Chapter 74

Ashtie was standing in front of the mirror. She was so nervous, her legs felt numb. The sound of her pounding heart rang her ears. She breathed slowly. She was in a small bathroom, filled with hot moisture.

The weather had been good since morning, and the day banquet had flowed as nicely as the weather. The sun bathed the hall in a yellow light and the gentle tones matched the soft wind. Ashtie danced with Lu Harve a couple more times, then greeted other nobles. No matter what the nobles actually thought, they congratulated her. And Ashtie continued to smile. When the sun started to set, they moved to the indoor banquet room and enjoyed more parties. It was a banquet full of music, dance, laughter, refreshing drinks, and delicious food.

Also, there were many gifts. Ashtie could see the gift from L’avenant—a statue of Marycury. The blessing of Marycury, who cared for Skara, was engraved in small letters. It made Ashtie smile. If she had married in Skara, tradition said she would be blessed by God. Although she was almost driven out from Monterobis, she was now married to the king. The fact that her brother—the prince of Skara—gave it to her meant he respected her. She was overwhelmed with gratitude for his kindness.

The night gently knocked on the window of the banquet hall. While the banquet would continue until late, the bride and groom said their goodbyes and left the hall first.

Now, Ashtie breathed deeply in the bathroom. The woman in the mirror looked unfamiliar at first glance. A little curly hair covered some of her nakedness. Whether she had just finished her bath or for some other reason, her cheeks blushed. She blinked her yellow eyes slower than usual. Ashtie patted her chest, hoping her pounding heart would settle down a little.

“Your Majesty, would you like to wear this chemise?” Lucia called softly.

Ashtie nodded. “Yes, give it to me.”

The maid politely handed the chemise to her.

“The color…” Ashtie took a close look at the chemise. It was a very light shade of ivory—she actually could see her hand through the thin material. But she was the one who usually wore the ivory dress. Ashtie smiled at the maid waiting for her.

“I like it.”

Meanwhile, she looked back at herself in the mirror. It was the first time she looked at her body carefully. She examined her wet hair, red face, neck, shoulders, chest, and her eyes continued down to her waist.

“Your Majesty,” Lucia said.

“Yes?”

Lucia lowered her head. “You are very beautiful.”

“Oh, I wish I could hear that from him,” Ashtie thought.

“Ah!” Ashtie exclaimed suddenly. She immediately covered her mouth. Lucia looked at Ashtie’s expression, but Ashtie shook her head quickly as if it was nothing. “Thank you.”

Ashtie wiped her mouth in an unconscious act.

“Oh my god,” she continued her thinking. “I’m out of my senses. How could I think something so strange? I hope he says those words to me when he sees my body.”

She felt dizzy. Her body and heart were already shaking.

Ashtie could not control her trembling heart while wearing the chemise and a gown. Her imagination continued, thinking of hearing his compliment and then on to the rest of the night they’d spend together in bed.

“Your Majesty, would you like to go?” Lucia asked.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Since Ashtie had a lot in her mind, she answered with a somewhat puzzled tone and expression. But Lucia fortunately spoke no further. Ashtie tried to calm herself down but could focus on nothing else.

They left the bathroom and walked along the lantern-lined hallway, their dim light a poor defense against the darkness. It was very quiet. The cool wind rustled her hair. She felt a little calmer, the need to continue deep breathing now gone. They walked for what seemed like forever before they came to a room with a rather bright lamp hanging in front.

“Your Majesty, I will take off now.”

“Okay, Lucia. You did a good job.”

“Thank you, your Majesty. Ou Otoi Ashite-Ploca Le-Hoshuchoihre.”

Ashtie smiled at Lucia, who stepped back quietly without saying anything more.

Ashtie now stood in front of the king’s bedroom alone. It was her first love, first marriage, and the first time to enter somebody’s room in the middle of the night. Her body was shaking, but not out of fear. Her heart fluttered.

“Lu Harve,” Ashtie called him in a soft voice.

“Ashtie,” Lu Harve replied.

Her heart thumped. All that deep breathing seemed pointless now. Her body trembled more with each beat of her heart. Ashtie closed her eyes. She closed and opened her hands a few times, then grabbed the doorknob.

Hoping her voice would not tremble too much, she opened her mouth. “I’m coming in, Lu Harve.”

Ashtie opened the door with her eyes closed. Even behind her lids, her eyes could detect the dim light. Ashtie took a few steps forward. The door closed silently behind her.

A delicate scent filled the room. It was as fresh as the scent of flowers. Ashtie opened her eyes. She blinked a couple of times.

“Ashi,” Lu Harve called to her with a light smile as he sat comfortably on the bed.

Her heart thumped rapidly. She sensed a vibration in the room. She was not sure where it came from, whether because of the fragrance or his voice.

Ashtie suddenly swallowed. Her gaze fell on the bed. The room was dark overall, but several candles were placed around the bed, casting a soft glow on the sheets. Her trembling didn’t fade and Ashtie patted her chest a couple of times.

Then suddenly, something caught Ashtie’s eyes. It was a white vase with small white, yellow, red, and orange flowers. Ashtie managed to stop herself from walking to it. But she could not help staring.

“How have those flowers stayed so fresh?” she asked.

“I water them every day,” Lu Havre said in a low but clear voice as if he were trying to turn her attention back on him. The vase itself showed his heart and Ashtie looked at him again.

Lu Havre wore a shadowy gown. His dark skin shined as if it held a light. It was attractive, especially his face, neck, and hands. As she looked at him, her heart pounded more. Her dizziness intensified

Ashtie continued to move toward the bed as if being pulled by a magnetic force. The loose gown rustled as she walked. She could not stop her pounding heart.

“Ashi. You came.”

When she stood in front of the bed, Lu Havre stood. The dark gray gown was neat and Lu Harve stroked Ashtie’s cheek with a smooth motion. Her eyelashes quivered.

The lamp was not as bright as the daylight, but he immediately noticed that her cheeks were red. He could feel the warmness of her skin. He lowered his head a little bit and saw her yellow eyes. His eyes moved to her thin neck and delicate shoulders through the gown she wore. Her sweet pinkish-purple hair spilled over her body. He felt intoxicated by her sweet, flowery smell.

Lu Harve could not help but say, “You are beautiful, Ashi.”

It was like when he had seen her dance for the first time. He had never before beheld such perfect beauty in his life. She was like a flower blooming with liveliness.

“…Lu Harve.”

He wanted to express more. There was so much more to her than beauty. And her beauty extended past her pretty face. She was attractive, humble, and pure. “Beautiful” felt like such an inadequate word to truly describe her.

He became the king because of his mastery over language, but still, he could not think of suitable words. It seemed impossible to truly express how he felt through language. And with Ashtie right in front of him, he couldn’t waste time pondering the perfect words. Besides, no matter which ones he selected, he knew he would never feel satisfied.

So, Lu Harve pressed his lips on her neck instead. He didn’t suck her skin yet, but he could smell her sweet scent. He could imagine nothing sweeter than her.

Ashtie could do nothing other than hold her breath. She feared she would make a strange sound if she exhaled. When Lu Harve started to stroke her hair slowly, she closed her eyes. His hand was warm and big, moving gently through her curls. Suddenly, Lu Havre lifted his head.

“Ashi, let’s sit down.”

Ashtie opened her eyes slowly. Lu Harve had already stopped stroking her hair. To Ashtie, those short minutes felt so long. His warmth had left a long afterglow. Her yellow eyes met his red ones. Ashtie nodded lightly.

On a small table beside the bed was a bottle of wine with two glasses and a few pieces of fruit. The light of the candles glimmered. Lu Harve sat on the edge of the bed and tilted his head slightly. Ashtie sat next to him.

“Ashi, would you like a drink?” he asked softly.

She could not just keep nodding without saying anything. So she said yes in a small voice.

Lu Harve kept his smile. Even if he had tried to stop, he wouldn’t have been able to. He handed her glass and poured the deep, red wine. The room was dark, but the color of the wine was vivid.

Ashtie accepted the glass. She then took the bottle and poured wine into his glass. The room was so silent that the sound of pouring echoed.

“Lu Harve…” Ashtie raised her glass. She could not finish her words because of her shyness.

But to Lu Harve, that was enough. They clinked their glasses together. Ashtie and Lu Harve looked into each other’s eyes. She quivered, her cheeks red. They were not as red as the wine, but they looked as warm. A natural smile was on her face.

Ashtie slowly drank the wine as she watched his face. She liked the taste of the wine as it rolled over her tongue and flowed down her throat. It was the sweetest wine she had ever tasted.

Lu Harve sipped as she did, following her pace. He stirred the wine with his tongue and savored it. He spoke first. “Weren’t you tired today?”

Ashtie shook her head. She couldn’t sleep well at dawn, but she was not tired. Rather, she felt the wedding so vividly. The sunshine and fragrance, her pounding heart, and the sound of the music had struck her senses. The feelings were so vivid, she could fully recall them in an instant.

“No, I was not tired,” she answered.

Ashtie took another sip, moistening her lips with wine. Her pounding heart kept her from feeling even the least bit tired. She had tried to slow her heart before, but now she no longer cared. She just took another sip of wine and rolled it around her tongue to savor the flavor.

“How about you? Weren’t you tired, Lu Harve?”

The sweet wine had made her a little tipsy. Her senses were vivid, but she spoke very slowly. She liked the warmth that came up from her toes and dyed her cheeks red. Ashtie touched her cheek—it was hot. He must have been able to sense her feelings, but that was okay.

“I was not tired, either,” Lu Harve said.

The words came out almost unconsciously. He couldn’t afford to pay attention to anything other than her. He didn’t take his eyes off her, nor did he want to. She was a woman such a soft and gentle nature. Right here, he would spend the night with her.

His familiar bed felt somehow unusually fluffy at the moment. He wanted to enjoy that soft and thick blanket as soon as possible. In this large room, the bed was the brightest spot. The candles shined and spread the sweet scent.

Lu Havre reached for Ashtie’s shoulders. With a gentle sweep, the gown fell away without a sound.

Under the light, the ivory chemise could not hide her milky-white skin. But Ashtie did not avoid his gaze. Lu Harve’s hand touched her shoulder, neck, and cheek. He stroked them lightly. Her yellow eyes were staring at him. Her cheeks and the skin under the chemise was so soft. At that moment, Lu Harve had realized something.