Felixa was pushed inside the room and it was dark, save for a little candle burning on a table by the bedside. There was a feast ready on the table and Felixa gulped seeing the big platter that was filled with all sorts of delicacies.
And the fragrance... Yummy!
Like a duckling following the mother duck, she followed the scent of food and reached the table. She didn't remember the last time she ate. All she knew was that she is hungry right now.
At that time, she heard the door locking and she observed to see a little pale bird by the door. It was very translucent as like how the air above a fire would look; wavy and distorted. But even then, she could discern its form in the darkness.
Her heart started to beat fast.
[Is that a spirit? How can it move things?]
As she was wondering what she should do about that "bird" that now appeared to be focusing on her, a gust of wind blew through the curtains. Only then she noticed the dark figure standing by the window and her heart skipped a beat.
[Who is that?]
She tried to grab something from the table and since she didn't want to accidentally spill any of the food, she couldn't grab anything but a spoon.
"Show yourself!" She pointed the spoon in the direction of the window and took a step forward. She didn't fail to take note of the mysterious bird that was still hovering by the door.
A mesmerizing chuckle, one that made her heart feel weird, originated from near the window and she pointed her weapon (the spoon) in that direction, rather valiantly.
"Ah," Maximus stood there bewildered for a moment.
What she didn't realize with her legs planted firmly and her eyes sharp, was that she was making the perfect 'ochs' stance of a warrior.
Maximus noted it. With her hands holding the spoon above her shoulder, the glistening tip of the spoon was pointing right at his eyes. What she missed, contributed to the bewilderment of Maximus.
'She doesn't even realize what she is doing, is she? Adorable!'
It would have not looked funny if she is not holding a spoon and it would have been deadly if she were holding an actual longsword.
"You are going to attack your husband with a spoon on your wedding night?"
The voice that was low like the rumble of thunder was all too familiar for Felixa and she placed the spoon on the table.
"Why are you standing in the dark, husband?" She asked, not knowing what to say back.
There seemed to be a lot in his statement she didn't quite understand and she didn't know how to address all that.
[Attack? He was the one who startled me! So what should I do when I get startled other than trying to defend myself?
But I cannot ask him that, can I? I'll just pretend that I didn't hear that.
And Husband? Wedding night? What does all that mean, anyway?]
"Ah, right..." Maximus chuckled as he walked towards her. Felixa still wasn't very willing to move away from the food.
"It was my fault," he said with his voice ragged as if he was implying a lot of things.
With a snap of his fingers, the room lit up and Felixa covered her eyes to get used to the light. When she opened her eyes, her view was blessed with the chiseled, bare chest of her said husband.
She didn't understand why he hasn't tied his undershirt. His shirt was barely hanging on his shoulders that were bulky. But that's to be expected since he is a warrior. He'd be using his strength a lot and he should be having well-defined muscles.
And for someone standing in the frontlines to fight, he must be pretty good considering there isn't even a single scratch or blemish on his chest or his shoulders and neck.
Felixa suddenly found herself having the urge to touch his chest and almost reached her hand to touch him.
But she changed course at the last moment. She didn't want to get into trouble touching that impeccable body.
She felt something in her heart as she remembered the state of her body that was riddled with scars and blemishes.
[He won't be happy if he saw my body...]
Without her knowing, she was wrapping the robe around her tightly. She felt cold wearing just her chemise and that thought made her sad. The robe that was on her shoulders didn't do much to give her warmth, all of a sudden.
Felixa didn't understand why Flavia didn't dress her completely. She didn't even tie her hair. She only brushed it and said that this is the proper attire for the bedding ceremony.
Felixa figured that it should be the custom of Lethusia.
And for some reason, she still couldn't take her eyes off him; his chest to be precise.
Her intense staring was disturbed as his rough fingers gripped her chin. His hold was gentle but she winced by that sudden act. He lifted her chin to make her look at him. She was shorter than his shoulder and he was standing close to her and her neck hurt a bit to look at him.
[This body is too weak to even look at a tall person! ]
Felixa sighed in her heart. She looked at him with difficulty and it seemed like he was in deep thoughts. And gradually his eyes turned misty.
[Why is he looking at me without even blinking his eyes?]
Her eyes met with his, and from then on, she didn't want to look elsewhere. His eyes bewitched her, his mysterious scent overwhelmed her, making her forget everything else around her.
He looked familiar and his aura was so familiar that she thought she might have known him forever. But she couldn't figure it out.
She knew Wispy met him when she was little, but that meeting lasted for mere hours. But this feeling in her heart was so mysterious. The more she looked at him, the more she felt the pull towards him.
She felt happy, sad, pain, guilt, and another strong emotion she couldn't understand. These weird emotions were bubbling in her heart and she didn't know why it happened or how to stop feeling that way.
[Is this the effect of that magic stone?]
Only when his eyes left her eyes, did she felt the cold wind on her bare skin. She looked down to see her robe and chemise both on the floor, pooled around her legs.
She yelped and covered herself with her hands as his sharp eyes scanned through every inch of her body. It was just a glance and his glance didn't linger long on her body, but for her, it felt like an eternity has passed.
"Here," he picked up her chemise and passed it to her. "Cover yourself," he said and turned to leave towards the door.
His voice seemed gentle when he talked to her, but Felixa saw him fisting his hands and his walk was stiff and fast-paced.
[He's mad! Is it because of the scars? Is he going to kill me?]
Felixa slipped in the chemise and walked to the window. She decided to jump out and run away before they try and kill her. She already forgot his promise and decided to take matters to her own.
*Click*
The door opened. "Julius!" she heard him shout.
Her heart skipped a beat and she rushed to the window.
*Bang*
The window closed in her face and she saw the translucent bird fluttering its wings right in front of her face.
She took a couple of steps back and she heard the door locking too.
[Am I trapped?]