TRB | MW [✔]

02.

Mingyu woke with the instant alertness of his warrior training. He knew he was safely lodged in his own tent, heavily guarded, and with the day promising the start back to his home. The only difference was that while on campaign, he rarely experienced the morning delight of having a pert rump humping against his hard cock. He didn't give any thought to indulging his instinctive desire to slide his dick into the invitation of that welcoming heat. At least he thought it had been an encouragement, but he hadn't yet fully seated himself into that pliant place before his bedmate—his wife—roused from the effort and immediately tried to pull away.

Mingyu wrapped his arm around Wonwoo's slender waist and held him in place. Despite protests to the contrary the previous night, he could have sworn his wife had started to respond favorably to his touch. Wonwoo simply needed time to accept that his attraction to another man wasn't something horrible to suppress. Ignoring the muffled squawk of indignation, he thrust gently to build the pleasure. At the same time, he reached to clasp the stiff shaft rising from Wonwoo's groin. Its owner slapped him away with sufficient force to make it clear that for the time being, any further efforts on his part to help his bride enjoy their marriage bed were going to be rebuffed. Disappointed, Mingyu finished quickly and disengaged before rolling onto his back.

Mingyu stared at the colorful ceiling of his royal tent, searching for words that might rectify the conflict between them. He wanted to make this marriage work, for his own sake as well as that of his country. His personal code of conduct dismissed the idea of seeking comfort elsewhere while married. And he was sure he'd detected a gleam of interest in the Marsher boy's eyes and the way he'd responded to Mingyu's kiss. There was some hope that, with patience, they could forge a real relationship in and out of bed. Before he could reason a path to achieve his goal, there was a familiar scratching at his tent. The flap opened, and his two squires entered, carrying bowls and cloths.

Seungkwan greeted him in the usual cheery way. "Good morning, Your Highness. Please forgive the early intrusion, but Sir Seokmin insisted we rouse you and the duchess, as he's eager to get the journey underway."

Mingyu lifted himself up to his elbows and gave Seungkwan a reassuring grin. "I understand what a taskmaster he can be, and he's not wrong. We have a long journey ahead of us, and it's best not to waste any more time than necessary."

Seungkwan walked to a small table in the corner and set his burdens down, which included more than simply a washing rag. He carefully laid a colorful fold of what appeared to be a gown and soft half boots in a similar color. "If it pleases you, Your Highness, I will tend to the duchess' morning ablutions while Soonyoung caters to your needs."

Whipping the sheet off his body, Mingyu stood and stretched without embarrassment. His squires were well used to his nudity. "That is a fine plan." He glanced at his wife and found Wonwoo sitting up with his gaze cast downward. Likely he wasn't used to this kind of service. The Marsher chieftain looked to be the kind who saw only to his own comforts. "My dear, you'll find Seungkwan to be an excellent... temporary maid." Damn, the law about this marriage might be simple, but navigating how to incorporate a male into a traditionally female role wasn't going to be easy. He'd noticed, too, how everyone was avoiding the use of pronouns.

What a tangle!

Time was wasting, however, and as he figured his bride wouldn't be comfortable being under his scrutiny, he moved away from the pallet and over to the washcloth held in Soonyoung's waiting arms. He kept one eye on Wonwoo, not sure of how he would react to all this sudden attention. After a few seconds, the boy pulled off his shift, giving Mingyu a glimpse of his smooth chest, which proved to be surprisingly interesting to Mingyu's gaze. Then Wonwoo rose from the pallet, wrapping the sheet around his waist and dragging it behind him as he went to Seungkwan. The squire, bless him, didn't try to tug the cloth away, instead concentrating on washing Wonwoo's upper body. Mingyu made himself look away to avoid embarrassing the poor Marsher unnecessarily. He could still hear him, though.