Love Through The Ages

Five

"A strong marriage requires two people who choose to love each other even on those days where they struggle to like each other."      --Dave Willis

After hours of celebrating the newest marriage in the Legion, people slowly started to leave the festivities and a few women gave me subtle advice on what to do on the first night together making me shudder. I looked at my new husband across the room as he stood talking with Titus and took one last gulp of wine for my nerves placing the goblet down on the table to my side. I slowly stood up to gather a handful of my dress in one hand and smiled as Leyla came to kiss my cheeks in congratulations again wishing me luck with a wink before she joined Niklaus at the door to leave. I waved to him and continued toward my husband smiling when he turned to offer his arm. I ignored Titus's crude jokes about how he pictured tonight and my eyes found Maximus as he stood off to the side pouring himself more wine. I squeezed Lachlan's arm gently before I moved away from him to walk toward the general and smiled as his eyes lifted to me pride ringing through him.

"There's the bride." He said with a grin and I reached forward to snatch the goblet from his hand taking a sip. "Still angry?"

"You know, I should be but at this moment I can't say I am." I said handing the goblet back and turned to watch Lachlan as he laughed at something Titus said. "I refused to see it before but now I can see the passion you saw."

"Do you admit I was right with this match?" Maximus asked and looked at me with an overly confident smirk I know well from years of following his instruction against my own instincts.

"Never." I replied with a smirk of my own and stepped forward as Lachlan came to join us smiling as he pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Are you ready to retire?" He asked in my ear and I shivered at the sound of his husky voice so close forcing myself to nod despite my sudden nerves about being alone.

"Hurt her in any way and I will kill you." Maximus said in a threatening voice but held out his hand to grasp Lachlan's and I bit my lip as he turned to me to cup my face gently pressing his lips to my forehead. "Be happy, quis mihi carus."

I fought back sudden tears at his kind words and stood up on my toes to kiss his cheek pulling back to take the new man in life's hand. I used my free hand to hold up my dress slightly as I let Lachlan lead me from the dining hall to the staircase that go up to the bedrooms and I smiled shyly at the people we passed. I bit my lip as we climbed the curved stairs and tried to calm my erratic heartbeat I was sure would beat out of my chest with all the nerves and excitement running through me. Lachlan squeezed my hand as we came to the corridor where the biggest bedchambers were and led the way to my door opening it to reveal the room is lit with dozens of candles and a roaring fire in the grate. I smiled at the usually dark room lit in a golden light and noticed a trunk sitting at the end of the bed that wasn't there before.

"I figured we should stay in an actual room rather than one of the tents with three other men." Lachlan said and closed the door behind me turning to look at me as he undoes the longer part of his kilt pinned to drape over his shoulder. "I had my things brought in here, I hope that's alright."

"Of course." I replied and turned away to walk over to the chaise set up in front of the fireplace reaching down to take off the heels I actually managed to keep on all evening. "Who are the three you stayed with?"

"The Italian brothers, Dimitri and Raffaele and the young one named Maris." He answered and sat on the edge of the trunk I assumed was his watching me.

"Ah, he seems to be a good kid." I said and rubbed my bottom of my right foot stopping to look at him. "He joined us after being found in a shipwreck last year."