"The mories of that witch must have been tornting you," he began softly. "I’m sorry I didn’t realize what you were going through. I should have known that you were suffering. I don’t hold you responsible for anything that happened in the past, and I don’t want you to pay for it. While I can never forgive or accept your grandfather, you are different, and my feelings for you are separate from him. I despise him, but not you. I have never hated you, not even for a single mont. What others did, the weight of their actions is solely their responsibility to carry and not ours. All I want is for us to be together and lead a happy life as husband and wife."
"I can’t..." her muffled voice sounded against his chest.
"I understand that you’re hurt and feel betrayed by the people you trusted the most," he reassured her. "But everything will eventually get better. I will make things right for you, for us. Even if you can’t accept my feelings right now, it’s okay. I’ll make you fall for all over again until you think of nothing but . You’ll forget all the pain and want to be with and only . I will make it happen."
He felt her body finally relax in the comfort of his arms as he continued to hold her. After a while, he gently loosened his embrace and made her look up at him. His eyes were filled with warmth and determination as they t her red-rimd eyes, his thumb tenderly wiping away the remaining tears from her cheeks.
"Oriana, know that I desire no one but you. There has never been anyone else, and there won’t be. My life is ant to be with you, and I’ll make it a reality, no matter what it takes. I will earn your trust once more, and I’ll never break it," Arlan declared.
She heard his words, but her reaction remained subdued. Her eyes, like still water, continued to et his gaze without displaying any discernible emotion.
"You don’t need to rush or worry about my feelings," he continued. "Just follow your heart, and I’ll do the sa. We have all the ti in the world, as we’re going to be together from now on."
Arlan decided not to reveal to her that his dragon had chosen her as his mate, as he didn’t want her to think that his feelings were solely driven by his dragon’s instincts. He wished to show her his genuine love first and prove it had nothing to do with his Dragon part.
His human side had been drawn to her from the very beginning when he encountered her in that forest for the first ti. Even if he couldn’t seen her face at that ti, unknown to him, he had been captivated by her. No other woman had ever made him feel that way.
He scooped her up in his arms, taking her by surprise once more. He gently placed her on the bed, making her seat resting against the headboard. Before any misunderstanding could arise, he assured her, "I’m going to get so water for you."
Oriana didn’t respond, silently observing as he went to fetch water. His tall figure stood before the side table, pouring water into a glass, and then he brought it to her.
She accepted the glass of water while he stood by the bedside. After she had finished, he took the glass from her and walked back to the table.
With his back turned to her, he heard her say, "Don’t be so kind to . It makes feel burdened."
He poured so water for himself in the sa glass and replied without turning to look at her, "Tonight, allow to be kind to you. Starting tomorrow, I might revert to my old ways and act like a tyrant with you. I hope you won’t give in to and remain the sa stubborn and fearless Oriana that I know."
Oriana was left speechless as she watched him turn around and return to the bed.
"You must be tired. You should get so rest," he said, holding up the blanket spread on the bed. "Lie down."
Oriana complied, feeling genuinely tired, her recent emotional outpouring having drained her ntally. Arlan covered her with the blanket and moved to the other side of the bed. Just as he was about to climb onto the bed, she hesitated and asked, "A-Are you sleeping here?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Then where should I sleep? It’s our wedding night."
Embarrassnt suddenly washed over her already exhausted face. What should she do now?
"Whether you accept or not, starting tonight, I’m going to sleep in the sa bed as you," he declared, and without further ado, he got under the sa blanket ant for two.
Oriana found herself shifting towards the edge of the bed, but before she could move any further, he cautioned, "Move a little more, and you’ll fall off the bed."
Frozen in her place, she closed her eyes and said, "Good night, Your Highness."
There was no imdiate response from him, but even with her eyes closed, she could sense his displeased gaze directed at her. She opened her eyes and turned her face to look at the man lying on the other side of the bed. He was intently watching her while lying on his side.
"Say it again while addressing your husband the way a wife should," he commanded, his tone firm.
Now understanding the reason for his displeasure, she weakly replied, "Good night... Arlan," and turned to sleep while facing her back at him.
He smiled lightly at her response. "Good night, my beautiful wife."
Oriana heard his words, feeling a sense of awkwardness with the way he addressed her. It would have been better if he had simply said her na. She took a deep breath to calm her unease and closed her eyes.
Arlan continued to gaze at her back for a while, a contented smile on his face as he gradually drifted into peaceful slumber. It had been a long ti since he had been able to sleep peacefully with her beside him. There was no need for sches or plans now; he could rightfully share a bed with her.
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