A Barbaric Proposal - Chapter 85: Wedding Night (2)

[Rienne] “Wait, I….haven’t washed up….yet.”

Every time she tried to say something, her words kept stumbling over each other as she stopped to swallow nervously.

But Black was already holding her in his arms, reaching around her and undoing the pearl studded buttons on the back of her dress, one by one.

[Black] “That’s fine. You’ll just end up washing up again later.”

[Rienne] “Still, I….I, I was out all day.”

[Black] “Your dress covered most of your body, so nothing got on your skin.”

Two buttons were undone as Black gently nuzzled his face in the hollow of Rienne’s neck.

She gasped at the sensation of the air against her shoulders and the touch of his warm breath against her skin as he breathed in deeply.

[Black] “And you smell good. You have nothing to worry about.”

[Rienne] “There’s no way.”

That couldn’t be true, right?

Feeling suspicious about his earlier absence, Rienne turned her head to the side, pulling at Black’s hand and sniffing the inside of his wrist.

[Rienne] “Hm…..?”

It was faint, but he smelled like soap.

[Black] “I washed up a little bit ago.”

Oh, that was probably why. Though he was still wearing his wedding attire, his cravat was missing and most of his shirt buttons were undone.

[Rienne] “That’s a little unfair.”

[Black] “Just think of me as desperate. I don’t want to waste any more time.”

Thwip—slip—

The next button was undone even faster this time, with him hastily pulling at the fabric.

[Rienne] “Ah, wait, hold on.”

It felt like he was going way too fast.

Feeling the cold air caressing her almost completely exposed back, Rienne turned to him, desperately trying to get him to slow down as her toes curled from the odd sensation.

[Rienne] “That’s…..a little……”

[Black] “A little?”

[Rienne] “I need to……prepare my heart, first.”

[Black] “. . .”

In a moment of clarity, Black took in a deep breath, then let it out a few times in a row before finally he pulled his hands away and held them in the air.

[Black] “Very well.”

[Rienne] “Hah……”

This entire time, Rienne felt like she couldn’t breathe properly, and it felt very uncomfortable in her chest.

[Rienne] “I, I’ve never done this before so……going that fast….is a little…..”

[Black] “I understand. If you need time to prepare yourself, then take it.”

[Rienne] “I will. First I should…….”

Holding herself, patting her chest and helping herself breathe again, Rienne was about to say she should go wash up, but then—

[Black] “I can take my clothes off first.”

[Rienne] “What? No, but why?”

[Black] “My heart’s been ready for a long time now. I don’t need any more time to prepare.”

Black took Rienne’s hand, lightly squeezing it as he brought it up to his chest, pressing her palm down against one of his still done up buttons.

[Black] “If you want, I don’t mind if you do it quickly. If it’s too much of a pain, you can also just rip it off.”

What he was trying to say right now was….

[Black] “You don’t want to? That’s fine, I can do it myself.”

When being asked if she disliked the idea of taking this man’s clothes off for him, there could really only be one answer.

[Rienne] “That’s…..not true.”

[Black] “Then do it for me.”

[Rienne] “. . .”

Though she’d tried to imagine what tonight would be like hundreds of times over, never once could a clear picture come to her mind.

So what was making this so hard for her, despite her lack of expectations?

[Rienne] “…..there’s too much light.”

It took her some careful and difficult thought, but after considering it for a moment, Rienne spoke again once she came to a conclusion.

[Rienne] “It’s still a little early in the evening…. and the people outside might not have left yet… and taking my clothes off before bed is….. and the atmosphere….”

Her nervous heart and unsettled mind mostly came from the atmosphere, or in this case, lack thereof.

Black was entirely ready, but not her. Honestly, it felt like her mind was still stuck somewhere in the middle of the wedding ceremony.

[Black] “I understand.”

But fortunately, Black was quick to catch on.

That’s how he’d always been—understanding her mind ahead of herself, finding answers while she was still wondering.

[Black] “I’ll turn out the lights first.”

She felt her heart calm at those words, but Black didn’t say that to mean he would leave to blow out the candles on his own.

What she failed to notice was that he was slowly reaching out his hand, but before she could realize the subtle movement, he suddenly pulled her chin, urging her to look up.

[Rienne] “You—“

You said you’d turn out the lights.

But none of those words made it out. Each and every one of them was completely devoured by a kiss, sealed away by the touch of his lips.

Though, it wasn’t like their usual kisses. Many of their kisses were fast, as though they were running out of time, but this was one soft and slow, yet far heavier than any other they had experienced together.

Her lips were wet, but betraying that feeling was a scorching thirst rising within her—like her throat was burning red hot and dry.

And as the fog cleared from her mind and clarity returned, Rienne realized she was hugging Black’s neck, with the sleeves of her dress loosely falling from her shoulders.

[Black] “Feels like I’ve been shot with an arrow again.”

Black’s voice was nothing more than a whisper, spoken with their glistening lips still pressed together.

[Rienne] “What….?”

[Black] “This is similar to when I lost my mind from the fever.”

[Rienne] “Ah……”

[Black] “If I hadn’t been hit with an arrow back then, I would’ve been able to act like a decent man until now.”

With their lips still joined in a bated kiss, Black pulled Rienne’s body along, near the wall where one of the many candle fixtures was hanging.

And when he pulled away for just a moment—

Whoo—

The candle dimmed and the flame vanished, marking the end of one of the five candles lit around the bedroom.

Normally only one or two would be lit at a time, but in commemoration of their first night, all five fixtures were burning proudly and brightly.

Which meant there were still four left.

[Rienne] “What do you mean?”

[Black] “Or maybe it’d be more appropriate to say I was pretending to be decent.”

[Rienne] “You mean to say you wouldn’t have kissed me like that if that hadn’t happened?”

[Black] “I was trying to be careful because I thought it would take a long time for you to get used to me.”

[Rienne] “That…….”

Maybe he was right. Maybe it would have been exactly like that.

Back then, with how everything was, liking this man at all would’ve been unthinkable. She never expected that the day would come when she would grow to love him as she does now.

[Black] “So I was thinking I was lucky I got hit by that arrow since it pushed things forward faster than I expected, but…….”

He playfully and softly bit her lower lip, taking another step backwards toward the second candle.

[Black] “Now that I think about it, I don’t think it would have mattered. I wouldn’t have been able to wait anyway.”

[Rienne] “Why not?”

[Black] “If you could see me now, you’d understand.”

Whoo—

Another candle was extinguished, enveloping the room in deeper darkness. And in that encompassing blindness, Black took Rienne’s hand, lightly bringing it towards the button on his shirt.

[Black] “Take it off.”

His voice was so low that even such a simple phrase burned in her ears.

Rienne swallowed hard, quietly moving her hands.

Without the light of the candle, everything felt a little easier. The darker things got, the sweeter their kiss became, and everything about him had a way of searing through her body—like a fire was scorching inside of her.

Thwip—

And the button came undone easier than she expected it would.

Her hands were trembling before, but the darkness gave her a confidence and a steadiness she didn’t think was possible. Before long, every button was undone, and his shirt fell to the floor.

[Black] “Good job.”

With his chest exposed, Black cupped Rienne’s face in his big hands, affectionately kissing her wherever his lips could reach.

Whoo—

The third candle was next to go out.

Moving to the next, their kiss became faster and more breathless, their hands holding onto each other as they gasped for air.

And by the time the fifth candle went out, clothes were no longer an obstacle keeping them apart.

Black placed his hands on Rienne’s bare skin as he lifted her up in his embrace—taking her off to bed.

*

* * *

*

When Rienne barely managed to open her eyes, it was already past afternoon the next day.

[Rienne] “. . .”

And she felt a little strange.

Dusk was starting to set in, so everything was dyed in a red light. On both sides of her bed were chairs, meant for the two women who were watching over her.

Or rather, it was like they were guarding her?

Past that was a table, filled with warm water bottles, towels, and various easy to eat foods, as if Rienne were some kind of sickly person who had been suffering for a very long time.

[Rienne] “Ma’am…..? What happened?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh, Princess. You’re awake now.”

[Rienne] “Yes. Is something wrong with me? Why are you two here?”

[Mrs. Henton] “You must feel terrible. Lie back down and drink some water. Your voice is so hoarse.”

[Rienne] “Ah, ah…..Is that so?”

Now that she mentioned it, Rienne’s throat ached.

But why did her throat hurt so much? Had she actually fallen ill?

Mrs. Henton poured her a glass of water without saying a word. Rienne thoughtlessly tried to take it, but when she did, oddly enough, her hand trembled.

[Rienne] “Ah, what’s going on with me?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Oh dear, Princess!”

Mrs. Flambard quickly took Rienne’s hand, setting it back down on the bed. As if this was something they’d agreed to long before Rienne stirred awake, Mrs. Henton brought the glass up to her mouth.

[Mrs. Henton] “Drink.”

[Rienne] “I can drink myself, ma’am.”

[Mrs. Henton] “No, you’ll just end up breaking a perfectly good glass for nothing. Drink like this.”

[Rienne] “But, I….”

But the two older women looked so stubborn and determined that Rienne ended up just drinking the water on command.

Even as the water passed down her throat, it felt sore like she’d been screaming.

[Mrs. Flambard] “It’ll be difficult for you to even get up and wash up in the bathroom, so I’ll wet a towel for you. You can wash up here.”

With a practiced and precise movement, Mrs. Flambard submerged the towel in the water basin and squeezed it out, then tried to use it to wet Rienne’s face.

[Rienne] “No, ma’am—what’s going on right now?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “No, this is what needs to happen. Don’t think about getting up and just sit still.”

[Rienne] “I’m fine, my throat just hurts a little bit. I feel much better after drinking some water, so there’s no need for all of this.”

As Mrs. Flambard held out the wet towel, Rienne pushed her hand to the side.

But it was strange. Her arm felt really heavy, too. She thought she’d be able to push her away with just a light nudge, but it was like trying to push a boulder.

[Mrs. Flambard] “What are you saying, Princess? You should really stay still. You’ll hurt your back if you move around like that.”

[Rienne] “No, I just feel a little tired because I slept too long. I’ll feel right as rain once I fully wake up. So let me do that, please?”

[Mrs. Henton] “Just lay back down.”

However, Mrs. Henton was acting just as stubborn.

Rienne couldn’t understand why they were acting like this, and so, ignoring their warnings, she pushed back the blanket and stepped out of bed.

Or she tried at least. Before she could even think about getting up, a strange sound came out of her instead.

[Rienne] “Ah……”

The onset of this feeling was so sudden that Rienne just ended up collapsing back into bed.

Without warning, her whole body started aching, like she’d been thrown around.

It felt like she had bruises not only on her waist, but along her legs and her hips, too. Everything was so weak, and both her legs and arms wouldn’t stop trembling helplessly. Like this, she wasn’t sure if she could sit up straight, much less walk.

Wincing, Rienne turned to the two women.

[Rienne] “What’s going on?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “You had your first night, Princess. And it was a long night, no less.”

[Rienne] “What……?”

For reasons she couldn’t explain, Rienne’s face turned red like an apple.

She was a little out of sorts when she woke up, but she was being reminded that yesterday was the wedding, and then at night…..

[Rienne] “Is this……supposed to happen…….?

She knew that one’s first experience could be very painful, but she didn’t know that her whole body would ache like this.

[Mrs. Flambard] “No. I also very clearly remember my own wedding night, but I don’t recall something like this happening to me.”

Mrs. Henton very openly nodded in agreement.

[Mrs. Henton] “Neither can I.”

[Rienne] “Then why do I feel so particularly achy right now?”

Was it because her first experience happened later than usual? But no, doesn’t it normally hurt more the younger you are?

And um……..well, it didn’t hurt a lot in the one place where she expected the pain. It was mostly her back that hurt, along with her thighs, hips, and the rest of her legs.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Why do you think that is?”

[Rienne] “Is it because I overworked myself preparing for the wedding?”

As Rienne looked around awkwardly, trying to find a convincing reason for the pain she was in, Mrs. Flambard looked at her with a very serious expression.

[Mrs. Flambard] “It’s nothing you did, Princess.”

[Rienne] “Hm? Then….?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “It’s your husband’s fault.”

[Rienne] “Sorry?”

Mrs. Flambard was already very straightforward, but Mrs. Henton decided to take it a step further.

[Mrs. Henton] “She means you and your husband enjoyed yourselves perhaps a little too much. Even if the first night is painful for many women, I’ve never seen a bride who couldn’t open her eyes for half a day like you, Princess. Shocking, absolutely unbelievable.” ⁽¹⁾

[Rienne] “. . .”

If she hadn’t added those last words, muttered under her breath like that, Rienne’s face would have been a little less red.

It was enjoyable….. Yes, that’s true…..but why must they point that out…….?

[Rienne] “It could just be fatigue. The wedding ceremony was very long……”

But Mrs. Flambard was very determined.

[Mrs. Flambard] “We all prepared for the wedding ceremony—we worked together. And as I recall, didn’t you fall asleep first the night before, Princess? Oh, goodness gracious.”

And why did they have to keep acting so shocked like that? Was this really all that strange?

[Mrs. Flambard] “You won’t be able to walk for a while, so please rest. Are you hungry?”

[Rienne] “I suppose I am a little.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Very well. Goodness.”

[Mrs. Henton] “I’ll bring some warm food.”

Mrs. Henton stood up from her seat, but even as she turned around to leave, Rienne could hear her whisper some other expression of shock and a little bit of awe.

[Rienne] “……Can you both please stop saying that?”

Rienne murmured out, pulling the blanket over her head.

[Mrs. Flambard] “What can we do if it just keeps slipping out? I mean honestly, shocking.”

[Rienne] “Ma’am…….”

Mrs. Flambard waved her hand, probably knowing how embarrassingly red Rienne’s face was, ripening like a fruit underneath her blanket.

[Mrs. Flambard] “I’ll really stop now. It’s just that you just look so satisfied and happy, I cannot help but act this way.”

[Rienne] “I can’t get out of bed because I’m in so much pain, but I look satisfied…….?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Satisfied indeed. I can guarantee there is no other bride alive who can say they couldn’t even open their eyes after their first night like you can, Princess…….”

[Rienne] “Ma’am, please.”

Reaching her limit, Rienne pulled the blanket down.

Her temperature was already rising from the embarrassment, but now it was too hot inside the blanket because of how much the woman was teasing her.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Get well soon, Princess. Though I don’t know if telling you to ‘get better’ is the right way of putting it in this situation.” ⁽²⁾

Mrs. Flambard neatly rearranged Rienne’s hair, her face beaming with pride and affection.

[Mrs. Flambard] “You should have seen how nervous and restless your husband was when you wouldn’t open your eyes this morning, Princess. If you did, you’d know why I’m saying this. We ended up nagging Lord Tiwakan so terribly, he’s entirely too scared to step foot in this room.”

[Rienne] “Ah……Is that why he’s not here right now?”

[Mrs. Flambard] “We told him to stay away. You need to rest comfortably, Princess.”

Rienne let out a quiet laugh.

[Rienne] “It’s a little funny to imagine him being intimidated by you. At first, you were terrified of even looking at his face.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Well, if he were not your husband, perhaps I would still feel the same.”

Mrs. Flambard pulled her hand back from moving around Rienne’s hair, instead looking down awkwardly at her own palm.

[Mrs. Flambard] “Back when Lord Kleinfelder was your lover, Princess, I used to believe there was no one in this world who could love you as he did. But now I have no choice but to change my mind about that.”

Those words conveyed a sentiment that made her heart feel very warm and fluffy.

She was right. Rienne was very happy right now.

[Rienne] “If you say so, then it must be true.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “Of course. Your husband seems like the sort to readily catch a white bear with his bare hands if someone told him it would be good for you, Princess.”

Though, thinking about that made Rienne dizzy because somehow, she could imagine that happening.

[Rienne] “Be careful with your words, ma’am. He might actually end up trying.”

[Mrs. Flambard] “I’m not saying he’s going to go off and catch one right now, only that I certainly think he has the stamina and strength for something like that. Though come to think of it…….Goodness, it’s still so unbelievable.”

[Rienne] “Ma’am, please stop.”

Mrs. Henton, who arrived with the warm food for Rienne, also said more phrases of disbelief and amaze as she entered—the two of them trading them off while never failing to embarrass Rienne.

And once she got a little bit of food in her, her body felt so much better, and she could walk on her own by the time the moon was rising.

* * *