Aleksandra didn't know what she'd been expecting. Of course he wasn't going to kiss her just because she asked him such a thing. She just watched him for a moment, frustrated enough to want to tear her hair out, before shaking her head in defeat. It was a horrid idea to express any sort of romantic interest in him. She was an assassin hellbent on killing her brothers, and he was a warrior prince determined to conquer her homeland. He'd only ever use her for his own gain.

There were hundreds of perfectly nice men out there, all with mostly honorable intentions. She reassured herself of all this as she entered the washroom for a lukewarm bath. Plenty of kind, courageous, sweet men who'd dote on her every need if she asked. All perfectly honest. All perfectly... boring.

She sighed and let the water fill the basin as she pulled off her dress. She wanted to tear the thing to shreds for all the good it had done her. She didn't want to love someone who was nice and gentle and boring as the abyss. She needed someone who knew the thrill of the fight, who understood the scent of sweat and blood and the sound of someone dying. She needed someone with a heart very nearly made of stone, someone who knew when to show their feelings and when not to.

She needed Aulfr, and it killed her.

She spent an hour in the bathroom trying to hide from Aulfr, but the water began to freeze her. Which really only made her think of how warm she was each morning, tangled up with him. It was maddening how much she thought of him, and she needed it to stop. Maybe she had to kiss him. To convince herself she couldn't really have feelings for such a brute. Yes, that was it! One kiss and she'd put such thoughts out of her head.

She climbed out of the water and dried off quickly, pulling on her nearest set of clothes. She paused just before she opened the door, gathering her courage. Then she mentally slapped herself. Courage? She wasn't going to fight her brothers, she was going to kiss someone. She didn't need courage for that! So, before she could talk herself out of it, she exited the bathroom and strode over to Aulfr, a determined look on her face.

Saints, he probably thought she was coming to kill him, finally.

Before he could act, she grabbed his face in both hands and leaned in, kissing him in a way that made it very clear she hadn't ever tried to kiss anyone before. Too much spit, kissing too hard. She was scared. She had to stop and take a breath. She wiped off his lip, too hurried to say an apology, and kissed him properly. Gently, only brushing her lips over his. Her grip on his face loosened until she held him gently.

And then it was over. She pulled away, her face about three thousand shades of red. "You said you wanted to kiss me again. Well, if you don't mind my saying so, I think the reason you haven't died yet is because no one can crack that thick skull of yours. I wanted you to kiss me. Though I don't know why I expected you to realize that," she sighed.