"That… that is your problem, because everyone can touch me if they want," Rin shot back, her fingers prying at Selene's grip on her waist.
Selene didn't budge. Her hold was like steel—cold and unyielding.
"I'm being serious here, Kisaragi," she said, her voice low and edged with frost. "I don't like it when someone touches you. Even letting you stay in this land irritates me. After our marriage, I'm taking you to my ice kingdom."
She released her suddenly, and Rin dropped onto the bed with a soft thud, the mattress dipping under her weight. Selene stepped back, shadows from the lamplight sharpening the lines of her face.
"You are a psycho for saying that," Rin snapped, pushing herself upright. "If you think we'll end up getting married—let alone me following you to your icy kingdom—you're wrong. I'm not the type you can easily control."
Her hands fumbled for the zipper of her dress. "Why did you unzip this? Now it's hard to close."
Selene's gaze swept over her with quiet satisfaction. "Don't you feel better? The dress was choking you before. Now it's not."
"How am I supposed to go back to the party like this?" Rin demanded, her voice sharp.
"You're not going back to the party," Selene said simply. "You're staying here. In your room."
"What? Are you seriously going to force me to stay here? You're being possessive—"
Before Rin could finish, Selene's hands were on her again, pushing her back onto the bed. The blanket rustled as Selene yanked it over her, tucking it snugly around her shoulders. She slipped off Rin's shoes one by one, the leather brushing against Rin's ankles.
"What are you doing, Selene?" Rin asked, her voice tight with frustration.
"You have quite the list of names for me—first pervert, then villainess, now psycho and possessive," Selene said coolly, setting the shoes aside. "You should rest, Kisaragi." She leaned down, her lips capturing Rin's in a kiss that stole her breath.
Rin turned her face away. "Will you stop kissing me?"
"No," Selene murmured, her tone almost playful. "You gave me the right to kiss you whenever I want—remember? After making me eat several plates of soba."
"Make you? I only asked you once. You were the one who kept eating," Rin shot back, but her words were muffled as Selene kissed her again.
"If you don't close your eyes and sleep," Selene warned softly, brushing her lips over Rin's once more, "I'll keep kissing you."
Rin huffed but squeezed her eyes shut.
"That's better," Selene whispered, her breath warm against Rin's skin.
She moved to the other side of the bed, sitting gracefully while her sharp eyes studied Rin's face. Rin, already half-asleep, rolled over toward her. One eye cracked open lazily.
"Do you want me to kiss you, Kisaragi? We them," Selene teased with a small, knowing smile.
"Selene…" Rin murmured, her voice soft and sleepy.
"Yes?" Selene replied, leaning forward slightly.
"Are you… going to watch me sleep?" Rin asked, eyes drifting shut again.
"Yes, Kisaragi," Selene answered without hesitation.
"Just because you're acting all sweet and nice, with this caring, romantic attitude… doesn't mean I'll fall for you," Rin muttered, the last words slurring as she surrendered to sleep.
Selene sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips, and gently stroked Rin's hair with her fingers, watching her breathing steady.
From the doorway came hushed voices.
"What do you think she's doing to our sister?" one whispered.
"Move, let me hear. I need to know if Rin is doing okay," the other replied.
"Ohh, what if she's freezing her to death?"
"Or turned her into an ice cube—"
Before they could finish, the door slid open on its own with a sharp shhhk of wood. Selene's telekinesis yanked it aside, and both Minato and Ayato tumbled face-first into the room.
Selene arched a brow, her voice calm but sharp. "Is spying on women your nightly hobby, or is this a special occasion?"
Minato scrambled up first, brushing off his robe. "We were… uh… checking if Rin was safe!"
"Mm-hm." Selene's eyes flicked between them. "Because nothing says 'concern' like eavesdropping and making up freezer jokes."
Ayato, still on the floor, muttered, "We just… wanted to be sure you weren't doing anything—"
"Dangerous?" Selene finished for him, her smile just a little too pleasant. "If I wanted to hurt her, you'd both be decorating the hallway walls by now."
The brothers exchanged a quick glance.
"Now," Selene added, "unless you'd like me to tuck you in too, get out before I decide to test how fast you can run."
They scrambled out, tripping over each other, and Selene quietly slid the door shut with a flick of her hand.
But the quiet didn't last. She sensed them still lingering outside.
Selene stood, walked over, and slid the door open again—revealing Minato and Ayato frozen in place like guilty statues.
"Didn't I just tell you two to leave?" she asked, her voice low but with that dangerous softness.
Minato quickly adjusted his robe and straightened his posture, holding his hand fan like a judge about to deliver a verdict. "We… would like to ask questions, Queen Selene," he said with forced dignity, while Ayato just nodded so fast he looked like a bobblehead.
Selene's gaze flicked back to Rin's sleepy face before she stepped out and slid the door closed behind her. Leaning against the wall, she folded her arms and crossed one leg over the other, her expression calm but faintly amused.
"Alright," she said, tilting her head. "Ask."
Ayato raised a hand like a nervous schoolboy. "Before we start… promise you won't freeze us to death… or shave our heads bald?"
"That depends," Selene replied smoothly. "But I'll keep my word… for now. Go on."
They exchanged a gulp before Minato cleared his throat.
"Why our sister?" he asked.
Selene's brow arched. "I don't understand."
"Why would someone as powerful as you choose a powerless girl like Rin? Last I checked, our clan doesn't have much to offer except crops and vegetables," Minato said evenly.
"Powerful or powerless—it doesn't matter to me," Selene said without hesitation. "Rin is special. She has something I want."
"Like what?" Ayato asked, narrowing one eye.
"Her heart is pure," Selene said, "and she's a good fighter."
"Pure as in… you're going to eat her heart, or pure as in she's different from everyone else?" Ayato rattled off so quickly it almost sounded like he was rapping.
"I'll take the second one," Selene replied dryly.
"Question two," Minato continued, "is this about politics? You want to claim more lands?"
"I don't care about politics or land," Selene said. "All I care about is Rin."
"Do you intend to keep her as an ice sculpture in your palace?" Ayato added.
"No."
"Do you love her?" Minato asked.
"Yes. If I didn't, I wouldn't want to marry her in the first place."
"You were engaged to Rei Arakawa. Did you want to marry her for love or for something else?" Ayato pressed.
"It was an arrangement," Selene said. "There was no love. But I love your sister—trust me on that."
"Does our sister love you?" Minato asked.
Selene hesitated before answering. "No. Not yet. But I'm working on it."
"You can't force love. You know that, right?" Minato said.
"Yes, I know. I'm not forcing anything. Your sister and I have a deal—whoever wins gets what they want." Selene's smile curved faintly.
"Last question," Minato said. "Will you ever hurt our sister?"
"No. I'd rather hurt myself than hurt her again."
"Again?!" both brothers exclaimed.
"What do you mean again? Did you freeze her? Drown her? What exactly do you mean by 'again'?" Ayato fired off.
"That's all. You can leave now," Selene said, neatly dodging the question.
"Wait, we have more questions, Queen Selene," Minato said quickly.
Selene sighed, sat down on the floor, and leaned back against the wall, looking tired. "Go on."
"We heard you have dragons. How many?" Ayato asked eagerly.
"One," Selene said.
"Can we see him?" they asked in unison, almost bouncing.
"You already met him earlier," Selene replied.
"What? When?" Ayato frowned.
"The one you gave the fruit basket to," Selene said.
"Ohhh—the quiet, good-looking guy," Ayato said with dawning realization.
Selene sighed, silently regretting ever agreeing to this interrogation. The brothers, however, looked far too pleased with themselves… and continued asking questions long into the night.