Chapter 275 - A Prelude to a Beautiful, Fervid Interlude

(This chapter is not suitable for 18 years old and below.)

General Dietrich detained the Ninth Prince inside a heavily-guarded room. They had been good hosts to their captive and did not starve him. He was, after all, the Ninth Prince of Tissuria. They already sent a message to the Palace of the Crown Prince informing Zander and Vaughn that they already captured Damien.

Most people who attended the banquet could still not believe that their Crown Prince had married a good wife. The nobles and influential families also heard the rumor that the marriage between Vaughn and Zenia would end when they solved the issue.

The greedy families were already planning their marriage proposals to the Anisen family for Zenia's hand in marriage. It was too bad that Commander Zander had recently got married to a doctor from Tissuria. Zekiah and Ruvin did not attend the banquet. Everyone thought that both of them were still in Ishelon.

The sons of the noble and influential families were looking at Zenia with l.u.s.tful eyes. The altered uniform showed her perfect, gorgeous figure. Her bare face was more beautiful than anyone in Tissuria, including Verone. Vaughn saw how those men looked at his wife. He wanted to poke their eyes out of their sockets. He used a great amount of energy to stop himself from taking drastic measures.   

The King and Queen of Tissuria invited Zander and Zenia to their table. Vaughn stood up and held Zenia's hand to guide her to a seat next to him. Most people who saw what Vaughn did and no longer doubted the affection that the couple had for each other. Some families already withdrew their initial intention while there were still some young masters who were determined to try their luck. Zenia Anisen was a rare treasure. 

Queen Mina invited the most prestigious dance troop and musicians to provide some entertainment. Before the food was served, Vaughn and Zenia excused themselves. Vaughn did not wear his half-mask because he did not want to stay for long. He had decided not to give any chance to King Tarendino to speak with him.

No one criticized the couple for leaving the banquet early. There were rumors that the couple just returned from Prazia where they gathered the needed evidence and were detained for a long time. They just managed to escape, and they immediately gathered the forces to help them prevent a war.

Wolstan wanted to go with Vaughn and Zenia when he saw them stood up. King Tarendino held the old man's arm.

"Grandfather, where are you going?"

"I am going home with Zenzen and Vaughn."

"Stay here with us for a while. We still have lots to talk about."

"Hosh posh! I will just visit you another day."

Queen Mina shook her head and knew that it was getting nowhere. The stubbornness of the old man was still on the top of a list. If Queen Mina would make a quick assessment, the stubbornness level went up a few notches.

"Grandfather, don't you want to hold a great-great-grandchild?"

Wolstan looked at Queen Mina with mirth in his eyes.

"I guess staying for a couple of days more with you won't hurt. Make sure to prepare some good pastries for me."

"Yes, grandfather."

Vaughn did not let go of Zenia's hand even when they already boarded the carriage. He did not talk much. He just asked casual, random things that popped in his mind. Zenia answered them all. She could feel that Vaughn was worrying about something, but she couldn't tell what it was. 

She had decided not to ask him anything about it. She feared that he might not want to tell her anything yet at the moment. Forcing him to talk might only lead to an argument. She could still wait for him to tell her everything that was bothering him.

Vaughn would squeeze Zenia's hand from time to time even when they were having a simple conversation. Zenia felt that it was the longest ride back home. She wanted to comfort him and tell him that everything was alright now. But, she did not even know why he was acting like that. 

They already resolved the issue about the Left Minister. She already made it clear that she would not divorce him. Then, Zenia's eyes brightened when she remembered the impending trip to Shadora. 

'Perhaps, he had been thinking about it all this time?'

She smiled and snuggled even closer to him. Vaughn wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Zenia fell asleep just like that. Vaughn felt at ease when he heard the even breathing of his wife. She let her guard down because she knew that she was safe within his arms.

"Zenzen, I love you," he whispered and kissed her on her lips.

Zenia was too tired and too sleepy to hear his words, but the smile on her lips was enough for Vaughn to feel at ease. He closed his eyes and calmed his weary mind. He taunted himself for worrying for nothing. 

The coachman went even slower when he felt that his passengers seemed to have fallen asleep from the gentle swaying of the carriage. The night breeze was cool and comforting. The coachman tried his best to make the carriage go slow and steady as he possibly could.

* * * * *

The banquet ended smoothly and everyone went home with a smile on their lips. Well, some noble families' sons were not as happy as the others, especially when Wolstan made an announcement that Zenia Anisen would remain as Vaughn's wife forever. Anyone who would attempt to snatch her away would face serious consequences. He would make sure not to spare any member of that offender's clan.

Zenia woke up the following morning on their bed. She smiled and touched the empty spot beside her. It was still warm, telling her that the person who slept with her just got up not long ago.

She stretched her arms and had a wide grin on her lips when the door opened. Vaughn saw her in that pose and smiled silly. She looked exactly like the Little Zenzen that he met that day, only she was bigger and definitely more beautiful. His body trembled a bit and began to feel hot.

"You seem to be in a good mood early in the morning. Oh, wait, you wake up on your own when the sun is just starting to rise," he teased her.

Zenia slightly frowned but was glad that he seemed to recover from any ill-feeling that he had last night. In fact, he seemed happy. It was as if the thing that caused his worries last night had disappeared into thin air. She became more curious about what it was, but she was not stupid to ask him. 

She noticed that Vaughn was clutching a paper in his hand. She had a hunch what it was but still decided to ask.

"What's that?" Zenia pointed at the piece of paper that he was holding.

"This?" Vaughn brought the paper up and asked.

Zenia nodded, and she could tell that it was a report when Vaughn unfurled it a bit.

"General Dietrich sent it and told me that they have Damien already. Brother-in-law and I might teleport there later."

Zenia chuckled, "You want to try it."

"Try what?" Vaughn asked innocently, but the glow in his eyes betrayed him.

"Teleportation! You want to try it. I bet you're going to force Jorick and Duke Gordon to do it. Tch-tch-tch, that's called abuse of power my dear Crown Prince."

Vaughn walked slowly toward Zenia and pushed her gently on the bed. She was still laughing lightly thinking that Vaughn was only teasing her. He pressed his weight against her and did not give her a chance to protest. His face became serious and Zenia felt that something dangerous was about to happen.

Vaughn whispered in her ear, "Tell me later if I abused my power after this." 

She tried to wriggle her way out of her confinement, but he was so strong. He imprisoned her whole body beneath him. He tilted her head slightly and pinched her cheeks lightly before he plundered her mouth. 

Zenia was startled by Vaughn's kiss. It was passionate yet he was gentle at the same time. It was the first time that Zenia received such kind of kiss from him. She wanted to push him but couldn't. She felt powerless against those kisses, and she never tried to stop him again.

Vaughn felt that Zenia's resolve was getting weak as she welcomed his advances without hesitation. She began to return the passionate kisses that he was giving her. He smiled secretly as she copied the way he was kissing her. 

A fiery passion within Vaughn quickly ignited. He did not expect that being kissed that way by his wife would awaken a raging fire deep within his body. He wanted her. He knew she wanted him, although he could tell that she did not know it yet. It was a good thing that her body was more intelligent and honest than her.

Vaughn released her arms and put them around his neck. Zenia was focused on kissing and had no intention to escape. Vaughn began to run his fingers throughout her body. He traced her perfect figure with his hands and noticed how thin her waist was. He let his fingers glide on her soft, silky skin. Zenia felt the tiny bolts of electricity being transmitted to her body. His hands kept exploring until he reached the two bumps in front of her.

Vaughn was a bit surprised because they felt good to touch. He had always thought that she had small b.r.e.a.s.ts, although they were not that big either. For him, they were just perfect. Zenia let out a seductive m.o.a.n when Vaughn massaged her bumps gently and sucked her n.i.p.p.l.es being covered by her nightdress. The dress got wet and Vaughn felt even hotter when he saw it. 

He turned to her neck and kissed her there. She m.o.a.ned once more and Vaughn couldn't help but try putting his mark on her. If he could remember correctly, the book described the steps that he should take to put his mark on his wife. It should leave a reddish bruise.

When he tried it, the mark was just slightly visible – not exactly as how the book described it. He thought that marking his woman was a tedious endeavor, but it was quite…stimulating. He wouldn't mind doing it over and over again, but Zenia might get angry if he turned her into a human leopard. He tried one more time, and he was quite satisfied with the result.

Zenia's cheeks had a pinkish glow, and her eyes looked so seductive and inviting. She was panting when Vaughn stopped what he was doing. He began taking his clothes off. He fumbled a bit, and he was obviously in a hurry. He threw it on the floor, and he did not take his pants off…yet. 

He dived and kissed Zenia's lips once more. It became more intense when he put his tongue inside her mouth and teased her even more. Vaughn tried to recall everything that he had seen in that book and tried to mimic the techniques. It was his first time doing it, and he did everything splendidly. The book even said that if the partner showed obvious signs of pleasure, like the ones that Zenia had shown him, the man was doing the right thing.  

Zenia was a good student and followed her teacher without fail. Vaughn felt that something was swelling in his nether region and could no longer control himself. He felt like he was about to burst.

He untied the ribbon that kept the nightdress in place and opened it like he was unwrapping a present. He felt hotter when he saw her bare, flawless body. She had curves at the right places, and he even found her abdominal muscles so s.e.xy. 

When he began to remove the nightdress from her shoulder, Zenia panicked. Vaughn felt a peeling skin underneath the dress and was certain that it was the area of Zenia's scar. The artificial skin was peeling off.

He stopped when he saw that Zenia turned her head to the side and refused to look at him. The fiery passion began to subside. He wrapped Zenia in her nightdress once more and hugged her tightly. He then turned her, and he began to kiss the area of her scar – gently and lovingly. Making her feel just how much he loved her regardless of the scar. He knew she was still not ready, but she was cooperating and willing.

Zenia turned around and hugged him back tightly. She did not want to cry, but pearls of tears escaped from her eyes. They were tears of happiness.

Vaughn looked at the paper, which he was clutching earlier, fluttered on the floor. He smiled and did not bother picking it up. It included a report on how his great-grandfather quashed, single-handedly, the ideas of the young masters in marrying the daughter of the formidable Anisen Family.