Barbaric Spouse, Descry the Night's Lure-Chapter 57: Scene LVII

The essence of the woman had changed to one he disapproved of. And hearing her mumblings with clear distaste in her tone, Aslak tilted his head to get a better view of her visage and addressed the avoiding woman.

"I didn’t say that to upset you."

"... I know."

Coming to lift her head and catch sight of the serious man looking into her eyes, Ewelina’s hardened visage managed to loosen up as realisation that no fault lays on the man beside her.

"As you are from the North, will you fall ill if you soak your feet here?"

Devoid of teasing, his question was sincere. Wondering if being raised as a weak one from the outside would make her cross of the stream a reckless action.

Ewelina, fortunately, could see through the man’s toughness, that even when rudimentary, it conveyed his sincerity with the ignorance the lands he was rooted to consented. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

He who observed the flowing water move in ponder was one with who she could speak directly. A threatening man yet one accessible who would listen to a woman.

"Even as I am from the North, I believe I can endure crossing a stream... Yet, if I am not..." — Turning to face him as the two were watching the thread of moving water, Ewelina replied to her inquiring Husband. — "I am to fall ill and endure the ailing so I can grow accustomed to these Lands I belong now as your Partner."

Bending to take her thick shoes off her feet, she felt the plain dirt underneath that slowly became wet and stony, adopting the black shade of the boulder where her Residence was settled as she walked to meet the waters.

The colours of fading white, soft terracotta and obsidian were fabulous together and she who wore similar colours in her appearance did mesh in it, seemingly demonstrating with her body’s shade her belonging to the Sortnafeigr Territory.

Steps were given, and even when light shame for saying outspoken that she belonged to those terrains as of this moment, Ewelina moved pleasantly to taste the cold of the water. Lifting her dress without much elegance so it wouldn’t get wet on its whole.

"It is quite cold. I wonder from where this stream comes."

"Don’t just taste the water. Cross it, woman."

Stomping his way beside her, the man that also carried his leathery boots with roughly wrapped up pants, mocked Ewelina that dainty enjoyed the nature he was accustomed to. Splashing some of the pureness on the woman as he went across the few but sufficiently deep width of the river bed.

"Even if you ail I want answers later! No pathetic excuses are given in these Lands!"

From the other side, he told the stunned Ewelina whose skirt had already soaked in the stream even when she had not entered its deepness.

"! You–" — A start of response was lited. However, Ewelina halted, wishing to cross the stream to tell her retort to the man.

Having little thought for her dress, she lifted it sufficiently along her cloak for both to not absorb a huge amount of water. Until her knees, the water managed to reach and with the flood, she slightly struggled to protect her clothes from getting into the stream for if she lifted more of it... Or in an unskillful way, her nether regions, those only her Husband was allowed to see could escape from being covered.

Nonetheless, she continued. Reaching successfully the other side.

"Ooou~. Woman, you–"

"You are also giving pathetic excuses, Husband. Only to do as you want once in our privacy."

Glaring at the man, she whose pacific nature seemed to be ignited into a ferocious one easily by her Spouse’s provocations, told the man with an elegant stance. Interrupting his impressed words. Dropping her soaked skirt to fall heavier down the legs he watched in awe as they firmly grasped the slippery ground below the river.

"Pathetic?" — He scowled in response, forgetting the wish to praise her strides.

"Husband used my wish to cross the stream as a condition to do as you wish when we return in retribution to my prohibition."

"Hah... That is not a pathetic excuse, woman." — Leaning onto her, Aslak frowned even when entertained. — "Strategic. That’s what those from outside call it. I’m gaining from it... And I’m sure you are too. Since you are tending your throat coming here to say this."

Saving the distance not to touch her as she had reminded him, Myrkzver used the conditions to tease the woman that desisted from going backwards as her legs were tangled on the long and wet skirt restraining much of her freedom.

"!... Inconsiderate... It is unthoughtful of a woman to raise her voice in public. Much less to her Spouse."

"Another pathetic excuse, Woman... You are full of those. You’ll have to grow accustomed to everything we endure here if you wish to belong, Wife."

Mockery was palpable in his tone and expression. The narrow of his eyes was a mischievous provocation for a new retort from Ewelina.

Standing straight to meet his gaze, she glared with conflict at the man. Ultimately letting an elegant leave as a response to the challenging Husband.

"... That shall be done." — Nervous to say it, Ewelina stated with pure eyes that talked directly into his.

At this moment, her words were a compromise to the Lands where she stood and to the man before her. One that searched for acceptance and the confirmation that this was the last place her soul would come to an end and then commence far in the future again.

Concern at the uncertainty of doing such was only implied in the brows wanting to unite through her bridge as her eyes watched with hope in their earthy hue at those amber ones the Barbaric Archduke possessed.

"I am to grow accustomed to these Lands that nurtured yours and your people’s essence... For I do wish to belong."

Even in the softness of her feminine and still youthful sound, Aslak discerned the woman’s anxious seriousness once more.

Nonetheless, proceeding to show the respect a pair of unwavering eyes deserved in his culture, the brutish man stood straight to accept his Partner’s statements. Portraying the authority and danger a man as himself instilled easily. More so in his Territory.

"Do so."

Aslak told her with a chilly stare from his height.

"I allow you to."

"..."

"Make the Amber sight yours. And deny any beast’s menace with it, Woman. By then... Not only are you to belong here. You will possess the farthest roots of my Territory. For the Mate of a Myrkzverg is to be their equal."