sheepishly with lightly pink cheeks.
He nodded and they began picking up the pillows from the ground. When every single one was in place again, he laid down and gestured to her to come closer.
"Can I... listen to your heartbeat? Only for a bit... please..."
"Of course, as long as you want, my love..."
Then she laid down too, putting her head on his chest to hear the soothing sound she was longing for. And after some shifting, so that her position was comfortable for both of them, she closed her eyes.
Her boyfriend reached for the blanket to cover them up to their hips and then embraced her gently. She didn't react in any way, so he assumed it was nice like this, or maybe she already fell asleep again.
He smiled fondly at his girlfriend who was peacefully resting. His hands were running through her chestnut colored hair, enjoying the sensation caused by the silky strands between his fingers.
"Oh, my lovely Asuna... I can't wait for the day we'll be married..." Kirito thought happily as he remembered his birthday around 10 months ago.
On that day, she promised to be his partner, and for outsiders it seemed like an engagement, but actually wasn't one. They were convinced that knowing each other for half a year wasn't long enough to get married right away, so they wanted to see if their relationship worked out. Luckily - and thanks to the rule not explicitly stating that the heir to the throne must be married at the age of 25 to stay the heir - the king and queen agreed and let them postpone the couple's wedding for an indefinite time. Not to mention that they both could end this at any time if they wanted.
Of course he never considered this. As far as the prince could tell, it worked out pretty well so far, their mutual love growing more and more each day, he had never been happier. Basically, he was just waiting for her decision to make it really official.
But suddenly his eyes went wide and his smile faded as a certain thought crossed his mind.
"What if I'm wrong? What if it's only me who's happy? What if it takes her so long to decide because she needs to gather the strength to break this up?" he panicked internally.
"Kirito?" she asked and lifted her head to look at him, "is something wrong? Your heartbeat became faster."
"Y-you noticed, huh?"
"Of course I did." the young woman said and they shifted their position so she was lying next to him at eye level, "So, what's bothering you? You know you can tell me everything."
"I was just wondering about us and..." his glance nervously wandered around and back to the amber eyes right before him, "...your decision about... us getting married... or not."
"Oh... that..." she mumbled and sat up facing away from him.
Asuna exhaled a deep sigh. He had no idea that almost no day went by without her thinking about this. Maybe he didn't even notice how many sleepless nights she spent overthinking. After all, it wasn't merely about marriage - it was also about being the future queen. She really didn't want to keep him in suspense but every time she thought she made up her mind, well... her choice just sounded wrong the next minute.
"Sorry but... I still need time."
"It's okay, take any time you need."
"Thank you," she responded, patted his hand, got up, and left the room, not noticing the concerned look which followed her.
After breakfast, the two strolled through the royal gardens, as they often do when it's a nice weather. Drewbert and Big walked behind them and noticed that something was different, wrong even: the couple was holding hands but not as tight as usual, she was looking absentmindedly at the plants around them and not smiling at the man next to her as usual, they were walking in silence and not giggling and talking as usual.
"Asuna... please tell me what's wrong. You know you can talk to me about everything." he asked softly, it was almost a whisper so the two guards following couldn't hear it, "Is it about earlier? If so, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it. I know it's not a choice to treat lightly."
"It's okay. I understand why you asked this, it concerns both of us after all," she said and slipped out of his hands' grip to turn away from him, "it's just-"
"Oh, what a coincidence to meet you two here!" a woman in a long royal blue dress and a golden tiara on her head greeted them.
Asuna and the two guards behind the couple immediately bowed to her.
"Mother? What are you doing here?" Kirito asked surprised.
"The meeting with our guests is already over and your father and sister are showing them the city. So I thought..." the queen pointed to the younger woman, "can I borrow your girlfriend for a bit? We need to talk about some things."
"What's the matter with this phrasing, mother? She's my girlfriend, I don't own her! So instead of me, just ask her!" he responded slightly angry.
She laughed a little, apparently her son's reaction amused her. "I know that of course, I just wanted to see how you react to this."
The young couple shared an exasperated look. They already had the theory that the queen was testing them - individually and as a couple - since they got together, and seemingly didn't even try to be that subtle anymore. So their assumption was indeed true.
"So, Lady Asuna, what about a nice little chat and some tea? Just the two of us."
"Sure," she agreed without much hesitation. Maybe that could be a distraction from her current worries for some time.
"I guess I'll start my training session earlier today. See you later then!" the prince told her and squeezed her hand affectionately as she nodded.
The three men left for the training grounds at the other side of the garden and the two women went to a table under a big tree near the fountain and some rosebushes. There was already tea prepared for them.
"I want to talk to her in private, so you two stay some distance away where you can't hear us, understand?" she ordered and the queen's guards saluted. And as they left, the women sat down.
"I heard you love tea as much as I do and this place here is wonderful on such a nice summer day, don't you think?"
"Yeah, that's true." Asuna answered and poured the tea into her cup with a smile, the peppermint aroma already filling her nose. As soon as her drink cooled down, she took the first sip.
"So... what are your plans with my son?"
And she almost spat it out again. Well, so much for the hoped distraction.
"P-plans?"
"Like getting married? Having children? Or are you going to leave him again when you had your fun?" she questioned her sternly.
Asuna was taken aback by the sudden seriousness. That was the other side of the queen she heard about, but never witnessed herself... well, until now.
"I-"
"Also, you probably heard the rumors going around, didn't you? That he only picked you to stay heir to the throne? That you two are just a fling? That he will drop you as soon as finds a better partner?"
"Y-yes... but...", the younger woman stammered, clenching her fists so tight that her knuckles turned white.
She remembered the early time of their relationship when this gossip really hurt her. Sometimes it took several love confessions and reassurances from him so she wouldn't succumb to sadness.
"W-with all due respect, your majesty, but... do believe these rumors more than me? Or your own son?" she asked the queen and looked her straight in the eyes with every confidence she could muster right now... which was less than she wished for. Being reminded of this gossip like that hurt more than she would like to admit.
"Do you love him?"
"Yes, I do, more than I have anyone else before. And as far as I can tell, he reciprocates this feelings." She at least hoped he did.
"I see, so let's carry that thought a bit further," the queen started and filled up their cups again, "assuming you two do indeed marry, you know what this means, right?"
"I will become a princess... and someday... the queen." Asuna replied. And that worried her, even frightened a little bit.
"But you probably don't know what that really means, do you?"
"I'm not quite sure what you're referring to," she said and raised the tea cup to take a sip but lowered it again as she lost her appetite, even for her favorite kind of tea.
"Let me tell you something, my dear. I assume, you can imagine that as a queen you have a lot of responsibility. After all, you're one of the rulers of a kingdom with a population of thousands of people."
Asuna nodded.
"Not to mention all the times you're alone at the palace, missing him, and if something's wrong you might have to decide on your own. Or when you travel alone and something happens."
Asuna nodded again, her eyes slowly lowering so she looked into her cup.
"You also have to be aware of that there will be times when you're more of a advisor than a wife to the king."
The queen took a sip of her tea. Asuna tried that too but she really didn't feel like it, so her hands stopped before even touching the cup.
"Your majesty, thank you for your insights," the girl stood up and bowed, "now I need to think about everything."
"Of course, Lady Asuna."
"Please... it's just Asuna. I'm not from a noble family."
"Alright then, thank you for taking your time."
The younger woman nodded and quickly looked away and left. She really didn't want to show her current emotional state. Well, not that this helped since the queen could easily see her teary eyes and slightly pale face. Genuinely concerned, the queen watched her go, wondering if she should have approached these topics differently.
When Asuna arrived at her room, she sat down on the sofa, hugged one of the pillows, and stared out the window. Several thoughts ran through her mind and she subconsciously hugged the soft object more tightly as small tears rolled down her cheeks. Not much time later, she heard three voices in the hallway and she quickly dried her face. Then the door opened and he came in.
"Oh, Asuna, you're already here! If I had known, I would have picked you up in the garden. How was your talk with my mother?" Kirito said and put his swords on a table. Then he turned to his girlfriend who in turn didn't look at him. "Well, it's usually my part to be the one lost in thought, you know?" he joked.
But his happy mood soon vanished. His eyes widened as he recognized how shaken she was right now. He sat down next to her, yet she scooted away from him to the opposite end of the sofa.
"Please, don't come closer!" she snapped at him.
"Is something wrong?" Kinda shocked at her reaction but nonetheless still worried, he questioningly tilted his head.
"I'm fine, it's just-"
"No, no, no, you're far from being fine! You cried, I can see that! Please, tell me what's bothering you so I can do my best to help!" he begged softly.
"In that case... answer me this question: Do you think I would be a good queen?"
"Of course you would!" he replied without hesitation, "I can't even imagine a more perfect one!"
She huffed at him. "Stop with your sweet-talk. You're only saying that because you're in love with me." Then she faced him, her puffy eyes shedding tears again, and stood up. "And when you fall out of love with me and fall for another girl, is THAT suddenly the most perfect queen?" she screamed.
"A-another g-?" He blinked several times in disbelief. He thought she trusted him, and there was absolutely no reason to doubt his faithfulness. Well, except stupid rumors.
"Or what if I'm just a disappointment to the kingdom? To your family? To you?" she said in a calm, but still devastatingly sad, voice.
"Asuna... please don't tell me you're considering... leaving?" Kirito mumbled.
She sat down and tightly hugged the pillow again, trying to look at him but she couldn't muster the strength, so she stared outside at a bird flying from their balcony into the distance. "Maybe that's for the best..."
"Best for whom?"
"I... I don't know... Me? You? Everyone? ... No one?" Another couple of tears rolled down her cheeks and she sighed. "Every single time I think I've made my decision... it just feels wrong the next second."
"Asuna... is there something I can do for you?" he asked softly and moved his left hand slowly towards her right hand but she pulled away.
"Not really, I just need more time alone. I think I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."
"No, you get the bed, I'll sleep here."
"If you insist..." she responded, turned away, and went into the bedroom without looking back at him, completely ignoring the hand stretched out to her.
The prince's glance followed her as she disappeared into the other room. He put his head in his hands and groaned, disappointed by himself. "Her situation... everything... it's just so overwhelming for her... And I didn't even realize it... I'm indeed a dork... a very stupid and oblivious dork at that..."
After Asuna closed the door behind her, she sat down on her bedside and her eyes wandered around. It felt just like yesterday when she spent her first night here... and maybe tonight could be one of her last ones. A bitter smile showed up on her face, especially when she looked at the pile of pillows which they used earlier to playfully fight each other.
"Weird how a day can start so nice like that and now..." she sighed and stroked with her hand over his side of the bed, "I'm sorry, my dear Kirito. Please... forgive me for... breaking your heart again."
Then she stood up, crying for the umpteenth time today, walking on wobbly legs to her wardrobe, and looked for her bag and some clothes. But due to her shaking hands, she dropped several pieces and her bag stayed more or less empty. She desperately tried again and again but only added more clothing to the floor.
"Stop it, Asuna!"
The woman looked up with wide eyes, confused where this voice came from. No one was here besides her, so it must be in her head. The same voice that once made her realize something very important.
"That's not what you really want, right?"
She fell to her knees, completely overwhelmed by her desperation. All she could do now was cry and sob. In fact so loudly, that it was audible in the next room.
Kirito was startled out of his thoughts and was tempted to go to her but he remembered that she wanted time alone. So he stood there, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth.
But after a little while, he just couldn't bear it anymore. He grabbed the swords from the table, left the room, told his two guards to wait here, and ran down the hallway. There was one person he needed to talk to right now, someone who might be responsible for Asuna's current state.
Said person was still sitting on her comfy chair under a tree in the garden, enjoying the nice weather and the roses in full bloom around her. And then a person came running, very fast and very angry. He came to a halt in front of the table.
"If you excuse us, I need to talk to my mother in private." he commanded the queen's guards, who immediately went some distance away out of hearing range. They saw his mood and the weapons he had with him, and knew exactly what he's capable of.
"Oh, my son, it's nice to see you! Please, take a seat." the queen greeted him, apparently oblivious to the reason why he was here.
But he just put his fists on the table, so hard that the tea service clattered.
"What did you do to Asuna?"
"We had just a little chat. I'm not sure what y-"
"Asuna is up in our room crying her eyes out. And someone upsetting her like that is something I won't put up with. So I'll ask you one more time: What. Did. You. DO!?" he yelled and punched on the table again.
"Oh..." his mother mumbled, looked down at her cup, and took the last sip from her tea, "so it was too much."
"What do you mean?"
She looked up to her son again and explained: "We were talking about what it means to be the queen... and maybe I put too much emphasis on the negative side..."
"No wonder that she feels like that right now..." He groaned. "Seriously, what were you thinking?"
"Listen, I just wanted her to know about it. You know I didn't have anyone to talk to about all this back then." She gulped and turned away, embarrassed. "And I asked her about her intentions with you."
"Are you kidding me? Don't tell me you believe any of these stupid rumors more than her or me!"
"But she already broke your heart once! I'm just worried that it might happen again!"
"That was a completely different situation since she had her reasons to leave! She would never play with my feelings, I've told you she's a good person!" he responded still pretty angry.
"You love her very much, right?"
"What kind of question is that? I thought it was oh so obvious for everyone here. Of course I do! Like I've never loved someone else before! And I hope she feels the same way."
A knowing smile began forming on the face of his mother and she let him continue.
"And for your information, I think she would be a great queen! She's kind, smart, caring, righteous,-"
"I'm not the person who needs to hear that right now, am I?"
First, Kirito was a bit puzzled by this question, but soon understood what she meant. He turned to the bushes next to them, flashed a mischievous grin to his mother, who just watched him perplexed, took his two swords, and cut down the flowers with such speed and precision that he got an undamaged and huge bouquet of red roses as a result.
"These were your favorites, right?" he again looked mischievous at her and she nodded a bit confused, "Well... that is called payback, mother."
Then he left as fast as he came, running to his most precious person, who might be waiting for him.
The queen was chuckling to herself as her guards returned to her. They were shocked when they saw one of the plants destroyed and the woman apparently amused.
"They will grow." she mumbled.
"You're talking about the roses, your majesty?"
"Yes... them too."
After a short time, the prince arrived at his door but stopped before he opened it, his free hand hovering over the doorknob.
"Is everything alright, my prince?" Drewbert asked confused.
"What if there's a bunch of packed bags waiting in this room?" Kirito wondered.
"You would have a wonderful parting gift then, I guess." Big commented which earned him a death glare from the other guard.
"BIG! Shut up, will you? It's not the time for stupid jokes!" Drewbert snapped and turned back to the younger man, "I'm pretty sure that won't happen, my prince." he added confidently.
Kirito answered with a nod and finally got in.
Meanwhile, Asuna had stood up from the floor and laid down on her bedside. She moved her hand longingly over the empty half, but she also looked at the door imagining to leave with her bags in tow. Her hair was completely disheveled thanks to her tossing and turning several times by now. Then she groaned loudly, sat herself up, and took the hairbrush from her nightstand to redo her ponytail. After that, she realized she needed some water. So she got up, stretched her arms, and when she opened the bedroom door, a certain someone was just about to knock.
"Kirito? What are you-"
"Oh, Asuna. Ehm... I..." he stammered and presented her the huge bouquet of flowers he previously hid behind his back, "Here, these are for you!"
She took it with wide eyes. "These are Queen's Roses... they're beautiful... and so many of them! Th-thank you so much!" she exclaimed and smiled.
"But that's not everything, there's also something I want to say to you!"
She looked at him curiously and let him speak.
"I'm absolutely sure that you would be a great queen! You're kind, smart, caring, righteous, and a lot of other things a people could wish for their ruler to be!"
"But you're just-"
"Please, let me finish!" His face softened and he continued. "And I'm not just saying that because I love you. These are the reasons why I love you. I want you to be happy, so whatever your decision will be, I will support you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you all of this sooner."
"Oh, Kirito..." she sighed with tears forming in her eyes, finally not because of distress but of joy.
She immediately flung her arms around his neck and he quickly returned the embrace. When he opened his eyes, he caught a glimpse into their bedroom and noticed something.
"Ehm... Asuna... why is one of your bags and some clothes lying on the floor?"
"Because I almost did something very, very stupid." she said and buried her face deeper on his neck and shoulder.
They stood there for some minutes, not wanting to let go of each other. But then Asuna loosened the hug and went into the bathroom to put the flowers into a vase while Kirito sat down on the sofa. When she returned, she placed it in front of him on a table and joined him. Then she grabbed his right hand gently and looked at him.
"There's something I need to ask you... something that doesn't suddenly feel wrong I hope..." she mumbled, cleared her throat, and bowed her head while still holding his hand with both of hers, "Prince Kirito, would you do me the honor to become my husband?"
He lifted her chin gently with his left index finger and smiled when their gazes met. "Well, it depends on one thing." Then he took her hands in his own. "Asuna Yuuki, would you do me the bigger honor to become my wife and princess?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yes!" She blinked several times surprised that her response came that quickly. At this moment, it just felt so right saying that, all the previous fears blown away in an instant. "Yes! A thousand times yes!" she declared happily and hugged him immediately. And of course he returned it equally happy.
"So now I've got something else for you, my love." the prince said and rummaged in his coat's inside pocket.
The item he got from it was a little box. It didn't take long for Asuna to guess what was inside and soon she was greeted by a sparkling diamond in a tear-like shape on top of a golden ring.
"It's... it's beautiful! Where did you get this so quickly?" she asked with wide eyes.
"Well, it's an heirloom which has been in the royal family for many generations. And as you could see, I already had it in my pocket."
"Coincidentally?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Well, no. Not really. Do you remember the day we got together?"
"Of course I do."
"I got it the day afterwards and carried it almost always with me since I had no idea when you make your decision and we'll be officially engaged. I had to be prepared, you know?" he explained and shrugged.
"I see. So there's one thing you need to do next..." the woman stated lightly blushing and with shining eyes and raised her left hand.
He took the ring from the box, then her hand, and slid it cautiously on her ring finger. Both were surprised how easily that went, miraculously it was the right size.
"It... it fits perfectly..." he mumbled, "all these years the ring waited for the one true person to wear it... like it was meant to be..."
They raised their heads to face the other.
"Kirito... I love you."
"Asuna... I love you too."
They got lost in each other's eyes, shining like the diamond ring itself, completely mesmerized, intertwined their fingers of their still raised hands, and slowly moved closer, their eagerly waiting lips only millimeters apart... and then their stomachs growled.
"We almost forgot about lunch." she giggled.
"Yeah, you're right," he sighed and stood up, "we shouldn't let my mother wait too long. Also we can tell her it's over with her not-so-secretly-testing of our relationship."
She nodded in agreement and they left their room for the dining hall. The two guards followed them sharing knowing glances, wordlessly pointing out how close the happy couple walked side by side and especially the ring she wore on her left hand.
"See? I told you so!" Big mouthed to Drewbert, who just rolled his eyes at that.
When they arrived, they found the huge table already set for three and only one person sitting there, patiently waiting for other people. The woman looked at the two entering the room and stood up.
"Kirito, Asuna, I'm really glad that you came! I was worried about... well, that after what happened today, you won't be too eager to have lunch together." the queen said with genuine concern.
"Mother, it's okay, we're not mad at you... at least not anymore." he responded and smiled slightly mischievously.
"That's nice to hear. But before we start eating, there's something I need to do." she began and turned to the younger woman, "Asuna, I apologize for what I did today. I really wanted to talk with you about all this but I went overboard and hurt you instead of helping you."
She sighed melancholically and then continued. "The thing is I had no one to talk to back then. I've never met my predecessor since the king's parents have died before I've even met him. I was so overwhelmed with everything that I had left and come back several times before my marriage, which hurt both of us oh so much. So I wanted you to don't go through this by giving you advice... but it was more of a dissuasion than anything. I'm truly sorry and I hope you forgive me."
"I accept your apology, your majesty." Asuna replied and raised her left hand, "And maybe I needed a little push to the right decision."
The queen's formerly downcast eyes brightened as she saw the ring and she immediately gave the couple a tight hug, a bit too tight actually.
"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! We have to tell everyone! We have to set a date! We have to send the invitations! We have to get wonderful wedding outfits for you two! We-" she exclaimed pretty excited while swaying the couple... and then was interrupted by her growling stomach and let go of them. "But we need to have lunch first."
So the three sat down at the table and began to eat. During their meal, the king and Princess Suguha arrived and were told the news. Not that much later, the guards heard the news. Then the other soldiers. And then the advisers and secretaries. And all the other servants. News spread fast in the royal palace.
In the evening after a nice dinner with the family, the happy couple were in their room. They already had to do some planning, since his parents insisted to start it as soon as possible. The wedding of the heir to the throne was a huge deal in this kingdom after all.
So Asuna sat at her desk and wrote a letter to her family, so they knew from her before the official invitation was sent to them. There was another piece of paper where she had listed some names.
"Of course my family and our friends... then maybe my childhood friends from Undine. Oh I haven't seen them for so long, would be nice to meet up with them again. Well, except for that one person I definitely don't want to see again." she mumbled and scribbled down some names.
Then she turned around and saw her fiancé staring at the calendar on the wall. And not just at any date... a very special one.
"Can you give me a red pen, please?" he asked.
"Huh? Ehm, sure." She took one from the desk and walked to his right side. "What do you need it for, Kirito?"
"Thank you. It's just for... this." he said and marked something.
Asuna's eyes widened when she saw what he did: a heart around the 24th of October, the day set for their wedding ceremony. And on top of that - well, inside the heart - two smiley faces. Then she put her arms around his shoulders.
"You're such a adorable dork, you know?"
"I guess so. You have told me several times for the last ten months." he replied with a smile and rubbed his right cheek on her left one. "Well, it's just that I-" he began and turned to her to put his arms around her body, "-can't wait for the day we will finally be married!"
Then he lifted up his fiancé and was spinning her around for some time while she was clinging onto him, giggling and blushing, her long hair and dress dancing and fluttering around the couple.
"Stop, Kirito, I'm getting dizzy!" Asuna yelled and he did as she wished, setting her feet on the ground again.
"Well, now you know how I feel when we're kissing!" the prince explained with a smile which earned him a mischievous grin in return.
"So, while we're at this topic... Do you remember what we wanted to do before we were so rudely interrupted by our empty stomachs?" Asuna whispered to him, being so close that their noses were almost touching, "And we weren't alone since lunch..."
He just smiled at her, of course he remembered. So first, he gently moved a strand of hair out of her face and then placed his hands on her pink tinged cheeks. He admired this precious person in front of him, her amber colored eyes shining brighter than the gem itself, still not fully convinced that she was a normal human and not a celestial being sent to him as a blessing from the heavens.
When she couldn't wait any longer, and to avoid being interrupted again, she gently pulled him closer until their lips finally met. It was a very simple kiss but yet enough to make her heart melt and to turn her legs into jelly a little bit. Like it always did, actually. She sighed happily after their mouths parted and put her arms around him and her head on his shoulder.
"We will be able to handle everything together, won't we?"
"It's just like you said, Asuna..." Kirito whispered dreamily, "we're both winners because we have each other."
She laughed, faced him, patted his cheek affectionately, and returned to the desk.
"I'm already pretty tired..." the woman stated and sighed, "I'll just quickly finish this letter and list..."
"Meanwhile I'll order some tea for us, my love."
"That would be very nice, thank you."
After everything was done and the teapot emptied, they went to bed; exhausted, but happy with how the day went. As the couple changed into their nightwear, only the lamp on Asuna's nightstand illuminated the room. She just had to gaze at the ring on her finger again. And the gaze of the man next to her switched between the ring and her face. Then she finally turned off the light and laid down.
"Asuna... can I..." a soft voice came from her right side, "c-can I listen to... your heartbeat this time?"
"Of course you can, my love. Come here..." she answered and pulled him closer. After some moving around, they found a position comfortable for both of them.
"So... this is how a princess's heart sounds..." he mumbled and closed his eyes, " so soothing..." And made an adorable sound, almost purring like a cat.
Smiling, she buried her left hand's fingers in his black hair, only the diamond peeked out of the strands, and sighed playfully exaggerated at him. "Kirito, have we go through this again?"