Post by Alexandria Eveleigh- Demarais on Mar 26, 2020 18:17:21 GMT -5
[ALEXANDRIA] She stood there silently. Defeated and distraught. Her eyes down at the floor until they were left in silence. That silence lingered for a moment, and Alexandria felt as if she could breathe a little better once Eoin and the others were out of the room. Just a little. But Aric was hurt, she knew. And she wasn't sure how to tread right now. She stayed silent for a moment, trying to think of something....anything to say. But nothing made sense to her. Nothing would be able to describe how she was feeling--how Aric must have been feeling. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to look at him. Tears still were slowly rolling down her cheeks. "Aric..." She only managed to whisper. She was afraid. Afraid of him suddenly deciding to leave her because of this. Despite everything they had promised each other. That he wouldn't give up on her... Her hands were shaking again, and she didn't know if she should approach him or stay where she stood. But she didn't care. She finally closed that gap between them and she grabbed the fabric of his coat, clutching to him, burying her face into his chest, and she cried into him. "Aric... I'm so sorry..." Again, she was apologizing for something she had absolutely no control over.
[ARIC] His gaze only shifted from Orin to Cassandra when she placed a hand against his cheek, her silent way of trying to tell him to calm down, that it would be alright. But how could she be sure? She had witnessed what just happened. When everyone else left and he was faced with nothing but silence and the queen's quivering breath, he couldn't look at her. There was no longer anger in his eyes as they downcast to the floor, because he just felt...lost. The way she said his name only made the pain of it worse. As she suddenly clutched to him, apologizing yet again, he was frozen. It was as though he was stunned, because he barely moved until his hands came up to gently grip her arms. "You really need to stop apologizing for things that are not your fault..." His voice was stern, but far from cold. The confusion was simply written all over him, and he didn't know how to feel. At least he wasn't shutting her out. He had wanted to leave this room minutes ago, but he hadn't, and he was still there.
[ALEXANDRIA] He froze up from her touch, and that nearly tore her apart. What was happening? She woke up this morning completely and utterly happy. And now... Well, she felt like everything had come unraveled and undone in the matter of seconds. She feared that he was shutting her out, but he grabbed hold of her arms and was telling her to stop apologizing for things that were not her fault. Then why did she feel so guilty? So completely at a loss right now, like none of this would have happened if she... never became queen in the first place. Yes, she was blaming herself all the way since then. If she had not taken back Aralore to begin with... Then none of this would be happening right now. Saelis would have just taken over the land, perhaps found what they wanted, and... She needed to stop this train of thought. If they had found what they wanted... Perhaps so many people would be dead right now. So many deaths would transpire from the contents of that tiny little viak only she and Aric knew about now. No one else. It was just the two of them, in all of this together now. Catastrophe, she had told him... Nothing good ever came from loving her. But he convinced her... they would get through anything together. And this was one of those things they needed to get through.
She looked up at Aric, seeing that confusion on his face. "But it is all my fault, Aric...." Her voice was still shaken up. She wanted to tell him all of the dark and horrid things that were racing through her mind right now. "The war... All of it... " She shook her head. "I cannot do this anymore... Maybe I should just let your brother take over Aralore... Step down as queen. I am not cut out to do any of this..." No, she needed to stop. This wasn't the issue at hand. But she still blamed herself for Eoin. If there hadn't been a war... he would not have been captured. If he hadn't been captured, he would never have left. She would have never met Aric... That thought suddenly broke her heart. She could not imagine her life without him, and she did not want to. She shook her head and cried into her hands again. He really did not realize how much he truly meant to her, and she needed to assure him. Just like last night when needed the assurance that it was okay for him to touch her, to make love to her... Just as she had needed him to assure her that she was alright and she was safe with him. She lifted her face from her hands and she looked at him, tears staining her cheeks. "Aric...." She whispered his name again, as if doing so would fix everything--but she quickly realized it would take more than just that. Carefully, she took his face in her hands and forced him to look into her eyes. "Come back to me," she said to him, for the second time tonight. He was drifting into that darkness, slipping away from her. He needed to know that he didn't need to worry about where her heart lied. She was his wife. She loved him now. The love she felt for him was much stronger than it ever had been with Eoin. He was the first man she had been with since she was raped. The first man she had let get that close to her... The first person she trusted her deepest, darkest secrets with. He needed to realize all of this. She pressed her forehead against his, as he had done to her so many times now, and she whispered softly to him. "We will weather whatever storm comes our way...Right?" She repeated what he had said to her earlier that night. "Please come back to me. I need you, Aric...Now more than ever... I need my husband..." She was crying through her words, desperate to get through to him. She didn't let go of his face, or move her forehead away from his, she just stared into his eyes, so close to him, that the scent of jasmine and vanilla lingered between them. "I love you... Please believe me, Aric...please." Her voice was breaking again and she was slowly fading, becoming defeated in all of this. And so she whispered again to him, as if it were her last hope. "I love you..."
[ARIC] He really didn't know why he was so frozen. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. It wasn't that he changed his mind at all. He didn't know what it was right away that made him stand there like a zombie, suddenly appearing so lifeless and non-existent. When she began to blame herself more and say things that were completely absurd- like letting Edward take Aralore- his hands gripped her arms a little tighter. "No," he said, that single word leaving his throat in a growl. That could never happen. He feared his brother had lost his mind completely at this point...and maybe that was a disease that ran his family. He should be telling her to stop thinking such things right now, but his mind was selfishly getting swept away again. His attention drifting to the floor. He barely heard her say his name again; his eyes only coming back to her when she took his face, pleading with him to wake up out of whatever this was. Her head against his now, a gentle sigh left his lips in a shudder, his fingers curling into her arms now like she was his lifeline. "I love you, too..." he finally said, shutting his eyes as he remained there, enveloped in her scent and comfort. But he should be comforting her, and the guilt was not lost on him. "I'm sorry, I'm still here... it's just..." What? That was exactly the question he couldn't answer. Eoin's sudden arrival had just shocked him, made him suddenly worry about so many things.
[ALEXANDRIA] She had just completely poured her heart out to him, but still, he held back from her. She couldn't stop crying, and she thought maybe she should just leave--go to her room and lock herself away. But he suddenly curled his fingers into her arms and told her he loved her. She brushed her thumbs against his face as she kept her hands there. Drawing in a deep breath and releasing it in a sigh, she spoke quietly, "Just what, Aric? Please talk to me... please tell me what you have going on in your head... Don't shut me out like this.." She knew it was all too much to take in, and she couldn't blame him, she was just as shocked, if not more. She sighed again, slowly pulling away from him, but she took his hand and pulled him to their spot in the library and urged him to sit before she sat down next to him, facing him and taking his hands in her own. "I know this is a big shock..." saying that was an understatement for sure. "Are you thinking I will leave you because he is back?"
[ARIC] He was trying to find the words. No, he was struggling to, but after Edward pulling his stunt, everything was just hard to handle all at once. His eyes had opened to look back down at her while she urged him to explain, to speak honestly with her...and he wasn't silence because he was denying her. Led to sit, the sound of the leftover fire in the hearth tending to further calm his nerves, she said those words he hadn't expected. It was more like he hadn't expected to agree with them. "Maybe." The answer left his lips in a tired whisper. "I just...feel guilty when I know I shouldn't..." It was stupid, but the pain on Eoin's face had been so clear. Were their roles reversed, wouldn't he hate the man despite the logic behind it? Blinking again, he drew one of her hands to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. "But it should be I making sure that you're okay. I'm sorry." He wasn't in as much of a trance anymore, but the shock wouldn't subside. If it bothered him this much, he couldn't imagine what she was feeling.
[ALEXANDRIA] She frowned and looked down as Aric admitted he may be worried she'd leave him. But his next words made her lift her gaze to him and she looked at him confused. "Guilty? For what, Aric?" She watched as he took her hand to his mouth to kiss her knuckle--the first thing he had done to show her any type of affection since Eoin's arrival. He was bringing up her well being, and she couldn't help but let out a defeated laugh. Was she okay? No. She was far from okay. She slowly stood up and moved away from him and over to the fireplace. She stared into the dying flames and just shook her head. "I'm not okay, Aric..." She honestly wanted to throw herself to the floor and burst into tears, and it took every ounce of strength she had left in her being, to keep her upright.
[ARIC] He let her get up and move away, leaving him to lean forward and rest his elbows on his thighs, a hand running down his face as if trying to rid himself of this lingering tiredness. "I can't imagine...what you must be dealing with," he said quietly. "What he must be dealing with..." As childish as it was, he wouldn't blame Eoin for hating him if he somehow did. In ways it wouldn't be warranted, but...even still. "I froze, Alexandria. All my mind could think about was...how I stole you from him, how a part of me wished he had never returned. That makes me feel guilty. That is what makes me feel like the worst man imaginable." A small part of him wished Eoin had simply stayed dead...and that was cruel. But at least he could admit it.
[ALEXANDRIA] Her gaze remained on the burning embers in the fireplace, until she heard him say her name and what he felt guilty for. Sapphire eyes looked at him and she was shaking her head. "No..." was all she said at first. But she understood him, and did not blame him for feeling that way. She moved back to him and knelt down on the floor in front of him, taking his hands. "You did not steal me from him... None of this is your fault whatsoever, Aric. I won't let you blame yourself for it." She rested her head down on his knee and interlocked her fingers with his. If anyone was to blame, it was her, and she couldn't shake that feeling. If Eoin had never died, or gone missing... And she were still in the predicament of the arranged marriage in order to get Tresteria's aid, she wondered if she still would have gone through with this. She told herself many times that she would--because above all else, her people and the wellbeing of the kingdom came first. Though she may not have allowed her heart to stray far from Eoin, and for that, she felt guilty for everything. But that was not what happened. She fell hopelessly in love with Aric, and that was what mattered right now, in this moment. She wouldn't change a thing-- and that made her feel like the worst woman imaginable.
[ARIC] It was all just some horrible punishment for something, it felt like, and he didn't know for what. Or was this just their fate? To finally feel happy, only to have to deal with something interfering with it? It would seem they all felt guilty over something or other, and it was only a matter of time before it completely spiraled out of control. As she came over and consoled him once more, he sighed. "I know..." he admitted. Because he did know he shouldn't feel guilty. "I just...started thinking about the possibility of losing you...then I realized that he knows he had lost you..." It was a vicious cycle that he was trying to break from. Yet, in all honesty, he wasn't sure if there was even an end to it. Not yet anyway. It was also not far from Aric's mind to know that if Eoin had lived, he wouldn't be here now. At least not in the same way. It was also a horrible thought. "But if he hadn't gone, hadn't died...I wouldn't be here, would I? Or, not in this way." It was an honest question he already knew the answer to. An answer he'd blame no one for because it made sense, and it made it clear that he was happy the man had been gone. Aric just sighed, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear with his free hand; the other holding onto hers tightly. He just needed some time to compress, and so did she, most of all. And not once did he say he was changing his mind. She was his wife now, and he was nothing like his brother...no matter what Edward claimed.
[ALEXANDRIA] This was how her life was. As soon as she became happy--something was happening to tear her right back down. She muttered under her breath as she laid her head against Aric's leg. "I am cursed...." Aric's viscous cycle of guilt made sense, and she couldn't blame him. She just.... didn't want him to feel this way, and she didn't know how to fix this. Then, Aric was asking her that dreaded question and it made her stomach twist in knots. How could she answer this without making him feel worse? She lifted her gaze to look up at him and she squeezed his hand, speaking quietly. "You would still be here, Aric..." She sighed, looking into his eyes. "It just... May have been harder...Taken longer to get to the point we are at now..." Alexandria was a faithful woman. Her words perhaps suggesting that regardless of whether or not Eoin had been around, she would have remained faithful to Aric. Just as she would now. "I'm sorry, Aric... None of this is fair to you... But..." She pulled herself up to sit next to him, still holding onto his hand, her free hand moving to his face. "But it's not how any of this happened... I fell in love with you....I am your wife now... And we are here.." There was no use in dwelling over what could have or would have happened. It didn't change anything, it did not make anything better.
[ARIC] It had been hard for her to admit, but all he wanted was honesty. There was no anger on his face when she dreaded explaining everything to him. He saw how she struggled, and he hand held steadfast onto hers, nor did he flinch away when she moved to sit beside him. Not once did his mind drift to her being unfaithful- he already knew that would never happen, because that was the type of woman Alexandria was. "You loved him," he began, his voice calm and maybe even a little tired. "And you still do, in whatever way that is." There was still no anger, no insinuation in his voice. If anything, there was admiration for how fiercely she loved. "I do not expect anything less," Aric assured, shifting his face so that he could kiss the palm of her hand that had been resting there against his cheek. "I just didn't like...what this all did to me. It's subsiding, but I think we all need time to let it settle." Of course, they needed to figure out this problem with Saelis, so that would be a lot harder to do than said. "I love you, I'm still here, and I'm not leaving...but I didn't think it right to flaunt any of that in front of him right now." Their wedding day or not. It was clear Eoin had gone through Hell...he didn't deserve anymore.
[ALEXANDRIA] She sat quietly as Aric spoke to her calmly and as if he completely understood her and did not fault her for any of it. It was hard for her to tell him the truth, but marriage needed to have honesty and trust. And she hoped he trusted that her heart was his now. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him, as he kissed the palm of her hand. "I know..." She said to him, brushing her fingers into his hair. "I don't like what it did to me, either..." She had just stood there, as if scared by Eoin's presence... How could she have been so completely cold and heartless to him? She was worried for Aric and that maybe he would have reacted worse if she had gone to Eoin. And she was so shocked that Eoin was there in front of her, that it just froze her, not knowing what to do in the moment.
She squeezed his hand again, appreciating his thoughtfulness and concern, for both her and Eoin. It perhaps would not have been right for their love to be flaunted in front of Eoin, and she agreed, perhaps why she had been frozen, unsure of what to do with her emotions in that moment. Eoin didn't need to be heartbroken upon his return, after all he had been through. And Aric, didn't deserve to be worried or heartbroken and scared that he would now lose his wife because her past love came crawling back. She leaned into him and pressed her lips against his, softly. "I love you, Aric."
[ARIC] Any normal man may have been worried or jealous if she had shown any affection towards Eoin...but a bigger man would realize that she should have, that she could and it didn't mean the end of the world. It all came down to how bad he was feeling for him, only imagining what he had gone through and thus lost because of it. Were Aric in his shoes, he may have completely snapped and broken down, and he wasn't ashamed to believe so. He knew he wouldn't have been able to keep it together like Eoin did. Still, it put a bit of a damper on this evening that he wished it hadn't. At least she was still there with him. With a sigh, he leaned over to rest his head upon her shoulder, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm sorry this has happened." On the worst day possible. "Will you be alright?" Because she certainly wasn't now, and that was okay.
[ALEXANDRIA] She was certainly grateful that Eoin, or Aric hadn't completely broken down and caused more of a scene, or made her feel like a horrible person. Though Eoin's expression had nearly killed her. Had the roles been reversed, she would have completely broken down too. Or at least shut down completely. She could only imagine what he was going through, and it pained her.
As Aric rested his head on her shoulder, she kissed the top of his head. Would she be alright? With a soft sigh, she nodded slowly. "I think so...Eventually." She weaved her fingers with his and squeezed his hand tightly. "Will you be alright?"
[ARIC] The question remained: what do they do now? How do they handle this on top of the news Eoin had thrown at them? There was a possible war looming over them, one that no one probably understood the reason for...except for he and Alexandria. That was a disconcerting thought. His face shifted just enough to kiss her neck, letting her warmth and scent soothe and calm him. "Eventually," he echoed her. "Because I love you." And it would help him realize the stupidity of any false thoughts that may come into his mind. He was sitting up straighter then, letting his eyes drift to the dying fire. He could get up and stoke it to burn hotter...but he didn't feel like moving from her side, even for a moment. "About what Edward said..." His voice trailed off, knowing she probably didn't wish to talk about it or even think about it again. But there was something he had to make very clear again. His brother's mention of dying children had been directed at him, and although it killed him, he had not forgotten what she had told him weeks ago. How she probably couldn't have children. It, at first, had given him a strange sense of relief because it calmed his fear...but now it felt wrong. Even still..."I'm okay that we can't." He didn't want her to worry that it would ever bother him. The arm around her waist had slid so that his palm rested upon her abdomen, like he was trying to further explain without tripping over his own words. It wasn't right, and he wasn't sure if the idea was completely alright with him now...but it could be. It was selfish, yet he knew his fear from Maria would only just return, regardless of how a part of him would embrace it.
[ALEXANDRIA] Her eyes closed slightly as Aric kissed her neck and echoed her words that he'd be alright eventually, too. That kiss on her neck reminded her briefly of how Edward had forcefully kissed her there, and she shuddered slightly. Almost as if he knew her mind had wandered there, Aric was bringing him up. Strangely, despite her not wanting to talk about it, she was grateful for the distraction away from Eoin. What Edward said, Aric didn't know the half of what was said, but he was bringing up the horrible thing he had said about Aric killing his wife and child and that he'd do the same to her and ruin his chance at having an heir. Although they were directed at Aric, they struck her quite hard, too, because he was expecting them to have a child, and she could not. It made her feel so inadequate. So when Aric touched her stomach and stated he was okay that they wouldn't have a child, she frowned slightly. She leaned into him and pressed her lips against his cheek. He may have been okay with it.. But she really had never gotten over that. It wasn't okay, but she knew what Aric meant. He wouldn't fault her for not giving him an heir, and she appreciated that about him. "I know," she whispered into his ear, before pressing her forehead against the side of his head. She didn't know what else to say about it all. "He said some other things to me..." She admitted to him, not sure if she should bring it up to make the night any worse than it already was. But his words bothered her quite a bit. Aric deserved to know if he wanted to, and she would be honest.
[ARIC] It was good that she understood what exactly he meant, because...no, it wasn't okay in the most obvious sense. But for him, it didn't make him love her any less. There was no pressure for an heir, because her happiness came before all else. That, and his fear would certainly plague him again, as much as he wanted to claim that it wouldn't. He toyed with her slender fingers, trying to find something to distract him, when she mentioned his brother had said more things. She wouldn't have mentioned it if it didn't bother her, and he sighed at the memory of that prick. "What did he say?" He knew he wasn't going to like it, so he was steadying and preparing himself now.
[ALEXANDRIA] She slowly lifted her head from him and frowned, looking into his eyes. With a deep sigh, she began repeating all of what Edward had said to her. Her voice slightly shaken up as she remembered it. "That he made a mistake in giving me to you...Because he wanted me... That I belonged to him." Her expression suddenly changed to anger. This was the very thing she had fought against with all of the arranged marriages Saelis tried to throw at her. That she was simply an object to be given away, or to belong to someone, like a slave. The words bothered her, and it was easy to tell how badly they bothered her as she spoke of it. She sighed and shook her head. "Then, he said you would eventually get bored of me and treat me the way he treats his wife because that's how he is and how your father was. That you will shut me out, be mean to me..." Her voice choked up as she spoke the next part, "you'd find other ladies to satisfy you... That I would become miserable with you. But not him, because..." She let out a saddened laugh and shook her head, now imitating Edward's voice as she quoted him "because my beauty is just too much to not be satisfied with, and only he can recognize that. " Deep down, she knew that maybe Edward was jealous of what Aric had, that he no longer had, and he was trying to manipulate her into thinking the worst about Aric, to make him look worse than him. She sighed and shook her head, placing her face into her hands, as if that would make everything go away.
[ARIC] He was really trying not to get angry again. It used to be so in his nature just to burn with rage the moment something didn't sit well with him. Aric used to live through his anger, living that way day to day because it made little sense to allow any happiness in. Not even an ounce. It always backfired. He wanted to say that about this evening...but how could he while she rested there with him? How could he think he couldn't have more than just fleeting moments of happiness when she had chosen him. Alexandria hadn't just accepted this alliance and marriage, she embraced it. She embraced him. Letting her finish, he would gently take her wrists to urge her hands away from her face so that he could look at her, even with her tear-streaked cheeks. "You don't believe that..." It started off as a question, but he knew he didn't have to ask it. It was a statement. As much as those words hurt her, she was too smart to listen to them, but that didn't make the words any less hurtful. They still stung at him something fierce. "He doesn't have you, nor will he ever..." A hand moved to the side of her face as he leaned in, kissing her forehead and murmuring words against her skin. "You are mine...because I am yours, and only yours. Something he can't grasp and will never comprehend." Edward would never be happy, even while he had an entire kingdom, because he simply didn't allow himself to be. For some reason, his brother thought there was always something else better out there instead of being able to see what was already in front of him.
[ALEXANDRIA] She looked at him when he urged her hands away from her face. Tears blurring her vision of him. As he spoke, not sure if she was about to ask her if she believed Edward's words, or if he was knowingly stating that she didn't believe them. Either way, she shook her head in response. Deep down, she knew Edward was wrong about Aric. But it didn't make the words hurt any less. How could his own brother speak so poorly of him?
She nodded in response to Aric stating Edward doesn't and would never have her. She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead and murmured against her skin. She sighed softly, and whispered quietly to him. "I am afraid to be alone right now..." She moved closer to him, climbing into his lap and curling up against him. "The thought crossed my mind that he would try to forcibly take me in the middle of the night, while I sleep. It was in his eyes when he looked at me... The way he pressed his mouth on my neck..." She shuddered. "I want him gone tomorrow..."
[ARIC] He didn't like the fearful look that took over her features; the mere thought of his brother haunting her in a way that it shouldn't. Edward had done many wrong things in his life, but this was certainly at the top of the list that made Aric have to breathe in and out from his nose to keep himself calm. His jaws were clenching, even while she curled up against him on his lap. It lessened the burning rage inside him, but her words were making him want to pound his fucking head in. "You're not alone," he reminded her calmly, even if he wasn't. "I'm right here." His head tilted to rest atop her, trying so hard to keep his anger contained. It was in the way he breathed, the way his heart pounded, that she would know he was on the verge of possibly beating his own brother to a pulp. But his arms wrapped around her tighter, grumbling lowly. That neck of hers was his, his favorite spot because it often elicited a gentle gasp of breath from those beautiful lips. Now, his brother possibly took that lovely and simple thing from him as well. "He'll be gone tomorrow," he promised. "Even if I have to throw his ass onto the ship myself."
[ALEXANDRIA] For a moment, she had worried Aric would not stay with her tonight. And that she would have been alone. Cassandra had almost removed her from him, and she didn't know what Aric would have done if she hadn't stayed here with him. She was glad she had, though. She rested her head against his chest after he told her she wasn't alone and he was right there with her. But she could hear his heart beating hard and could feel his angered breath in her hair. She placed one of her hands on his chest, over his heart and she pressed against it, as if her very touch would help calm him down. But she didn't blame him for being angry. Edward had crossed far over any line that existed. Out of nowhere, she randomly thought of something important she hadn't spoken to Aric about yet. "Cassandra..." she suddenly blurted out, "we can't let Edward take her back. She doesn't want to go back to Tresteria. Even Henry asked me not to let her go back..." Oh yes, Henry... "He gave me.... us... a large chest full of gold coin...as his wedding gift. To help with rebuilding Aralore....and to help Cassandra make herself a good life....once..." She trailed off, not really wanting to finish that sentence. "But he made me promise him we would not let her go back with Edward..."
[ARIC] Maybe the night wouldn't how they initially intended it to, but he certainly wasn't leaving her alone. Especially after she shared her concerns that his brother might actually be stupid enough to seek her out. Would he really? Was this all the wine making him do foolish things or was this really Edward? Had he finally just snapped and lost his mind? He took deep breaths, letting her scent and warmth lull him into that calm, and he would be happy to simply sit with her there by the fire. He'd never been one for libraries, but now he had so many memories in one. Not all were good, granted, but only the ones that mattered were. In thought of that, he placed another kiss atop her head. Then she was blurting out his cousin's name. Aric lifted his head to look down at her in question. Indeed it was very random, but perhaps in a way it wasn't. In his own selfish concerns, he hadn't thought about Cassandra while they spoke of making Edward leave. Lips parted as if to interrupt her a couple of times, but let her talk instead. "Wait, wait-" He paused, trying to wrap his head around it all. "Coins?" Well, wasn't the old Duke a clever one? Aric was well aware that he was paying Edward handsomely, not only for having Cassandra as a wife but to pay off debts in exchange. And somehow the man managed to store some away without the king's knowledge? He nearly smiled at his cleverness and kindness. However, when Alexandria trailed off, he knew actually what she meant. Whenever Henry passed away...for when he was gone and could no longer keep Cassandra from wandering eyes. His expression was sullen and he leaned back in his seat with a heavy sigh; hand filtering through his hair in frustration and thought. "How can we keep that from happening? Edward may just leave them here...but he may not. And Henry's lands are in Tresteria. He belongs there." But neither should go. Not only did he want Cassandra in a castle alone with his mad brother, Henry may be too ill to travel.
[ALEXANDRIA] She nodded, a small smile on her lips, "yes... coins." She sat up to look at him, then. "He said he believed in my cause here and wanted to help. And he really stressed he did not want her returning to Tresteria..." She sighed, wondering the same thing Aric was. How do they keep this from happening if Edward wanted to take her back with him? "I don't know. Is it not enough to say they have gained citizenship here, and you as their king and me as their queen, forbid them to leave? Or if she was given a title here? Could Henry do something to help prevent this? Sign over his lands?" She really didn't know, or fully understand how they did these things in Tresteria, because it was different than how she ran her kingdom.
[ARIC] It was a complicated mess in Tresteria. Whereas most of it made sense, it further complicated things when they wanted to defy the rules. He supposed that was the point, to prevent these sorts of things. She was bringing up points and ideas, and he attempted to mull them over in his head. "I am not yet king here," he reminded her lightly, and he still didn't want that title...maybe to further piss Edward off. He'd be quite happy with simply being called Prince Consort, and the queen's husband. "Nor do they have citizenship here unless Henry relinquishes any lands in Tresteria in order to settle here." Which she mentioned. And that was a lot to ask for. But the man was not well. As morbid as it was, Aric did not think he'd ever make it back home before he passed. He was so pale and so frail at the wedding tonight; he was worried about him. "Maybe if she purchased even a small plot here. Anything. And we can delay Edward..." Until Henry's death. Aric couldn't say it either. The Duke had been nothing but kind to him, it actually hurt to think about it.
[ALEXANDRIA] She listened to him as he explained to her what would or wouldn't work. He knew better about all of this.. And how his brother would think and work. She slowly nodded at his idea. Agreeing with him. "Can you do what you can to help? I will do whatever you need me to do." She pressed her forehead against his and smiled, laughing a little. "Look at us... worrying about someone else, trying to work together to help them...when we have our own issues at hand that we have no idea what to do with." She shook her head and looked into his eyes, placing a soft kiss to his lips. "Is there anything that can salvage this evening now?" She couldn't help but laugh. The night had been so frustrating and devastating at the same time. But here they were, together, still, and trying to solve problems.
[ARIC] Aric nodded. "I'll see what I can do." He'd have to ask around. The last thing he wanted to do was take away a plot of land from an Aralorian citizen. If there were any unclaimed areas, they should go to them...but even a small portion could be given up, no? He didn't have the authority to do it, but Alexandria could. And Cassandra probably wouldn't complain about where it was, nor would she really have a choice. "So...many...issues..." he jokingly complained. But it was true. They were already dealing with Edward's nonsense, Eoin could have been easily dealt with...but the news he brought with him was one that they couldn't ignore for very long. He returned that brief kiss, before his features contorted into a fake look of confusion, trying to sound offended but only half succeeding, "What, this isn't fun?" In truth, he didn't know how to get his mind fully out of the possible horrors that would await them, but he was trying.
[ALEXANDRIA] She laughed at Aric pretending to be offended, and she shook her head. "No... Not even a little bit." She brushed her nose against his and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry you are stuck with me now. I did warn you I was bad luck... I'm just a big curse... But you insisted..." She smirked, pressing her forehead against his. "That we would get through everything, together." She didn't know how to get her own mind out of the horrors and issues at hand. But that was what tomorrow was for.
[ARIC] Much had happened all in one day, and their minds were struggling to catch up and decipher it all. His was still kind of muddled, but he was trying to get through it, even just for her sake. It was clear she was trying to forget about it, end this night on some sort of high note, if that was even possible. Her words managed to get him to smile, though, at the very least. "Would you rather I let you deal with it all on your own?" he challenged in mild sarcasm. He didn't wait for her to answer, because his arms were wrapping around her so that he could playfully dip her backwards as she still remained in his lap. "I'm sorry to tell you, my queen...it is you who is stuck with me now," he jokingly threatened. Still supporting her, he was reaching up with a free hand to ever so gently remove the crystal headpiece from her brow, lest it fall off and shatter to the floor. Then, placing that aside, he was leaning down to kiss her.
[ALEXANDRIA] She nearly gasped in mockful offense as he asked her if she'd rather him let her deal with this all on her own. "You wouldn't dare!" She shrieked as he was dipping her backwards, and she laughed, glancing up at him as he removed the crystal headpiece from her. Her sapphire eyes stared up at him, until he leaned down and kissed her. She lifted her hand to press against his face, sighing into that kiss, returning it deeply and passionately.
[ARIC] Without breaking his lips from hers, he was slowly bringing her back up; a hand filtering into that dark hair at the nape of her neck. Her neck. His mind had wandered to one of his favorite spots, but it was immediately gone because he remembered what his bastard brother had done. It nearly made him stop, nearly made him cringe in anger, but her passionate response was enough to help him forget everything else again. And he desperately wanted to forget everything of this day from a certain point until this very moment. Now, he could concentrate on the very wonderful realization that she was his wife. Nothing else had to matter, nor did he seem to care about where they still were, either, while the fingers of his other hand curled into the fabric of that lovely dress; that kiss never letting up.
[ALEXANDRIA] When he brought her back up, her hands rested on his face and she deepend that kiss. She, too, wanted to desperately forget everything from the day, starting at when Edward entered the reception. His lips were helping with that, his fingers as they curled into the fabric of her dress-- Her mind wandered to last night, how his hands had roamed her body, sent shivers up and down her spine. She shifted in his lap, her fingers moving to his back, pressing her fingers into the fabrics of his coat. Her lips parted to deepen their kiss, but only for a moment, before she slowly pulled away and looked into his eyes, her hands remaining on his face and she whispered against his lips. "Do you want to stay here... Or do you want to come to bed with your wife?"
[ARIC] No, nothing happened at the reception. He was going to blissfully pretend nothing happened right now while he was happily occupied in this quiet, little world they were absorbed into. A world that only had them in it. It was suddenly so warm, though, and while she was trying to suffocate him further with that kiss, he was frantically trying to shrug out of that damned jacket. She was speaking then, saying something to him, and he had to concentrate in order to realize what it was. Fingers roamed and traveled down the length of her spine, suddenly itchy to remove that beautiful dress but was also quite alright if it remained. Somewhere in his heated thoughts, he realized they were in the library, and the fucking door wasn't locked...but he didn't seem to care. After what transpired this evening, he'd be surprised if anyone set foot in this room for awhile. "I'm not going to make it that far," he confessed, lips needing hers once more. Forgive him for being so brazen and forgetting that his wife was a queen and how this might be deemed improper.
[ALEXANDRIA] She helped him remove his jacket, her lips frantically moving along his neck, to his face, to his lips, awaiting his answer. When she got it, she nearly gasped, her lips desperately moving to claim his again, to continue that deep, passionate kiss she needed so badly right now. Without breaking the kiss, she moved on his lap to straddle his legs, adjusting her dress so her legs were slightly exposed from underneath the fabrics. Her fingers moved to unbutton his shirt. He was so warm, wasn't he? That beautiful chest of his needed some air. And her fingers instantly pressed into his skin once his shirt was unbuttoned. If anyone walked in on them and spoke a word of it, she could simply punish them if needed. She didn't care now-- she desperately wanted her husband now, and that heated passion and desire poured into that kiss.
[ARIC] He silently prayed to whatever god was listening that those library doors remained closed. Still, there was only a tinge of worry and it was why he wasn't trying to remove that dress. He also just really liked it. It was as stunning as she was, and as fingers brushed over the delicate lace and embroidery, it was a firm reminder of what happened today. The one and only important thing- their wedding. As she threatened to steal the breath from his lungs, exposing his chest and making that desire burn further, his hands fell to her thighs to travel beneath the hem of her dress, finding her hips. He already told her he wouldn't make it to the bedroom, but he was still hesitating; fingers kneading into pliant flesh in silent question. He could take her right now.
[ALEXANDRIA] That kiss was soon to make her forget where they were. It was quiet and still beautifully lit by the candles that were slowly burning down. All that existed in that very moment was the two of them and that burning passion between them.
She felt his hands as they traveled up her thighs and into her dress before landing on her hips. Her body tensed against him slightly but then quickly relaxed when she urged herself to remember it was Aric with her and there was no harm. He was hesitating though, and she wasn't sure if his mind was slipping back to what happened earlier, or if he was waiting for her permission. She slowly parted her lips from his and spoke, "What's wrong?" She moved to place kisses under his jaw as she waited for his response. Though, she was now beginning to think she wouldn't make it to their room either.
[ARIC] Every part of him was aching and burning, and he wasn't sure how this had escalated so quickly. They shouldn't be doing this here, he felt like he was being a little disrespectful to her, but he didn't want to move. This was their spot now, one that reminded him of how this had all started. He hesitated to respond when she asked that question, easily distracting him with her trailing kisses. His fingers were curling more into her hair, and he was desperate to claim her lips again, managing to speak between gasps of breath, "I need you...right now." Those hands were asking for permission, because no matter how much he wanted her right then and there, he'd not proceed without her consent.
[ALEXANDRIA] His words of desperation nearly made her gasp again. She leaned her body against him, kissing him hard, until she broke their lips apart and spoke between heated yet short kisses. "Do. You? Right. Now?" She smirked, teasing him through that kiss. "What. If. I. Made. You. Wait?" She breathed a small laugh from her throat and kissed him deeply before breaking the kiss, pressing her lips along his jawline again and whispering into his ear. "What would happen to you if I made you wait until we got to the bedroom?" Part of her wanted to make him suffer, to make him want her even more by the time they got upstairs. The other part of her, wanted him right now, too. She brushed her tongue along the side of his neck before claiming his lips again, briefly. Because she had one other thing to whisper into his ear. "I have a ridiculous amount of layers under this dress." Which would make it challenging. But hey, they'd get through things together, right?
[ARIC] This was torture. Cruel, cruel torture...and she bloody knew it. He didn't even need to look at her to know because he heard it in her voice. "I might die," he managed to stammer out to answer her taunting question. Then, the feeling of her tongue along his neck made him shudder and he nearly lost himself completely, almost not letting her break off the kiss. His fingers kneaded into her hips, a low growl heard from within his throat. "Just tell me what you want..." It should've been a demand, but it was more of a plea as his mouth was seeking out hers again in that agonizing desperation. After all the fluctuating emotions of tonight, he couldn't drag this out for much longer.
[ALEXANDRIA] She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips when he answered her that he might die. But it fueled her desire further and she leaned into him, pressing her hips against his, falling into that desperate kiss of his before she broke from it, just enough to speak against his lips. "I don't want to become a widow the night of our wedding..." She grabbed his face and kissed him with such passion and desire , stealing his breath as if she needed it to survive. Finally, she broke the kiss again to moan against his lips. "I want you to take me right now, Aric..." She managed to speak through staggered breath before she leaned back into that kiss with desperation and maddening passion.
[ARIC] His gaze only shifted from Orin to Cassandra when she placed a hand against his cheek, her silent way of trying to tell him to calm down, that it would be alright. But how could she be sure? She had witnessed what just happened. When everyone else left and he was faced with nothing but silence and the queen's quivering breath, he couldn't look at her. There was no longer anger in his eyes as they downcast to the floor, because he just felt...lost. The way she said his name only made the pain of it worse. As she suddenly clutched to him, apologizing yet again, he was frozen. It was as though he was stunned, because he barely moved until his hands came up to gently grip her arms. "You really need to stop apologizing for things that are not your fault..." His voice was stern, but far from cold. The confusion was simply written all over him, and he didn't know how to feel. At least he wasn't shutting her out. He had wanted to leave this room minutes ago, but he hadn't, and he was still there.
[ALEXANDRIA] He froze up from her touch, and that nearly tore her apart. What was happening? She woke up this morning completely and utterly happy. And now... Well, she felt like everything had come unraveled and undone in the matter of seconds. She feared that he was shutting her out, but he grabbed hold of her arms and was telling her to stop apologizing for things that were not her fault. Then why did she feel so guilty? So completely at a loss right now, like none of this would have happened if she... never became queen in the first place. Yes, she was blaming herself all the way since then. If she had not taken back Aralore to begin with... Then none of this would be happening right now. Saelis would have just taken over the land, perhaps found what they wanted, and... She needed to stop this train of thought. If they had found what they wanted... Perhaps so many people would be dead right now. So many deaths would transpire from the contents of that tiny little viak only she and Aric knew about now. No one else. It was just the two of them, in all of this together now. Catastrophe, she had told him... Nothing good ever came from loving her. But he convinced her... they would get through anything together. And this was one of those things they needed to get through.
She looked up at Aric, seeing that confusion on his face. "But it is all my fault, Aric...." Her voice was still shaken up. She wanted to tell him all of the dark and horrid things that were racing through her mind right now. "The war... All of it... " She shook her head. "I cannot do this anymore... Maybe I should just let your brother take over Aralore... Step down as queen. I am not cut out to do any of this..." No, she needed to stop. This wasn't the issue at hand. But she still blamed herself for Eoin. If there hadn't been a war... he would not have been captured. If he hadn't been captured, he would never have left. She would have never met Aric... That thought suddenly broke her heart. She could not imagine her life without him, and she did not want to. She shook her head and cried into her hands again. He really did not realize how much he truly meant to her, and she needed to assure him. Just like last night when needed the assurance that it was okay for him to touch her, to make love to her... Just as she had needed him to assure her that she was alright and she was safe with him. She lifted her face from her hands and she looked at him, tears staining her cheeks. "Aric...." She whispered his name again, as if doing so would fix everything--but she quickly realized it would take more than just that. Carefully, she took his face in her hands and forced him to look into her eyes. "Come back to me," she said to him, for the second time tonight. He was drifting into that darkness, slipping away from her. He needed to know that he didn't need to worry about where her heart lied. She was his wife. She loved him now. The love she felt for him was much stronger than it ever had been with Eoin. He was the first man she had been with since she was raped. The first man she had let get that close to her... The first person she trusted her deepest, darkest secrets with. He needed to realize all of this. She pressed her forehead against his, as he had done to her so many times now, and she whispered softly to him. "We will weather whatever storm comes our way...Right?" She repeated what he had said to her earlier that night. "Please come back to me. I need you, Aric...Now more than ever... I need my husband..." She was crying through her words, desperate to get through to him. She didn't let go of his face, or move her forehead away from his, she just stared into his eyes, so close to him, that the scent of jasmine and vanilla lingered between them. "I love you... Please believe me, Aric...please." Her voice was breaking again and she was slowly fading, becoming defeated in all of this. And so she whispered again to him, as if it were her last hope. "I love you..."
[ARIC] He really didn't know why he was so frozen. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. It wasn't that he changed his mind at all. He didn't know what it was right away that made him stand there like a zombie, suddenly appearing so lifeless and non-existent. When she began to blame herself more and say things that were completely absurd- like letting Edward take Aralore- his hands gripped her arms a little tighter. "No," he said, that single word leaving his throat in a growl. That could never happen. He feared his brother had lost his mind completely at this point...and maybe that was a disease that ran his family. He should be telling her to stop thinking such things right now, but his mind was selfishly getting swept away again. His attention drifting to the floor. He barely heard her say his name again; his eyes only coming back to her when she took his face, pleading with him to wake up out of whatever this was. Her head against his now, a gentle sigh left his lips in a shudder, his fingers curling into her arms now like she was his lifeline. "I love you, too..." he finally said, shutting his eyes as he remained there, enveloped in her scent and comfort. But he should be comforting her, and the guilt was not lost on him. "I'm sorry, I'm still here... it's just..." What? That was exactly the question he couldn't answer. Eoin's sudden arrival had just shocked him, made him suddenly worry about so many things.
[ALEXANDRIA] She had just completely poured her heart out to him, but still, he held back from her. She couldn't stop crying, and she thought maybe she should just leave--go to her room and lock herself away. But he suddenly curled his fingers into her arms and told her he loved her. She brushed her thumbs against his face as she kept her hands there. Drawing in a deep breath and releasing it in a sigh, she spoke quietly, "Just what, Aric? Please talk to me... please tell me what you have going on in your head... Don't shut me out like this.." She knew it was all too much to take in, and she couldn't blame him, she was just as shocked, if not more. She sighed again, slowly pulling away from him, but she took his hand and pulled him to their spot in the library and urged him to sit before she sat down next to him, facing him and taking his hands in her own. "I know this is a big shock..." saying that was an understatement for sure. "Are you thinking I will leave you because he is back?"
[ARIC] He was trying to find the words. No, he was struggling to, but after Edward pulling his stunt, everything was just hard to handle all at once. His eyes had opened to look back down at her while she urged him to explain, to speak honestly with her...and he wasn't silence because he was denying her. Led to sit, the sound of the leftover fire in the hearth tending to further calm his nerves, she said those words he hadn't expected. It was more like he hadn't expected to agree with them. "Maybe." The answer left his lips in a tired whisper. "I just...feel guilty when I know I shouldn't..." It was stupid, but the pain on Eoin's face had been so clear. Were their roles reversed, wouldn't he hate the man despite the logic behind it? Blinking again, he drew one of her hands to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. "But it should be I making sure that you're okay. I'm sorry." He wasn't in as much of a trance anymore, but the shock wouldn't subside. If it bothered him this much, he couldn't imagine what she was feeling.
[ALEXANDRIA] She frowned and looked down as Aric admitted he may be worried she'd leave him. But his next words made her lift her gaze to him and she looked at him confused. "Guilty? For what, Aric?" She watched as he took her hand to his mouth to kiss her knuckle--the first thing he had done to show her any type of affection since Eoin's arrival. He was bringing up her well being, and she couldn't help but let out a defeated laugh. Was she okay? No. She was far from okay. She slowly stood up and moved away from him and over to the fireplace. She stared into the dying flames and just shook her head. "I'm not okay, Aric..." She honestly wanted to throw herself to the floor and burst into tears, and it took every ounce of strength she had left in her being, to keep her upright.
[ARIC] He let her get up and move away, leaving him to lean forward and rest his elbows on his thighs, a hand running down his face as if trying to rid himself of this lingering tiredness. "I can't imagine...what you must be dealing with," he said quietly. "What he must be dealing with..." As childish as it was, he wouldn't blame Eoin for hating him if he somehow did. In ways it wouldn't be warranted, but...even still. "I froze, Alexandria. All my mind could think about was...how I stole you from him, how a part of me wished he had never returned. That makes me feel guilty. That is what makes me feel like the worst man imaginable." A small part of him wished Eoin had simply stayed dead...and that was cruel. But at least he could admit it.
[ALEXANDRIA] Her gaze remained on the burning embers in the fireplace, until she heard him say her name and what he felt guilty for. Sapphire eyes looked at him and she was shaking her head. "No..." was all she said at first. But she understood him, and did not blame him for feeling that way. She moved back to him and knelt down on the floor in front of him, taking his hands. "You did not steal me from him... None of this is your fault whatsoever, Aric. I won't let you blame yourself for it." She rested her head down on his knee and interlocked her fingers with his. If anyone was to blame, it was her, and she couldn't shake that feeling. If Eoin had never died, or gone missing... And she were still in the predicament of the arranged marriage in order to get Tresteria's aid, she wondered if she still would have gone through with this. She told herself many times that she would--because above all else, her people and the wellbeing of the kingdom came first. Though she may not have allowed her heart to stray far from Eoin, and for that, she felt guilty for everything. But that was not what happened. She fell hopelessly in love with Aric, and that was what mattered right now, in this moment. She wouldn't change a thing-- and that made her feel like the worst woman imaginable.
[ARIC] It was all just some horrible punishment for something, it felt like, and he didn't know for what. Or was this just their fate? To finally feel happy, only to have to deal with something interfering with it? It would seem they all felt guilty over something or other, and it was only a matter of time before it completely spiraled out of control. As she came over and consoled him once more, he sighed. "I know..." he admitted. Because he did know he shouldn't feel guilty. "I just...started thinking about the possibility of losing you...then I realized that he knows he had lost you..." It was a vicious cycle that he was trying to break from. Yet, in all honesty, he wasn't sure if there was even an end to it. Not yet anyway. It was also not far from Aric's mind to know that if Eoin had lived, he wouldn't be here now. At least not in the same way. It was also a horrible thought. "But if he hadn't gone, hadn't died...I wouldn't be here, would I? Or, not in this way." It was an honest question he already knew the answer to. An answer he'd blame no one for because it made sense, and it made it clear that he was happy the man had been gone. Aric just sighed, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear with his free hand; the other holding onto hers tightly. He just needed some time to compress, and so did she, most of all. And not once did he say he was changing his mind. She was his wife now, and he was nothing like his brother...no matter what Edward claimed.
[ALEXANDRIA] This was how her life was. As soon as she became happy--something was happening to tear her right back down. She muttered under her breath as she laid her head against Aric's leg. "I am cursed...." Aric's viscous cycle of guilt made sense, and she couldn't blame him. She just.... didn't want him to feel this way, and she didn't know how to fix this. Then, Aric was asking her that dreaded question and it made her stomach twist in knots. How could she answer this without making him feel worse? She lifted her gaze to look up at him and she squeezed his hand, speaking quietly. "You would still be here, Aric..." She sighed, looking into his eyes. "It just... May have been harder...Taken longer to get to the point we are at now..." Alexandria was a faithful woman. Her words perhaps suggesting that regardless of whether or not Eoin had been around, she would have remained faithful to Aric. Just as she would now. "I'm sorry, Aric... None of this is fair to you... But..." She pulled herself up to sit next to him, still holding onto his hand, her free hand moving to his face. "But it's not how any of this happened... I fell in love with you....I am your wife now... And we are here.." There was no use in dwelling over what could have or would have happened. It didn't change anything, it did not make anything better.
[ARIC] It had been hard for her to admit, but all he wanted was honesty. There was no anger on his face when she dreaded explaining everything to him. He saw how she struggled, and he hand held steadfast onto hers, nor did he flinch away when she moved to sit beside him. Not once did his mind drift to her being unfaithful- he already knew that would never happen, because that was the type of woman Alexandria was. "You loved him," he began, his voice calm and maybe even a little tired. "And you still do, in whatever way that is." There was still no anger, no insinuation in his voice. If anything, there was admiration for how fiercely she loved. "I do not expect anything less," Aric assured, shifting his face so that he could kiss the palm of her hand that had been resting there against his cheek. "I just didn't like...what this all did to me. It's subsiding, but I think we all need time to let it settle." Of course, they needed to figure out this problem with Saelis, so that would be a lot harder to do than said. "I love you, I'm still here, and I'm not leaving...but I didn't think it right to flaunt any of that in front of him right now." Their wedding day or not. It was clear Eoin had gone through Hell...he didn't deserve anymore.
[ALEXANDRIA] She sat quietly as Aric spoke to her calmly and as if he completely understood her and did not fault her for any of it. It was hard for her to tell him the truth, but marriage needed to have honesty and trust. And she hoped he trusted that her heart was his now. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him, as he kissed the palm of her hand. "I know..." She said to him, brushing her fingers into his hair. "I don't like what it did to me, either..." She had just stood there, as if scared by Eoin's presence... How could she have been so completely cold and heartless to him? She was worried for Aric and that maybe he would have reacted worse if she had gone to Eoin. And she was so shocked that Eoin was there in front of her, that it just froze her, not knowing what to do in the moment.
She squeezed his hand again, appreciating his thoughtfulness and concern, for both her and Eoin. It perhaps would not have been right for their love to be flaunted in front of Eoin, and she agreed, perhaps why she had been frozen, unsure of what to do with her emotions in that moment. Eoin didn't need to be heartbroken upon his return, after all he had been through. And Aric, didn't deserve to be worried or heartbroken and scared that he would now lose his wife because her past love came crawling back. She leaned into him and pressed her lips against his, softly. "I love you, Aric."
[ARIC] Any normal man may have been worried or jealous if she had shown any affection towards Eoin...but a bigger man would realize that she should have, that she could and it didn't mean the end of the world. It all came down to how bad he was feeling for him, only imagining what he had gone through and thus lost because of it. Were Aric in his shoes, he may have completely snapped and broken down, and he wasn't ashamed to believe so. He knew he wouldn't have been able to keep it together like Eoin did. Still, it put a bit of a damper on this evening that he wished it hadn't. At least she was still there with him. With a sigh, he leaned over to rest his head upon her shoulder, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm sorry this has happened." On the worst day possible. "Will you be alright?" Because she certainly wasn't now, and that was okay.
[ALEXANDRIA] She was certainly grateful that Eoin, or Aric hadn't completely broken down and caused more of a scene, or made her feel like a horrible person. Though Eoin's expression had nearly killed her. Had the roles been reversed, she would have completely broken down too. Or at least shut down completely. She could only imagine what he was going through, and it pained her.
As Aric rested his head on her shoulder, she kissed the top of his head. Would she be alright? With a soft sigh, she nodded slowly. "I think so...Eventually." She weaved her fingers with his and squeezed his hand tightly. "Will you be alright?"
[ARIC] The question remained: what do they do now? How do they handle this on top of the news Eoin had thrown at them? There was a possible war looming over them, one that no one probably understood the reason for...except for he and Alexandria. That was a disconcerting thought. His face shifted just enough to kiss her neck, letting her warmth and scent soothe and calm him. "Eventually," he echoed her. "Because I love you." And it would help him realize the stupidity of any false thoughts that may come into his mind. He was sitting up straighter then, letting his eyes drift to the dying fire. He could get up and stoke it to burn hotter...but he didn't feel like moving from her side, even for a moment. "About what Edward said..." His voice trailed off, knowing she probably didn't wish to talk about it or even think about it again. But there was something he had to make very clear again. His brother's mention of dying children had been directed at him, and although it killed him, he had not forgotten what she had told him weeks ago. How she probably couldn't have children. It, at first, had given him a strange sense of relief because it calmed his fear...but now it felt wrong. Even still..."I'm okay that we can't." He didn't want her to worry that it would ever bother him. The arm around her waist had slid so that his palm rested upon her abdomen, like he was trying to further explain without tripping over his own words. It wasn't right, and he wasn't sure if the idea was completely alright with him now...but it could be. It was selfish, yet he knew his fear from Maria would only just return, regardless of how a part of him would embrace it.
[ALEXANDRIA] Her eyes closed slightly as Aric kissed her neck and echoed her words that he'd be alright eventually, too. That kiss on her neck reminded her briefly of how Edward had forcefully kissed her there, and she shuddered slightly. Almost as if he knew her mind had wandered there, Aric was bringing him up. Strangely, despite her not wanting to talk about it, she was grateful for the distraction away from Eoin. What Edward said, Aric didn't know the half of what was said, but he was bringing up the horrible thing he had said about Aric killing his wife and child and that he'd do the same to her and ruin his chance at having an heir. Although they were directed at Aric, they struck her quite hard, too, because he was expecting them to have a child, and she could not. It made her feel so inadequate. So when Aric touched her stomach and stated he was okay that they wouldn't have a child, she frowned slightly. She leaned into him and pressed her lips against his cheek. He may have been okay with it.. But she really had never gotten over that. It wasn't okay, but she knew what Aric meant. He wouldn't fault her for not giving him an heir, and she appreciated that about him. "I know," she whispered into his ear, before pressing her forehead against the side of his head. She didn't know what else to say about it all. "He said some other things to me..." She admitted to him, not sure if she should bring it up to make the night any worse than it already was. But his words bothered her quite a bit. Aric deserved to know if he wanted to, and she would be honest.
[ARIC] It was good that she understood what exactly he meant, because...no, it wasn't okay in the most obvious sense. But for him, it didn't make him love her any less. There was no pressure for an heir, because her happiness came before all else. That, and his fear would certainly plague him again, as much as he wanted to claim that it wouldn't. He toyed with her slender fingers, trying to find something to distract him, when she mentioned his brother had said more things. She wouldn't have mentioned it if it didn't bother her, and he sighed at the memory of that prick. "What did he say?" He knew he wasn't going to like it, so he was steadying and preparing himself now.
[ALEXANDRIA] She slowly lifted her head from him and frowned, looking into his eyes. With a deep sigh, she began repeating all of what Edward had said to her. Her voice slightly shaken up as she remembered it. "That he made a mistake in giving me to you...Because he wanted me... That I belonged to him." Her expression suddenly changed to anger. This was the very thing she had fought against with all of the arranged marriages Saelis tried to throw at her. That she was simply an object to be given away, or to belong to someone, like a slave. The words bothered her, and it was easy to tell how badly they bothered her as she spoke of it. She sighed and shook her head. "Then, he said you would eventually get bored of me and treat me the way he treats his wife because that's how he is and how your father was. That you will shut me out, be mean to me..." Her voice choked up as she spoke the next part, "you'd find other ladies to satisfy you... That I would become miserable with you. But not him, because..." She let out a saddened laugh and shook her head, now imitating Edward's voice as she quoted him "because my beauty is just too much to not be satisfied with, and only he can recognize that. " Deep down, she knew that maybe Edward was jealous of what Aric had, that he no longer had, and he was trying to manipulate her into thinking the worst about Aric, to make him look worse than him. She sighed and shook her head, placing her face into her hands, as if that would make everything go away.
[ARIC] He was really trying not to get angry again. It used to be so in his nature just to burn with rage the moment something didn't sit well with him. Aric used to live through his anger, living that way day to day because it made little sense to allow any happiness in. Not even an ounce. It always backfired. He wanted to say that about this evening...but how could he while she rested there with him? How could he think he couldn't have more than just fleeting moments of happiness when she had chosen him. Alexandria hadn't just accepted this alliance and marriage, she embraced it. She embraced him. Letting her finish, he would gently take her wrists to urge her hands away from her face so that he could look at her, even with her tear-streaked cheeks. "You don't believe that..." It started off as a question, but he knew he didn't have to ask it. It was a statement. As much as those words hurt her, she was too smart to listen to them, but that didn't make the words any less hurtful. They still stung at him something fierce. "He doesn't have you, nor will he ever..." A hand moved to the side of her face as he leaned in, kissing her forehead and murmuring words against her skin. "You are mine...because I am yours, and only yours. Something he can't grasp and will never comprehend." Edward would never be happy, even while he had an entire kingdom, because he simply didn't allow himself to be. For some reason, his brother thought there was always something else better out there instead of being able to see what was already in front of him.
[ALEXANDRIA] She looked at him when he urged her hands away from her face. Tears blurring her vision of him. As he spoke, not sure if she was about to ask her if she believed Edward's words, or if he was knowingly stating that she didn't believe them. Either way, she shook her head in response. Deep down, she knew Edward was wrong about Aric. But it didn't make the words hurt any less. How could his own brother speak so poorly of him?
She nodded in response to Aric stating Edward doesn't and would never have her. She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead and murmured against her skin. She sighed softly, and whispered quietly to him. "I am afraid to be alone right now..." She moved closer to him, climbing into his lap and curling up against him. "The thought crossed my mind that he would try to forcibly take me in the middle of the night, while I sleep. It was in his eyes when he looked at me... The way he pressed his mouth on my neck..." She shuddered. "I want him gone tomorrow..."
[ARIC] He didn't like the fearful look that took over her features; the mere thought of his brother haunting her in a way that it shouldn't. Edward had done many wrong things in his life, but this was certainly at the top of the list that made Aric have to breathe in and out from his nose to keep himself calm. His jaws were clenching, even while she curled up against him on his lap. It lessened the burning rage inside him, but her words were making him want to pound his fucking head in. "You're not alone," he reminded her calmly, even if he wasn't. "I'm right here." His head tilted to rest atop her, trying so hard to keep his anger contained. It was in the way he breathed, the way his heart pounded, that she would know he was on the verge of possibly beating his own brother to a pulp. But his arms wrapped around her tighter, grumbling lowly. That neck of hers was his, his favorite spot because it often elicited a gentle gasp of breath from those beautiful lips. Now, his brother possibly took that lovely and simple thing from him as well. "He'll be gone tomorrow," he promised. "Even if I have to throw his ass onto the ship myself."
[ALEXANDRIA] For a moment, she had worried Aric would not stay with her tonight. And that she would have been alone. Cassandra had almost removed her from him, and she didn't know what Aric would have done if she hadn't stayed here with him. She was glad she had, though. She rested her head against his chest after he told her she wasn't alone and he was right there with her. But she could hear his heart beating hard and could feel his angered breath in her hair. She placed one of her hands on his chest, over his heart and she pressed against it, as if her very touch would help calm him down. But she didn't blame him for being angry. Edward had crossed far over any line that existed. Out of nowhere, she randomly thought of something important she hadn't spoken to Aric about yet. "Cassandra..." she suddenly blurted out, "we can't let Edward take her back. She doesn't want to go back to Tresteria. Even Henry asked me not to let her go back..." Oh yes, Henry... "He gave me.... us... a large chest full of gold coin...as his wedding gift. To help with rebuilding Aralore....and to help Cassandra make herself a good life....once..." She trailed off, not really wanting to finish that sentence. "But he made me promise him we would not let her go back with Edward..."
[ARIC] Maybe the night wouldn't how they initially intended it to, but he certainly wasn't leaving her alone. Especially after she shared her concerns that his brother might actually be stupid enough to seek her out. Would he really? Was this all the wine making him do foolish things or was this really Edward? Had he finally just snapped and lost his mind? He took deep breaths, letting her scent and warmth lull him into that calm, and he would be happy to simply sit with her there by the fire. He'd never been one for libraries, but now he had so many memories in one. Not all were good, granted, but only the ones that mattered were. In thought of that, he placed another kiss atop her head. Then she was blurting out his cousin's name. Aric lifted his head to look down at her in question. Indeed it was very random, but perhaps in a way it wasn't. In his own selfish concerns, he hadn't thought about Cassandra while they spoke of making Edward leave. Lips parted as if to interrupt her a couple of times, but let her talk instead. "Wait, wait-" He paused, trying to wrap his head around it all. "Coins?" Well, wasn't the old Duke a clever one? Aric was well aware that he was paying Edward handsomely, not only for having Cassandra as a wife but to pay off debts in exchange. And somehow the man managed to store some away without the king's knowledge? He nearly smiled at his cleverness and kindness. However, when Alexandria trailed off, he knew actually what she meant. Whenever Henry passed away...for when he was gone and could no longer keep Cassandra from wandering eyes. His expression was sullen and he leaned back in his seat with a heavy sigh; hand filtering through his hair in frustration and thought. "How can we keep that from happening? Edward may just leave them here...but he may not. And Henry's lands are in Tresteria. He belongs there." But neither should go. Not only did he want Cassandra in a castle alone with his mad brother, Henry may be too ill to travel.
[ALEXANDRIA] She nodded, a small smile on her lips, "yes... coins." She sat up to look at him, then. "He said he believed in my cause here and wanted to help. And he really stressed he did not want her returning to Tresteria..." She sighed, wondering the same thing Aric was. How do they keep this from happening if Edward wanted to take her back with him? "I don't know. Is it not enough to say they have gained citizenship here, and you as their king and me as their queen, forbid them to leave? Or if she was given a title here? Could Henry do something to help prevent this? Sign over his lands?" She really didn't know, or fully understand how they did these things in Tresteria, because it was different than how she ran her kingdom.
[ARIC] It was a complicated mess in Tresteria. Whereas most of it made sense, it further complicated things when they wanted to defy the rules. He supposed that was the point, to prevent these sorts of things. She was bringing up points and ideas, and he attempted to mull them over in his head. "I am not yet king here," he reminded her lightly, and he still didn't want that title...maybe to further piss Edward off. He'd be quite happy with simply being called Prince Consort, and the queen's husband. "Nor do they have citizenship here unless Henry relinquishes any lands in Tresteria in order to settle here." Which she mentioned. And that was a lot to ask for. But the man was not well. As morbid as it was, Aric did not think he'd ever make it back home before he passed. He was so pale and so frail at the wedding tonight; he was worried about him. "Maybe if she purchased even a small plot here. Anything. And we can delay Edward..." Until Henry's death. Aric couldn't say it either. The Duke had been nothing but kind to him, it actually hurt to think about it.
[ALEXANDRIA] She listened to him as he explained to her what would or wouldn't work. He knew better about all of this.. And how his brother would think and work. She slowly nodded at his idea. Agreeing with him. "Can you do what you can to help? I will do whatever you need me to do." She pressed her forehead against his and smiled, laughing a little. "Look at us... worrying about someone else, trying to work together to help them...when we have our own issues at hand that we have no idea what to do with." She shook her head and looked into his eyes, placing a soft kiss to his lips. "Is there anything that can salvage this evening now?" She couldn't help but laugh. The night had been so frustrating and devastating at the same time. But here they were, together, still, and trying to solve problems.
[ARIC] Aric nodded. "I'll see what I can do." He'd have to ask around. The last thing he wanted to do was take away a plot of land from an Aralorian citizen. If there were any unclaimed areas, they should go to them...but even a small portion could be given up, no? He didn't have the authority to do it, but Alexandria could. And Cassandra probably wouldn't complain about where it was, nor would she really have a choice. "So...many...issues..." he jokingly complained. But it was true. They were already dealing with Edward's nonsense, Eoin could have been easily dealt with...but the news he brought with him was one that they couldn't ignore for very long. He returned that brief kiss, before his features contorted into a fake look of confusion, trying to sound offended but only half succeeding, "What, this isn't fun?" In truth, he didn't know how to get his mind fully out of the possible horrors that would await them, but he was trying.
[ALEXANDRIA] She laughed at Aric pretending to be offended, and she shook her head. "No... Not even a little bit." She brushed her nose against his and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry you are stuck with me now. I did warn you I was bad luck... I'm just a big curse... But you insisted..." She smirked, pressing her forehead against his. "That we would get through everything, together." She didn't know how to get her own mind out of the horrors and issues at hand. But that was what tomorrow was for.
[ARIC] Much had happened all in one day, and their minds were struggling to catch up and decipher it all. His was still kind of muddled, but he was trying to get through it, even just for her sake. It was clear she was trying to forget about it, end this night on some sort of high note, if that was even possible. Her words managed to get him to smile, though, at the very least. "Would you rather I let you deal with it all on your own?" he challenged in mild sarcasm. He didn't wait for her to answer, because his arms were wrapping around her so that he could playfully dip her backwards as she still remained in his lap. "I'm sorry to tell you, my queen...it is you who is stuck with me now," he jokingly threatened. Still supporting her, he was reaching up with a free hand to ever so gently remove the crystal headpiece from her brow, lest it fall off and shatter to the floor. Then, placing that aside, he was leaning down to kiss her.
[ALEXANDRIA] She nearly gasped in mockful offense as he asked her if she'd rather him let her deal with this all on her own. "You wouldn't dare!" She shrieked as he was dipping her backwards, and she laughed, glancing up at him as he removed the crystal headpiece from her. Her sapphire eyes stared up at him, until he leaned down and kissed her. She lifted her hand to press against his face, sighing into that kiss, returning it deeply and passionately.
[ARIC] Without breaking his lips from hers, he was slowly bringing her back up; a hand filtering into that dark hair at the nape of her neck. Her neck. His mind had wandered to one of his favorite spots, but it was immediately gone because he remembered what his bastard brother had done. It nearly made him stop, nearly made him cringe in anger, but her passionate response was enough to help him forget everything else again. And he desperately wanted to forget everything of this day from a certain point until this very moment. Now, he could concentrate on the very wonderful realization that she was his wife. Nothing else had to matter, nor did he seem to care about where they still were, either, while the fingers of his other hand curled into the fabric of that lovely dress; that kiss never letting up.
[ALEXANDRIA] When he brought her back up, her hands rested on his face and she deepend that kiss. She, too, wanted to desperately forget everything from the day, starting at when Edward entered the reception. His lips were helping with that, his fingers as they curled into the fabric of her dress-- Her mind wandered to last night, how his hands had roamed her body, sent shivers up and down her spine. She shifted in his lap, her fingers moving to his back, pressing her fingers into the fabrics of his coat. Her lips parted to deepen their kiss, but only for a moment, before she slowly pulled away and looked into his eyes, her hands remaining on his face and she whispered against his lips. "Do you want to stay here... Or do you want to come to bed with your wife?"
[ARIC] No, nothing happened at the reception. He was going to blissfully pretend nothing happened right now while he was happily occupied in this quiet, little world they were absorbed into. A world that only had them in it. It was suddenly so warm, though, and while she was trying to suffocate him further with that kiss, he was frantically trying to shrug out of that damned jacket. She was speaking then, saying something to him, and he had to concentrate in order to realize what it was. Fingers roamed and traveled down the length of her spine, suddenly itchy to remove that beautiful dress but was also quite alright if it remained. Somewhere in his heated thoughts, he realized they were in the library, and the fucking door wasn't locked...but he didn't seem to care. After what transpired this evening, he'd be surprised if anyone set foot in this room for awhile. "I'm not going to make it that far," he confessed, lips needing hers once more. Forgive him for being so brazen and forgetting that his wife was a queen and how this might be deemed improper.
[ALEXANDRIA] She helped him remove his jacket, her lips frantically moving along his neck, to his face, to his lips, awaiting his answer. When she got it, she nearly gasped, her lips desperately moving to claim his again, to continue that deep, passionate kiss she needed so badly right now. Without breaking the kiss, she moved on his lap to straddle his legs, adjusting her dress so her legs were slightly exposed from underneath the fabrics. Her fingers moved to unbutton his shirt. He was so warm, wasn't he? That beautiful chest of his needed some air. And her fingers instantly pressed into his skin once his shirt was unbuttoned. If anyone walked in on them and spoke a word of it, she could simply punish them if needed. She didn't care now-- she desperately wanted her husband now, and that heated passion and desire poured into that kiss.
[ARIC] He silently prayed to whatever god was listening that those library doors remained closed. Still, there was only a tinge of worry and it was why he wasn't trying to remove that dress. He also just really liked it. It was as stunning as she was, and as fingers brushed over the delicate lace and embroidery, it was a firm reminder of what happened today. The one and only important thing- their wedding. As she threatened to steal the breath from his lungs, exposing his chest and making that desire burn further, his hands fell to her thighs to travel beneath the hem of her dress, finding her hips. He already told her he wouldn't make it to the bedroom, but he was still hesitating; fingers kneading into pliant flesh in silent question. He could take her right now.
[ALEXANDRIA] That kiss was soon to make her forget where they were. It was quiet and still beautifully lit by the candles that were slowly burning down. All that existed in that very moment was the two of them and that burning passion between them.
She felt his hands as they traveled up her thighs and into her dress before landing on her hips. Her body tensed against him slightly but then quickly relaxed when she urged herself to remember it was Aric with her and there was no harm. He was hesitating though, and she wasn't sure if his mind was slipping back to what happened earlier, or if he was waiting for her permission. She slowly parted her lips from his and spoke, "What's wrong?" She moved to place kisses under his jaw as she waited for his response. Though, she was now beginning to think she wouldn't make it to their room either.
[ARIC] Every part of him was aching and burning, and he wasn't sure how this had escalated so quickly. They shouldn't be doing this here, he felt like he was being a little disrespectful to her, but he didn't want to move. This was their spot now, one that reminded him of how this had all started. He hesitated to respond when she asked that question, easily distracting him with her trailing kisses. His fingers were curling more into her hair, and he was desperate to claim her lips again, managing to speak between gasps of breath, "I need you...right now." Those hands were asking for permission, because no matter how much he wanted her right then and there, he'd not proceed without her consent.
[ALEXANDRIA] His words of desperation nearly made her gasp again. She leaned her body against him, kissing him hard, until she broke their lips apart and spoke between heated yet short kisses. "Do. You? Right. Now?" She smirked, teasing him through that kiss. "What. If. I. Made. You. Wait?" She breathed a small laugh from her throat and kissed him deeply before breaking the kiss, pressing her lips along his jawline again and whispering into his ear. "What would happen to you if I made you wait until we got to the bedroom?" Part of her wanted to make him suffer, to make him want her even more by the time they got upstairs. The other part of her, wanted him right now, too. She brushed her tongue along the side of his neck before claiming his lips again, briefly. Because she had one other thing to whisper into his ear. "I have a ridiculous amount of layers under this dress." Which would make it challenging. But hey, they'd get through things together, right?
[ARIC] This was torture. Cruel, cruel torture...and she bloody knew it. He didn't even need to look at her to know because he heard it in her voice. "I might die," he managed to stammer out to answer her taunting question. Then, the feeling of her tongue along his neck made him shudder and he nearly lost himself completely, almost not letting her break off the kiss. His fingers kneaded into her hips, a low growl heard from within his throat. "Just tell me what you want..." It should've been a demand, but it was more of a plea as his mouth was seeking out hers again in that agonizing desperation. After all the fluctuating emotions of tonight, he couldn't drag this out for much longer.
[ALEXANDRIA] She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips when he answered her that he might die. But it fueled her desire further and she leaned into him, pressing her hips against his, falling into that desperate kiss of his before she broke from it, just enough to speak against his lips. "I don't want to become a widow the night of our wedding..." She grabbed his face and kissed him with such passion and desire , stealing his breath as if she needed it to survive. Finally, she broke the kiss again to moan against his lips. "I want you to take me right now, Aric..." She managed to speak through staggered breath before she leaned back into that kiss with desperation and maddening passion.
