The carriage bumped on something, jerking him up awake. Yawning, Milo looked around him. It was dark.
Where am I?
His hands reached by his sides of where he sat. He was moving. Subconsciously, he reached out to where the curtains was drawing it to the side. His hunch was right. But how did he get into his carriage? Trying to remember his head began to ache badly, throbbing even. His hands reached up to the sides of his head to massage where it throbbed the most only to feel something wrap around it. Tentatively touching it, he pulled out the mirror his wife left usually at the side of the carriage to look at herself. He saw a whole white bandage wrapped cleanly around it, a little bloody by the side.
I am bleeding? How is this even possible? What happened to me?
He tried to remember once again, his head only throbbed harder. Memories of the gathering at Veilmoore gushed in with a force that made him dizzy. His unmasking, a glass of Fountain drink, then another, a companion whose face he couldn't remember then blank.
He got drunk probably hit his head and was placed in his carriage back home. Defenseless.
He shivered at the thought. Patting his pockets he checked whether his money was still intact. A habit he unconsciously developed. Feeling the slim wads of notes in his pocket his tensed body visibly relaxed.
The carriage pulled to a stop. He was probably home by now. There was movements of someone alighting the carriage door then opened. He watched his driver bow in greeting.
"Sir, I'm glad you are awake and well. We have arrived the manor. Lady Chadwick is in the gardens. I am afraid she fell asleep."
Milo stumbled out of the carriage, hasty in his steps. That woman! She would give him a bloody heart attack before he died himself! How could she sleep outside in this frost biting weather, doesn't she have any sense of self preservation. His heart clenched.
"Yena." He breathed out on seeing her blonde hair sprawled on the grass her pale skin luminous from the moonlight, her petite body in a modest white gown. Her hand extended to a picked white rose in her hand slightly tinted with red by the side.
She pricked herself again. He struggled to breathe, his breath shallow admiring her before moving towards her, picking her up in his arms.
"Milo." She murmured sleepily, his grip tightened as his heart skipped a bit. Even after all these years she still recognized him in her sleep.
"I'm here baby, I am here." He squeezed out from his soul.
"No you are not. They are taking you away from me Milo."
He shook his head feeling her burrow her face in his chest to breathe him in. The hand that held the white rose placed on his heart.
"No darling. I am not going anywhere you are not."
"You promise, Milo?"
"Yes baby I'm all yours."
Her grip on his heart bunched on his clothes as she whimpered.
"Yes you are mine and I am not sharing you with anyone else Milo. I love you."
He swayed her like a baby walking towards the manor. In the past he had servants wait on him for his next orders but there was no one now to attend to Yena and his children. Because he didn't have the money to pay their salaries anymore. They couldn't even afford a governess for his kids. The only servant that stayed despite his downfall was his carriage driver who also toke other roles to help out. And Milo remembered when all was well with him he never for once treated him or other servants well.
This is all my fault. I did this I brought Yena pain and my children suffering. And they will keep suffering till they die. I deserve to die.
Yena shifted uncomfortable as if sensing his dark thoughts. He breathed deeply as he walked up the stairs. The light weight of his wife a heavy reminder that where was once all plump and fleshy was now replaced with bones. She stopped eating so his kids could eat first. All because of him. She was suffering.
He gently put her on the mattress, pressing a soft kiss to her head. Undressing, he headed to the bathroom to draw his bath. Cold water. He then brushed his teeth to remove the taste of the shitty alcohol he was addicted to according to Yena. Chuckling a bit from the memory he entered the big waterfall bath he installed on building the manor. Shivering from the cold. He stared at himself in the mirror. Disgusted by what he saw he shut his eyes appalled. He was getting old and wrinkly and his ribs were protruding out. The dark bags under his eyes made him look a lot worse. How could such a beautiful woman like Yena still love him ever strongly as she used to. Now he neither had the money nor fame nor social standing. The Chadwicks were a laughing stocks in the nobility now. What made her stay so with him even after everything? When there were nobles going behind his back to sleep with her.
Was her love so strong?
He felt soft arms wrap around him so gently like he would break if it applied any force. Shivering, he wracked open his eyes to see Yena equally naked, nuzzling his neck the lights dimmer than he left it. He swallowed hard.
"Yena." He whispered her name like it was a song, a lyric to his heart as she kissed his neck softly her naked body pressing behind him. "I...I.."
"I missed you too, Milo."
He covered his eyes with his hand laughing at how easily she drew out the words he struggled to say out.
"Did I wake you up, baby?"
She sighed softly on feeling his hand pat her head before shaking her head sideways.
"I need you, Milo." He froze shocked. "You never fail to surprise me on how vocal you are with your desires." He noted panicking inside. He didn't want her to see how frail he looked. How disgusting he had become.
"Stop trying to change the topic, Milo."
She moved to his front to face him. Holding his head in her hands. Seeing the bandages on his head. Her baby blue eyes darkened in worry. "I slipped on the stairs. It's okay, Yena."
She flickered his head annoyed. "Your body belongs to me. All of it. So you are not allowed to abuse it. GOT ME MILO?"
"Yes Milady."
"Delightful. Now kiss me before I go crazy."
She pulled him from the neck to meet her lacking height, Kissing him urgently.
"Yena I..."
She kissed his lips furiously before releasing. "All your insecurities I want them, Milo. Every last one. Because I think you are beautiful either way and I love you so so much."
There was conviction in her voice as well as shimmers of tears about to be shed. Overwhelmed with emotions he kissed her back, eating her up. Lifting her up to circle her legs on his torso they both groaned as there naked bodies met.
"Bed Milo... Bed now."
Obeying her commands, he toke quick strides unable to laugh at her urgency because he felt his desire rising quickly too in a way that scared him.
Dropping her on the bed gently he moved in too his weight dipping in the mattress. Yena covered her chest. "Lights switch them off, Milo."
Surprised for a moment a dark thought swept in.
What if she was indeed disgusted by me but didn't want to hurt my feelings.
Only to notice her blushing red all over looking away, suddenly so small. Then he looked at her. Shocked at her prominent ribs as she breathe. She looked so skinny. He knew she had lost weight but not this much.
"Did I turn you off, Milo?" Her voice so small, still with tension. Her baby blue eyes searching for disgust, pity in his face. He kissed the slope of her stomach in answer, hearing her sigh, her toes squeezing. He kissed her again on one of her breasts. Her body responding by gripping at his neck shivering in delight. He sucked.
"Milo." Moaning, she felt him taste her with a hunger that easily overpowered hers. Her nails digging his back.
He treated her body in ways that described his thoughts. How beautiful she will always be in his heart no matter what.
How much he loved her.