The game began and this is the first time I've been this close with him for a long time. I hid behind his broad shoulders clenching my fist onto his shirt. The balls that kept on coming he shielded me from all of it. I never knew but his muscular arms when he caught a ball stir something in me. How can my husband look so.... so hot. I'm a lady I mustn't think of such things and yet here I am sticking to him like a glue.
I can feel his hair brushing me as we move trying to dodge the balls. I peek around to see that little by little the couples were disqualified. I can hear the laughter and cheers as everyone was having fun. Perhaps for this moment they forgot their thoughts about me which I'm thankful for.
Under this hot sun I watch my husband wiped off his swear from his forehead. I focus on that one drop who manages to escape and trail down his jaws to his chin and finally leave his face. I didn't realised but by the time I got back to my senses from our side there were only two of us, everyone got out and the opposing team was of course the royal couple. I could hear some cheering for the Emperor and Empress while some cheers for my husband.
He breadth a heavily as it was starting to get exhausting, "Tired? Already?" Augustus yelled from the other side, "Not even in your dreams." My husband replied. Anyone could see the friendship between these two is very strong, more like brothers.
"Ahem as the last surviving couples, from now on the ladies can also come on and throw the ball besides their men, remember do not let the incoming balls touch you, you can catch it with your hands though! This will now apply to the gents too now. Let's cheer for you last players." The host announced.
So I should let him go. I wanted to hold on a bit longer but in the end I let go and stood next to him. Jesseline also came out and now the four of us was at a face off.
"Will you be okay?" I hear him say, I looked at him and said, "Yes"
The game started again and we started throwing the balls around us, the other team doing the same. I don't know what came over me but I started getting excited, I smiled as I dodge and throw the ball. Is this what playing with your friends feel like? I don't know when I was a girl, my brother rarely allowed me to play with anyone. If I knew how fun this was I would've insisted more.
"Wait!" Augustus yelled. There was something in his shoes so he wanted to stop for a while and get it out. The game was supposed to be on hold but a ball came at me at full force and I could feel the impact on my head. Where did that ball come from?
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't realised we stopped for a bit." Jesseline said as she looked embarassed and asked if I was okay. The people around us laughed at the clumsiness of our Empress forgetting that I was hit on my face.
I said I was fine but then my nose started to bleed and my face was burning red. My husband came and checked. He looks worried, he looks like he's panicking and calling for medic but my ears started ringing and my eyes started to get sleepy. I guess I blacked out. The last thing I remember was my husband looking at me.
When I woke up I was in our room, my husband next to me. He was reading a book, The Mechanism of Time. I didn't know he read that. He saw me and put it down.
"Are you okay?" He said so gently, I wish I could save his voice in a jar or something.
"I'm fine what about the game?" I said. "It's over, I forfeited our team so they won." He answered. What luck, I wanted to win with him.
"There's always next year." He said. I stared at him for a while and he smiled and got back to reading. To fill the silence I asked, "You read that book?". He looked at what I was pointing and just agreed in a nod.
The door suddenly opened and I saw our Empress rushing in looking all worried.
"Oh my Goodness Duchess Vivian I'm so sorry are you okay?" She asked, her slightly curved eyebrows and her soft rosy lips quivering a bit one could tell how worried she one. I saw Augustus coming in behind her. For a while I assured them I was fine, there's nothing to worry about.
His majesty saw the book my husband read and asked, "Since when do you read? Also isn't that the book I told your wife recommended to me?"
My husband gave a glare, "Since always. You suprised I can read?"
"Well..... Yeah you rarely read any books." He said.
I was confused, I saw my husband in the library multiple times back home though. "Anyways you two stop I'm sure Vivian needs her rest so beautiful quiet." Jesseline said.
The two men nodded and sat down quietly. They all talked a bit and I, I looked at them in envy from my bed. I have never seen my husband so relaxed before.
It was almost afternoon and soon the hunting hours were going to begin. They all left and I once again stayed back alone inside my room. I was about to sleep when I heard someone knocked and came in. To my suprise it was His Majesty, he looked at me in all seriousness and came by my side. He stood and bowed his head and apologized to me. Feeling frustrated I didn't know what to do. I quickly got up and said that it was unnecessary.
He asked for my forgiveness even though he wasn't the one who made my nose bleed. An Emperor who apologized for his wife's mistake, you don't see that everyday.