Happily Ever After

Chapter 33

(Y/N) POV

I woke up on a large comfortable bed all alone, a soft purple blanket enveloping my body. Wait a second... purple? I looked around with my sleepy eyes and saw purple curtains and golden-framed portraits decorating the purple coloured walls. The furniture inside the room were of the same shade too. 

"This isn't my room." I examined the sleeping quarters, trying to pinpoint where I actually was. A minute later, the realisation hit me — I was in Alois' room. Memories of last night came crashing down on me like a meteor as they came back one by one. I blushed madly till I was red as a ripe tomato. 

Alois and I kissed last night...

We kissed... 

He kissed me... 

No, I was the one who kissed him...

And we slept...

In the same room...

On the same bed...?!

I stood up on my wobbly feet and rushed to the mirror to inspect myself. My legs felt sore, but I couldn't care less. I had to check!

"Ah, just as I suspected."

The night gown barely covered all of the red and purple bruises that decorated my body. It wasn't common for a lady to have these er... marks, unless you know... ehem. I felt embarrassed, knowing that he got to see me in this state last night. Argh, I should have considered this before agreeing in the first place!

The old Alois knew about my daily training regimen, which ranged from fencing to mastering combat techniques. He probably would not care much if I had a few bruises here and there, because he knew where I got them, but this is the new Alois that we are talking about! He does not know that I train, he does not know I love fencing (most likely). What is he going to think of me now, huh? 

"AHHHHHHHH!" I screamed into one of the pillows. I want to crawl into a dark hole and never come out! How am I going to face him now? Well, I eventually have to later. I need to thank him for what he did last night, before I take my leave.

Last night...

"Thanks for letting me spend the night here, Alois. Don't worry, the road will probably be fixed by tomorrow morning. I shall leave as soon as I can. I know how busy you can get, so I do not wish to interrupt with your work."

"No worries, (Y/N). It's impossible to find an open inn at this hour, and I couldn't possibly have my best friend sleep on the roadside now, can I? 

My ears perked up. "Best friend...?" Did he really just say best friend?

"Yes, best friend. You were my best friend, right? Take your time. I only have a few things to attend to tomorrow, so don't worry about being a bother."

"O-oh, alright. Well then, have a good night. Thanks again for letting me sleep here and for lending me this night gown as well. Sweet dreams."  

'Oh my goodness! He said that I was his best friend. He said that I was his best friend! I did tell him that I was a close friend before, but a best friend? I haven't mentioned it once! So, how does he know? Does he remember it now? Well I do hope so, for if he does, then this is certainly good news. Perhaps I should ask more questions tomorrow morning.'

I turned around and headed towards the door, but before I could leave, a pair of strong arms snaked their way around my waist, halting my movements. "Don't leave me, (Y/N)." Alois caged me with his limbs, refusing to let go. He rested his chin upon my shoulder, his hot breath tickling the side of my neck. "Stay with me, please... just this once." He then placed a tender kiss on my skin.

I didn't know what to say. His words and actions left me dumbfounded. It was all so sudden. My mind was conflicted on how respond and take action, while the heart knew what it wanted. 

"Alright."

The heart won the race. It made the mouth move on its own accord. The mouth ran faster than the brain. And in the end, the heart got what it wanted. In fact, most of the time it does, doesn't it?

-○- 

"(Y/N), come closer. Don't worry, I won't bite... not unless you want me to," Alois stated with a smug expression.

My cheeks flushed red upon his remark. Good thing it was dark, for the shadows concealed my pink dusted cheeks. However, it didn't stop him from noticing my flustered state. So, I decided to cover my face out of embarrassment. 

"Stop being weird. Don't say such things."

"But what if I want to, hmm? What are you going to do about it?" He continued to tease even more. "Come on, (Y/N). Stop hiding your pretty face from me. Let me see it." Alois pried my hands away from my face. I tried to keep them there, but I failed. He had me pinned down on the bed in under three minutes.

Nothing but the sound of soft panting could be heard across the room, as the both of us tried to catch our breaths. No one dared to utter a word nor move a single muscle. Alois remained on top of me, as the moonlight illuminated his pretty face, highlighting his best features.

"Can you please... hold me?" Alois asked quietly as he drew circles in my palms. 

"Come here then". He immediately accepted my invitation and let go of my hands to nuzzle up against me. I held him in my arms, as I played with his blond locks. 

"Are you still awake?" I whispered quietly after several minutes, wanting to make sure if he was fast asleep.

"No, not yet. I'm having trouble falling asleep."

"Well, in that case..." I started humming Nanny Isabelle's lullaby. I gently stroked his hair while lulling him to sleep. The song soon ended, and I gently placed a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, Alois... I love you," I whispered quietly. 

I closed my eyes and began drifting off to dreamland, but before I could fully succumb to sleep, I heard someone whisper softly, 

"I love you too, (Y/N)." 

~•~

Hi my lovely readers! Thank you so much for 1k views! 🥳🥳🥳 This is such a huge milestone not only for this fic, but for me as an author as well. I would like to thank you all for your love and support, especially those who have stuck with me since the beginning. I love you all and thank you once again. See you in the next chapter! 💜❤💜