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Evening.
Office, Salviana's Chambers, Wyfkeep Castle.
Wyfellon, Wyfn-Garde.
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"I'm only yours, all yours now" he declared.
The honesty in his eyes pierced through her simmering jealousy, yet it only added fuel to the fire of her insecurity.
She crossed her arms tightly, feeling exposed and vulnerable sitting on his thighs. "Then why did Priscilla say you've had so many lovers?" The question slipped out, laced with disbelief and hurt, her tone wavering.
Alaric's expression darkened at the mention of Priscilla's name. "Priscilla? Who's Priscilla?" he repeated, irritation flickering in his eyes.
"How's someone I don't know the one spreading all these lies? I need to know who she is," he couldn't believe someone would disrespect him so much to lie to his wife, and must've thought his wife stupid to be that confident.
"Why?" Salviana asked, why did he want to know the person who told her all of these?
"I'll have words with her." He said, there was a growl in his voice, protective and fierce, as if the very thought of anyone tarnishing his name ignited a rage he struggled to contain.
Salviana felt a flicker of hope at his anger, but it was quickly overshadowed by doubt. "But why would she lie?" she pressed, her voice barely a whisper, searching his gaze for reassurance. "What did you do to make her comfortable spouting lies? Why did she want me to believe them?"
Alaric drew her closer, his eyes softening as he reached for her arm, he brushed his fingers along her arm with a tenderness that made her skin tingle. "I'm not certain why she'd spout lies but I just might know how she'd end, don't blame yourself." His voice was firm yet gentle, coaxing her to trust him, to trust them.
"Look at me," he murmured, his tone inviting and warm. When she hesitated, he took the initiative to turn her head towards his face with his index under her chin, closing the little distance between their faces, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body, a safe harbor amidst her turbulent emotions.
Slowly, she allowed herself to settle into his embrace, surrendering to the warmth that enveloped her. He hugged her back.
"I care for you," he said, his voice low and steady, each word a lifeline amidst her swirling doubts.
"I never assumed I'd come to have anything but indifference towards you until you stood in my territory and glared at me like you'd rather be anywhere else but I knew you were stuck with me, I know you were nine just as I was yours and you glares or my indifference wouldn't change that, we're together in this Fiery-Wife and I'm enjoying the process" with all this being said by Alaric, Salviana could only shiver from the intensity before she could think as her mind had blanked to accommodate her husband, he added.
"You are the only one I'd want." He pulled her in closer, their foreheads nearly touching, and she could feel the sincerity in his gaze, the depth of his emotions reaching out to her.
As she looked into his dark eyes, Salviana felt a rush of conflicting emotions—hope battling with insecurity—but for the first time, the hope felt stronger. "Promise me," she whispered, her voice trembling,
"Promise you what?"
"That you'll answer whatever question I ask you about yourself." she let his black orbs suck in her green ones.
He smiled, "Yes, I did say I'd answer, but too many questions at a time is not a good idea,"
She pouted, her nose scrunching, he pinched it before whispering, "I promise," he replied, his voice fierce with conviction. "I'd answer all your questions but it can never be at once."
The tension in her shoulders eased slightly as she melted into his embrace, her heart swelling with the truth of his words. With every moment they shared, she felt herself surrendering, letting go of the fears that had haunted her, knowing that here, in his arms, she was safe.
His hand found its way into her hair and he started to play with the strands, "How did you lose so much hair?" Alaric asked when he remembered the comb full of hair he'd seen on the window earlier.
Salviana sighed, "Priscilla," she said. The maid was intent on emptying her head, she keeps pulling her hair when combing. She didn't even know who to complain to.
Alaric's body went hot with fury, his hand falling away, "She's a maid?! Priscilla is a fucking maid and she had the audacity to talk to you, let alone lie?"
Salviana gulped, her relaxed shoulders bunching up again, "Alaric," she whispered hoping to bring his mind back down.
"Which one is it?" he growled.
She grinded her teeth before moving out of their embrace, "Will you kill her too?" she fired.
Alaric froze, surprised by the abrupt question, "Why do you ask that?"
She shifted in his lap to gaze at her fingers. "Where is the guard from my first night here?" His silence prompted her to continue, "Rumor has it that you call people and the never go back again… they're never seen again or never the same again,"
Alaric pressed his lips together not knowing how to approach this conversation before he mumbled, "You aren't sure I killed the guard,"
"He winked at me," Salviana reminded him of a possible reason; she'd noticed how the atmosphere had changed drastically that day after that wink.
Alaric groaned, almost triggered again by the thought of a mere lumpy guard winking at his wife! "You're right, I killed him, sucked him dry and came back home that night thinking if i should've given him a less swifter death,"
Salviana paled but her heart did double takes, "Relax, I've seen him looking lewdly at maids before i just never cared enough until he had to cross a line, he supposedly didn't know existed, can you imagine," he complained while salviana found herself trying to relax.
He did this for her.
"You have to trust me," Alaric's voice was steady, a quiet promise woven into each word. "I'd always have your best interests in mind."
She met his gaze, finding only sincerity in his eyes, and felt her heart settle in an unspoken reassurance. As his palm drifted up and down her arm, a soothing warmth spread beneath her skin, easing any tension she had left. For once, all her doubts felt distant, something small in comparison to his touch.
"We have dinner to feed you," he murmured after a quiet moment, a gentle reminder that brought her back to the present.
With a small smile, he helped her rise from his lap, his hand lingering protectively in hers as they made their way to the dining room. Dinner was already arranged, the table set with an understated elegance that reflected the evening's calm. Tonight, the quiet felt like an extension of his promise—solid, unspoken, yet deeply felt.
They ate in silence, the only sounds coming from the delicate clinking of their silverware. Alaric's gaze found her often, observing her with a steady intensity she felt even without looking up. Lost in thought, her focus drifted, only half-aware of the food on her plate as she took it in absentmindedly.
Vampires do feel, she thought, a quiet realization blooming within her as her heart ached with an unexpected tenderness. She glanced up, meeting his eyes just as he glanced away, and for the first time, she truly understood the depth of what he'd promised her.
"What did you do with the flowers?" she remembered and asked him about those bundle she'd been gifted.
"I threw them away," he replied easily.
"Why?"
"It was getting old," he deadpanned.
"Are you lying?" she asked suspiciously.
"It was either the flower or the boy, Fiery-wife" this made her shake her head.
Salviana sighed dramatically, This was her life now.
"You're getting me my flowers," she said after a moment.
"Yes, My lady," he saluted like a pirate, making her grin.