"My lord... my lady."
Stella’s voice trembled when she saw Lumina, her hair clinging to her shoulders, her gown soaked through.
Ashen set Lumina down in the outer chamber with far more force than he intended, his jaw tight, his chest rising too fast.
"What is wrong with you?" His voice thundered before he could stop himself.
Lumina lifted her face toward him, annoyance flashing through the tears she refused to let fall. "Why are you yelling at ?"
"I asked a question that deserved an answer."
"Stop it. Do not..."
"You should not do things that force to raise my voice in the first place." His words cut sharply, fear disguised as anger.
Footsteps rushed toward them. Aria and Ero appeared at the entrance, drawn by the sound of his voice.
"Ashen!" Lumina called out, but he had already turned away.
"Why can you never listen to ?" His hands curled at his sides. "What if I had not reached you in ti?"
The dam finally broke, tears slipped free, blurring her vision. All she had wanted was to see him just once.
Instead, she stood there drenched and shaking while the man she loved burned with fury in front of her.
"Ashen..." Her voice cracked when she said his na again.
Sothing in that sound struck him deeper than any accusation. He turned back to her, making Lumina freeze.
For the first ti, light t her eyes without shadow. His face ca into focus slowly, like dawn unfolding.
Silver hair frad his forehead in soft disarray, strands still damp. His eyes were deep, a stormy silver edged with blue, watching her as though she might vanish if he blinked.
His nose was straight, his lips firm yet parted slightly as if he had forgotten how to breathe.
Her hand rose instinctively, brushing away the tears on her cheeks, not because she was sad anymore but because she needed to be sure this was real.
So this was him.
She had always heard the whispers, felt the stares of other won when they passed, but nothing had prepared her for this.
The man before her bore no flaw to mirror her blindness, he was devastatingly beautiful.
A strange ache curled in her chest. Before, she would have laughed at the thought of jealousy. Now the idea of another woman looking at him the way she was made her fingers tremble.
"Ashen..." she whispered again, arms lifting slowly, blindly, like a child reaching for comfort.
But he refused to move makihe lips trembled. "Ashen..."
That was all it took.
He crossed the distance in two strides. The mont he was close enough, Lumina wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against him as if afraid the world might steal him away.
"Do not leave ," she breathed. Fear tangled with her words. Fear she did not recognize, fear she did not want.
Ashen’s body stilled as his hands hovered before settling against her back, holding her as though she were sothing precious and breakable.
"I am sorry," he murmured. Regret weighed heavily in his voice. "I should not have raised my voice. I was terrified." His breath brushed her hair. "When I felt you pressed the bracelet... when I saw you in the water... I cannot lose you, Lumina."
A small smile curved her lips, relief softening her chest. She felt his hands shift, trying to pull her back, but she clung tighter.
He sighed quietly. "You are cold. Let take care of you."
He lifted her effortlessly, her head resting against his chest as he carried her inside. He laid her gently on the bed.
"St..." She caught his hand, shaking her head. "Do not call her."
His breath hitched when he understood. "You want to?"
She nodded. "Change my dress for ."
The door opened. Stella stepped in, already bowing. "My lady, I should..."
"Ashen," Lumina called softly.
"You can leave, I will do it," he said, his voice low. Stella smiled knowingly, "Alright my Lord.." she let out and slipped out, closing the door behind her.
"Are you certain?" Ashen asked, leaning closer, a teasing warmth threading through his tone.
Lumina said nothing. She only looked at him.
He sighed slowly as he carefully reached for her blindfold. The fabric slipped free, and light rushed in too fast. She gasped, eyes squeezing shut.
"I am sorry," he whispered. "Does it still hurt?"
She shook her head, forcing her eyes open for a mont before closing them again, adjusting.
He smiled at her like that, then she sneezed.
Ashen froze as realizing, "You hate the cold," he muttered, already loosening her soaked robe.
She smiled faintly, trusting his hands as he undressed her with care, leaving her wrapped in soft linens.
This ti, when she opened her eyes, the light did not burn her eyes. She watched him step away, summoning Stella to clear the room, then return to her side.
He lifted her again and then strolled toward the spring chamber which glowed gently, steam curling through the air. The warmth eased her tension the mont he lowered her into the water.
She relaxed, sinking slightly as she now watched her husband as he added so crushed flowers into the spring, so it would have a beautiful sll.
She watched him through the rising mist, heart tightening with a possessive ache, the thought that he had been blind all this while and she could pull this man to be with her all this ti made her fascinated.
For a weird reason, she was scared that if she hadn’t regained her sight now, would she be able to have him to herself forever?
After all, they still had a long way to go, high escaped her lip and then Ashen smirked as he moved behind his wife his hands stretched forward as he began to help her massage her back
"You can see clearly now," he said quietly, still massaging her back.
Lumina paused and then glanced back at him, eting his gaze fully this ti.
Then a shy, guilty smile touched her lips. "I was mad at you," she admitted. "So I kept it away."
He did not let her finish.
His hand slid behind her neck as he pulled her up, lips claiming hers in a deep kiss.
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