Jemina had to remind herself that even if she was given power to tame monsters, that did not mean that she is a monster herself.
She was the one who initiated it after they got in the lodge but deep into the night, she was the one who passed out and woke up in the afternoon with pain in her lower back and her skin was littered with red marks all over.
"We have never done that position before."
She said while munching on the bread he brought for her brunch in bed. Noctellis sat on the edge of the bed. She picked up a grape and fed it to him.
"Which one?"
"My lega resembled the reversed y."
"Oh that one? Did you get dizzy?"
"A bit and my neck hurt a little."
"I'm sorry."
"That is all right. I should strengthen myself too. I mean, not just for that but for other things too."
"Do you want me to help you train?"
Jemina just smiled at him and that confused him.
"What is it?"
"You should be stopping me. Say that it's not right for a duchess to do such things."
"But you are not a duchess."
She felt her heart drop and she put the bread down.
"What do you mean?"
"You wanted to be simply yourself here. No titles. Just yourself."
"What about you?"
"I am still Duke Noctellis Ellengarde. I have barged into your world and I will be here as long as you permit it."
"Oh, so you do understand what I am trying to achieve here. That's good. I approve your stay here."
Jemina began munching again when Noctellis put a ring on the side of the tray. It is made from a rare and beautiful shell of an insect that the mudwolves brought from the underground. She then looked at her hand where their wedding ring is supposed to be but the ring is not there.
"I still have our ring. I hid it in my other room."
"Rosaline told me that a rabbit stole it."
"What?"
"That is why I asked her to help me make one."
"You made this?"
"Yes."
Jemina picked the ring and then gave it back to him.
"You should understand that the only reason you love me right now is because I ordered you to do so. I don't think it is right for us to have this right now."
Noctellis was quiet for a moment as he looked at the ring.
"I understand."
Jemina lifted his chin so their eyes would meet and she smiled at him.
"We promised to enjoy what we have. Right?"
Noctellis nodded.
Jemina sighed. She also remembered all those times she accepted his gifts with such enthusiasm. Now she is receiving a gift full of his affection, she can not even receive it. Noctellis immediately noticed the tears forming on the sides of her eyes and immediately picked a handkerchief.
"Jemina, don't cry."
The gentleness in his voice made her bawl like a child. He immediately wiped her tears.
"It's all your fault!!! If you just loved me before then I wouldn't have done this!"
She complained.
"But I am glad that you did this."
"I told you to love me, not go insane!"
Noctellis chuckled as he gathered her in his arms.
"Loving someone like you is a gift."
"Excuse you? Everyone in the capital said that I am your greatest misfortune!"
"So you were listening to them. I thought you did not care at all because you kept doing strange things."
"Me caring and me doing strange things are two separate matters."
Noctellis chuckled and kissed the top of her head.
"I am so glad that you washed my hair yesterday. I would have headbutted you if its under normal circumstances. "
Noctellis then picked her feet and began kissing them. She protested.
"No! They are dirty!"
"You gave me permission to kiss the parts that I washed."
"No I didn't!!! Noctellis stop! I am ticklish-kyaaah!"
Jemina laughed as he tormented her feet.
Everyday with him was fun and emotionally draining but slowly, they were slowly forgetting what brought them to their current situation. Jemina had to do her job and go at the watchtower and Noctellis began doing repairs and additions on their small house. He fixed the patio and reinforced the walls. He also added a kitchen but made sure that Jemina will have no reason to step in there. One afternoon, as he was fixing the floors of the bath, one of his shadows came. Noctellis brought them and they were skilled enough not to be noticed.
"My lord. This is for you."
Noctellis opened the scroll with the stamp of the emperor. A known enemy is about to start a rebellion according to the reports and he is urgently needed.
Noctellis looked over at at the house. The shadow disappeared and he threw the scroll to the fire.
Meanwhile, up above the watchtower. Jemina knew the presence through the reports of the mudwolves from underground. They always send a signal telepathically when they feel an unfamiliar presence.
She came to the house to find him already dressed. They just stared at each other.
"Are you all set?"
"Yes."
"I will take you."
They got in the carriage designed for underground travels with the mudwolves pulling it. They were both quiet until they reached the edge.
Jemina is unsure of what will happen once he steps out of the vicinity of the forest. She still does not know how it works but she will know once the connection gets cut.
"If the connection gets severed and you decide to attack us then I will make sure to fight back with everything I've got."
Noctellis touched her face.
"Do what you think is right."
She began tearing up and took hold of his hand.
"Were you happy in the last few days that you were with me?"
"Too much so that it was barely enough."
"I want to stop you but I already took so much from you. The kingdom is your life. That place became infinitely peaceful because of you. You were the hero of the empire before you became my husband. I promised not to take that away from you."
Noctellis wanted to drag her with him but her ability is unknown. He worries that if her powers only exist inside the forest and disappears once they take a step outside then he might kill her. There are just too many unanswered questions that they have not figured out yet. The safest place for Jemina is the most dangerous place in the entire planet. The idea frustrated him so much.
"If the connection remains, I will finish what needs to be done and come back to you."
Jemina nodded.
"I will learn to cook and by then, you have to tell me about your favorite things."
"Don't burn the house though."
"The spider deer is with me."
"That is a relief."
Noctellis finally turned his back but Jemina pulled his cape.
"Wait a minute! You did not even give me a kiss!!!"
"I'm afraid that if I do, I won't be able to leave."
"What nonsense? Kiss me right now."
Jemina did not wait for him to turn back and just walked over to his front. He could not help but smile at his quirky, adorable, wife.
He lowered himself and let her do as she pleased and she kissed him gently on the lips and stayed there with her eyes closed, breathing him.
"Go."
She kept her eyes closed and stood there until Noctellis finally took a step out of the forest and the teleportation orb activated and he was gone.
Jemina got on the tunnel and went home.