KALDRIC'S POV
The sight of her, unconscious and pale in my arms, did more damage to my composure than a decade of warfare.
My teeth were clenched, a primal, murderous fury simmering in my gut against the town, against Emerson, and against the very air she breathed that wasn't enough to sustain her.
"Kaldric, stop it." Emerson growled.
He was trying to hold me back while I had lost my mind, to go and eviscerate the group she was with in these two days.
"I told you if she is harmed, I will not care for orders. Those bastards have done something to her and I will rip it from their mouths."
"Nobody did anything to her. They won't risk it. Let her wake up and tell us."
"There is no time, Emerson."
He groaned, placing his hand on his sword, giving me a warning look, "Good Lord, you're such an exasperation to deal with, Kaldric. Stop it."
I pushed him out of my way, "Move, Emerson."
"Brother, please…!" He shouted, enough for the voice to hang in the air and halt my breaths. I was frozen, hating the hitch in my throat.
"Commander."
Aldwin came before I could do something extreme and something unfavorable happened.
"Lady's awake…" He breathed out.
I turned on my heels and rushed towards the tent.
"You're awake, Ardelle," I rasped, sitting on the edge of the cot, staring at Ardelle with a strange, worried face, holding her face in my palm.
"What did they do to you, Ardelle? Did they touch you? Did they poison the grain? Tell me,"
She looked up at me, her gaze hazy and sheepishly diverted, "No, My Lord... no one hurt me. I was... I was fasting."
I froze, my hand halfway to her forehead, frowning at her.
"Fasting? In the middle of a rebel's keep? Have you lost your mind? Why?"
"The town... they were preparing for the Eve of the Vow."
"And?"
"The women fast for their husbands' wellbeing." She winced, holding my wrist to sit up properly.
"If I had eaten, they would have known I was a stranger. I told them my husband was a woodcutter... that I was waiting to reunite with him."
"And for how long do you have to fast?"
"From sunrise to sunset. I fasted yesterday, and today too."
My eyes widened, "You haven't eaten anything since sunrise?"
"Uh.. No…" She chuckled nervously.
The scold was sitting on the tip of my tongue, a lecture on the sheer stupidity of starving herself for a cover story, but the sight of her trembling fingers killed the words before they could leave my throat.
She had starved herself to protect my mission. To keep my name hidden.
I stood abruptly, "Stay there."
I walked out and saw Emerson smirking, "Still want to obliterate them?"
"Shut up."
I returned moments later with a bowl of thick broth and a heel of crusty bread, and of course, apples that I sliced myself.
The sun was setting, I sat beside her, supporting her back with one hand while I held the bowl for her.
"Here. The moon is up," I murmured, my voice softening despite my efforts, helping her take a bite..
"Break your fast, Ardelle. You've done enough for the Crown– for me, today."
She ate slowly, her strength returning with every swallow. Our fingers brushing with a faint, bubbling sensation. I attempted to avert my gaze yet failed to hide the flush.
"Are… are the women still fasting?" I asked, trying to fill the heavy silence. "And the men? What is their part in this... superstition?"
Ardelle paused, her spoon hovering near her lips.
"The men... they are supposed to return. They give a 'Token of Appreciation' to their brides... something to show the sacrifice was recognized."
She went quiet then, her eyes searching mine with a sudden, hopeful vulnerability that made my chest constrict.
She was waiting. I saw her fingers twitch against the furs, her gaze dropping to my empty hands. She was waiting for a token from a knight who knew nothing but to fight.
"A… token huh?"
My heart began to break with irregular rhythm. I had nothing. No ribbons, no charms, only the cold steel of my gauntlets and the blood-stained map of a coup.
'What could a man like me give her?'
I thought of the flower I had crushed.
I couldn't do it. The Commander couldn't yield, not tonight when the leader of the rebellion was within my reach.
If I go seek a token now- Why should I seek one anyway?
I closed my eyes, inhaling sharply as I stood up, the movement cold and clinical and left.
"Rest," I commanded, my voice cold.
"The scouts are moving out. Emerson and I have a coup to dismantle. I don't want you leaving this tent until the sun is up."
"Kaldric?" she whispered, her voice laced with a sharp, quiet disappointment.
I didn't turn back, "Sleep, Ardelle. You've earned your rest."
I walked out into the night, the freezing wind a welcome relief to the heat rising. I gripped the hilt of my sword with a tight force, losing my composure.
I told myself I was doing her a favor. I told myself that a Token was a lie, and that the only thing a man like me could give her was a world without traitors.
But as I marched, my steps slowed. My eyes narrowed.
A sting, something tingling evoked in my core. I couldn't do it and walked to Emerson who was sharpening his blade with an impassive gaze.
"He arrives at night. The festival will be high. How long can we hold?" I asked sternly, glancing where Ardelle was slipping away.
"Two hours. Why? Is your 'mood' suddenly dead?" He smirked, raising his brows.
"Good enough for me." I smirked back and walked away.
He was baffled but my steps were already retreating. I was searching for Ardelle and found her midblue dress missing from her trunk.
'Curse that Aldwin. He tells her that her dress is from "Demon" of his dreams.' Sighing, I shook my head, walking towards the perimeter, searching for her.
To move her to the inner sanctum of the camp before the swords were drawn to keep her safe, but the sight that met me through the haze stopped my heart cold.
….Only to find her taking a bath.
I ordered the guards to leave us alone and entered the space.
At first, my steps halted but then an idea popped in my mind.
The steam was thick, smelling the faint, sweet scent of the herbs dispersing in the air.
Ardelle was submerged in the water, her pale shoulders rising from the surface like a vision I had no right to see.
The hunger I had been suppressing since the night of the ale had been revived, a physical ache that made my gaze darken.
I didn't just want to protect her, I wanted to consume her. And this desire was growing wildly.
"Ardelle."
"My Lord!" she gasped, her face turning a beautiful shade of rose.
She tried to cross her arms over her chest, shrinking into the corner of the tub, "I... I will be out in a moment—"
"Stop," I commanded. My voice was lower than I intended, vibrating with a desire I couldn't hide.
I watched her, my pulse increasing, my hand moving on its own. I began to strip away my armor. Her eyes were widening when she found me locking the lock while undressing.
Every layer I shed enhanced my heart rate, leaving the man beneath exposed.
When I stepped into the water, the tub, the space between us had become incredibly small. The heat of the bath was nothing compared to the fire radiating from her skin.
I sat opposite, my knees brushing hers beneath the surface.
"The… men outside, my Lord."
"Sent away. There are only two of us."
She wouldn't look at me, arms over her chest, eyes down, not daring to catch a single sight of my body.
Her eyelashes were wet, the water glistening on her body.
Undoubtedly, my bride was the most patient and eye-catching creation. How could one be exquisite to such an extent?
"The water is beginning to cool," I began, my voice conversational, though my hand was already reaching for her.
I found her shoulder, moving my thumb slowly over her skin, indulging in the building tension.
"Did you buy something from the town, Ardelle?"
"Huh? I… uh… yes, My Lord," she whispered, her gaze fixed firmly on the water, curling her toes, her body tensing when we were too close.
"What did you buy?" I attempted to create a conversation in order to lessen her distress.
"Um, a hat. It was white.. I gave it to a soldier to.. Um.. put it away…"
This wasn't the first time I stripped bare before her.
Though I must admit, always, she kept her gaze down whenever I was undressed. Yet again, she didn't dare to look at me.
But, I wonder, does she not want to or was it the shame?
"It was bustling, no? The moon is high," I smirked, a sharp contrast to the predatory focus in my eyes, observing her.
"Soon we will have the leader of the rebels. Emerson is busy in preparation."
"And… you?" She gulped, her grip tightening on herself, the redness increasing when my thumb traced random patterns on her shoulder, leading to her.
"Hmm? Me? I am busy bathing. Can you not see?" I shrugged, leaning back, water creating a splashing sound.
"Though as a devoted bride you are, you should be helping me… clean up yet here you are, Ardelle, unmoved." I sighed, letting out a 'tch, tch, tch,' of fake disappointment.
I shifted closer, my thumb tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone. I knew exactly why she was shaking. I knew the effect I had on her, and for the first time, I allowed myself to enjoy the power of it.
In her senses, obviously.
I acted oblivious, leaning in until she straightened her spine.
"Why are you shaking?" I asked in a low tone, my breaths rough.
"I... I am naked, My Lord," she stammered.
A dark, predatory smirk pulled at my mouth. "So?"
I leaned in, my shadow becoming one with her. I didn't touch her lips, but pressed my forehead to her side, inhaling her thick scent, soothing my soul.
My breaths were lingering on her tender skin, indulging the way her body tensed up in the proximity, indicating her purity. Ah, my untouched, oblivious, bride
She felt the heat of my body radiating through the water, a silent invitation that made her blood sing.
"I thought about what you said," I whispered into her ear, my lips grazing the earlobe, nibbling on it.
"About the token. I realized that 'things'—ribbons, charms, cold metal—are not something that could truly satisfy a woman like you." I trailed off, planting a small kiss on her cheek, then down her neck.
Her shoulder raised, head lowered, and a heartwarming smile adorned her features.
Ah, she smiled…. She smiled so adorably.
"What... idea?" she breathed, her hands clutching my wrist that was hovering over her chest that were being guarded by her hands.
I slid my other hand to the nape, my fingers tangling in her wet hair, forcing her to look at me. Her emerald eyes were wide, drowning in a mixture of fear and a thrill that matched my own.
"Do you want 'me' as your... token?" I smirked seductively, the control finally melting into something molten and dangerous.
"Tonight, Ardelle... however you want?"