Epilogue
EPILOGUE
One month later
“ W hat happened was a fluke. I demand a rematch, pending when next we shall gather to wage war again.”
Aaron rolled his eyes at his cousin’s remark, clearly fed up with the conversation they had been having.
“It is hardly a fluke when you miss the shot three times, Benedict. Just admit that you are a terrible shot and we can all move forward with our lives.” Aaron sighed tiredly.
“Never. I should have won. I was this close to standing in first place as the winner.” Benedict glared at Aaron.
“Hardly. I came in first, remember? And you were at least ten points behind me and you not only lost, but you also came on dead last. It’s all right Benedict. Everyone has their strengths and it has been made apparent that archery is not yours. No harm, no foul.” Frederick told him teasingly.
“Oh, are we piling on Benedict’s lack of archery skills? How fun,” Samuel grinned, walking up to the men with his wife on his arm. “Benedict, my son is a better shot than you.”
“It’s true,” Nora nodded with a proud smile. “His teacher says he is advancing magnificently.”
Benedict glared at Samuel and stated, "I hate you. And I will get that rematch if it is the last thing I do."
Frederick sighed and said, “All right, all right. We will have the damned rematch. This weekend, then?”
“Yes!” Benedict made a cry of victory while the other men groaned.
Frederick already knew the outcome wouldn’t change, but he wanted tonight to end smoothly for his wife who had spent weeks preparing for this ball.
Speaking of his wife –
Frederick turned around to look for her, finding her almost immediately in the midst of her friends, laughing carefreely.
His heart stuttered at the sight of how beautiful she was and he couldn't help but wonder if there would come a time when her beauty did not affect him as much.
She seemed to notice him staring and looked up in his direction, smiling as she waved at him. Fredrick smiled back and nodded at her, meeting Aaron’s pleased face as he turned back around to face the group he had been speaking with.
“It probably isn’t in my place to say, but I am glad things worked out between you both. Eleanor deserved a good life and I am glad that she has chosen to obtain that with you.” Aaron said kindly.
In the past few weeks, Frederick had spent a lot of time getting to know Eleanor’s friends, realizing that they were important to her, so therefore, they were important to him as well. Now that he approached them with a sincere and open heart, he found it easy to converse with them, even going as far as to organize meetings between the men, either at his manor or outside.
It was surprising that he had also grown close enough to regard them as his friends, but what was even more so was the fact that he had lost all animosity he had held towards Aaron.
“Me too. I am glad that she chose me as well.”
Benedict stepped closer to them and sighed in relief at the sight of his own wife carrying a smile on her face.
“I’m so thankful that Eleanor organized this ball. Thalia has been incredibly worried about the decline of her father’s health and it has made her so upset. It’s good to see her smiling, again.” Benedict said.
“Selina as well. I’ve been so worried about her, but when she is with her friends, she knows nothing but joy.” Aaron stated with a small smile.
As if the women heard them, they chose then to return to their husbands’ sides. Frederick slipped an arm around Eleanor’s waist instinctively as she came to stand by his side and he pulled her closer to him.
“I’d like to dance with you.” He muttered to her softly.
Eleanor looked up at him and smiled. “Let us dance then.”
“Aw, did we keep your wife away from you for too long?” Selina teased Frederick as she noticed him trying to covertly drag her away.
“Yes,” he stated with a teasing smile. “Henceforth, cease such thieving behavior. She is mine.”
Eleanor laughed as Frederick pulled her onto the dance floor, twirling her around for a moment before pulling her flush against him.
“You look beautiful, my dear,” he told her with an awed expression.
“You always say so,” Eleanor said, as though he fibbed about it sometimes.
“That is because you are always beautiful. So much so, I can hardly keep my hands off of you.”
Eleanor giggled and chastised him without heat.
“Cheeky. You always do this to me in public. Always making me feel flustered.”
“But all I do is speak the truth.” He pointed out with a grin.
“Yes, but –”
“Eleanor!”
The duchess turned around and smiled as her parents approached them.
“Mother! You came!” Eleanor squealed, hugging her mother.
“Of course I did. You invited us. And I wouldn’t have missed it for the words. It all looks splendid! You have outdone yourself, once more.”
It was obvious to Frederick that Leah was trying her best to positively reinforce her daughter, but Eleanor was not used to such remarks from her mother and she seemed a little lost on what to say.
“She always does. Ever unafraid to reach for the stars, our Eleanor.” Frederick added, smiling gently at his wife.
Eleanor smiled back while her parents greeted the duke, bowing slightly.
“It is an honor to see you again, Your Grace,” Leah smiled politely.
“Yes, truly. I am pleased to see the marriage has been going well, Eleanor,” Leah’s husband, Adam said with a nod. “Have you managed to get any head away on birthing an heir –”
“I do so love what you have done with your garden, Eleanor. Even at night, its beauty can be seen so clearly,” Leah said quickly, changing the subject.
Eleanor nodded quickly. "Y-Yes. The lanterns are a nice touch. I like them very much."
Leah smiled at her daughter and said, "Well, you are doing absolutely fine, my dear. And we are very proud of you. Aren't we, Adam?"
Her last statement sounded like a threat and apparently, even Adam thought so, because he straightened his posture.
“Yes, yes. So very proud.” He said, glancing at his wife.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening, Your Graces,” Leah bowed before leading her husband away, winking at Eleanor as they left.
"Well… that was… hm," Eleanor noted with an awkward smile.
Frederick regarded his wife for a moment, then he took her hand.
“Would you like to go outside for a bit? Get some air?”
She nodded, squeezing his hand a little.
“Please.”
The night air was crisp and full of laughter from the ball.
Eleanor pulled the coat Frederick had draped over her shoulders closer as they walked through the garden, the silence between them comfortable.
The ball had gone better than Eleanor had expected it to, thankful to have given her friends Thalia and Selina a chance to clear their minds, seeing as they had been greatly worried for their father's wellbeing lately, with his declining health. And with Herbert's trial already scheduled, there is a need to celebrate.
It seemed that all her other guests had enjoyed themselves as well and it filled Eleanor with no small satisfaction to note that she had managed to pull off her first-ever large-scale event.
“Lovely?”
“Hmm?” she looked up at her husband.
“I have a surprise for you.”
She looked down at their joined hands, her bracelet glinting in the dark, and smiled at him.
“Is that so? Is that why you brought me out here?” she asked.
“Perhaps,” he said, leading her down a path in the garden she hardly took.
As far as she knew, the only things that were there were some old, grand oak trees. But as he guided her further, they came to an opening where an orangery stood.
Eleanor’s mouth fell open.
“Frederick…”
He tugged her hand gently. “Come on. Let us see the inside.”
She followed him obediently, nearly bursting into tears as she saw that the orangery had already been stocked with rare plants. The name of each plant had been written on a piece of paper and stuck to the side of the flower pots they were growing in.
"I picked every plant and brought them here myself," Frederick told her.
Eleanor gasped when she found a pot labeled ‘ orchid’ , her heart overflowing with love for her husband.
“I do not know what to say, Fredrick,” she told him, glancing about with an awestruck expression. “This… this reminds me of the night we met.”
Frederick grinned. “I was hoping it would. That was what I had planned, after all.”
He took her hands in his and pressed kisses to her knuckles. “I love you, Eleanor. I promise to help you with your garden, whenever you want me to. Even if you want me to stand by and keep your company I will. Being with you has taught me that I want more out of life, especially if it is with you. I want a future, and a family with you, my love. I want everything that life has to offer.”
Eleanor fell into his arms and drew his face closer to hers, kissing him deeply.
“Yes. I want it all with you too. Especially a family,” she rushed out, blinking at him.
Frederick chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her again.
“Then perhaps we should get started.”
Eleanor did not object, suddenly feeling far too hot in her own skin.
Frederick led her to an empty table and spread his coat over it, before lifting her to settle on it. He kissed her deeply, their tongue melding together as his hands tugged at her clothes and hair.
There was a sense of urgency Eleanor found that she didn’t mind, easily giving into his urge to take her. She moaned when his fingers breached her wet folds, tilting her head back to give him more access to mark her neck as he wished.
Frederick alternated between biting, kissing, and sucking the skin of her neck and chest as his fingers thrust in and out of her at a pace that was unlike the tension she could feel brewing beneath his skin.
He seemed to be trying to hold himself back, trying not to be as rough with her as he wanted to be.
“Frederick,” she gasped his name as a stroke of his finger sent shivers through her body. “Frederick, please. Please take me, however you want.”
He went still against her. Then he growled his question in her ear.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, whining a little when he curved his fingers slightly.
“P-Please!”
He tsked and pulled his fingers out of her, barely giving her any time to catch her breath before he pulled her off the table and turned her around so her top half could lie down on it.
He pulled her skirts up to hang by her hips and ordered.
“Spread your legs for me, love.”
Eleanor did as he asked and gasped as he thrust into her in one fluid motion.
He did not wait until she had adjusted to the intrusion before he set a mean pace, pounding into her desperately.
Eleanor clung to his coat that he had laid over the table, breathing in his musky scent as he continued to grind deeply into her, the sensations overwhelming her completely.
Frederick’s grip was tight on her hips, pulling her back to meet each thrust and soon, she was babbling out of control, begging for a release.
“You are always so perfect for me, my love. Always such a perfect fit for me.” He growled into her ear, somehow increasing his pace even more.
“Frederick –” Eleanor hiccuped, at the precipice of pleasure.
“I know, darling. I know. Go ahead.”
The climax hit her so hard, that she stiffened completely, silently gasping as she clenched down on him and causing him to fall along with her. Frederick gasped against her neck, mouthing declarations of his love and affection as she came back to herself.
“I love you,” she said when he had pulled out of her and had begun to arrange her dress.
He smiled at her softly, pressing a kiss full of promise and adoration as he replied.
“I love you too.”
The End?