The Tale of Opposite Souls

21) ℱ𝓊𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒 𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓈𝑒𝓈

•✮──────✧✮☾✮✧──────✮•

𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥

Jughead had put on my cloak and his own as we went outside and I saw all the snow that had been freshly fallen from the night before.

We went to his stables as he took out a horse and said "need assistance?"

I shook my head and got on easily as he got on as well.

"Where are we going?" I asked him and he smiled "do not worry."

I smiled and we began riding away. It took some time but we made it to a field of some sort as the horse stayed where there was less snow and Jughead and I both got off.

I asked him "what is this?"

He smiled and asked "why did you defend me?"

I looked at him and he explained "I have treated you with disrespect and you still defended my honor."

I smiled and told him "well...frankly I despised what your father had done to you. Even if you have slept with those women, you did nothing more, no one is with child and...you don't try and hurt me on purpose."

He smiled and I smiled back as he stepped further into the snow and I followed him. 

"I choose to stop..."

I looked up at him as he looked at me "no more women, no more women in our home, not now and not after our child arrives. No more women ever again, just you and I."

I smiled and he told me "and if I break the rule you may take my head."

I laughed at his comment and he grabbed my gloved hands and he kissed them and told me "I will treat you as my equal, as my Queen.... And as my wife."

I looked at him and he told me "it's been difficult...my whole life I've...I've never seen that."

I smiled and told him "well, people can change, it's never too late."

He sighed I smiled as he suddenly had a ring with an emerald and I looked at him and he kneeled down and smiled.

"May we start over? Start over this relationship...for not only our child or our people, but for us."

I smiled and began crying as he told me "marry me Elizabeth Marie Cooper."

I laughed and told him "we already are...but okay."

I laughed out with a tear leaving my eyes, he took off my glove and slipped it on my finger and stood up and looked at me and I smiled.

"May you kiss me? My King?"

He smiled "I will, my Queen."

I smiled and he pressed his lips against mine and I held his neck. I pulled away softly and looked at him and smiled.

We leaned our foreheads together as he mentioned "I also bear other bits of jewelry. A bracelet and a necklace if you like?"

I laughed out "thank you."

He smiled and asked "May we return home?"

I smiled and suddenly it began snowing we looked up and I laughed "perhaps we can stay out here a bit more. I love the snow!"

He laughed and I ran into the huge piles of snow.

When we arrived home I had to take another bath. But as I began stripping down I the maids looked up and I turned around seeing Jughead.

"Leave us."

They all ran off and I gulped and said "is there something wrong?"

He sighed and I looked at him as he smiled and asked me "take off your dress."

I gulped and slipped it off as he smiled and began removing his clothes. But as removed his tunic I saw a lot of marks on his chest. I stared at them and looked back into his eyes trying to not raise so much attention.

"May we take a bath together?" He asked me.

I laughed and said "of course..."

He smirked and helped me in and he came in. He sat down as I laid on his chest and he held my waist closer to him.

I held his arms and had to ask "why am I being given this treatment?"

He smiled and rubbed my stomach as I said "ahhh...the baby. Of course."

He suddenly told me "not just the child, but I'm ready to learn to love you."

I stopped and sat up and turned around to look at him and he smirked "I heard what you whispered the other night. And if you are ready than I am as well. Sure the hatred for us still lives on but perhaps we...are different than what we've revealed."

I smiled and he smiled back at me and I said "promise?"

He smiled and nodded and I leaned close and cupped his face and kissed him, he chuckled softly and held my waist.

He whispered "do not worry...we will make this good for the both of us. I promise Betty..."

I smiled and he told me "I will learn to love you if you can learn to love me and my flaws."

I smiled and told him "of course I will."

He smiled and I leaned in and kissed him again as he smiled and held the back of my head.