Chapter 139 A Quiet Morning
Alex lay motionless until midnight, his body completely still as if drained of all strength. Not once did he stir, not even a faint twitch to suggest he might wake. His breathing was slow and shallow, his face pale under the dim flicker of candlelight.
Beside him, Astrid lay on her side, her brows drawn together in quiet worry. Her eyes never left his face, searching for any sign of consciousness. Slowly, she reached out, her fingers trembling slightly as they brushed through his hair, gently stroking his head as if trying to soothe him even in his unconscious state.
"My love… what really happened?" she whispered, her voice soft yet unsteady, laced with concern. Her lips quivered faintly, and her gaze softened with a mixture of fear and affection.
She hesitated for a moment, then leaned down, her blonde hair falling forward as she pressed a gentle, lingering kiss against his forehead. Her eyes closed briefly, as if silently praying for his safety. When she pulled back, her hand lingered on his cheek for a second longer before she slowly withdrew it.
With a quiet breath, Astrid pushed herself up from the bed, her movements careful and reluctant, as if she didn't want to leave his side. She glanced back at him one more time before turning away.
Making her way downstairs, her footsteps were soft against the wooden floor. The house felt unusually quiet, almost heavy. She reached the dining area and sank into one of the chairs, resting her elbow on the table as she let out a low sigh.
Her gaze shifted and then paused.
A letter.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she reached for it, recognizing the seal. "Huff… alright, let's see what this letter says," she muttered under her breath.
She broke the seal carefully, her fingers moving slower than usual, as if she already had an idea of what awaited inside. As her eyes scanned the contents, her expression shifted first neutral, then faintly troubled.
It was a letter from Ulfric.
Words of congratulations for her marriage… followed by an invitation no, a call to join the Stormcloak side.
"As I expected…" Astrid exhaled slowly, her shoulders sinking as she leaned back in her chair. The letter lowered slightly in her hand, the faint rustle of parchment filling the quiet room. Her eyes lingered on the words for a moment longer before she let out a soft, weary sigh.
"But… he moved faster than the Empire," she added under her breath, her tone tinged with both frustration and resignation.
Silence settled around her as her gaze drifted away from the letter, unfocused. Her brows slowly drew together, a faint crease forming between them as her thoughts grew heavier.
"If the war becomes even more brutal…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Almost unconsciously, her free hand moved to her stomach, resting there with a protective gentleness. Her fingers traced slow, soothing circles over it, as if trying to comfort the small life growing within her.
"…will we be able to endure it?"
Her voice wavered slightly at the end, betraying the fear she tried to keep hidden. Her eyes softened, no longer sharp or calculating, but filled with quiet worry.
She lowered her head a little, her thumb brushing lightly over her stomach again, holding it just a bit tighter this time instinctively, protectively as if promising that no matter what chaos awaited outside, she would do everything in her power to keep her child safe.
Then suddenly, her eyes widened slightly, as if a thought had just struck her out of nowhere. She straightened a little in her seat, blinking once.
"Ah… that's right…" she murmured, her tone shifting, lighter now. "We haven't even planned a name for our little one yet… hmm."
Her expression softened, the earlier tension easing just a little. She lifted her hand and rested her fingers lightly against her chin, tapping it gently as she began to think. Her gaze drifted upward, unfocused, as if searching for the perfect name somewhere in the air.
"What would be a good name…?" she whispered to herself. "Kilred…? Bloomy…? Dagger…?"
She paused mid-thought, her lips parting slightly before her face scrunched in mild embarrassment. A faint flush crept onto her cheeks as she let out a small, awkward laugh.
"…That's ridiculous," she muttered, shaking her head slowly, strands of her hair swaying with the motion. "Those sound more like weapon names than anything else… ugh."
Her shoulders relaxed as she let out a soft sigh, lowering her hand from her chin. A small, fond smile touched her lips as she thought of Alex.
"…Maybe I should just wait for Alex," she said quietly. "We can think of a proper name together… for our baby."
Carefully, she stood up from the chair, one hand briefly resting on her stomach again, as if reassuring both herself and the child within. The house was silent as she made her way back upstairs, her steps slow and unhurried.
When she reached the bedroom, her gaze immediately fell on Alex, still lying unconscious on the bed. Her expression softened once more, filled with quiet affection. She slipped under the covers beside him, moving close but gently, as if afraid to disturb him.
Settling into place, she turned slightly toward him, her hand resting lightly near his arm. Her eyes lingered on his face for a moment longer, her breathing gradually slowing.
Then, with a final soft exhale, Astrid closed her eyes… and slowly drifted off to sleep beside him.
The next morning, a faint groan escaped Alex's lips as his consciousness slowly returned. His eyelids fluttered before finally opening, revealing a blurred view of the ceiling above him.
"Hmm…?"
His voice was low and rough, still heavy with exhaustion. He blinked a few times, trying to clear the haze from his mind, his gaze unfocused as he lay there in silence. For a brief moment, everything felt distant… quiet… almost peaceful.
Then
His eyes suddenly sharpened.
Fragments of memory surged back all at once the overwhelming exhaustion, the encounter, the presence of something far beyond ordinary. His breath hitched slightly.
"Wait Astrid!!"
He abruptly pushed himself upright, the sudden movement making his head spin for a split second. Ignoring it, he quickly turned his head left and right, his eyes searching in a flash of panic.
And then he stopped.
Astrid was there.
Lying right beside him, fast asleep. Her breathing was soft and steady, her expression calm, completely unaware of his sudden panic. A few strands of her blonde hair fell gently across her face, illuminated by the soft morning light.
Alex froze for a second… then his shoulders slowly dropped.
"…Haah…"
A quiet breath escaped him, the tension leaving his body all at once. Relief washed over him, warm and steady, as a faint, genuine smile formed on his lips.
Carefully, as if afraid to wake her, he reached out. His fingers moved gently, brushing aside the loose strands of hair from her face before softly stroking her head. His touch lingered there, slow and tender.
"…You're safe," he whispered under his breath.
He remained like that for a moment, simply watching her, the chaos from yesterday feeling distant in her peaceful presence.
But gradually, his expression shifted again his brows drawing together slightly as his thoughts returned.
(I didn't expect things to escalate this quickly…)
His gaze lowered, his hand slowly withdrawing as his mind began piecing everything together.
(Has the Dawnguard event already started again? But this is too fast…)
His jaw tightened faintly.
(Alduin was only just defeated… and now a master vampire who's been hiding for thousands of years suddenly appears…)
A quiet silence fell over him as the weight of the situation settled in.
After a moment, Alex carefully swung his legs off the bed and stood up. He stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders as if trying to shake off the lingering fatigue, before reaching for his clothes.
As he began changing, his movements were slower than usual, his mind clearly elsewhere.
(And on top of that, the war still hasn't ended…)
He let out a long, tired sigh, running a hand through his hair.
(…What a complete mess.)
Astrid stirred faintly as the soft rustle of fabric and quiet footsteps reached her ears. Her brows twitched, and after a moment, her eyes slowly fluttered open, still clouded with sleep.
"Hm…?" she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her gaze drifted lazily across the room before settling on Alex. For a second, she simply watched him in silence his back turned slightly as he changed his clothes, the morning light casting a gentle glow around him.
"You're already awake… my love?" she asked, her tone drowsy yet warm.
Her eyelids were still heavy, her movements slow as she pushed herself up slightly against the pillows. A soft, affectionate smile curved on her lips as she continued watching him, her expression relaxed, almost serene completely different from the worry she had carried the night before.
Hearing her voice, Alex paused and turned toward her.
The moment their eyes met, something in his expression softened. The tension lingering in his body eased, replaced by a quiet sense of calm. Seeing her awake… safe… smiling at him it was enough to steady his heart.
"Yeah…" he replied gently, his voice low but steady. "And… thank you for taking care of me yesterday."
He glanced down briefly, exhaling through his nose as if recalling the exhaustion.
"I pushed myself too hard… training, and dealing with them…" His brows knit slightly, a hint of frustration crossing his face. "…it really wore me out."
Astrid listened quietly, her smile softening even more. Without a word, she slowly slipped out of bed. The thin fabric of her nightwear swayed lightly with her movements as she walked toward him, her steps unhurried and gentle.
When she reached him, she didn't hesitate.
She wrapped her arms around him from behind, her embrace warm and firm, as if grounding him. Her cheek rested against his back, her eyes closing for a moment as she breathed him in.
"Mm…" she hummed softly.
"Thank you so much…" she whispered, her lips close to his ear, her voice tender and filled with affection. "…you're my hero."
Her arms tightened slightly around him, as if she didn't want to let go.
Alex's body tensed for a brief second at the sudden contact then relaxed almost immediately. A faint, helpless smile touched his lips.
Slowly, he reached down and gently held her arms, loosening her embrace just enough so he could turn around to face her. His movements were careful, reluctant to break the warmth between them.
Now standing face to face, he took her hands in his, his grip firm yet gentle.
"I'm just doing what I must," he said quietly, his gaze steady as it met hers. "My priority is you… our child… and Lucia."
There was no hesitation in his voice only certainty.
Astrid looked up at him, her eyes softening even further, shimmering faintly with emotion. A warm smile spread across her lips, touched by both love and reassurance.
"Oh, you…" she murmured softly, almost teasing, yet filled with affection.
Before he could say anything else, she leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
Her lips met his in a gentle, lingering kiss soft, warm, and full of unspoken feelings. Her arms wrapped around him once more, pulling him closer, as if trying to convey everything she couldn't put into words.
For a brief moment, the chaos outside the war, the threats, the uncertainty faded away completely.
All that remained… was the quiet warmth between them.
The warmth of their kiss lingered for a moment longer before Astrid slowly pulled back, her forehead resting lightly against Alex's chest. Her eyes remained half-closed, her expression soft and content until something suddenly flickered across her face.
Her eyes opened a little wider.
"Oh right…" she murmured, as if the thought had just surfaced from the back of her mind. She lifted her head slightly, looking up at him. "My love… I received a letter from Ulfric."
Alex blinked once, caught slightly off guard by the sudden shift in topic. One of his eyebrows lifted subtly as he tilted his head a fraction.
"Oh?" he replied, his tone curious but calm. "Really? What did it say?"
Astrid loosened her embrace and took a small step back, though her hands still lightly held onto his arms. Her expression grew a bit more serious now, the warmth in her eyes dimming slightly.
"He congratulated us on our marriage…" she said, her voice steady, though there was a hint of tension beneath it. She hesitated for a brief second before continuing. "…and he wants to recruit us to his side."
A quiet silence followed.
Alex's gaze dropped slightly, his expression tightening just a bit as he processed her words. Then
"Haaah…"
A long, quiet sigh escaped him as he ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders lowering.
"I see…" he muttered.
He turned slightly to the side, his eyes unfocused as his thoughts began to spiral. His brows furrowed, and his jaw clenched faintly.
"Then how are we supposed to make both sides reach peace…" he said under his breath, more to himself than to her.
The room fell into a brief, heavy silence again.
Then suddenly his eyes shifted.
A thought crossed his mind.
(Wait…)
His gaze sharpened slightly as he pieced things together.
(With the vampire incident that just happened… maybe the war could be postponed again… at least until the situation becomes clearer.)
His posture straightened just a little, as if the idea had given him a small sense of direction. He turned back toward Astrid, meeting her gaze once more.
"Astrid…" he called, his tone more focused now. "I think we might be able to delay the war… because of what happened with the vampires yesterday."
Astrid blinked, clearly caught off guard. Her brows knit together as she tilted her head slightly, confusion evident on her face.
"Wait… is that even possible?" she asked, her voice uncertain.
Alex hesitated.
His confidence wavered just a little as he lifted his hand and scratched the side of his cheek, avoiding her gaze for a brief moment. His lips pressed into a thin line as he considered his own idea.
"Umm… yeah…" he admitted, his tone no longer as firm. "We don't really know if it'll work or not…"
He exhaled softly, then looked back at her.
"But at the very least," he continued, trying to steady his reasoning, "we might be able to convince Ulfric to calm things down for now."
His voice carried a cautious hope uncertain, but not without resolve.
Astrid let out a long sigh. "Haaah… in the end, feelings of revenge can only stop if one side is willing to yield."
Then Alex suddenly spoke bluntly, "What if we just kill Ulfric and General Tullius?"
Astrid's eyes widened in shock. "Wait are you serious?"
Alex let out a small laugh. "Hahaha, of course not. I'm just joking. If I actually did that, the situation would turn into complete chaos."
Astrid sighed again, shaking her head slightly. "Honestly… you're unbelievable."
After that, Alex headed downstairs and walked toward the enchanting table. His eyes lit up with anticipation. "I've actually been waiting for this… this experiment."