Owned by Alpha Diétrich |BxB|

Chapter 20

"Mmh. . ."

I sighed, kissing Leonel's neck with sloppy and relaxed movements. His hands graced my back with soft and gentle strokes, my body laying on top of his. We were in the bathtub, enjoying each other's presence with lit candles, and rosemary lingering in the air.

The water barely reached my shoulders, splashing around our bodies with small bubbles. I was laying on top of Leonel, every inch of us touching each other. God, I'd come back to this moment for so many times. Even the lightning was tranquil, everything in the atmosphere making me close to fall asleep.

It was romantic and beautiful, a smile on my face that had been there for a long time already. Few days back, we had been marked, and now that the Viorna's Castle was circling with its ordinary routine, we could relax.

Celian's visit had been quite an anxious one, or more the situation he was in. Apparently, the vampires were already marching towards The Firth. They had declared a war as promised, now the acts speaking louder than the words. Celian was desperate for anything, desperate to find peace.

But it had not been found. And for his Kingdom, it meant chaos and death.

I wanted to help him, but Leonel and I couldn't do anything for them; not but send them money and man. It would take too long to try and beat sense into those brick heads sitting on their Royal chairs that the Quillios' Kingdom's falling meant much more than that. It would open an easier route to vampires over their lands; which baffled me, how stupid they were.

Why not give the few men they held captive? Because of that, dozens of lives were on stake. And I was even considering going out to fight myself, though I'm certain that Leonel would let it happen only over his dead body.

"What are you thinking?" I heard him ask quietly, my smile fading away from my lips that had now been rested against his skin.

"Everything. The vampires, Celian. . . we're doomed." I mumbled, settling my head better on his neck. The strokes on my back didn't stop at any point, Leonel humming in response.

"If he wins the conflict, we're good. But if he loses— I don't even know" he said, pulling me closer in the bath of warm water, "And the odds speak for the bloodsuckers victory; or there could be a wild card thrown into the game if Kell and his puppets decide to attack Quillios' lands."

My eyebrows were knitted together as I thought about it, stress filling me, "Either way, it's bad."

"I know" Leonel kissed my forehead, "But let's not think about it right now, hmh?"

I lifted my head lazily from the crook of his neck, setting my forehead against his. My pale eyes studied the black ones that watched me with concern and affection, those pretty orbs that had come so familiar to me, "What now?"

I asked, changing the subject.

"What do you mean?" He sunk his fingers into my black strands, playing around them like he had grown to.

"Us."

I studied his facial expression, that of which didn't really give anything away. I didn't know what I even wanted to ask with the question, but for some reason, I felt like there was yet something; something that had not been touched.

Leonel gave me a faint smile, brushing some lonely strands away from my eyes, "Get to know each other better, enjoy."

I let out a dry chuckle, pushing my head back to the crook of his neck, "How?"

"I don't know, tell me a secret." He whispered, making me straight out laugh. It sounded silly, as if we'd be in a kindergarten, sharing how we once snuck candies to lunch or how we filled our friend's backpack with sand. Though the more I thought about it, the more the smile on my face died.