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When Lapis accepted the pact ring, she knew she'd have some problems adjusting to her new life. She was a humble farm girl taking the mantle of royalty after all. But she was surprised at which things gave her more trouble then others.
Alear, bless his heart, was even more worried about it then she was. He did everything in his power to make her more comfortable by his side. On the simpler side, he brought in native herbs and flowers from her hometown and planted them all around the many gardens of Lythos. Whenever she took morning walks around the garden, she could see Bellflowers blooming right along the path.
She couldn't help smiling like a manic. He always thought of her, even in the small things.
(He also introduced a whole host of Brodia Yam dishes to the court, to her complete delight and the chefs complete confusion.)
The people, surprisingly, weren't too hard to get used to. While she was thrown for a loop the first time Vander called her "Lady Lapis" after they revealed their engagement (and continued doing it no matter how much she insisted) she came to tolerate it. It showed that despite her birth, they still saw her as a fitting partner to the Divine One. As royalty.
She supposed them not calling her "lady" would be an intentional slight. Not one she would mind, but her husband and allies certainly would.
As shown when Alear once stormed into their bedroom, his red hair almost steaming with fury, and ranted about a noble who he swore intentionally referred to her as "Miss Lapis." She simply laughed it off and told him she could fight her own battles, running her hands through his hair to calm him. But she couldn't help but be flattered anyway. She always was when he showed how much he cared for her.
In all, many things she thought she'd have trouble with seemed to fall into place quickly. It was the simple things she had more issues than she expected. Things like trying to reuse broken furniture, or drying leftovers for emergency rations despite having plenty of spare provisions for the people of Lythos. It felt wrong to her to waste anything, no matter her current circumstances.
(She did manage to stop her grass-harvesting habit though. That was probably a bit too far even for Alear to accommodate.)
But overall, she had settled into her new life pretty well. She had wonderful knights and allies, a loving husband she was equally devoted to, and kind subjects that accepted her humble background with open arms.
...the one thing she didn't expect to worry about was her title.
You'd figure it would be a simple matter. Alear was crowned the "Divine Dragon King" so logically she would be "Divine Dragon Queen." Lapis, however, had a slight issue with that: she wasn't a dragon.
Even months after the war, she still occasionally felt like she was slipping into shoes that weren't hers. Adopting the title of "Dragon Queen" was just taking a title that didn't belong to her. Especially since that title was Lumera's before.
She had suggested simply going by "Divine Dragon Consort" as an alternative, but Alear quickly shot that down. "You don't deserve a title that just tells the world you're my wife." He took his hands on hers, his red and blue eyes gazing right into her pink ones. "You deserve one that let's the world know you are royalty yourself. That you are wise and strong, regardless of being my wife. My equal."
Once again, always thinking of her. Her face hadn't been so red in months.
(She suggested they retire for the night, and tackle the issue the next morning. Though, they didn't exactly rest much that night...)
The two were sprawled out on Alear's bed the next day. Lapis' head lay on his lap, kicking her legs off the bed while she held a notebook in front of her. The dragon ran a hand down the strands of her hair, gently twirling and clearing out tangles.
"What about 'Divine Queen'?" He offered, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Somehow it just sounds arrogant without the 'Dragon' part. 'Queen-Consort?'"
"Still not keen on you being called just my 'consort.' You deserve more than that."
"But that's what I am." She lowered her notebook, turning her head back to glance at his face. "I wouldn't be here if I weren't your wife. I'm just a country gal who lucked her way into royalty."
He moved his free hand onto her cheek, cupping her soft skin. "You're here because you're a skilled warrior with a heart of gold. You saved so many lives as a soldier of Brodia. You saved Prince Alcryst's life time and time again. You've even saved my life more than I can count." He leaned forward, planting a kiss to her forehead.
She giggled at his touch, lifting a hand onto the one in her hair. "Alright, alright, you big charmer. I won't use 'consort' okay?"
Nodding, his lips turned upwards to a small smile. "You still opposed 'Divine Dragon Queen'?"
She let out a sigh, setting the notebook aside. "Honestly... It feels wrong to take your mother's title. It's almost like I'm usurping it. She rules for a thousand years, sacrifices herself for her kingdom and son, and then some random common girl steps in and takes her mantle. I just..." She looked away, taking her hand from Alear's hand and resting it on her heart.
"...I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to fill her throne. She is so important to you, to the people of Lythos, to all of Elyos. I know I'm here to support you as King, but it's a lot of pressure, you know?"
Alear stayed silent a few moments. His hand left her hair, going down to her shoulders. Lapis let out a yelp as he pulled her up, her head resting on her chest. His arms wrapped around her waist, his chin nuzzling her hair.
"You don't have to worry about replacing her." He whispered. "I'm her son, and the Divine Dragon. Her heir. Don't think of your background as a problem. Think of it as a new point of view. You'll know the hardships and trials of regular people far better then I can." Her kissed her forehead yet again. "I couldn't imagine helping anyone with my rule without you. I couldn't ask for a better queen."
Lapis blinked a few times, lifting a hand to dry her eyes. "Alear..." She whisper back, turning over chest-to-chest. She took a second to admire his gleam eyes, then brought her lips onto his.
She pulled away, a small smile adorning her lips. "Okay... you win. I'll be your Divine Dragon Queen. Your Consort. Anything. I just... want to be at your side. For as long as I live."
Alear's smile was as bright as the sun. "I love you." He simply said, pulling her back in for another kiss.
Her response went unsaid, but her actions spoke just as clearly.