Jillia Blight picked morosely at her meal, not feeling hungry in the slightest. She hadn't had much of an appetite at all recently, not since the death of her father. Her brother as well, though she was less mournful about that particular demise. Jillia knew her brother had to be stopped one way or another and the Dunan Army had picked the simpler method. Not that killing Luca had been simple; Jillia had heard it had taken a surprise attack, multiple archers, eighteen of the army's best fighters, and a duel with Riou before her older brother finally kicked it.

'Kicked it.'

Jillia needed to stop hanging around the Highland Army.

But being near the soldiers is inevitable when your husband is the King of Highland himself. The woman glanced up to look at the man, the great king, her husband. Jowy wasn't eating and had his chin in his palm, staring down at his food as though wishing it would disappear entirely.

His sullen, serious expression was the only one Jillia had ever seen him wear. Jowy was just that: a sullen, serious person. He was all of eighteen years old, and she herself was twenty-one, but he was burdened with great responsibility. Leading a country that was in the middle of a war was hardly easy, especially when...

She stopped herself from thinking the final thought. Jowy hated when anybody brought up his former life and friends, who were currently heading up the opposition. It was best not to think of those things, and think of Riou and Nanami simply as the enemy.

Jillia hated it. She had seen Riou and Jowy together; she had seen how close friends they and were how they would be there and do anything for each other, even take a fool's mission together. That her husband now thought of his friend as his greatest enemy broke her heart. She truly did love Jowy, the events leading up to and following their marriage notwithstanding. She wanted to support him as much as possible, but he made it difficult. He was convinced that he could do everything himself, and inside, she knew he was close to breaking.

She was staring now, but she didn't stop. Jowy glanced up, and did a double take when he caught her looking.

"What is it?"

"It's..." She sighed. "It's nothing."

Awkward silence.

"...alright then." Jowy went back to contemplating his stew.

Jillia cleared her throat, wanting to alleviate the conversation. "Ah...if you don't eat, you won't have any energy. I don't want you to collapse again..."

For Runes' sake. Was that the best she could come up with?

Jowy met her eyes, surprised now. "...Alright. I'm sorry." Jillia watched as he picked up his spoon, stared at it for a moment with a small frown, and began to eat. He grimaced, and began picking small, orange bits out of the broth.

Carrots.

Jillia sat rigidly in her chair, floored. Jowy didn't like carrots?

The blonde boy turned red when she voiced the question, visibly embarrassed.

"I can't like everything," he said, "Don't be ridiculous."

And just like that, Jillia couldn't help it. She burst into laughter. Jowy jumped at the sound, stunned.

"W-What's the matter?"

She covered her mouth with her hand in a failed attempt to smother her giggles. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, it's just..." The laughter escaped and drowned out what she was about to say. Eventually, she managed to quiet down and catch her breath, almost losing it again when she saw Jowy's dumbstruck expression. She knew it was undignified, and certainly not the way a wife should behave towards her husband, but...

"Do you have a fever or something?" he asked weakly.

Jillia smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing all that important. I just thought it amusing how the great King of Highland refused to eat carrots, like a small child."

Jowy didn't reply, opting to glare and stubbornly begin eating his stew, carrots and a much better mood, Jillia mirrored the action. For all his attempts to be above it all, Jowy really was a child when it came down to it.

A/N:

I, uh, yeah. I don't know. Them carrots...

Thanks for reading and please review.