Bastian stirred from sleep and smiled as he felt the warm body in his arms. Her breathing was relaxed but he could sense that she was not sleeping.
He kissed the top of her dark messy hair, "Good morning, Hydrangea." He said in a voice still thick from sleep. A lazy smile on his face from the night's activities.
She looked up and smiled, wrapping her curled wrists around his back she effectively brought her soft body closer to his, "Good morning, husband."
He felt his heart skip in his chest. He rather fancied her new name for him.
He held her close, his hands caressing her smooth back. She nuzzled her nose into the line between his pectoral muscles revealed in his tunic, the hair there tickling her.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked her, enjoying the peace and closeness he felt. He could honestly say he'd never felt this way with anyone. No person had ever brought such serenity to his mind and body, save his hydrangea.
"I slept very well." She replied, her warm breath stimulating his chest hairs.
He hummed, pleased to hear that she'd slept well. His eyes closed. He wanted to stay in this stillness forever. Just him and Hydrangea.
She turned her head to look over her shoulder, "Oh, Bastian look…" She breathed happily, "It stopped raining."
And indeed it had. The thatched roofs of the buildings were all still dripping, the roads still slick with mud. But the skies were clear save a few lingering wisps of clouds and the sun was rising. She turned around in his arms and he supported himself on his elbow as they watched the view. His arm still cradling her waist.
The jungle that bordered the edge of the city was a bright green as the sun's rays showered them with light.
He kissed the hair above her ear, "Are you sore?"
"No."
He kissed her just below her ear, "That's good."
He began kissing her neck and she squirmed against him. She turned herself around, her hands pushing against his chest. Her face was split with a giggling smile, "Bastian. Can't we just enjoy the sunrise?"
His hands slid around her bare body, "Not while your naked and in my arms."
Her cheeks flushed red and he very much desired to see her entire body that same colour again.
He lowered his lips to meet hers.
"Sovereign! Sovereign Bastian-"
He turned his body to the intruder and saw the woman standing there. Hydrangea hastily pulled the blankets up to cover herself.
Ahuic. He opened his mouth to ask her what she wanted when the answer dawned on him.
He turned back to Hydrangea, "We must leave."
"What?" In an instant her expression went from startled to utter confusion.
"Ahuic, grab our horse and as many of our belongings as you can find. We will meet you in the courtyard with food and clothing." He ordered and the woman nodded and left, closing the door behind her. He got out of the bed and gathered his clothes from the floor.
"Bastian, why must we leave?"
He slipped off his night tunic and tied his other tunic around his waist.
"Bastian. Don't do that thing again."
He looked up from putting his shirt on, "What thing?"
"That thing, where you act all busy to avoid answering my question." She finished with a pointed look. Her hands were clutching the blanket around her chest as she sat up in the bed. Her hair was slightly frizzy and forming a halo around her face. He found himself distracted by her beauty for a moment, until he remembered her statement.
Bastian raised a brow and slipped his shirt on, "Oh." He did that? "I do that?"
She released a sigh of exasperation, "Yes. You did it when we were staying with the Jungle Followers and many times before."
"Hm." He felt rather delighted that she paid attention to him so closely. But that could also lead to issues. He stopped his thoughts, and said, "Ahuic and I spoke last night."
"I'm aware. Could you please hand me my shirt and skirt?"
He looked at where they sat on the floor on either side of the bed. He would much rather see her picking them up, but he new too much teasing would push her limits, and they didn't have time for that. He picked up her shirt which was by his feet and handed it to her as he sat on the bed.
She dropped the blanket and speedily put on her shirt. His eyes still caught a glimpse of his wife's spectacular body. He grinned but noticed she was frowning.
His expression changed to worry, "What's wrong?"
She met his eyes and he watched as her hand rose to one of her cheeks, both had turned a rosy colour on her pale skin.
He smiled lazily again and tucked a strand of her beautiful ebony hair behind her ear, which was also a shade of pink.
"I can't wear this." She said not quite meeting his eyes.
His raised a brow, "Why not?"
She released a sigh that sounded frustrated, "Because… ugh!" She covered her face with her hands, "Because of the marks."
He tilted his head and surveyed the skin revealed in her shirt, and sure enough he could see some hickeys and a few indentations. His brow furrowed with worry, "Do they hurt?" He raised a finger to touch one that looked to be the shape of his finger.
'Oops…' He'd known her skin was delicate, but not this delicate.
She slapped his hand away and he retreated it, surprised by her actions.
"Don't touch me." She said incredulously and looking at him as though he was the one who had done something outrageous.
He sat up straighter, his heart pounding from her words, "Hydrangea, why am I not allowed to touch you?" He felt a chill creep into him.
"Because…" She looked out the window.
"Because…?" He was worried for her reasoning.
She groaned as though in agony and tossed herself onto the bed, "Because when…" She bit her lip, "When yo-you touch me, I feel things."
He couldn't catch her expression because in the next instant she covered her face with a pillow. He laughed, "Hydrangea, stop blushing."
"I can't control it." Came her frustrated reply from beneath the pillow. He only laughed harder.
He laid down beside her, his thoughts turning dismal.
"Hydrangea."
The graveness in his voice no doubt prompted her to remove the pillow from her head.
"The Tlatoani has plans to bring us to a cenote and have us stay there till he believes he can defeat Cadarama and Mathuba's joined armies." He said, his eyes on the high ceiling.
"What? Why?" She breathed.
"Ahuic said that he does not seek conquest, but because his numbers are large he believes he can defeat two foes with one strike."
"So, he does seek conquest."
"It would appear so. But I have a feeling he wouldn't treat his conquests as other conquerors would." He sighed, "It is said that the Primals separated the land into their own shapes and sizes. And whereas Cadarama has grown and shrunken at times, it has always remained remotely the same size as it was after the Great Wars."
"What are you saying?" Hydrangea asked as she sat up.
"I'm saying that… somehow, I doubt it would work."
"Are you saying conquests and growing countries is impossible? Because of the Primals?"
"Not impossible, but it's very difficult to do. The Great Wars were devastating to the world and according to the stories, the Primals hated it. So, they created the natural borders so wars like those could never be repeated. The mountain ranges between Cadarama and Mathuba have posed an obstacle for ages. The same goes for the mountain ranges and large, hazardous rivers and deltas between Selva and Cadarama." He paused, "The only weakness is Lake Kuratuma but it has such a narrow gap that it's difficult, it also used to be filled with krakens but… those days are passed. Battle is nearly impossible on this continent since the Great Wars."
"So… what are you saying concerning the Tlatoani?"
He released a huff of a laugh and grabbed her hand after seeing her still confused expression.
"That even if he took Cadarama and Mathuba, somehow managing to get his armies into both countries. How would he maintain them when they're equally divided as they are?"
"Has no one ever done that before?"
"One of the Tzars of Viskogorny was able to take nearly half of Crescent. The next Sovereign was able to regain it but Crescent is easier to reach because of how gentle to mountains are that divide there. The Tzar was able to maintain his hold on it for ten years.
"Bobian and Mathuba have similar stories, Bobian is the most vulnerable to attack. They're military is next to nonexistent and their borders are only water. But the country is so dynamic in itself that it's difficult to conquer."
"Bastian, you keep wandering away from the subject-"
"I do not." He interrupted with mirth, "I'm still talking about how people have conquered in the past and why it's difficult."
She sighed, "If the Tlatoani manages to take Cadarama, what happens?"
He inhaled through his nose, turning his head to watch the sun that had now found its place in the sky. "Then Selva may be the fire that burns it to the ground."