"Hello to you, too, Ellie." Ephraim smiled just a bit cheekily as he rose to greet his wife. He could see that she wasn't in the mood for dealing with banter, but he couldn't help acting just a bit playful around her in an attempt to lighten the mood. Besides, he was actually quite happy to see her, despite her less enthusiastic seeming manner. She was just focused, that was all. "Yes, I have met with him already. He reported that the army's training is going well and that the borders remain clear. We are currently free of any invasions from neighboring kingdoms. He also brought news of a good potential harvest season, so there should be plenty of food available in the coming weeks." He smiled a bit more softly as he spoke of this, approaching the powerful woman across the room. 

Even now, Ephraim thought she looked truly beautiful, though he still wished that he could see her looking a bit happier. She was always so serious now, it worried him often that she might burn out. As he walked closer, he could already feel that something was off. "You seem very tense. Are you alright?" Though he stated it as an observation, the interpretation was partly a guess, really, as she had seemed very tense to him quite often from the day she was crowned queen. He really couldn't blame her, but he hoped that perhaps he could help somehow if this was the case.