Chapter 37 #2
Pressing his lips together, he offers what comfort he can.
“We’re keeping it light here. As little staff as possible,” he assures me.
“Guards, yes—though they’ll largely remain outside or in their quarters.
When they’re doing their job well, you won’t even notice them.
As for the others, they’re here whether the manor is occupied or not.
This is their home, in some ways more than it is mine.
Yes, they’ll tend to us—but quietly. It’s something they are kind and gracious enough to do while building their own lives in the peace of this valley. ”
The love and respect in his eyes as he speaks soothes me. I know he cares for each and every person in his kingdom, regardless of their station.
Soria speaks up then, an unexpected but welcome addition. “If it helps, I fully plan to relax and enjoy myself while I am here.” She finally takes a bite of the buttered bread, smiling.
My shoulders move in time with my laugh. She frees something in me with that single line.
“Something tells me she won’t need help getting undressed,” Ace adds, and I nearly spit out the wine I’ve only just begun to sip.
The rest of the afternoon and into the evening unfolds with ease.
From a delicious meal to a short stroll around the grounds, we eventually settle into a quiet evening in the parlor.
Soria and Ace offer exaggerated yawns, claiming exhaustion, and soon we all retreat to our rooms for the night before the sun has even fully set.
Ace offers his arm to Soria as an escort.
“Off we go—far, far away from the newlyweds,” he calls back with a wink, and I feel myself blush.
While it’s no secret how Vale and I will be spending our nights, the colorful jab from our dear friend leaves me flushed nonetheless.
Embarrassment aside, I’m grateful for the not-so-subtle assurance that we will be far out of earshot.
It’s a fact I don’t take lightly when Vale finally has me to himself.
After a rolling tide I could not possibly begin to number, we lie together. My back is pressed against Vale’s chest, his arms wrapped around me as I fiddle with the ring on his hand, regarding it alongside my own as our fingers intertwine.
His hair is disheveled, strands clinging to his sweat-damp brow. My own golden tendrils stick to my skin as he presses a kiss to my temple.
“I have a question…” I pause, tentative and nervous about my own naivety. “Do all immortals have such… stamina?” I can’t finish the sentence without a timid laugh.
“They don’t call us the Blessed for nothing,” he says with a degree of charm I would almost swear he stole from Ace—if not for the low tremor in his voice that always undoes me.
Humor aside, he answers more plainly. “Yes, I’ve heard from some that our…
stamina, as you put it, tends to rival that of mortals.
But you, little flame, certainly know how to put me through my paces.
” He nuzzles his face into my hair, the scruff of his beard rough against the smooth waves.
Silence lingers for a moment. I feel Vale’s relaxed body beside me—the peace of him. I feel the unease within me just as clearly.
I sit up, pulling the sheet lightly against my chest, already feeling too exposed to remain fully bare in this moment.
“I…” Closing my eyes, I inhale, willing the courage to say the words. “I’m not sure I am anymore.”
My whole body tightens, bracing for impact. He reaches for me, confusion and concern knitting together—and I realize how unclear my words have been. Another deep breath. I begin to tremble.
“Mortal?”
Did I mean for it to be a question? Perhaps. Honestly, I don’t know anymore.
I look down at my hands, one cradled in the other. I shake my head; everything in me feels at war. And yet the one truth I hold tighter than any other in this moment is this: Vale loves me. Truly, deeply, loves me. Together, I know we can face whatever comes.
My voice barely rises above a whisper as I speak into the night.
“I don’t think I’m the same anymore. And not just the change of coming to court, of becoming your wife, becoming…
queen.” Each word feels heavy. Everything I have endured is more than most would face in a lifetime.
Still, I know there is more. More that has happened. More that has changed.
I look into Vale’s eyes, and I can see he carries the same question deep in his heart. He lifts himself higher in the bed, leaning toward me, taking my hands in his own.
“The day of the wedding…” I continue, my hands trembling despite the warmth of his around them. I feel the sting of tears at the corners of my eyes. My shoulders knot across my spine. The pit in my stomach churns so fiercely I fear it might swallow me whole.
But I have to say it. I have to speak the words that have been burning inside me since I first dared to think them.
Vale’s concern grows; I can tell he’s afraid. Saying it won’t ease that fear. Through the tightness in my chest, I take the leap.
“…I think I died.”