Barbaric Spouse, Descry the Night's Lure-Chapter 45: Scene XLV

Ewelina’s faint touch as her voice softly confessed with a slight frown of shyness sent a shudder through the man. Regardless, her cautious response made a smirk reign over his demeanour as he exhaled an amazed whiff that jumped to bite the air surrounding her lips instinctively quick in reprimand... Solely grazing their flesh as he separated to say.

"... That’s good... You shouldn’t stay upset over small matters, Wife."

Rubbing the curb of her waist with his rough fingers Aslak praised Ewelina with arrogance. Feeling tempted once more at the smoothness of her soaked skin that shaped to his grasp so tenderly.

"... Haa... Let’s cleanse quickly and get over the introductions... I want to have you again once we come back."

"!"

Tracing the lips of the woman, the man announced as his breath caressed her. Massaging her thigh to also make her expectant of their return, giving Ewelina one last press on her lips, rough and tough as his manners.

Taking her with him as he stood. Aslak left the bewildered woman trying to cover as he left the tub to bring more of the unused water and the ewers they would use.

"Here, we’ll have to use these since we... messed that up... You’re covering again?"

Sneering at the woman giving her back to him, Aslak asked after handing the ewer she received conservatively. Watching her lower half as he came back to stand in the tub.

"No... I am... just cold." — Ewelina poorly excused her hands’ placement.

Scoffing at her response, the Archduke then moved to fill the ewer and commenced to pour some of its water on her head, strangely careful for his hands.

"If so, clean your hair quickly."

"!..."

Her shoulders flinched at the feel of the water from behind. And her eyes closed as his hand came to hold her volume.

"It... Absorbs a lot..." — He then told his Wife. Impressed at the nature of her fur.

"Yes... I will do it... Thank you, Husband."

Taking the ewer from his hand she sat on the edge of the tub and commenced to comb with her fingers the curly strands that became heavier with the liquid.

Watching her, Aslak sat on the other side and soaked his straight hair peeking at how she took care of herself.

Pouring more water on himself, his hair was cleansed quickly and with a little knife his servants had left near, in the reflection of the water, Aslak shaved the growing hair on his beard.

"... Does Husband not cut himself when doing that himself?"

"I’m used to it. A little cut doesn’t matter either."

Without giving her a glance, he continued to press the blade.

"... I noticed... Yet you do not let it grow..."

"... It gets in the way... Don’t ask and finish up. I haven’t seen you use the oil yet." — Pointing with the knife to her side he gestured. — "It’s that one, right?"

Proper, she bent to reach the oil and did as she was told. Timid for she understood he had been watching her cleanse her strands all along.

— I want to. Show me. —

She recalled his convinced wish to see her fur be washed. And Ewelina felt content while doing so even amid the nudity that had her reticent.

’He has been watching...’ — She thought, moved by the appreciation her Husband gave her unusual crown. Nonetheless, her inner lip was bitten... Restraining the smile it caused within.

*******

"... I shall go to my stances and get dressed now."

Wrapping herself in the gown after finishing her bath, Ewelina informed her Husband who also was wearing a deep blue cloak the servants had brought for him to use.

Peeking at her svelt figure, sceptic by her announcement Aslak then faced the woman as he retrieved his pants from the ground.

"... Use something thick. I’ll go to your room once I’m ready." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"? You will go to my chambers?"

"I can’t?" — Aslak barked. Annoyed at the idea of her not wanting him in her private stances.

"... I thought we would meet outside."

"... I don’t want to do that. We will go together from here."

"... Understood... Then it is time I prepare."

Bowing to the man, Ewelina commenced to move towards the link to her chambers tightening her lips glad by Aslak’s intentions.

"Wait."

However, the man stopped her steps. Going after her to do what had him intrigued.

"I haven’t touched your fur."

Unfolding his hand to dive between her clean hair, he caressed her crane before going down her strands with open fingers, combing the still-damp curls with great interest in his hues.

"... It’s smooth...?... It still drips water..."

Sniff...

Coming closer, Aslak took its scent into his lungs as if surveying them.

"....It smells stronger."

"!" — Aggravated by the word her Spouse used, Ewelina stood to protest in a glare. — "It does not smell."

"..."

Holding her glare unconvinced by her need to correct him, Aslak also peeked at his hand that had been pushed away.

"... Say ’scent’... For I do not stink, Husband."

Ewelina pouted while glancing at the tall man before her. Waiting only one moment to see his corner lift satisfied with her attitude and continue her way to her private room.

"I am going." — She announced, giving her back to him, who silently watched her with a wicked expression.

Her chambers were as tidy as she left them yesterday’s noon. Devoid of any servant and the child that used to visit her out of boredom.

Walking to the coffer that kept her garment, Ewelina peeked from the edge of her eye towards the door she had crossed. Unable to even see it, yet bash fully thinking of who was on the other side.

’My Spouse... I have trouble when interacting with him...’

Thinking of the past she could recall... No man had been so free when in her presence.

’Neither were them as... Fierce...’

Touching the limb that had been stained by an unintended wound, she quivered to recall his manliness. Resuming in fluster her search for the clothing she was to wear on her first visit to the Village below their Castle.

’...Times were different... The world also was...Even my body... Everything differs from the gist I recall.’ — Caressing the murky material of one dress, she contemplated.

’I remember... Tangling only with two men in different times and bodies... Yet none were from Lands like these surrounding us.’

Watching far into the clouded distance the Mysterious Corner of the continent her Spouse owned, Ewelina pondered further on also cloudy memories. Lifting the piece she had come to select to wear in front of Kleifar’s Villagers, laying it on her chest that pounded, she continued to compare a long past with her present.

"... None was as wild... Neither as powerful... Nor as intriguing... None made me waver as he does in so short time..."

Whispering in a breathless tone her hands clenched the dress as Ewelina’s core raised concern about what could be similar in this life to the others... when the man by her side was as unique in her sights as her curls were to the world.