It’s finally morning but the two lovers lie tangled beneath the quilt, their bodies pressed close, skin still echoing with the mories of the night before.
Lumina slept on his chest, soft breaths warming his skin, her fingers curled around his ribs like she feared he might drift away.
Ashen didn’t move a muscle, he didn’t want to lose the weight of her against him. His hands rested around her waist, protective and possessive all at once, and his eyes already open lingered on her face.
He had kissed her so many tis through the night he had lost count, yet sohow, he still wasn’t satisfied.
Every curve of her body made him still want her, every sound she made had burned itself into him, and even now, watching her sleep gave him a sweetness he didn’t know he could feel.
Just as footsteps approached from outside the room, his arms tightened instinctively around her.
"Stay back..." Ashen murmured, his voice low and commanding, loud enough to send whoever lingered outside retreating.
He didn’t even glance toward the door, all his attention stayed on the woman breathing against his heart.
He tried shifting slightly but her grip tightened instantly. Her fingers dug against his back like she sensed the movent in her sleep, her thigh sliding over his to stop him from pulling away.
He let out a soft sigh, of course, she wasn’t letting him go.
He relaxed again, lying still beneath her, surrendering himself to her hold.
Let her sleep... he thought. She deserved it. Last night took everything out of her, so he can’t disturb her peace now.
But then he felt the faintest flutter beneath his collarbone and her eyelashes twitched.
She wasn’t fully awake yet, only shifting deeper into his warmth like a kitten disturbed too early. Then her forehead scrunched slightly.
He watched every tiny movent and felt it when her breath paused.
Then... her face tilted up, still buried into his chest, and she murmured in a sleepy, annoyed whisper.
"You wake ..."
Her voice rubbed against his skin like silk, and Ashen’s lips curved, unable to hide the affection spreading through him.
She wasn’t even fully conscious, yet she was already ready to scold him.
"I am sorry, my love..." he whispered back, brushing a soft kiss onto her hair.
She slowly blinked her eyes open those blind, silver eyes that still managed to leave him breathless.
She lifted her hand toward his face, fingertips exploring with slow, sleepy movents, his cheekbone, his jaw, the slope of his nose.
Her touch moved like she was painting a picture with mory, tracing every inch as though afraid sothing had changed overnight.
Ashen watched her silently, drinking in every stroke, every tiny tremble in her fingertips.
But then she paused and her hand froze mid-air.
Then her face changed, and he felt the shift instantly.
"My lady?" he asked softly.
She didn’t answer. She sat up instead completely bare, quilt slipping down her back, hair tumbling over her shoulders. She moved with a fast movent he wasn’t expecting.
"My lady?" he repeated, sitting up imdiately.
She turned to him slowly, her expression unreadable, lips parted. Then without a warning, she threw herself into his arms again.
Her bare skin pressed to his, warm, desperate, he caught her instantly.
"Hey... don’t tempt ," he muttered against her ear, hands gripping her waist reflexively. "I can’t control myself..." But then sothing struck his ribs hard.
A kick from inside her. Ashen exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing, as he tried to with old the pain. Before he could even gather himself, a voice called from outside.
"My Lord... the King is awake..."
Ashen closed his eyes, a curse nearly slipped out. He should be with his father. He should be there already. But at the sa ti, he couldn’t leave his wife.
He looked down at the woman wrapped around him and knew exactly where he belonged.
"Send my ssage that I will be there," he called back, his voice firm.
Lumina slowly loosened her hold. Her expression... broke a little.
"Are you leaving ?" she whispered, she was all so red and tired that she couldn’t bear him leaving her right now. The question hit him like an arrow.
He cupped her face imdiately. "No... of course not. If you don’t want to leave, I won’t move an inch."
Her breath trembled and he leaned closer. "Last night was... one of the best nights of my life," he whispered against her lips.
But instead of smiling, her lashes dropped. Her shoulders curled slightly inwards.
"I... it was my first ti," she murmured. "You wouldn’t leave for anyone, would you?" Ashen froze at this mont.
Why would she even think that?
"What the hell do you get that crazy idea from?" he asked, stunned.
She looked down and this made his heart clench.
"My lady..." he whispered, lifting her chin with one finger. "This morning was supposed to be romantic. Why are you trying to break my heart?"
She swallowed hard.
"Maybe because I am blind," she said softly. "And I am scared... that now you got whatever you wanted."
"Stop." His voice cracked, but she continued anyway.
"Now you know everything... and my mother was betrayed by the man she loved, and.." He didn’t let her finish before he crashed his lips onto hers.
There was no gentleness in the kiss.
His hand slid behind her neck, pulling her deeper. His other arm locked her waist firmly in place. He kissed her so fiercely she gasped against him, then struggled slightly with her hands pushing at his chest weakly.
Until she finally broke free, panting, lips swollen.
"St-stop... I can’t... catch my breath..."
Ashen smirked, tilting her chin up again. "The next ti you try to doubt my love, I will kiss you until you can’t breathe at all." She let out a small smile and hit his chest lightly. "Hey..."
He leaned his forehead against hers. "Listen to ... I am not leaving you for anyone"
But then his voice lowered just slightly. "Well I noticed my brother has his eyes on you," he said quietly.
"And he is the crown prince, my mother’s favorite. I should be the one worried that what if you... change your mind soday?"
Lumina’s brows are knitted. "Why would I be with him?"
"Because all eyes are on you," he murmured, brushing a slow kiss down her neck. She shivered. "And the only reason I haven’t torn him apart is because he gave you to ."
She blushed, hiding her face against his chest. He smiled into her hair and wrapped his arms around her.
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