The morning light filtered through the sleek curtains, casting a gentle glow into the dimly lit room. Rafe stirred from his slumber, his consciousness gradually awakening. Despite feeling the awakening, he yearned for a few more monts of rest.
It had been ages since he had slept so comfortably, free from the weight of responsibilities that often kept him awake into the late hours. The habit of burning the midnight oil for work or studies had taken its toll on his ability to sleep soundly.
As he shifted in bed, Rafe’s hand instinctively reached for the warm bundle beside him, serving as a makeshift pillow. He nestled closer to it, relishing its softness and warmth. The soothing sensation offered a sense of comfort that he hadn’t experienced in a long while.
The cheerful chirping of birds outside the window signalled the arrival of a new day.
Rafe mumbled to himself, still laced with sleepiness, "Just a little while longer, please..."
To his surprise, a soft, sweet voice responded as if agreeing with his plea.
"All right. Go on," the voice whispered, its lodic tone sinking into Rafe’s consciousness.
The words floated in the air, caressing his ears.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, adjusting to the light that now bathed the room. His gaze fell upon a captivating sight—a beautiful lady lying beside him, her face adorned with striking red irises.
"Ah... I dream of an angel," Rafe murmured, a smile gracing his lips as he closed his eyes again, convinced that this enchanting encounter was nothing more than a fignt of his imagination.
A soft chuckle escaped the lady’s lips, her voice laced with amusent.
"I’m not an angel. I’m Callis," she replied, her words carrying a gentle warmth.
Rafe furrowed his brow. The vividness of her voice and their interaction made it difficult to dismiss the notion that this was rely a dream.
Hesitantly, he opened his eyes once more. His gaze fixated on the figure lying beside him. He rubbed his eyes repeatedly, hoping to dispel the illusion, but to his astonishnt, the figure remained unchanged. It was none other than the derian Princess herself, casually reclining beside him.
A wave of bewildernt washed over Rafe, and he instinctively scanned the room to ensure where he was. The reality of the situation began to sink in, and he couldn’t contain his shock any longer.
"Arghh!" Rafe let out a startled scream, his heart racing as he jumped off the bed, stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor in a clumsy heap.
"Mr Amares!" Callis exclaid in surprise.
She gingerly raised herself, a slight wince betraying the pain of her broken bone. Carefully, she sat up, her red eyes fixed on her bewildered husband.
"Your... Your Highness! Why... Why are you here?" Rafe stamred, his face flushed crimson with embarrassnt.
Realising that the princess had spent the night beside him in his bed, he felt utterly mortified.
"I accompanied you, of course!" Callis responded.
"But... but this is my room! And... and that’s my bed!"
Callis regarded him with a patient expression.
"Are you forgetting sothing?" she asked, her voice gentle yet probing.
Confusion etched across his face as he questioned, "What?"
"We’re married... yesterday. His Majesty proclaid our marriage before you fainted."
Rafe blinked rapidly, his mind scrambling to piece together the fragnts of mory from the previous day. Suddenly, it all ca rushing back, flooding his consciousness like a torrential downpour.
"Oh, my God!" the healer exclaid, his hand instinctively covering his agape mouth as he absorbed the overwhelming surge of recollection.
The realisation struck him like a lightning bolt— the derian Princess, now sitting before him on his bed, was his wife.
Concern flickered in Callis’s eyes as she observed the bewildered expression on Rafe’s face.
"Are you all right?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine worry.
"Just... just give a mont, please," Rafe replied, his voice slightly shaky as he attempted to gather his thoughts amidst the whirlwind of emotions.
As his mind was still reeling, Rafe beca acutely aware of his state of attire. The thin, long cotton nightshirt he wore offered little in terms of modesty. Hastily, he crossed his arms over his chest, his face flushing with embarrassnt.
"Did you... change my outfit?" Rafe’s voice trembled as he mustered the courage to ask.
"I wish I could have, but my injury prevented from doing so. Sir Skyler, who carried you back to the room, helped instead," Callis replied.
A surge of relief washed over the healer, montarily easing his anxious thoughts. However, a new thought dawned upon him, causing him to clutch his nightshirt tightly.
"Did you... see everything?" he inquired nervously.
Callis paused for a mont, her expression thoughtful.
"Why? Is that a problem? I an... it was supposed to be my duty to undress you, and—" she said, halted by Rafe’s pleading interruption.
"Please, stop!" the healer’s face flushed crimson again, his embarrassnt reaching its peak.
Observing her husband’s adorable rosy cheeks, Callis couldn’t help but smile.
"Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything," she reassured him. "Just in case you’re concerned about witnessing you in a vulnerable state. But truly, I don’t believe it should be an issue since we are already married. We are ant to see and know each other’s bodies."
"Your Highness! That’s a bold statent!" Rafe exclaid, taken aback by Callis’s daring remark.
"Is it wrong? I thought that’s how things are supposed to be between husband and wife," she asked in confusion. "Else, how do you expect us to consummate our marriage? With clothes on? From what I’ve learned, husbands and wives typically undress for such monts."
"Your Highness!" Rafe exclaid again, stopping the derian Princess from delving further into the topic.
Callis cleared her throat.
"I apologise if I spoke too directly. I didn’t an to startle you. I was simply sharing what I’ve been taught," she explained, her tone softer now.
"It’s not wrong... but... ermm... this situation feels a bit weird, Your Highness," said Rafe, choosing his words carefully.
"It’s Callis now. You shouldn’t be addressing like that anymore," she reminded him gently. "Can I call you Rafe?" she requested.
"Wait! Wait! Just hold on, please!" Rafe raised his hand, signalling for her to pause.
"What’s the matter?" asked the derian Princess, "Shouldn’t husbands and wives call each other by their first na?"
Rafe took a deep breath, feeling overwheld by the sudden turn of events. "Look... I... I’m aware of what happened. But can you give a mont, please? I just woke up and rembered everything. I need so ti to process it all," he explained.
Callis looked at her flushed, red-faced husband, feeling a pang of pity and guilt wash over her.
"Well... at least co and sit here instead of down there," she suggested, indicating the space beside her.
Rafe’s eyes darted to Callis’s figure, noticing that she was also wearing a nightgown provided by the palace. Assessing the situation, he felt increasingly awkward and uncertain.
"Perhaps... I should sit on the chair first. I’m not properly dressed," he suggested, his voice filled with unease.
Slowly, he stood up and tiptoed hesitantly toward the nearby chair, intending to grab his robe from where it hung by the bedside.
"Are you afraid of ? Or do you dislike ?" Callis asked.
"Oh no! Don’t get wrong! It’s just... this is all so sudden, and I’m still surprised about it," Rafe hurriedly assured her while fastening the knot of his robe, trying to regain a sense of comfort and security.
Callis’s eyes downcasted gloomily.
"You don’t like ..." she whispered, her voice filled with disappointnt.
Rafe’s eyes widened at her remarks.
"That’s not true!" he quickly responded, feeling the need to clarify his feelings.
"Then, you do like ?" the derian Princess lifted her lovely face, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
Rafe paused for a mont, thinking about the complexity of his emotions.
"I think we need to talk," he finally decided.
Suddenly, the healer’s stomach growled loudly, breaking the tension in the room. Callis’s expression softened as she realised his hunger.
"Oh dear! How ignorant of ! You must be starving! You didn’t eat anything after you fainted yesterday. When the royal healer ca, he administered calming dication to help you rest soundly. That’s why you didn’t wake up until morning," she explained, a touch of concern in her voice.
"Oh... no wonder I felt like I had a good sleep," Rafe replied, understanding the effects of the dicine.
"Then, I should call the servants to prepare sothing for you. Would you like to wash up and change before we eat?" Callis asked, showing consideration for his comfort.
Rafe, who initially nodded in agreent, suddenly felt apprehensive.
"You’re going to wash up and change your attire here, too?" he asked.
"Why not?" The derian Princess responded, genuinely puzzled by his reaction.
Rafe glanced at his newly wedded wife, realising that asking her to return to her room to change would be impractical since she was only wearing a nightgown.
"Of course you can. I just thought you might not be comfortable. This room is not as luxurious as yours," he explained, feeling self-conscious.
"Nonsense! It’s very cosy. I had a good night here, too, sleeping next to you," Callis said, her tone filled with sincerity.
Rafe’s face turned red again at her remark. He rembered waking up with his arms wrapped around her, mistaking her for a warm pillow. It was his first ti experiencing such closeness with a woman, and he hadn’t anticipated it to be like that.
"Then, you go first, and I’ll call the servants," Rafe suggested, wanting to give Callis privacy to freshen up.
"All right. Please tell them to fetch my attire from my room so I can change into a new outfit," she requested.
Rafe nodded, acknowledging her request.
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