ARDELLE'S POV:
I buried my face in my trembling hands, my skin burning with a heat of pure embarrassment, praying I hadn't done something extreme.
I won't forgive Aldwin for this! When did he start following Araleth's footsteps?
Fragments of the night before flickered like broken glass in my mind—the taste of spiced ale, the roar of the campfire, and the terrifyingly solid weight of an obsidian plate beneath my palms.
"I wish this ground could swallow me," I whispered into my palms, my voice was muffled but the prayer was crystal-clear.
"This ground won't," A deep, familiar voice answered from the shadows of the carriage, "But, I might."
I jumped, my heart threatening to leap out of my chest.
Lord Kaldric was sitting across from me, his massive frame taking up nearly all the space, his silver eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my blood hum in response.
"My Lord! I... I am so sorry." I gasped.
"Whatever happened last night, whatever I did... Please tell me I didn't offend the King. I don't remember anything after the second cup. Did I fall? Did I say something... untoward?"
A slow, dangerous smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, a look that made my heart do a slow, panicked jump.
He wasn't displeased, which was somehow worse than his discontent. He shifted, hovering over me in the cramped space, his shadow engulfing me.
"Offend the King?" he mused, his voice becoming low, predatory, "No, Ardelle. No."
His hand extended, pressing his index finger on my shoulder, dragging it down slowly. My heart rate doubled, body frozen to wonder what was wrong with him.
What did I do? He had never been this amused before.
He smirked darkly, "You didn't offend him. You entertained him."
"En- Entertained? How?"
"You spent the evening explicitly praising your husband, and you did it before the entire vanguard. You made quite the spectacle of the Obsidian Pillar until I was forced to show you, I am not all cold."
I felt the blood drain from my face, I failed to imagine myself doing this in private, let alone to commit such shameful acts before everyone.
"I... I did this? With you? In front of everyone? Im-Impossible. I would never dare to."
He must be lying, exaggerating to check me. I won't fall for it.
"But you did. You truly did." He chuckled, a husky, amused sound that shut down my functioning.
"You were quite vocal about my... 'handsome body' and your desire to mark what was yours." he repeated, clearly enjoying the way I shrank into the cushions.
"I am so sorry!" I cried, my voice cracking with pure shame. "Please, My Lord, I didn't mean to humiliate you. I'll apologize to the King, I'll—"
"Quiet, Ardelle, you don't want everyone to hear you… again, do you?" he scolded, though his tone was strangely light, almost playful.
He seemed triumphant, like a general who had just won a territory he didn't even know he wanted. His finger went down, twirling around the laces of my dress.
"The damage is done. The whole camp knows you have a sharp tongue when you've had your fill. Fascinating. Very fascinating."
I lowered my head, staring at my lap, failing to see the dark, satisfied glint in his eyes.
As I shifted, the light caught the side of his throat. A dark purple mark stood out against his pale skin, right above the collar of his tunic.
"My Lord... your neck," I whispered, reaching out instinctively.
"You're injured. Was there another attack? Did a rebel reach you?"
Lord Kaldric went very still before narrowing his eyes, they darkened with further amusement. He looked down at me, his breathing hitching for a fraction of a second.
"Hmmm? No. Not a rebel. I think... a fairy bit me."
"A fairy?" I blinked, confused, curling my toes, "Does it hurt? It looks deep."
"Why don't you check?" he challenged, his voice raspy.
Oh Lord, his lower, husky tone was heating my body. I couldn't name but there was something different. It was… seductively low.
Hesitantly, I reached up. My fingertips brushed the bruised skin. The moment I touched him, a violent shiver raced through his entire frame.
It wasn't a flinch of pain, it was the tremor of a man who had suddenly realized his emotions were swaying him into a dark cave.
Lord Kaldric's eyes blew wide. He looked at my hand, then at my face, and the Commander suddenly slammed back into place.
He stood abruptly, his head nearly hitting the roof of the carriage, and grabbed the door.
"The march is resuming," he cleared his throat, turning his head away, "Stay inside."
He vanished before I could speak, leaving the carriage door swinging.
I sat there in silence, my fingers still tingling from the heat of his skin, wondering why the man who had just teased me so boldly looked like he was running for his life.
What was that?
Was something wrong with him? Or did I do something?
Nonetheless, the journey began and my head was throbbing due to the ale. I couldn't focus, my head felt like it might burst but enduring it, I clutched my dress rigidly until Aldwin came and offered me medicine.
"Here, My Lady. This helps with the headache."
"How do you…?" I trailed off, blinking in disbelief.
He smirked, "The demon of my dream. He tells me everything."
He leaned down and whispered as well, "I apologize for last night but he was the one who ordered me. If I hadn't, the demon would have eaten me."
I covered my mouth, worried for him, "Why? He was so good before. Now, this? Does it have a meaning too?"
"Surely. It does. It emboldened you. I believe the demons want you… to want him back." He continued, his voice low so others wouldn't hear.
My breaths hitched in fear, "But- But- I am married. I-I cannot leave my Lord. I am grateful for the care but I cannot want your demon back."
He pulled back, winking at me but I was not amused at all, "Oh, you will. Trust me, you will."
I pouted, declaring my words proudly, "I am loyal to Lord Kaldric, Sir Aldwin. Never will I surrender to the demon of your dream. He cannot appear in reality."
Noticing our slight commotion, Lord Kaldric came to us, his brows furrowing wondering why I was fuming mixed with dread while Aldwin could barely hold his laughter.
"What is happening here?"
"My Lord," I peeked, my hand out, pointing my finger infuriating at Aldwin, unintentionally demanding him.
"Sir Aldwin intends to offer me to the demon. He wants me to accept him and let him take me away. Tell him you won't let him. It only exists in dreams."
He paused, his eyes darting from Aldwin who was smirking. For a moment, he was unsure how to react before pinching between his brows.
"Let the demon dare." He warned. I smirked, folding my arms at my chest proudly.
"You hear that, Sir?"
"Although Ardelle?" Lord Kaldric stopped briefly, the amusement from before reviving.
"...desiring a demon won't be that… scary. I promise you that."
Before I could comprehend the depths of his words, he was gone. I stayed there, blinking how he could instruct me to want that non-existent creature back.
Perhaps he wasn't afraid of dreams.
"See?"
"Hmph."
As we rested, I noticed the way the other knights, and especially Earl Emerson, kept stealing glances at the dark mark on Lord Kaldric's neck.
"That's a nasty-looking sting, Commander," Emerson called out from his white horse, his voice dripping with that honeyed, false concern.
"Almost looks like someone tried to take a piece of you. Perhaps the rebels have trained venomous hounds?"
Lord Kaldric's jaw tightened. He looked straight ahead, trying not to acknowledge his existence.
"It is nothing, Earl. A mere scratch from a branch during the night's watch."
"A branch?" Emerson laughed, looking at the other high-ranking officers who were already stifling grins.
"Since when do we have branches that have teeth?"
I couldn't help myself. I leaned out of the carriage window, my voice earnest.
"It wasn't a branch, My Lord. He told me himself—a fairy bit him."
The silence that followed lasted exactly one heartbeat.
Then, the pass exploded with the raucous, booming laughter of the knights and the Earl's high-pitched chuckle.
Lord Kaldric's head snapped toward me, his silver eyes flashing with a glare so lethal it could have pierced right through my heart.
I shrank back into the cushions, my face burning.
'What did I say wrong?' I only meant to back up his story.
Why was he looking at me as if he wanted to leave me on the carriage?
Later that evening, the camp settled into a weary quiet. I found a flat, gray rock away from the main fires and sat down, pulling my knees to my chest.
My head still throbbed slightly, but it was nothing compared to the heaviness in my chest.
Why had Kaldric looked at me with such fury?
I only meant to support his story and keep his dignity intact after my reckless behavior the night before until he walked past me with one stern order.
"Follow me, Ardelle,"
I jumped, my heart skipping a beat. Kaldric was standing over me, silhouetted powerfully glistening under the moonlight, enhancing his features.
He didn't wait for a response, turning and walking toward a secluded area near a steaming thermal spring, inducing a strange sensation.
Was he going to punish me?
Scold me for speaking when I shouldn't?
I followed him in silence. When we were far enough from the prying eyes of the camp, he stopped and began unbuckling his obsidian armor.
I held back my breaths, my eyes were impotent to look elsewhere but the curves of his ripped chest out for display, increasing my heartbeats.
One by one, the massive pieces of the Commander's armor hit the grass with a heavy sound that only amplified my sensations.
My face flushed, "My- My lord? Wh- What are you doing?"
"Sit," he commanded, gesturing to a smooth stone.
"Clean them. The salt from the snow will rust the joints if left unattended."
He handed me a coarse polishing cloth and a jar of oil, laying his armor across my lap, his voice low, holding no scolding or authority.
Just fulfilling a domestic task that made me smile and unintentionally utter, "With pleasure."
He paused, spared a glance and tugged his finger under my hat, undoing the lace and removing it from my head, allowing my hair to flow.
My cheeks were crimson when his knuckles brushed against my cheek, "I will be bathing," And then a smirk tugged, "Want to peek?"
"I-I will clean your armor, right away!" I panicked, looking down and began to work on the iron.
Without another word, he turned his back to me and stepped toward the edge of the water to bathe, leaving me to my task.
'Should I speak?' I thought, 'He had seen every inch of me many times. Why shouldn't I look at my naked husband? I definitely can.'
I didn't want to turn my head and then my eyes fell on the armor, catching my reflection and lifting it up to search for him only to find him submerged, only making his glorious upper body visible.
… I wanted to see the rest.
Sighing when it didn't work, I continued my task.
By the time he emerged from the water, his skin was flushed red from the heat and his dark hair was damp, clinging to his forehead.
I stood up to help him, naturally stepping into the role of his squire. My fingers worked the familiar leather straps and iron buckles, piecing the warrior back together.
I could feel the radiant heat of his skin through his light tunic as I tightened the leather at his shoulder. I was completely focused, nothing else on my mind until his voice sent a direct sting to my core.
"We might never get a time like this ever again when we reach the Capital." I paused, my hand ended up trembling at the mention of it.
"Why…?" I knew, but I asked.
"You are no soldier. There will be a royal voyage, not an… adventure. Life at the mansion will not be like this journey, Ardelle," he said suddenly.
His voice low, holding a non-existent thread of compassion. My fingers began to trace on the iron, lowering my gaze with disappointment.
I knew and the thought of it was… breaking my heart.
"It is not all ale, campfires, and moving caravans. No more camping, no more seeing the world on my horse, you might lose most of what we have now." He tried to explain, his hand hesitantly resting on my neck.
"You are saying as if I had come from a softer background." I chuckled dryly, placing my palm under his hand, greeting his gaze.
"Is it worse than the streets? Than those women that hit me? Or harder than your heart?"
"Look at me. You can imagine how my mother should be. Do you think you can endure it? You were going to represent my home, my honor, my dignity."
His thumb stopped at my jaw, inclining our face while moving dangerously closer to my face. His eyes narrowed, whispering in a soft melodic voice.
"The people are hard, and my expectations are harder. Are you truly prepared for the absolute isolation of being the Pillar's wife?"
I paused, my hands resting against the cold metal over his heart. I wasn't shaking, I was no longer the timid beggar he married, not the woman he had seen with disgust.
"I am prepared for anything," I whispered, holding his gaze with a certainty that surprised even me, placing a kiss on his cold armor, at his heart.
"As long as you are with me, Kaldric."
A strange desperation emerged on his features, "That is the problem. I won't be."
My hands faltered.
"I will be back to the blood, to the duty, probably to another mission," he continued, his silver eyes hesitating in a way I never expected.
"Your survival will be your own, Ardelle most of the time. I cannot be your shadow, even there too." His lips quivered.
He was disheartened with his own heart that not only it failed to protect me on the battlefield most of the time, it might fail to shelter me at his home too.
He was… infuriated with his own heart.
I stared, deep down in the slipping emotions of the commander, holding both of my hands with a hopelessness that shocked me.
"Will… will you return?"
"What?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
"My mother, when she died..." I started, the memory surfacing like a ghost in the mist.
"She told me a Prince would come to save me, to take me away. She told me he would have hair like the sun, blond, shimmering blue eyes. He would be regal… she promised he would stay."
I looked down at the dark obsidian of his chest, wrapping my arms around him without a thought.
"But he never arrived. I waited, and waited. For years, I watched the road until the mud swallowed my hope."
I looked back up at him, my voice trembling, tears pricking in the corner, hating imagining myself alone again. I had spent enough time in solitude.
I needed my pillar, even if it was harsh or cold. It had become essential to my breaths.
"You… you won't do the same, right? You will not disappear, right? You will take days, weeks, months... but you will be home, no?"
Kaldric went perfectly still. The silence stretched between us.
With the weight of the vows he had taken to his mother, to himself, and the one I was begging him to take for me.
He looked at my hand on his chest, then back to my eyes.
"Yes," His hands locked around me, embracing me, "I will be. I promise, Ardelle,"
A small, shaky chuckle escaped me, holding his face, "That is enough."
He let out a huff and turned his head away, though he didn't move my hand.
"Be painfully optimistic if you want, Ardelle. It is a dangerous way to live in the Capital, especially with my mother."
"It's the only way I know how to survive," I murmured, finishing the last buckle and pecking his cheek, "You."
"I have done nothing for you to hold faith in me," He frowned, placing the hat over my head and securing it.
"I still do."
"You shouldn't. Truly shouldn't." He sighed, shaking his head, an eye-catching smile adorning his hard features, pinching my cheek.
"But then again, you are a vacuous fairy after all."
"Hmm- Wait a second? Fairy?"
The reality hit me. Understanding now why he glared at me and everyone laughed, covering my mouth out of disbelief.
"I BIT YOU!?"
He laughed, an elongate, joyous resonance I engraved deep into my core. He placed his hand over my head, immobilising me before he walked away.
For the first time, he laughed, the sound made my heart rate magnified, staring at the man in pure admiration, vanishing in the dark.
He… laughed.
Witnessing the emotions I heard never exists in the Commander. But, the sound of it solidified my heart and my determination.
When he laughed with me, a resolve washed over me.
'I will make you break your vow to not love, Kaldric. You 'will' love me, one day, you definitely will.'