The Serpent's Enigma

31 | An Untimely Confession

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

It's not that I don't wanna stay
But every time you come too close I move away

But if you really want me, move slow
There's things about me you just have to know

Sometimes I run, Sometimes I hide
Sometimes I'm scared of you
But all I really want is to hold you tight
Treat you right, be with you day and night

Baby, all I need is time

— Sometimes by Britney Spears

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

The books Cal had brought her from the Doctor's did turn out to be most illuminating. Over the next few days, Gigi found herself unable to put them down. She tried as much as she could to cover all the topics related to her husband's condition, reading them every night before bed.

To be able to treat him better. To understand him better.

It was a mental condition commonly thought to be found in soldiers returning from wars but was later discovered to be occurring in ordinary citizens as well.

Her heart clenched as she learned about the possible causes; combat exposure, childhood abuse, torture, sexual or physical assault, and other life-threatening events. By process of elimination, and Cal's aversion to love-making, it was not difficult to assume which had occurred to him.

Summer was presumed to be a season to spend with family, yet it was becoming less so for royalties. Gigi had never understood the significance, given Praja's climate, but now they got themselves occupied with polo matches and garden parties, luncheon invitations and carnivals.

Children below the age of twelve had no obligation to attend the events, so Junior was quite satisfied to enjoy a tranquil day with his books while Aravin went with Gigi.

Once they found their schedules empty midway through the week—weekends were quite hectic during the summer—Gigi was more than delighted to entertain her husband's invitation to enjoy an afternoon alone.

As soon as they were alone Cal pressed two of his fingers to his own lips before placing them over Gigi's. She let them lingered for a while, kissing his fingers with longing as if they were his lips, before doing the same for him. It was one of the tricks that they had learned to overcome the physical barriers, while still respecting his boundaries.

Gigi knew that while they were both desperate, if not dying, to taste each other's lips once more; she would not risk subjecting him to the physical and mental distress he would potentially have to go through.

The first time he did that, she giggled in delight. It reminded her of being younger in Praja. How adolescents would try to work their way around the physical restrictions between lovers; unlike in Angletonia, unmarried couples in Praja could never go further than having a kiss on the cheek. Even after they were married, they had to keep their displays of affection from the public eyes.

Restrictive, indeed, but modesty was a prominent value back home.

Cal took her to the west wing of the palace, to one of the few chambers that Gigi had never been before.

Gigi stepped into the room, slowly taking in the interior. It was twice as big as her own room and the one Cal shared with Junior. The design mirrored Cal's room, though his room was polished in white and faint shades of grey while this had more earth tones, with big curtains covering the massive frameless glass window.