A Shade Darker ✔️

{Chapter Twenty Three}

An Old Scottish Myth

June 26th, 2017

Ashley

I wake with a slight headache, my head throbbing and aching like I had been hit in the side of the skull with a board or something. I don't remember having anything to drink last night, maybe one glass of wine, but I had not gotten drunk. Hangover was out of the question.

Although, I don't exactly remembering putting myself to bed last night, either. I do remember returning back to the treehouse and having Lucile help me out of my dress, but after that everything else became mostly a blur.

Trying not to dwell on it, I swing my legs off of the bed and jump when a crack of thunder echoes in the sky.

Only now do I recognize the sound of hard rain pounding down on the roof and the warm radiation that comes from behind me.

Looking over my shoulder at the man who slowly stirs in his sleep, something beckons me to slip back under the blankets and lay with him a while. But the smell of sausage coming from downstairs is beckoning me also and that of my grumbling stomach.

I just watch him for a minute, observing how his body fills up the blankets as he lays underneath, his feet sticking out of the end of the blankets because of his height.

His hair which was once groomed last night is now a wild mess, being touselled overnight when he had turned on his pillow.

The closeness I now realized made goosebumps rise on my skin, only in a camisole that served no better coverage or modesty than a towel.

But still, I couldn't have worried much. My husband was fully clothed and I trusted him enough to believe that he was respectful of me and my body.

My attention is drawn to his face again as he inhaled deeply and opens his eyes a little.

"Are you scared of the storms, mo ghaol?" His voice was so light, still sleepy and a little hoarse.

I shake my head and look down when he moves his hand out from under the blankets to place it stop mine.

He closes his eyes again, a small smile on his lips. I remember those lips, the way they felt on mine last night. The way things could be so simple afterwards and he hadn't just thought it was an opportunity to jump in bed with me.

I was beginning to think that I respected this man who acted like he was from a different century-and was, really-than the men I had surrounded myself by before I was brought here.

"What did you say? After you asked me if I was scared of the storms? Mo...something" He shifts under the blankets and another sound of thunder calls my attention to the window.

"Mo ghaol means, my love" A smile makes me sigh and I slowly stand from the bed so I can get some breakfast.

Reaching the door and ready to step out, his voice calls for me. I look over my shoulder and watch him as he adjusts the pillow under his head.

"Will you kiss me before you go?" I feel a blush creep to my cheeks, doing my best to keep it at bay.

Slowly, I step from the doorway and walk back towards the mattress where he laid warm and cozy under the blankets, his eyes still tired.

As I lean down towards his cheek he rolls of onto his back and leaves his face staring back up at mine.

Another crack of thunder and a bolt of lightning illuminates the window next to us. Wind blows and whistles outside, accompanying the rain that makes music against the glass.

He stares up at me and moves an arm out of the blankets again to brush hair out of my eyes that had fallen when I leaned forward.

How could he be such a romantic? How?

And how could he make me fall for him so quickly?

He grips my chin softly with his index finger and thumb, slowly bringing me down to his lips that kiss mine so lightly it's more of a caress.

It made my toes tingle, made that electric feeling keep me awake even thought the small gesture between our lips lasts no more than a few seconds.

"Thank you, mo ghaol" I roll my eyes playfully at his words and leave his grasp so I can finally go get the breakfast that my stomach desired.

"Such a charmer you are" I sigh, remembering my appearance and blushing as I found a robe to tie over my thin camisole.

My thoughtless actions wasn't the only thing that had me blushing, I could still feel the gaze from his eyes on me, burning holes into my skin and heating me at the same time.

"I'm going to eat some breakfast" I announce, starting towards the door again and glancing back at him.

He slowly smiles at me, not replying with words. I leave with his smile plastered on my lips and start down the stairs.

"She's alive! Did you get enough rest, sleeping beauty?" Lucile laughs as I walk into the room and consciously tighten the sash around my waist.

I'm aware that the blush is still on my cheeks as I sit on one of the stools at the island and inhale the scent of freshly cooked sausage.

My stomach grumbles with the want of the salty meat on my tongue and Lucile is aware of this as she plates some for me.

"It must've been some night for you and the King, no?" She sighs happily to herself. "Lord knows any other maiden would be glad to have him in their beds" I stuff a forceful of sausage into my mouth and raise an eyebrow.

"Yes, it was quite a night, I agree. But not because we went to bed together. I think I was more tired than anything to stay up late with his royal highness" I almost laugh at my own words, imagining what it would've been like if somehow things had gotten carried away.

I'm afraid that if they did, he wouldn't have been so respectful to me today. Or I would at least hope he would have been respectful enough to not let things go that far.

Lucile shrugs a shoulder and breathlessly returns to the stove.

"I guess I just assumed it had been quite a night. You didn't wake for some time and you know what they say about the storms" I raise an eyebrow, intrigued.

"The storms? What do they say about the storms?" Lucile looks over her shoulder before wiping her hands on her apron and smiling at me.

"Well, it's what they say in my homeland anyways. In Scotland, it's said that the storms make the men hard and the women fertile" My face burns red with another oncoming blush of embarrassment.

I dip my face towards my plate and continue to eat.

Lucile laughs once more before sighing and returning to her work. Over her shoulder she adds.

"Oh, but I guess tis just an old Scottish Myth...but if you turn up to be carrying the King's child verra soon then my suspicions will no longer be ignored. And the myth will ring true"

I chuckle, eating more of my breakfast.

"It's a little soon to be wishing for children, isn't it? Me and the King have been married no more than a month" She turns around again her face hard.

"Yes, but relations that happen between the King and Queen should promise a child verra soon in their relationship. And the colony will be skeptical, especially after a terrible storm like this one" I don't reply, just stare down at my now empty plate.

"More breakfast?" She asks, taking my plate away and towards the stove.

I shake my head and sigh.

"No thank you, I've lost my appetite. I'm going to go grab a bath" Lucile looks at me ready to offer, but just smiles and puts my dish in the sink.

Thankfully, she understood that I could bathe myself today.