16. Aurelio
Ialmost watched my wife die. Right before my eyes.
I can barely comprehend it. One moment, we were getting ready to settle down for the day, and the next, a demon skewered Daelia and held Alessia at sword point.
If there’s anything worse than that kind of situation, I don’t think my psyche could handle it.
I’m replaying the moment over and over in my mind as I prepare our makeshift cots for the day. I don’t know why I froze up. I should have stepped in like I did for that wendigo attack last week. I should have thrown myself in front of Alessia like Daelia did for me. I should have done anything other than stand there watching the woman I love stare death in the eyes. What kind of husband am I if I can’t protect my wife?
I steal a glance at Alessia, who’s speaking quietly with her sister. I keep having to double-check that she’s really alive, and that I’m not hallucinating just to cope with her death. I can’t believe we got lucky enough that the demon decided to let her leave with her life. Most demon encounters end in a brutal slaughter, or both parties end up mortally wounded. I’ve never heard of demons letting humans go.
Did the demon know Alessia is royalty, maybe?
I shake my head. No, there’s no way an uncivilized monster would know the first thing about royalty. There must have been something she found amusing about Alessia to let her off easy. That, and it worked out well that the elf she was traveling with only received burn wounds instead of death. I have a feeling that had Alessia killed the elf, the demon would have taken her life as retribution.
I see. You don’t fear death.
I shudder to recall her words as I finish building the cots and move onto the fire. The demon’s voice was human-like. I would have mistaken her for a mercenary had it not been for her otherworldly gaze. That eye color is far from natural, and the clothes she wore—why do demons dress like they’re preparing for the end times? They’re always in black, and often, they wear spikes around their neck or their thighs, and this demon was no exception. They don’t even try to blend in when they’re traveling to and from the Demon Plains.
Whatever. As long as Alessia is safe, I don’t care what happens.
I try to file away the experience with the demon, but the harder I try, the more it torments me. I spend an hour starting and tending to the fire, cooking us a meal, and putting Daelia to bed for a nap, and still, I’m shaking in my boots from the mental image of my wife at the mercy of that monster. Luck was the only factor standing between her and death. My presence was meaningless. In fact, my presence contributed negatively to the situation, because I got Daelia hurt, and that prevented her from being able to save Alessia when she was in danger.
I never want to feel that small again.
I poke the fire in silence, watching the way the flames dance so dully in the sunlight. It’s so much harder to enjoy a campfire when it’s light outside. I guess it has to be dark and scary in the forest for me to appreciate the glow of a fire.
Wait…have I been taking this for granted?
I steal a look at Alessia, who’s simply sitting on the edge of her cot, staring aimlessly at the fire. She looks tired, but not as defeated as I must look. The way the fire reflects in her eyes, even in the bright light of day, brings out the sparkle of life, determination, and passion in them. She didn’t expect me to defend her at all against that demon. She didn’t look at me to save her, and she wasn’t afraid to die by the blade. If anything, she looks fired up now, as if the demon’s words were a direct challenge.
I’m tormented by meaningless questions: Would she have looked for help if she married a man braver than I? Would she have stayed back by my side if I was stronger? Would she have trusted me to come save her, even from a demon, if I was a top-tier knight like Kharu or Emilia?
I don’t have the answers to these questions. I’m not sure I want to know. But I know one thing for sure: I will prove to her I am worthy of her trust, her admiration, and her love, however long it takes to earn it. Marriage to the Queen of Celestia is a privilege, not a formality to be taken for granted. I have an extraordinary wife that deserves the time, attention, and effort of an extraordinary man. It’s time for me to follow through on the promise I made to her.
I promised to get her established as a queen, did I not? Well, it’s time to give her not just princess treatment, but the treatment befitting of a queen. She must feel the part if she’s going to play it properly.
“Alessia,” I call softly.
She looks up at me as if startled. “Yes?”
“Would you like to come with me? I’m going to the river.”
She shrugs. “Sure.”
I blink. That was much easier than I anticipated. I thought for sure I’d have to barter with her, but she’s already up from her cot and walking toward me. My heart racing, I get up, grab my water pouch, and lead the way to the river, which is just to the north of our camp. I can see its bubbling waters through the trees, and I can hear the rushing water after walking only a short way. When we arrive on the riverbank, we find that it’s not a sand-based river, but a river full of smooth stones with some silt at the bottom. The water is crystal-clear, probably runoff from the mountains that run between Krasta and Wruceria.
“This place is beautiful,” Alessia comments. “I’m glad we came here during the day.”
“Me too.”
I crouch down to fill my water pouch, watching the way Alessia gazes out at the river. I want to ask her a million questions just to nullify the insecurities racing through my head, instead, I take a deep breath, swallow my pride, and take the leap of faith.
“Hold this, will you?”
I hand Alessia my water pouch. She takes it but there’s a lot of questions written over her face when I take off my shirt and set it aside.
“Um…Aurelio?”
“What? I came here to bathe,” I inform her.
Her face goes bright pink in the blink of an eye. The color shift is impressive, really.
“Aurelio—I—Um,”
“Your eloquence is stunning today,” I tease.
She shoots me a death glare. “Shut up! Why are you bathing? I thought we were coming here to get water!”
“I didn’t say that. I just asked you to come to the river. You assumed it was for drinking water.”
“Well…yeah, you’re right, but do you really have to do this in front of me?” Alessia questions, her eyes flickering to my exposed skin.
Perfect. Right on target.I smile, taking off my travel pants in one fell swoop. Alessia’s eyes fly wide.
“I don’t see the harm in this,” I say. “I’m your husband, after all. I’m not ashamed. You can feel free to avert your eyes if it bothers you, though. It’s not like I can make you look.”
As much as I dislike my body being an object of affectionate attention, for once, I really want Alessia to look at me. This is very different from the day we faced off in a training match, and I was flustered over my outfit, and then I was flustered over hers; I want to expose all of myself to her, and I want to do it confidently. If I’m going to spend the rest of my life as the patriarch of Celestia, the least I can do is earn the love of the matriarch who chose me for the job. That starts with learning to be confident when vulnerable with one another.
“Aurelio…again, can’t you wait until I leave?” Alessia says quietly, clearly struggling to avert her eyes.
There’s that reverse psychology I pulled on her. Now that I told her she doesn’t have to look, curiosity is killing her. I grin victoriously.
“I don’t have to wait until you leave. You’re free to do whatever you like. I, however, am going to wash the travel stains out of my skin. You’re free to join me.”
“Wait, Aurelio—”
With one last leap of faith, I drop the last piece of clothing, and I head into the water. I hear a small (absolutely adorable) gasp behind me right before I take my first step into the river. I don’t dare to look back and shatter my chances; I keep walking, letting Alessia decide how far this is going to go. I’ve made my intentions clear.
Come on, Alessia. Seize the moment.
I wade as far as I can into the river, finding the deepest part just deep enough to come up to my shoulders. I splash water all over my face, then dip my head back in the water, letting it run through my hair until I’m certain the dirt and grime is finally gone. I’m starting to finally feel human again when I hear the telltale swish of someone stepping into the water.
“Aurelio…you’re trying to get me to come in with you, aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged,” I say, grinning like an idiot. “What’s the punishment, my queen?”
“…I’ll let you off with no charges if you wash me down.”
Gods above, does that have me trembling with anticipation. My manhood is already standing at attention just from the sound of her voice. I’m not about to push her beyond this, though; my intentions are to treat her well, not take what I want and run. I’m trying to make her feel the admiration and adoration she deserves.
“Is it alright if I turn around, then?”
“Yes. But don’t stare for too long.”
“I won’t. You have my word.”
I slowly turn around, and the sight that meets my eyes is beautiful enough to blind me. I’m going weak at the knees just looking at her. The contour of her body is even more perfect than I imagined, and she exceeds all previous imaginations elsewhere. I’ve seen a few women undressed before, but never ones I’ve truly cared about. This is heart-stopping, life-altering, and earth-shattering all at once. I can’t capture it with mere words.
“Alessia. You’re—”
“Don’t stare for too long, I said!”
Even though that look in those electrifying blue eyes says, “Come and get me,” I do exactly as she asks, and I walk around behind her instead, splashing water all over her back and shoulders. She shudders, but I know it’s not from the cold; the water’s perfectly warm. I sweep her long, wavy hair aside, massaging the muscles in her upper back, then bravely lean forward and plant a kiss there.
“Aurelio…why are you doing this?” she asks.
“Because you deserve it,” I whisper.
She doesn’t protest as I kiss her again, and again, and again, trailing slowly all the way down her back until I get to her hips. When I get there, I stop, touching only above her waistline.
“I’m not going to keep going until you tell me what you want,” I say. “This is all about you, Alessia.”
For a moment, she stands there, shivering slightly; I bet it’s from the sound of my voice in her ear. I impatiently wait for her reaction, anxiously wondering whether I’ve pushed her too far.
Then, just when I think I’ve shot and missed, Alessia unexpectedly turns around, grabs me by the neck, and pulls me in for a kiss.