"Okay," Arella responded softly.
Adrian again took her hand and started moving outwards. When he moved, he made sure to walk with smaller steps. He did not want his little wife to chase him all the way. So, they walked at a slow pace. The army batch matched their pace by slowing down.
Looking at the little changes, the army fellows were filled with wild thoughts.
Oh! Chief is really considerate. If only he could treat them so thoughtfully! But no, to them, he was a demon! He would not let them sleep. He would not let them eat more than what was allowed. During training, he would not let them go until and unless their entire body was filled with bruises.
Maybe if they were his partner, he would have treated them so gently too! No, no, no! Staying with the demon day and night! No, it was impossible. Spending 5 hours of training with him was already exhausting! What would happen to them if they had to spend 24 hours with this beast?
No, no, no. They would not be able to take it. They looked at the petite woman walking by the side of their chief. And a wave of sympathy filled their hearts. Poor Madam! May the Beast God give her the strength to handle our chief.
Arella did not know that she had become a target for so many sympathetic gazes. She kept walking with her head bowed down. Soon, they entered the familiar airship.
Arella sat down on the seat, and Adrian went to the Pilot cubicle.
"To the Residential complex. Drive at the highest speed. We should reach within 15 minutes." Adrian was very specific when it came to time.
"Yes Sir!" The pilot responded immediately in a low voice.
Adrian was pleased with his considerably moderate response. At least the Pilot was more quick and considerate than his attendant! Satisfied, he went back to his cubicle.
"We should be reaching home within 15 minutes. You can lie down till then. There is a bed in the inner cubicle." Adrian made his way to Arella and informed her of the situation.
Arella, though exhausted from the happenings, did not want to sleep.
"Where are we going?" Arella wanted to know the location.
"We are heading to one of my residential complexes in the Peace Forest," Adrian explained.
Peace forest! Wasn't it in the outskirts? Shouldn't it be very far from here? Arella was filled with questions.
"Don't keep your thoughts to yourself." Adrian looked at the distracted girl and spoke his mind. Since they met, he had noticed that she barely spoke in front of others. Most of the time, she keeps her thoughts to herself.
Adrian did not hate it. But at the same time, he wanted her to know that she now had a husband. And he could listen to all her thoughts without complaining.
Arella was shocked! But she soon regained her composure. Since their wedding, she hadn't interacted much with him. Maybe he felt neglected.
"I was wondering that isn't the Peace Forest far from this place? How would we make it in 15 minutes?" Arella voiced her queries.
"My airship has been modified, and it can fly at the speed of light," Adrian remarked confidently.
"Then why did it take an hour to reach the Spiritual Connection Center?" Arella soon followed up with another query.
This…made Adrian speechless. He himself had asked her to share the thoughts but now, how should he respond? Should he tell her that he had asked the pilot to slow down so that, they could eat in peace?
Fortunately, when he was about to respond, a voice cut in.
"Sir, Madam, we have reached." The pilot announced through the speaker.
"Okay. Then let's alight." Arella took the initiative to stand up. She moved ahead this time, but when she reached the door, her steps paused.
A vast expanse of greenery welcomed her. They were in the middle of a grassland. She had seen the grasslands. Every society had a communal grassland reserved to let their beasts relax.
But here, there was only one house in the middle!
"Welcome Home!" Adrian spoke in a relaxed tone.
Arella kept looking at the home. To be honest, considering his prestige and position, she was expecting a castle or a palace with multitudes of workers.
But this was nothing like it!
Adrian took the lead and held her hand once again. When they alighted, the pilot maneuvered the ship and flew away.
The surroundings became very quiet. And for the first time, Arella felt that she was really alone with a man. She felt a little spooked out. Calming her shuddering core, she followed him into the home.
"This is a duplex. I have another one in the military area, but I prefer this one. I used to live here with my parents. Both of them passed away in the line of duty. Now, I live here alone." Adrian warmly introduced their abode.
The aloofness that had surrounded him since the morning had evaporated like water. Maybe this was the charm of a home. No matter how strained, burdened, or stretched you feel, once you enter your home, in the loving embrace of your loved ones, all the troubles go away.
"A cook, sweeper, and gardeners live in the proximity. They have fixed timings and leave once they are done with their work." Adrian continued his monologue while Arella took everything in her sight.
Everything pleased her senses. The more she looked, the more she liked this place. It was warm, bright, comfortable, and spacious. There were no exaggerated artifacts or antiques.
"You can make the changes according to your wishes." Adrian proposed warmly.
"No, it is very beautiful. Everything looks perfect." Arella did not feel like changing anything at all. Everything looked well thought out.
Adrian felt satisfied with her response and a slight smiling glint appeared in his eyes.
"There used to be three rooms. One has been converted into a study. Another is a guest room and this will be our room from now on wards." Adrian opened the door of the bedroom.
Inside was a combination of cream and brown. Cream-colored curtains made the room look bright. The cream walls reflected the light and shined in response. The brown furniture looked clean and fit well with the room. Despite the huge bed in the center, the room looked spacious.
'Wait, what did he say? Their bedroom? They would be sleeping together? From day one?' Arella's thoughts jumped from the beautiful house to the bedroom.
A look of hesitation crossed her eyes. It was not that she was unwilling. Sleeping together was inevitable, but she needed space to adjust first.
Looking at her hesitant expression, dismay filled Adrian's core. Though sad, he understood and respected her thoughts.
"I have to go on a military expedition in two days. You can take your time to adjust first." Adrian masked his unhappiness and informed her of his lined-up expedition.
"In two days?" Arella confirmed.
"Yes," Adrian responded.
To think that he had to leave so soon, made him extremely disappointed. Considering his sudden marriage, he wanted to take a leave from his duties. But to his utter dismay, the expedition lined up in two days could not be done without his lead. He had to go.
A bell tinkered in the room interrupting their conversation and thoughts.
Somebody was at their door.