White Queen

Peaceful Morning

It was rare for her to wake up feeling so... peaceful.

The autumn wind blowing gently against her skin had welcomed her the moment she had woken up even before she had opened her eyes to see the light that had peeked through the windows. The air had not been as cold as winter, but it was enough to make people preferring to stay under the warm covers, even for the Queen who was not bothered by the cold.

Though it was for a completely different reason when it came to her.

Inhaling the fresh air the morning brought, she had scooted close to where her husband was still sound asleep, chest rising and falling with each of his breath, and her hand had snuck under his shirt -he had started wearing those to bed instead of having his bare torso after Wilhelm had been born, feeling the hardness of his abdominal muscle as her hand travelled upward until her fingers drummed against his chest, right above where she could feel his heart beat under her touch.

There was a sharp intake of breath coming from him, as his hand come to capture hers through the fabric of his shirt, though he had only pressed it further against his chest as a smile grew on his face. "Have you realized that you have a rather cold touch, Your Majesty?"

"Really? I haven't noticed."

Turning to lie on his side, faces merely inches apart, he had brushed his nose against hers as she let out a light chuckle. "You are such a morning tease." She had merely hummed at that, just as his hand left hers to run across her waist and hip instead, prompting her to shift even closer, one leg coming between his. "But I'm not complaining."

"Good." Pushing him back onto his back she moved to straddle his hips, earning a laugh from him as he leaned forward until her lips brushed against the shell of his ear before it made it's way down to his neck, feeling the muscles and the vein under his skin. "Because I am not expecting any." Mornings like this had turned quite rare for them both, duties and responsibilities often got ahead of them and allowed them no time to lounge around in bed, and she had been trying her best in finishing her works early, just so she could spare a little time with her husband.

His hands held onto her hips, fingers running smoothly over the satin of her nightgown, down to her thighs and slipping past the hem until rough palms met smooth skin. Even such a simple gesture had made her biting onto her lower lip, pressing her forehead against his shoulder with a shuddering sigh. She missed this, this closeness, the sensation that tickled under her skin, the desire.

Straightening herself back up, she let eager hands to travel up his body, dragging along his shirt with them, as he returned the favor of hitching her nightgown up to her abdomen, thumbs paying close attention to the markings over the skin -the only thing that she could not rid off as the aftermath of her pregnancy, she had always felt self-conscious over them but Hans had never missed the chance of showing her that it had never bothered him, instead he marveled them, planting kisses over each as he murmured of how they were proof of how much of a strong woman that she was to be able to nurture and care for another living being, of their beloved son.

His sweet gesture had always reminded her of how lucky she was that her marriage had not been a mere political business, that her husband possessed the utmost respect and love toward her and their family, had never spoiled it with any other woman even during the times where she was not 'attractive'. She could not help leaning down to kiss him then, lips melting against each other as curious hands roamed freely.

"Elsa," his murmur that came between their kiss had only been of her name, but the warning in it was enough for her, they had been married long enough to understand each other even without of a word said. Raising a hand toward the direction of their bedchamber's door, she had let her magic shot through her palm, locking it with ice that would not budge. They had to resort to this, after many near-accidents that involved either the servants, Anna, or even Wilhelm who had almost mastered the art of walking into any room he desired.