Perfectly Imperfect

16

      It was not a far walk, but it was a big house after all, it took multiple turns down a labyrinth of mazes to get back to their bedrooms. Aera would learn the layout soon enough. It only took Elias three weeks to get it down after moving back to Graceborne following his university stay. He brought Aera to his bedroom, not realizing the implications. They were freshly married after all, but it didn't seem right. Well, there was a door to her own room, surely she would not think anything strange of it. Of course until he mentioned, "Will you need any help? With the dress and such?"

     "I am sorry what?" Aera looked at Elias with wide eyes, blushing at his question. "My dress? Oh, no," She laughed it off, waving her hand dismissively. "I will wait for Genevieve, she can help me once she is done with everything." They were married, yes, but it did not seem to register to her what that truly meant. Genevieve's words suddenly rang in her head and she wondered what they had truly meant. Aera had not gotten the talk from her mama, no one had told her what was expected of her. "Will you need any help with your boots? Or require some more tucking in?" Of course, she assumed he had just been teasing her earlier so she teased him in return.

     Elias stood on his left leg by itself and unbuckled his right boot, then swapped legs. He stepped out of them and shook them under his bed, "I do believe that I have it covered." He wiped his hands off on his pants before looking at her, it was different now. He was less panicked, his mind less occupied by outside stimuli and he was really able to look at her. "I don't think I mentioned it before, but you look lovely. Truly--" he had not wanted to be too forward given their arrangement, "There surely is not a more beautiful bride." She had said that she would wait for Genevieve to undress her and Elias was not going to invade her personal space if that was what she desired. Though he knew that Genevieve must have been furious.

     Aera smiled fondly at the way Elias got his boots off and claimed he had it covered. She was considering bidding him goodnight and retreating back to her room before she noticed the way he looked at her. And something about it made her stay right where she was. His words made her body tingle in the most pleasant of ways and she couldn't help but smile shyly. "Ah, well... You did tell me I looked beautiful." She pointed out, holding on to the bouquet a little tighter before gesturing at him from head to toe. "You look lovely too. You clean up well, though I do not remember a day where you have not looked handsome." She may have admitted a bit too much but it was the truth anyway.

     "...You do think Genevieve will come later, right?"

     To be perfectly honest, he did not. And to be honest with himself, he did not want to start this marriage, real or not, on lies. "Truthfully, Aera... Given that it is a wedding night... I doubt that she will. She may not know what goes on," he paused and fixed his speech as he knew it would in fact not go on, "what should go on, but she knows to keep her distance," he said with a bit of a cringe. He pulled on his neckerchief to remove it, but then felt a bit guilty that she was still there in her gown and he was deconstructing his entire outfit. He could at least be uncomfortable right alongside her.

     Aera frowned a little at what Elias was saying. It confused her. Mostly because she didn't understand what should go on during a wedding night, at least not all the nitty gritty details. "Elias, what should..." She wanted to ask him to explain what the expectations were. She watched the way he seemed hesitant to remove his handkerchief. "Oh, would you like to retire for the night? I apologize," She smiled sheepishly and stepped backward toward the middle door. "You must be tired, I understand. I will not keep you for longer." Aera didn't want to go, of course, she had a nice time talking to him. And it was her wedding day, it would be a shame to retire early. But perhaps it wasn't like any regular wedding day, maybe this was all she would get and she ought to make peace with that.