𝐌𝐫𝐬. 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 | Choni

Eighteen

Noise next to her pulled her from her slumber. As her eyes flickered open she noticed the lamp had been lit with a dim flame. The Princess next to her was sat up lost in thought. Toni moved to join her as she asked if she was alright.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” The redhead looked regretfully at the woman now sat next to her.

Toni gave her a smile. “It’s okay, what has you awake anyway?”

“I was just thinking back through all the letters we’ve sent and received from Reggie and then I got to thinking of how long we can keep it up before he starts getting the wrong idea.” The redhead couldn’t bring herself to look at the Serpent as she bit her lip anxiously.

Toni brought her hand down to rest atop the redhead’s in her lap making the Princess look up to her. “You shouldn’t be worrying about that now.”

Cheryl gave her a sad smile. “I know, I just can’t help it. With every letter I can see my mother grow more excited. It seems she’s getting what she’s been waiting for. But I can’t stop thinking that it’s the last thing I want; to be pursued by a man. I want you. I need you in my life Toni. I can’t give you up for anyone.” The redhead had turned to face the brunette as she’d slipped their hands together neatly.

“Then know that I’m not going anywhere. Wherever your life takes you Cheryl, I’ll be there next to you.” The Serpent assured as she wiped her thumb along the back of the redhead’s hand.

“Then I insist, like we’ve done with these letters, you are to be kept informed on everything and we make decisions together.” The Princess affirmed tightly grasping hold of the other woman’s hands.

All the Serpent could do was nod before leaning in and placing a gentle kiss at the corner of the redhead’s mouth. A gentle smile formed on the Princess’ lips as the two sat in the dim light, content to just be in each other’s company.

A few moments later, feeling wide awake, Toni came up with an idea. “Seeing as it’s in the middle of the night and no one is going to be downstairs, do you want to go and bake some bread? You’ve been teaching me how to read all this time. It’s about time I taught you something.”

A wider smile grew on the redhead’s face as she nodded quickly and made to move to get out of the bed. Toni followed excitedly and she threw on the rest of her clothes, and shoes while Cheryl slipped on a robe over her night dress.

The two wove their fingers together and moved as silently as they could down to the kitchens for their late-night escapades. By the time the pair had finished clearing away the mess they’d created, it was time to get out of the kitchens before they were found by the Serpents starting their day.

Toni didn’t risk escorting Cheryl back to her room in fear that they’d be spotted. Instead, they shared a kiss in the deserted stairwell behind the tapestry on the floor Cheryl’s bedroom was on.

The Princess collapsed on her bed exhilarated. She knew they were going to pay for the lack of sleep, but she wouldn’t trade it for the night she had. Toni always seemed to know what to say and do which meant Cheryl’s worries and stress could just melt away. Cheryl was very proud of the loaf of bread they’d made and felt a little disappointed that they’d ran out of time to try it before having to rush out of the kitchen. She could still feel the ghosts of the brunette’s arms around her as they kneaded the dough together. She could still see the way the flour stuck to the end of the Serpent’s nose when Cheryl playfully placed it there.

The Princess couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips as she thought back to how Toni had trapped her against the table with her hips and arms on either side of her. How she’d then lent forward, a hair width away from her already blushing face, and tapped her nose against Cheryl’s so they’d wear the same floured smudge. The Princess felt her heart rate quicken as she remembered the feeling of Toni's lips, tongue, and teeth as she stole the breath out of her lungs.

The Princess shook herself out of her own thoughts and stood again to open the curtains and window to breathe in some fresh air. How could it be that a person can make her feel the way the other woman did, and yet it was said to be wrong? If she had it her way it wouldn’t be wrong.

Toni had watched the Princess discreetly as she made her way back to her room, she couldn’t draw her eyes away. When she’d suggested bread baking, she’d never imagined how intimate the task could be. Having the Princess so close and in such privacy was too tempting not to initiate some kissing. She could feel herself slipping deeper and deeper into the chasm that was her feelings for the redhead. She couldn’t help but remind herself that when you slip, you fall, and you ultimately end up getting hurt. 

________

It was just Betty and Cheryl again for breakfast, the eldest Princess noted as she entered the dining hall a couple hours later.

She hadn’t gone back to sleep, instead she chose to distract her thoughts of the brunette by reading some more of the book they’d started last night. She probably should have chosen more sleep, however, she’d told Toni not to worry about attending to her as her Lady’s Maid this morning after their baking, and so couldn’t risk oversleeping.

The younger Princess watched her sister as the redhead took a seat opposite her. “You look tired, late night?” She asked as she noticed the dark circles under her eyes and how her sister reached straight for the pot of coffee.

Cheryl hid a yawn as she nodded and poured the dark liquid into her cup. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Too busy thinking about what to write back to Reginald?” Betty watched for her sister’s reaction to her mentioning the tall man who was clearly interested in pursuing her.

Cheryl moved her eyes up quickly to meet the blonde's. “How do you know he’s been writing?”

“It’s pretty obvious, you get a letter almost every couple of days and always in the same handwriting.” Betty waved a strawberry around on her fork as she spoke.

“You’ve been looking through my letters?” Cheryl asked almost outraged but not angry at her sister. She was about to remark about how she has no privacy, but that would be a lie. This was lucky for herself and Toni.

Betty was too busy buttering some bread as she explained. “It’s not like I went looking deliberately, I was only checking to see if I had any letters.”

The red-haired Princess didn’t hear her explanation as she was also drawn to the bread on the blonde’s plate; it was the loaf she and Toni had made.

“What’s with the smile, was the letter good? Is Reginald growing on you?” Betty began to get excited as she tried to decipher why her sister was all of a sudden smiling.

Cheryl shook her head and tried to tone down her happiness at seeing the thoughtful gesture from the Serpent woman who had been stuck in her head for a long time now. “He’s nice.” She finally provided her sister with before retrieving her own slice of the bread from the table.

Betty dropped her hands and cutlery to the table. “That’s all you’re going to give me!?”

Cheryl finished off her coffee before deciding she was done with breakfast and picked up an additional slice of bread before standing. “I’ll see you later little one.”

“Cheryl, wait!” The younger Princess called eager for more, but there was nothing that could be said to bring Cheryl back to the table as the thoughts of last night filled her mind.