The Gaze of a King

Chapter Thirty- Seven | A New Covenant

The day lagged by. Before the sun faded behind the hills, I began to make preparations. My maidservants drew me a Luke-warm bath with lavender and rose petals floating on top of the surface. I instructed the hanging lamps around my room be lit along with my favorite scents of incense. My hair was combed through thoroughly, my wardrobe carefully selected. I chose a white silk gown and veil, with blossoming white daffodils trimming the edges. No fancy braids tonight, only raw and natural. I wanted to be seen as I truly was. 

As the sun finally made its descent, the lamps glowed brighter. The chilled night air blew across the room, carrying away with it scented smoke of rose and lilac. My heart began to beat erratically as I waited for David to arrive. He promised me in the garden earlier today that he would come as soon as it was nightfall. There was a soft knock at the door. I heard the scuffle of guards' feet and a slight clank as the door was pushed open. 

I sucked in a tight breath. "Forgive me," I whispered. 

A silhouette shrouded in darkness slipped into the dimly lit room. I stood patiently waiting for him to approach me. When we were face to face, I could make out his familiar features: his unkempt curls, his strong jawline. The lamp light illuminated half of his face and cast a dark shadow on the other half. 

"Are you sure," He asked. 

I nodded my head. 

"I need to hear you say it," He insisted, running his hand along my chin and jawline. 

"There is no going back now." I meant every word. The past was in the past. I could never undo it. I could mourn it. I could even savor some parts. The only thing I had control over now was my present and the future that was still mine to create. I wanted a child. No, it was more than that. I did not seek to replace the son I lost- because I knew that was futile. I would treasure my short time with him in my heart as long as I lived. 

What I wanted- I realized in this moment, as I looked up into those burning green embers of his eyes- was redemption. He hovered just a breaths width from my lips, waiting for me to make the first move. The first time we danced this dance, he was the one orchestrating everything. Now it was my turn. I held all the power, and he wanted me to know that, not just with his words but with every subtle action he made. 

"My body... it's not the same as it once was. I've changed..." 

His gentle caress on my jawline hardened into a firm grasp on my chin. 

"Charm can be deceptive, Bathsheba. Beauty is fleeting. But a woman like you is as rare to find as rubies." 

I leaned closer into his lips, barely brushing them. It was all the consent he needed. He released his hold on my chin and trailed his hands down my sides, grabbing the small of my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening our kiss. With an upward thrust he picked me up, and instinctively I wrapped my legs around him. He walked slowly backward making his way to my bed. Meanwhile our tongues swirled in an intricate dance brimming with exploration and teasing. 

He lowered me onto the bed on my back, allowing me to catch my breath. I watched, intently, perched on my elbows as he hurriedly unclothed himself. When he finally stood bare in front of me, he crawled onto the bed. The weight of his body held me firmly in place, as warmth radiated through me. He captured my lips in a ravaging kiss once more. We lost ourselves in each other, fading away into the night with reckless passion and unbridled tenderness.