After checking in, the two headed upstairs and located their assigned room according to the number on the keycard.
Before opening the door, a shared, unspoken nervousness hung in the air between them.
While their flawless acting at the front desk had successfully convinced each other they were "forced" to share a room out of sheer necessity, they hadn't actually discussed what kind of room the receptionist might give them.
So…
Would it be an over-the-top suite filled with questionable props, or a cloyingly romantic room with a rose-petal-strewn waterbed?
Click.
The keycard slid into the lock, the mechanism turned with a soft whir, and the door swung open.
Holding their breath with a mixture of tension and illicit excitement, they stepped inside.
What greeted them was a simple, tastefully decorated room. A large, round bed stood in the center, draped with a thin, elegant canopy. The air was filled with a pleasant, relaxing lavender scent.
No strange props. No bathtubs overflowing with rose petals.
Seeing this, Leon and Rossweise both let out a silent, simultaneous sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, they each thought. It looks like it will be a peaceful night after all.
They were, after all, an "old married couple" of five years. Flashy, over-the-top suites didn't really suit them—
This, from the same "old married couple" who regularly engaged in "prisoner," "teacher," and "bunny waitress" roleplay.
However, following that initial wave of relief, a faint, undeniable flicker of disappointment stirred within them both. The craving for the forbidden and the thrilling was, it seemed, a base instinct for any creature.
Leon stepped fully into the room and drew the curtains closed, shutting out the moonlight and the distant hum of the city. The room's lighting was a warm, soothing amber, casting a relaxed glow.
Rossweise opened the frosted glass bathroom door and peered inside. Satisfied with the clean, standard setup, she asked from the doorway, "Are you going first, or shall I?"
"Ladies first."
The Queen raised a delicate eyebrow. "Oh? Playing the gentleman now?"
Leon rubbed his nose and thumped his chest proudly with a thumb. "Of course. Didn't you see me at the front desk? I was the picture of a gentleman, insisting on two rooms to avoid any impropriety. But alas, fate had other plans. Sigh~"
Rossweise snorted inwardly. The sheer audacity of this man, putting on such a performance.
If I weren't so clever and considerate, you wouldn't have a snowball's chance of sharing a hotel room with me.
I said I wouldn't let him into my room. I never said I wouldn't go into his.
"Oh yes, what a pity the hotel didn't allow you to fully display your gentlemanly spirit," she replied, her tone dripping with feigned regret.
Leon smirked to himself. Little dragoness, so easy to fool. Just a little act, and I've got you right where I want you.
They continued their verbal sparring, neither willing to give the other an inch in their carefully constructed performances.
After a few more rounds, Rossweise finally released her grip on the bathroom doorframe. "You go first. I should review the key points from today's meeting."
Leon nodded. "Alright."
With that, he disappeared into the bathroom.
Once she heard the sound of running water, Rossweise moved to the wardrobe and pulled out a plush white bathrobe, slipping it on over her clothes. She removed her dress and heels, immediately feeling a wave of relief and comfort.
She then sat down at the small wooden desk, picked up a pen and some hotel stationery, and began jotting down notes from the day's private discussions. It was a workaholic's habit. No matter how impeccable her memory was, she preferred the concrete act of writing things down. As the saying goes, the palest ink is better than the best memory.
Roughly half an hour later, the sound of water ceased.
Leon emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped snugly around his waist. His chiseled, inverted-triangle torso glistened with residual water droplets that traced slow paths down the defined muscles of his chest and abdomen.
Rossweise gave him a casual glance before quickly looking away;
then another fleeting glance before averting her eyes again;
then, yet again, she sneaked a peek and swiftly turned her head;
and once more—
"If you want to look, just look. Sneaking peeks like a thief is just silly," Leon said, drying his hair with a second towel, radiating confidence as he showed off his physique in front of Her Majesty.
Rossweise's cheeks flushed. "Who's looking? I've seen it more times than I can count—I'm not interested." With that, she quickly stood up, keeping her head down and her eyes lowered, and shuffled hurriedly into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Leon smiled softly to himself, deciding not to tease her further for now.
He moved over to the bed and noticed a small shelf holding a few magazines and books. He picked one up at random and flipped through it. It was mostly celebrity gossip and a cheap-looking romance novel—hardly essential reading.
In fact, he mused, there was probably no gossip in this world more sensational than the legendary tale of his and Rossweise's human-dragon romance.
As for the romance novel…
He read a few pages, smacking his lips as he mentally compared the flowery prose to the reality of his everyday life with Rossweise, and came to a firm conclusion:
"This isn't even close to how sweet it really is!"
Nothing could beat the real, lived-in drama between him and his dragon queen.
Setting the book aside, his gaze drifted to the nightstand. Besides a few complimentary bottles of water, there were… some unfamiliar items.
Leon picked up a small, discreet brown bottle and shook it gently. From the sloshing sound, it seemed to contain some kind of liquid.
He turned it over and read the product description.
"Silky Smooth, Never Greasy. Durex Ultra Smooth Edition."
He read it aloud quietly, and his eyes caught a line of smaller print.
"Note: edible."
"Ed… edible?"
Oh!
After a moment's pause, the purpose of the item dawned on him. Even after five years of marriage, they didn't stay in hotels often, and he hadn't realized such amenities were standard.
Just then, Rossweise finished her shower.
The glass door slid open, and a smooth, slender leg stepped out, a small, delicate foot sinking into the plush bathroom mat. Her skin was so soft that the water droplets simply rolled off her calves, unable to cling. Her silver hair, darkened by water, clung to her cheeks and shoulders. With her makeup washed away, Her Majesty's face was flawlessly beautiful, breathtaking in its natural state.
Her long eyelashes were still damp, fluttering with each blink, giving her a rare, almost innocent look. Her bathrobe was tied loosely, exposing the elegant line of her neck, her collarbones, and a tantalizing hint of cleavage. And there, etched in silver-white scales against her skin, was her dragon mark.
Leon gave her a casual glance before looking away;
then another glance before averting his eyes again;
then, yet again, he sneaked a look and quickly turned his head;
and once more—
"If you want to look, just look. Don't act like a thief," Rossweise said, throwing his own words from half an hour earlier back at him, verbatim.
Leon pouted. "Who's acting like a thief? I'm just… appreciating, okay?"
Rossweise raised an eyebrow, gracefully settling on the edge of the bed beside him. "So, you gentlemen call it 'appreciating' when you keep sneaking glances?"
"Correction," Leon stated. "Looking at my own wife isn't 'sneaking glances.'"
"Correction," Rossweise fired back. "It's a fake wife."
"A fake wife is still a wife."
"Hmph," she chuckled softly, covering her mouth. "Whatever you say."
As she finished speaking, her eyes fell upon the item in his hand. "What's that?"
"Uh… a couple's… heat enhancer?" he ventured, reading the label.
"A couple's… heat enhancer?"
Rossweise took the bottle from him, her eyes quickly scanning the description and understanding its purpose. "Ah, yes… quite the 'warming' tool, indeed."
While they had their variety of "marital homework" routines, they rarely used such commercial aids.
"What else is there?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
With a newfound, mutual interest, they began examining the other "couple's accessories" provided by the hotel.
"Experience the thrill of breathlessness, like a python coiling tight—Durex Restraint Collar, giving your partner a new thrill."
"And this one! Durex Dragon Mint—'Straight to the heavens, unlike anything else!'"
Leon blinked. "Dragon Mint? What's that?"
"Have you heard of catnip?"
"Of course. It makes cats all affectionate and snuggly."
"Well," Rossweise explained, "Dragon Mint has a… similar effect on dragons who are in a relaxed state."
A mischievous glint appeared in Leon's eyes as he shook the little bottle of Dragon Mint. "So, how about we try—"
"Request denied," Rossweise immediately interjected, making a firm "X" with her arms. There was no way she was going to let herself be reduced to a soft, cuddly pet in front of Leon. She was a Queen! A proud dragon!
"Let's see what else there is," she said, gesturing toward the remaining products.
Leon picked up another one. "Durex Ultra Stamina Kit: Endless power, infinite energy—effect comparable to… Dragon Force?!"
"This is perfect!" Rossweise's eyes lit up with playful teasing. "Leon, your stamina has been slipping lately; this suits you perfectly!"
Leon shot her a look. "What do you mean, slipping? Every time we do our 'homework,' it's till dawn! And besides—"
"And besides?" she prompted.
"I can train my Dragon Force myself; I don't need this stuff." He placed the stamina kit back on the nightstand with a definitive thud.
Rossweise simply chuckled.
With the phrase "till dawn" now floating in her mind, she glanced at the wall clock and noticed it was nearly midnight. "Let's go to sleep. It's been a long day."
"Oh."
As they moved to get into bed, they both noticed the sofa positioned across from it. It was just the right size for an adult to sleep on.
By all accounts, "gentlemanly" General Leon should have volunteered to take the sofa. And Her Majesty, who supposedly maintained a distance from men, should have commanded her "captive" to sleep there.
But!
In the next second, they both completely and utterly ignored the sofa's existence, as if it were merely a trick of the light.
What sofa?
There's only one bed in this room!
'Sigh,' they each thought separately, once again "forced" by circumstance to share a bed with their fake spouse.
They climbed into the large, round bed, pulling the covers up, and settled in lying back-to-back. A noticeable stretch of empty mattress separated them.
"Good night."
"Good night."
Ten minutes passed in silence.
"Leon."
"Yes?"
"My back is a little itchy… could you… take a look?"
They didn't actually need an excuse for their "homework." Some couples simply enjoyed the thrill of inventing one.