forum Royal Affairs (O/O Closed)

Started May 08, 2023 by @LolaBug

tune

(You’re evil! haha)

Ophelia isn’t happy with that answer but she won’t take her frustrations out on the messenger. It’s not his fault after all. She quickly heads inside and goes to find Kaillas, hoping that he can shed some light on the situation before he has to leave. She knows without a shadow of a doubt that he’s leaving. There’s no point in trying to convince herself otherwise.

Spotting him leaving the office, she hesitate. She’s never seen him so angry before. Admittedly, she’s not so sure that she wants to approach him whilst he’s in this state. It takes her a minute to convince herself before she cautiously approaches him.

“What’s going on?” She asks lightly, keeping a few feet between them just in case. She doesn’t think that he’ll be violent or unreasonable but she wants to give him his space. It’s clear that whatever is going on is something terrible. She just doesn’t know the extent of it. She’s also isn’t sure what she’s supposed to do. Since no one has explained what’s going on, she doesn’t know if she’s meant to stay here or go with him.

Kiallas spotted Ophelia in the hall and his mood instantly lightened. No matter how angry he was, being in her presence improved his mood significantly. He sighed softly, closing the gap between then and taking her hand in his. "I have to go."

He didn't want to leave but he had to. He wasn't sure how long he would be gone. It would take at least two days to reach the village from their beach house and perhaps even longer from the village back to the palace. And that wasn't accounting how long it woudk take to settle the matter and reestablish order. He was expecting to be gone for two weeks, maybe longer.

"There's something going on along the border. I can't sat for sure. It might be a skirmish between villages or nobles. Or it might be outsiders crossing to ensue havoc. Whatever it is, I need to go sort it out. I'm sorry." He was sorry their honeymoon was being cut short. He was sorry he was going ti be away from her for so ling. "I promise to write to you everyday once I get there. I'll send a raven."

The he handed her a letter with her name written on it. "This grants you the role Queen regent if you wish to take it. You will have full control over my kingdom and my backing on any decisions you make while I am gone. This gives you the power to rule as you see fit." He placed it firmly in her hand. "If you wish to rule as regent, hand this to Ambrose when you return. If you don't want to, burn it."

He cupped her cheeks and kissed her fiercely then, not caring who saw them. "Stay here and finish the honeymoon if you want to. I can send for the girls or Catalina to keep you company. I want you to enjoy yourself before returning home."

Ophelia squeezes his hand lightly, deeply concerned when she sees the look on his face. This is going to be much worse than she thought, she just knows it. Actually hearing him say that he needs to leave is crushing. As much as she wants to beg him to stay she knows that it’s no use. The kingdom needs him. He has no choice but to go.

Weeks. He’s going to be gone for weeks. With each bit of information he offers, she grows more and more distraught. Their relationship has barely begun and now he’s being dragged away for god knows how long. Despite her internal dismay, she’s careful not to show it on her face. She doesn’t want to stress him out right now he has something big and important to do. “I understand,” She says lightly, offering a weak smile. “I look forward to your letters.”

Glancing down at the letter, she blinks in surprise. She certainly wasn’t expecting this. “Thank you.” She has no idea what she’s going to do with this letter. Will the people even trust her if she decides to take over for Kaillas. There’s a lot she’s going to need to think about, that’s for certain. She cups his face and kisses him back just as fiercely, knowing that this will be the last time they see each other for awhile.

There isn’t a chance that she’s staying. She doesn’t want to be here without him. She’ll return to the palace, mope for a day, and then pull herself together and figure out what to do. “Please be safe, Kaillas.” She doesn’t want anything to happen to him.

(Mawhaha)

Kaillas didn't want to leave. Not yet. It broke his heart that he has to go. They had only a couple of weeks together. And they were wonderful but he wanted more. Their relationship had only just began to progress and now he had to leave. He had half a mind to send someone else to deal with it so he could remain here with his wife. What sort of message would it send if the king couldn't bother to care for his own people?

He wrapped his arms around her as they kissed. For once, he did not care that there were staff around them. That the palace messenger was standing further back in the hall. It was only him and his wife in that moment. He burned this moment to memory. The feeling if her lips on his, the soft touch of her palm as it brushed against his scar. The curve of her lithe body as it fit perfectly against his.

"Do not worry about me, darling." He finally pulled away, leaning his forehead against her. "I will be fine. I'll return to you in a couple weeks. The girls will keep you company in my absence. You probably won't even notice I'm gone." He gave her a weak attempt at a smile. "Stay in my rooms at home. What's mine is yours."

Ophelia leans against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. She doesn’t want to let go. She can’t. Not yet. They’ve barely had any time together and now that they’re making real progress, they’re being ripped away from each other. She knows that he has to go. There’s no getting out of that. The people need their king. She just wishes that they didn’t have to part so soon.

When he pulls away, her heart constricts in her chest. She manages a weak smile at his joke, not wanting to make him feel any worse for leaving. “I look forward to your return already,” She says softly. It’s going to be a miserable couple of weeks. She’s going to have to find a way to keep herself busy.

The idea of sleeping in their bed without him is just wrong but she doesn’t want to return to her own room. Everything is a mess and she hates that this is happening. She hopes that whatever is going on is actually much simpler than they thought and he’ll be home within a day or two.

"I know," Kaillas murmured in her ear as he hugged her tight. "I know." He wasn't ready to leave her but he had to. He squeezed her one last time, perhaps a little too hard, then released her. The faster he was on the road the faster he would be able to come back home.

"I'll come back as soon as I can. I'll be thinking of you." He kissed her forehead one last time. "Goodbye, darling." He had to force himself to walk away from her. It was hell to put one foot in front another, guiding him away from her and outside where a horse was prepared for him. He would switch off in horses during the trip for his war horse and his armor. He would need it.

He didn't look back. He couldn't. He knew if he did he would run to her arms and he wouldn't be able to leave. He handed the messenger the letter and together they walked out of the house. Two guards were already mounted and prepared to escort him. The rest would be staying with Ophelia. He mounted the horse, the messenger doing the same. With a kick, the king and the messenger parted ways, the king going south and the messenger north to the palace.

Kaillas didn't look back. Not until the house had faded from view and he wasn't risking seeing her standing outside watching him leave.

A maid aporached the Queen, curtsying to her. "Milady, what you like to do?" Ophelia was in charge now with the king gone. They were at her mercy.

Ophelia holds onto him, scared for the moment she knows she’ll have to let him go. There are so many thoughts running rampage through her head right now. What if something terrible happens and he never comes back? The king will be the most protected man there but that doesn’t mean something can’t happen. The idea is terrifying. She doesn’t want to lose him.

When it’s time for them to finally pull apart, she has to force herself to do so. The longer they delay this, the harder it’ll be. “Goodbye, Kaillas,” She says softly, struggling to stay in place. She watches as he leaves the house, mounts his horse, and rides off. Standing there, she’s fixed in place for longer after he’s disappeared from view.

Looking over to the maid, she takes a breath to compose herself. “I wish to go home.” She can’t bare the idea of staying here, in their honeymoon house, without him. It’s best that she return to the palace. She needs to make a decision on what to do with this letter. Is she ready to take control?

"At once, Your Majesty." The maid dipped into a curtsy before bustling off to tell the staff and prepare to leave. It took almost an hour to pack up the house and prepare food for the journey. The carriage was readied and Ophelia was helped into it. The carriage set off but it would not reach the palace until evening. Rumors had already started at court and the whispering had begun.

With the arrival of the queen, the ladies of the court flocked to her side. The entire time the King was gone, they were by her side, asking about the honeymoon and gossiping and waiting to see signs if she was with child. They grew disappointed the later it got and she still hadn't shown any signs. Nevertheless, they stayed by her, and it began to show more and more who her true friends were at court. Genevieve and Isobel stuck by her side, offering her information and getting the other ladies to back off. Beatrice offered her a kind silence and provided her with space away from court. She wasn't as ditzy as everyone made her out to be.

By the second week of Ophelia's return, Beatrice had gone into labor. It was a rough birth and took a whole twenty-four hours before her baby boy would be delivered. Her husband was ecstatic but she was just relieved it was over. This would be the kast one, she vowed. She would figure out away to secretly keep it from him. If she became pregnant again, it might very well kill her.

It had taken Kaillas two and half days to reach the border. He had a delay in switching to his war horse and getting his things. He now wore full steel armor and his sword was strapped to his side along with a number of knives hidden among his person. He was ready for any situation he might arrive to.

He hadn't been ready.

It had been a massacre. Everyone was dead. Men, women, even the children. They were all dead. The soldiers searched the town, looking for any sign of life, any clue to who did this. It wasn't until he reached the governor's home did he find the evidence. In his personal office laying on the desk was not for him. It was signed with a signature he knew all too well. It had been the same signature that had been signed on the wall with his parents blood.

They were on a man hunt now. Sending a raven, they recieved permission from the neighboring kingdom to enter and find these assailants so long as they left their people alone. Kaillas could agree to that. He only wanted to find the person responsible for this. They had never found him, the man that killed half of his family. He had disappeared into thin air.

He had tried to write everyday to Ophelia. The first week he sent a raven every evening at the same time. The second week, it was every other day. And by the third, he wasn't sending them at all. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was that he so caught up in his hunt for revenge he had forgotten.

After the third week and no luck, it was time for him to return. It was four day journey, he was so far south. When he aporached the palace gates, the trumpets sounded and he could hear the shouts saying "The King has returned!" He rode through the gates into the small courtyard at the entrance of the palace. He was home at last.

Three weeks. Three long weeks have passed since Kaillas was called away. She had immediately returned to the palace and after a day of resting from the journey and weighing her options, she took over as head of the kingdom. It’s been stressful but she hasn’t cracked under the pressure. The advisors are listened to and she makes her decisions with care.

The problem lays with the ladies of the court. Upon her return, they descended on her. The constant questions about her honeymoon and the less than subtle gossiping about whether a child was made drove her up the wall. She has maintained her compose thus far but each day her patience wears thinner.

The second week of her return was by far the worst. The entire kingdom was dressing without their king. News from the border hadn’t been positive which caused great concerns. She was careful not to let any information get out to the general public. Everything was shared on a strict need to know basis. The last thing anyone wants is mass panic.

Then Beatrice went into labor. While she wasn’t there for obvious reasons, she heard about how poorly it went. Nearly twenty-four hours in labor and it nearly killed the poor woman. She had offered her assistance to the new mother, wanting to do something to help her get through the traumatic ordeal.

As the weeks went by, letters from Kaillas arrived less and less. The stress was eating at her. The third week went by and she didn’t receive a single letter. She spent a full day locked in her room, needing to get away from everything to decompress. Not knowing whether her husband is alive or dead was killing her.

The sound of the trumpets and the announcement that the king has arrived is what pulls her out of her room. Surprised and unprepared for his arrival, she has to throw herself together. She yanks on a nice gown, does her hair, and makes herself look as though she isn’t on the brink of a break down.

She goes flying through the halls of the castle, not caring about the startled looks she receives from the staff. She makes it to the courtyard in record time. Right as she arrives, there he is, riding up on his horse. She can barely contain herself. The excitement is overwhelming and she’s able to temporarily forget how furious she is with him. A week of no contact was the most stressful thing he could have done to her while in the midst of such a large conflict.

Kaillas and his entourage of twenty soldiers arrived at the palace about three in the afternoon. The sun had been hard on then during their journey, beating down on them with a blistering heat. All them still wore pieces of armor, a chest plate and arm bracers. Some, like the king, wore their helmet as well.

He was hot and sweating and tired. He had rode with very little rest and fewer stops for food and water. He had wanted to get home. To his wife, to his sisters, and to brood. He was angry, very angry that someone had dared to step into his home. He had taken a passive role all these years to maintain peace but that was over now.

But he was home now and he could see his wife coming towards him. All thoughts of war and death had escaped his mind because there was his wife. His sisters were in the background, running into the yard but he only had eyes for Ophelia.

He went to her, practically ran to her, and wrapped his arm around her. He hugged her so tight and hard he lifted her right off her feet. "Ophelia," her name was a whisper on his lips. "I'm here now."

A moment later and his two sisters were slamming into them. They were crying and babbling and he couldn't make out what they were saying. He only knew that he was home and he had all of his girls with him. He adjusted his arms so he could hold all of them.

Ophelia hardly waits for him to get off of his horse before she’s running over to him. She flings herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tight. So overcome with emotions, she can’t manage to speak any actual words. Those three weeks felt like the longest of her life. Especially that last week where she didn’t hear anything from him.

She doesn’t dare to let go of him for even a second, almost afraid that he’ll disappear if she does. Though she can hear his sisters approaching and feel them joining in on the hug but she pays them no mind. Right now her only focus is her husband.

Not once in her entire life has she been so happy to see someone. From what she can tell, he’s uninjured so that only adds to her relief. After not hearing from him for over a week she had started to assume the worst. No one would tell her what was going on. That feeling of fear and helplessness was suffocating.

She tucks her face against his neck, taking a shaky breath. “Are you okay?” She finally manages to ask something without it just sounding like a bunch of mumbled confusion.

Kaillas buried his nose in her hair, breathing deeply. He had thought about this everyday he was gone, holding her, feeling her. He had missed her more than words could say. His knees were weak and the only reason he didn't sink the ground was because he locked them.

He coukd feel the stares of other courtiers. Their words were muffled in his ear as there was only one thing that mattered to him, his girls. He had his wife in his arms and sisters shortly joined them. He kept in arm locked around Ophelia and the other he threw around his sisters. He gave each one of them a kiss ok the forehead.

"I'm okay," he answered Ophelia's question. "Nothing more than a couple scrapes and bruises." And possibly a cracked rib but he didn't mention that part. He finally let everyone go, peeling his sisters hands and Ophelia's hand off of him. It wouldn't be for long, but he needed to talk to Elora and Katya.

He turned to his two sisters, placing a hand on each of there cheeks and wiping away the tears that stained them. "Hey, look at me," he said to them in a gentle voice, "I'm okay. It's okay. We're going to have dinner tonight as a family. It'll just be the four of us. And we'll spend the evening together and that's when we'll talk. But I need you to let me go right now. I've been riding for four days. I'm going to go bathe and be with my wife for a little bit. And then we'll meet for dinner. Okay?"

They both looked reluctant and he understood that. "You can walk us to our room but then I need a little bit of time alone. We'll meet for an early dinner." They were content enough with that. He looked down at his wife and cupped her cheek. "Let's go inside."

He ignored everyone else and let his girls escort him inside. He had anticipated his sisters being reluctant to leave him but he really did need a bath and a change of clothes. He had been stuck in these for four days. He didn't imagine he smelled very good. He was finally able to shut the door and then it was just him and Ophelia.

Ophelia ignores all of the stares and the whispers surrounding them. She doesn’t care what they think. It’s been weeks since they’ve seen each other, of course they’re going to be enthusiastic. She has been worried sick about him. She reluctantly peels off of him when he finally removes her and his sisters.

Taking a step back, she gets a proper look at him. Other than a few surface cuts and bruises, it seems like he isn’t hurt. That’s good. She sighs softly, feeling relieving when he confirms that he only has a few small injuries. Knowing that he needs some time with his sisters, she gets out of the way so they can all properly see each other.

She stands off to the side and gives them a few minutes. She knows that Elora and Katya have been beside themselves with worry. They were all so stressed when they letters stopped and no one received any news about what was going on. It was easy to start thinking the worst had happened.

Though she’s ecstatic to spend some one on one time with Kaillas, she does feel a bit bad for dragging him away from his sisters so soon after his return. At least they’ll all be able to spend dinner together. She’s looking forward to that already. It’ll be nice to have everyone in the same room again.

She smiles and leans her cheek against his hand, cherishing his touch. Feeling better now that she’s seen him, she can finally relax. She follows him inside and to their room. All that has changed is that she’s moved her clothes in. Everything else has remained exactly the same. She didn’t want to change anything and make things stressful for him upon his return.

Once the door to the room shuts and they’re left alone, she breathes out a sigh. She turns and looks up at him. “Hi.” It feels surreal to actually be next to him right now. Three weeks isn’t too terrible long and yet it felt an eternity.

Kaillas pushed the door shut and went as far as locking the door. He rarely locked it in case of an emergency. But he didn't want any interruptions or distractions. It was his time with his wife. He had missed her so much.

He smiled at her. "Hi," he said as he walked to her. He put his arms around her, holding her to his chest. She was blocked by his armor and he really needed to get out if it. But that meant he would have to let Ophelia go. "Will you come help me take a bath?"

He wanted then both in the bath. He just needed to be with her and hold her like that. It would be intimate and it was exactly what he needed. Close and personal. He took her hand and started leading her towards the bathroom.

His bath was one that had been built into the floor. He had to step into it. It was big and comfortable and would be able to fit them both easily. He turned the nozzles to start the water and let the bath fill up. By the time he was out of his armor the bath should be full. He kept his eyes on Ophelia as he started to unbuckle the straps on his shoulders.

Ophelia is surprised that he’s locking the door but she’s not complaining. She’s glad to have some alone time with him. Locking the door will ensure that they don’t get interrupted. She knows that she would bite someone’s head off right now if they do much as considered knocking on the door.

Leaning into his embrace, she holds him close. “Yes, of course,” She agrees. She’s so happy to see him that she’d do anything for him right now. Unfortunately, that means having to pull away from him once again. She’s not happy about that but she knows that it’s a necessary evil.

Giving his hand a squeeze, she follows him into the bathroom. As the water starts to fill up with warm water, she grabs two small bottles off of the shelf. “Do you want bubbles and some lavender?” She asks lightly, wanting him to be able to relax we much as possible.

Turning to look at him, she watches as he works on getting all of the armor off. She can’t even imagine how heavy it all must be. She studies him, wanting to see for herself that he really is okay.

Kaillas couldn't two shits about bubbles and lavender in his bath. But he did care about Ophelia and if it helped her to feel better by adding bubbles and lavender to the bath, he wasn't going to stop her. He nodded his head once in confirmation. Then he continued unscrewing his armor.

He finished with the shoulders and moved on to the straps on both his sides. Then he carefully pulled it over his head, trying not to wince as he stretched his torso. His arm bracers were next and they were easier and faster to take off. He sat down on the toilet lid to unlace his shoes and pull them off.

The next difficulty was getting his shirt off. His side was already throbbing from pulling off his armor, it was only going to irritate more taking off his shirt. But he didn't have a choice. He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it off his head in one swift movement. Looking in the mirror, his right side was covered in shades of purple and blue and yellow. He grimaced.

He started on his pants next, taking them and his socks off fairly quickly. His undergarments followed next and then he was standing their naked. And his wife was wearing far too many clothes.

Ophelia frowns a bit, worried for him. She turns and adds a little from each bottle into the tub before returning the bottles to their proper places. The add-ins may be a little silly but she’s hoping that it’ll help to soothe Kaillas’ nerves. She imagines that he must be white stressed after having to deal with so much for three weeks.

Turning around, she realizes that he’s nearly undressed already. She watches as he pulls off of his pants, now standing naked in front of her. Unable to help herself, her eyes flicker across his body. It only takes her a split second to realize that there’s something very wrong with this picture.

“What is that?” She gasps, spotting the giant and rather angry looking bruise that’s covering most of his side. She steps over and examines him, clearly displeased. “Have you seen a doctor?” The bruise is nasty and she worried that it might mean that there are underlying issues.

Naturally, she starts to fuss over him, checking to see if there are any other major injuries. “Just a few scraps and bruises?” She’s surprised that he would be so quick to wave such a thing off. “Kaillas, this is more than just a minor bruise.”

Kaillas looked at her eyes wide, startled by her outburst. Other than being a little dirty and his bruise, he didn't see anything on him. It wasn't until she stepped towards him and mentioned the bruise did he catch on. He stood quietly while she fussed and looked over the rest of his body.

"I'm alright darling," he finally said with an amused voice. His lip was curled up in a small smile. "I got knocked off my horse and landed wrong. That's all. It's a bruised rib. There's nothing to do but wait until it heals." It night possibly be a little more than bruised but that was true. The only thing he coukd do was rest and take medicine to help with the pain.

He reached for her, tugging her against his chest. He had his hands firm on her waist. "I'm alright," he promised. "Npw take your clothes off. It's been far too long since I've seen my wife naked. Let me look at you."

He had no intentions of doing anything sexual with her, even if his body would likely say otherwise. It had been three weeks since he had done anything with her, three weeks since his needs were last fulfilled. He couldn't control his body. He just wanted the intimate act of seeing and holding her naked body. That was all he needed.

Ophelia is half tempted to scold him when she hears his amused tone. She has every right to be concerned. The bruise is huge! She huffs a little at him before deciding to let it go. She knows that he must be tired from the long trip so she'll give him a break. Once he's had a chance to recover, she's going to revisit this whole bruised rib situation. It looks much worse than just a bruised rib but she doesn't have any medical training so she can't back that thought up.

With his hands on her waist, she lets him tug her forward. Now it's her turn to be amused. "Alright," She agrees with a slight shake of her head, finding it entertaining that he's so ready for her to take her clothes off. She's not going to deny him. She presses a kiss to his cheek before pulling away.

She steps back and works on pulling her dress off, setting it off to the side. She's glad that she took a second to put on some nicer undergarments. While she hadn't been expecting to undress, she had wanted to put on something nice since they haven't seen each other in so long. Off comes her corset, undergarments, any everything else she's wearing. Now naked, she stands in front of him.

She's missed this. Three weeks is way too long to go without seeing her husband. She's missed him. The way he looks at her, that smile, just everything about him.

She finally smiled at him and Kaillas grinned. He had no doubt in her mind she would scold him for it later and drag over the royal physician to inspect him. But for now, she was willing to relax with him and help him bathe. And she was finally taking her clothes off.

He watched with greedy eyes as she peeled off her clothes. His body, of course, did not understand the memo and instantly thought it was getting some action. His desire was evident but he made no moves to do anything about it. He just only stared at her.

"You're beautiful," he murmured. "I thought about you everyday. I thought about your hair, your body, your voice. What you sound like, what you feel like. It's what kept me going. It's why I fought so hard to come back. So I could come to you."

He reached for her then, folding her against his body and kissing her soundly. He had been wanting to do that ever since he laid eyes on her. He hadn't wanted to do it in front of all the others. But now that they were alone, he was going to kiss her as much as he wanted to.

If they have time before dinner, she'll be dragging him straight to the physician. She doesn't want to wait any longer than need be to get him checked out. For now, she's willing to stay calm and help him bathe. Once she feels like he's had some time to decompress, she'll go right back to fussing over him.

She stands in place and gives him a minute to just look at her. While he may be happy to just stand there and observe, it's pretty obvious that his body has other ideas. She's content to stay still and let him look for as long as he needs to. She would be lying if she said she wasn't doing her own share of staring.

A blush spreads across her cheeks as she listens to him, soaking up his sweet words. "I missed you so much, Kaillas," She murmurs. "I was so worried about you and then the letters stopped…." It killed her to think that he wouldn't come home to her. Her brain kept coming up with all sorts of awful reasons to why he stopped writing.

She presses against him, kissing him back deeply. So many people had been around when he first arrived and she knows how much he dislikes public affection. It had been hard to hold back but now she doesn't have to. They're finally alone.

Kaillas' smile dropped as she mentioned letters. He hadn't meant to to stop. Time had gotten away from him. If he wasn't working, he was sleeping and vice versa. It wasn't an excuse. He shouldn't have stopped writing them. He should have known she would have been worried and thought the worse. That was on him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't haven't stopped writing them." He could only imagine how worried she and his sisters had been. He would do better next time. Because he knew there woukd be a next time. He only hoped that he woukd have time to spend with his wife before he had to leave alone. More time than last.

He wrapped his arms tight around her. He didn't let his wound on his side prevent him from holding her tight. Three weeks. Three long weeks he had been away from her. Three weeks he had gone to bed alone. Three weeks he had gone without her kisses and hugs.

He bent down and picked her up, guiding her legs to wrap around his waist. He didn't stop their kiss at any point. Not even as he started to walk towards their bath and slowly lower both of them in it.

Ophelia doesn't want to shame him for not writing. She knows that things have been crazy. She just wishes that he would have taken the time to write back. Even just once. She just wanted to know that he was okay. Each day she and his sisters waited to receive a letter and one never came. They never heard from anyone at the border for that week. It was the longest week of her life.

She doesn't want to think about next time. She doesn't want there to even be a next time. Deep down she knows that at some point he will have to leave again. Right now, she's happy to live in denial since it means having some peace of mind.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she holds onto him, not breaking the kiss. For a brief moment she worries about his injury but she pushes that worry aside. She hopes that he wouldn't be doing this if it causes him any pain. Right now she just wants to focus on him.

She runs her fingers through his hair, needing the sense of normlacy after being away from him for so long. It's crazy how much she's missed being by their side. Even though their marriage is still so new, she feels like she would die without him.

Kaillas' side was killing him. Carrying her had increased the throbbing but he wasn't stopping fir anything. Not as her soft lips kissed his chapped ones. Not as her hands were in his hair. This was where he wanted to be. In her arms, nothing between them. There was no barrier and he could feel everything.

The water was warm and still filling. He reached in front of him blindly to shut off the water as it had filled. He settled into the tub, resting his back along the edge and holding her in his lap. He should have been careful where he set her because she was now sitting on something that desperately wanted her attention. Well, it needed to learn that it was Kaillas' time for attention right now.

He was running his hands all over her. Down her back and the curve of her ass. Around her side, touching her stomach, her thighs, her chest. He needed to touch everything. He had been denied this fir far too long and he was catching up right now.

He nibbled at her lips, asking for permission, then swept his tongue into her mouth when she parted her lips. He needed to be everywhere. His hands gripped her ass a little too tightly and he pulled her closer, if that was even possible.