My heart was throbbing, both excited and nervous as I turned back in excitement.
Atticus stood was coming towards me, certain vulnerability in his steps. I was frozen with happiness. It's about to be four months since I saw that face of his.
A gradual smile spread across my lips, he was here. Before I could think—I moved.
Barefoot against the stone ground, water trailing behind me, my laced blouse slipping off my shoulder—it was just hooked to the third hook. With my cleavage showing sure I looked lewd, but who cares about appearance now.
I threw my arms around him as I closed the distance. "I wrote to you," I breathed out, the words slipping out unevenly, almost breaking. "Again and again...you didn't reply."
My fingers clenched into the fabric at his back. It was still the same him, I could still sense the same fragrance, I could still hear the same heartbeat.
"I hope you are all fine Love—" I spoke shoving him back. My gaze trying to grasp whole of him, while my eyebrows falling apart. I swear, I wasn't acting or making up the things while confessing my concern.
My hands sliding down to grasp his wrist, grounding myself into something solid.
"I've been training," I rushed on, filling the silence before it could swallow me. "Though I haven't been great yet, still I am able to make defends now—"
I continued only to be seen with empty eyes. He seemed to recognize my words more than this voice. His eyes spoke for his inattentiveness to my words, but somehow there were lines of concern in between them.
"….and I went to hunting…"
"Where were you hurt?" he asked in low voice, almost comforting.
Our eyes met, I again got lost in his ethereal beauty. Long silver hairs let to fall freely, gracing his sharp features. His amber eyes stood to hypnotize people guarded my fallen lashes. That loose fitted shirt giving away the look of his muscular chest—one which he made through these years of training...…. I was one step away from dying of thirst.
"Here," I said quickly, bringing myself back from my delusional act of predator. "This one," I said bending my shoulder to be seen on the on the other side. The stitched had begun to pull slightly; the skin around still raw.
"The thigh one is healing well," I added, almost lightly. "But the waist—" my fingers moved to loosen the damn third tie, almost exposing myself whole now.
"It's worse—" I showed him there. Pain shot up, sudden and sharp as I brushed near it, and a soft sound escaped me. "The others are small scratches. And then—
His hand already there. fingers pressing just beside the wound—not gentle, but not rough. They were precise.
"Careless," he signed, not kindly or softly. "You are not strong enough to put yourself in place like that. Taking steps out of excitement brings ruin." He said in his regular voice—but still somehow he didn't sound concerned entirely. It was almost like warning.
"I know—," I murmured, thinking of an answer for his taunts.
"You know nothing." He cut. Voice piercing through as if they truly meant it.
Of course. I didn't know anything. with the half broken memory of this body what can I even claim over.
I stepped back over near the bathtub, water still warm.
"Will you join?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder as conscience hit, draping my clothes back.
"Together?"
"….Obviously."
A faint curl touched my lips. I didn't exchange glance.
He stepped in at last. I knew—he wouldn't refuse, he couldn't. He was the same person I knew, he was the same love of my life.
.........
The water shifted around us. To sat opposite to each other—could be expecting of us to have a good drink of each-other's bodies, and likely we were. Leaning relaxed back to look at each- other fully.
Because of his presence, the water didn't lose its warmth. It was a comforting bath in a whilenow.
"I'll help," he said first. And so he did.
His hands moved over my back, steady, controlled—adjusting the loosened bandages, avoiding the bruises with careful accuracy. Almost as if he knew where they were. Unlike expected he didn't seem to be shocked by my scared back and leg even—
It all felt normal with him. Almost like with his scared body I was twinning.
..........
I was fitted in my loosened gown by the time we left the bath. The food was already prepared in the bedroom—waiting.
"The messenger," he said chewing a steak, "That one to leave this marks—" his finger pointed to my waist. "What did she want?"
Was he interested? I stood up with a spring, moving towards the drawer to grab the folded sheet from out there. without looking at it for another moment, I handed out towards him.
"She called me," I sat to continue the meal. "Basement. Room Forty-four."
He took it, but his expression looked puzzled at my action. As if he didn't expected such assurance.
"You are telling so freely. You gave it this easily," his voice low, brows frowned.
"Hmm. What more?" I bit hard, the meat was chewy.
"Are you thinking to chance the sides suddenly?"
"What sides? You're my husband." I gave a confused look to his bewildered self.
"You should trust easily. Especially someone like me. You may not know what all I have done, but what all I am capable off—I am sure you did quick know—"
"Aaaa, don't speak this much while eating. I trust you because it's you. May you not remember me, but I know you from my past to past life. You have been next to me at all times." I spoke with utter proudness.
"May you never find disappointment in me Anaphora. If you do, hope you let go of me, hope you leave me for any good—"
"You are quite good at depressing yourself." I laughed off. It all sounded so wrong coming out of My Love's mouth.
I looked at his face once, it seemed blank to me for anything to read. As if he was hiding something, as if he was guilty about a crime he hadn't committed yet, as if almost he had lost his most valuable fortune.
"Well I heard you are working on some mission...what it's all about?" I asked interestingly. Trying to change the mood, trying to lift up the mood.
For a moment, nothing. Just the faint clink of cutlery, the quiet rhythm of him eating.
Then the air changed. Not slowly—suddenly. Like something unseen has settled in between us.
I hadn't expected an answer. At most, a deflection. I wasn't in a position to be told things like that—not things tied to power, to territory, to decisions that shaped the kingdom.
"You'd be surprised." He spoke in amused lower voice.
My fingers stilled. I lifted my eyes to look at him now—completely.
He didn't look a me first. He picked up his fork again, took another bite, calm—almost indifferent. Then—
"We are about to ambush Elaine," his lips curled in cruel manner. He looked almost a different person—like someone drowned in the sea of desire, like someone who sorted joy in other's despair.
Elaine—the eastern territory. Still under the Crown Prince's control. Rich with mana stones—veins of power that didn't fade, minerals that could sustain a nation for generations.
Control over Elaine wasn't just control over land. It was control over power itself.
A faint smile touched my lips. That's how ambitious I expect my man to be. Even if it's some cruel away, even if it's some filthy desire—I did support him.
"Then….when?" I asked, trying to press my smile.
This time he looked directly—directly into my eyes.
"As a gift," said his colder lower voice. A slight pause then. "As a gift for my beloved brother's anniversary." The smile on his lips thinned.
The Crown Prince's wedding anniversary. My elder sister Lilian would be there too. It would have been a warm moment to gave a look of my sister whose beauty enchanted the prince enough to turn on every stone this far. But now, it sounded far more fun.
It would be so graceful to see them all tremble under Atticus sword. Manier novel families would be gathered.
But it shouldn't sound so happy to me. It should sense wrong, but for some reason, my heart seemed to be peaceful.
Two months from now—exactly two months. That's when Lilian's anniversary is. Time wasn't enough for all the preparations though.
My fingers curled up against the table. Ambush and war has never been easy as much as it sounds. Even if I wasn't a part yet, still I needed to practice well, train well....something in my head felt unsettled. As if this brain, this body seemed to know some hidden clues I still couldn't discover.
"….That's quite a gift," I said softly. Still figuring out the way he had planned for all the tings to go.
Knowing that was the same day when the Cardan called for my assemblance, my mind seemed to connect something.
But still I wasn't sure where it all led to.
I ate in silence thereafter, under the thoughts of what and how Atticus is thinking. Meanwhile my beloved ate in silence with a proud smile he was trying to suppress all the way.