**ELENA'S POV**
My heart pounded relentlessly in my chest, making it difficult to breathe. Nervousness sent my palms into a clammy sweat, and my thoughts spun like a chaotic whirlwind. Why am I like this? Well, I've never been so close to a man before, so my reactions were only logical, right? If anyone back at the castle heard about this, I shuddered at the mere thought of the consequences.
Fortunately, Rayan had the decency to give me some time alone, but in doing so, he left me alone with my racing thoughts. As the sky continued to darken, it finally dawned on me that what I had been dreading was slowly becoming a reality as time passed. I trusted that he wouldn't do anything inappropriate since he had given me his word not to misbehave.
I gingerly sat on the small bed, its size almost comically inadequate compared to the grandeur of our castle's chambers. The modest room's rustic charm clashed with my usual surroundings. However, I wasn't concerned about luxury; this bed seemed to have been designed for just one person, which only heightened my apprehension.
With each passing minute, my fear seemed to intensify. Rayan finally walked into the room, a few of his bright silver locks cascading over his eyebrows. He was dressed in a loose white shirt, the fabric draping over his well-defined chest and muscular arms, creating a captivating contrast. Paired with gray pants, his outfit seemed casual yet striking. His eyes traversed my figure from head to toe, and a small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Jeez, Princess," he teased, his voice a low, melodious timbre, "are you sweating from nervousness or fear? I did promise not to 'misbehave,' didn't I?"
I couldn't muster the courage to respond. Instead, I chose the second logical option—I ignored him and laid down on the bed, facing away from him. I heard him chuckle softly as he slowly approached the bed. My heart continued to hammer in my chest, and I instinctively placed my hand over it in a futile attempt to calm its relentless pounding. The weight of the bed shifted as Rayan settled in, and suddenly, I could feel the warmth of his back against mine. Just from his physical proximity, a strange sensation coursed up my spine, akin to a million tiny ants scurrying up and down my spine. My breathing became faster and faster as the seconds passed.
"if you are uncomfortable about this, I can still sleep on the ground, we can just make up an excuse tomorrow," he said, his voice carrying a hint of concern.
I turned around, and I was now facing his back. It was then that I truly noticed the breadth of his shoulders. The shirt, though loose, couldn't hide the powerful contours of his back, and the play of moonlight on his skin only heightened his allure.
" I know you are not asleep, Princess," he said, and he turned.
My heart skipped a beat when he turned. His face was now centimeters from mine. My gaze traveled from his gray eyes to his strong nose, and I couldn't help but notice the inviting allure of his pink lips. I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.
" are you uncomfortable about this?" he asked, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"urm.. Uh.. No," I stuttered with my words. "Sorry, it's just that I've never been in bed with a man before."
"well, it makes sense, Princess. I mean, you are a princess, right?" His words held a hint of amusement, and his gaze lingered on my face for a brief, captivating moment. An unfamiliar expression flickered across his face, one I hadn't seen before—a mixture of something deeper than amusement, perhaps intrigue.
He turned around, facing away from me. We lay in silence, my nervousness slowly dissipating as time went by, and finally, I was engulfed in sleep.
I was in my room back at home, reading my novels as usual when I heard a knock on my door. I placed the novel down and went to open it. As I did, the man standing in front of me was wearing a knight's armor, his scimitars on his back and a helmet under his arm. Bright silver hair flowed down his shoulders, and his piercing grey eyes stared at me.
"Rayan, why are you here? And in armor at that too?" I asked, a playful smile on my lips.
"if you let me in, then I can tell you about it, Princess," he said, returning my smile.
I made way for him, and he walked right in. I shut the door behind, and as I turned, I found him standing behind me. By instinct, I moved back a step, but he stepped forward too. My back hit my door, and he placed his arms on the door, effectively trapping me.
"what are you doing?" I asked, my heart racing in my chest, and heat creeping up on my cheeks.
"isn't it obvious," he said as he moved his face close to mine. I could feel his hot breath brushing through my lips. "You don't know how long I've waited for this."
Waited for what? What's going on here? His lips slightly brushed mine, and the sensation of ants crawling up my spine returned. I grabbed my dress and tightly shut my eyes in preparation for what was to come....
" wake up, sleeping beauty,"
I sprung up from the bed, and it felt as if the bed had turned into a thorny pit. What the hell was I dreaming? Why did I dream about that?
"Must have been some dream; you were smiling and I think you were puckering too, if I'm not wrong," he said, amusement in his eyes.
"Shut up!" I yelled, my face all red with embarrassment.
He was puzzled at my outburst, but he didn't say anything. My eyes traveled back to his lips, and I remembered how... Stop it, Elena.
"Listen, Princess, I don't know why you are acting weird today, and I don't want to know, but the lovely old couple said that there's a fair and invited us," he said, his tone switching to his usual stoic one, "so should we?"
Wait, a fair. I'd heard of those before from the maids back in the castle. Some of the bolder ones would take leave just to attend them, though they always concocted excuses, usually involving sick relatives. This made me curious about just how exciting they could be.
"Yes, just let me get ready, and I'll meet you outside," I said.
"Oh, and there's a bath prepared for you. Just follow the old lady; she's waiting for you outside," he finished and left me in the room.
I unpacked a black dress with no sleeves. It had a small neckline that revealed a modest part of my chest and covered a large part of my neck. I placed it on the bed and went out to find the lovely lady waiting for me. She had two buckets next to her, one for herself and the other for me. She escorted me to where the women in that town bathed together, women of all ages. I reluctantly undressed, and my actions must have amused the women already there.
"I don't know why you should be embarrassed with how you look," the woman to my right said, and the other women agreed with her.
"Yes, I mean, we have seen your husband," one of them added, chuckling.
I forced a smile, and the thought of Rayan almost kissing me in my dream came back. I cupped the water from the bucket and splashed it on my face, trying to hide my growing blush. The women there were gossiping about various things; they also kept asking me where I was from, why we were traveling, and how long me and Rayan had been married.
Luckily, Rayan had prepared me for this, and I was able to answer each and every one of their questions. When I was done, since I didn't have a towel, I just wore the dress I came with, my hair still dripping.
Due to the water droplets on my body, my dress clung to my body as we walked back to the house. I walked in to find Rayan sitting in the living room with the old man. Judging by his expression, their conversation seemed to revolve around something unpleasant. I entered the room we were given in a hurry, unpacked a towel, and dried my hair and body before slipping into the black dress on the bed.
I opened the door to find Rayan standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a black shirt with sleeves that reached his wrists and black pants. He saw me, and his eyes scanned me from head to toe. They slightly lingered on the spot on my chest that was exposed before he looked at himself.
"Hmm, guess we're all wearing black today," he said, and he held out his arm for me. "Shall we?"
I took his arm and smiled at him. "Yes, dear husband," and we stepped out of the house, ready to face whatever the fair had in store for us.