Missing a Wedding

Artie just dried her hair while staring into the view of the quiet city front facing the castle. Unlike the other night she looked deep into the city, there was no pillar of fire to shed fear in the hearts of the people. They only had a dark sky with no stars to read or to wish upon.

"I wonder how long Ellis Plains would have this kind of peace." Artie sighed as she felt her hair before folding the towel and leaving it on the side. She was wearing one of Larkin's sleeping gowns that Miel had left for her before they went to see the emperor.

Remembering that fact, she looked down at herself and chuckled as she felt the looseness. "I feel like I'm wearing my grandma's dress instead." She then sat down on the edge of the bed and tapped her fingers on her thighs. "...if Larkin was from my world, would he be some widower CEO?

"Or a mayor…? Or a ranch owner..." Artie laughed to herself as she reimagined Larkin's image into jobs that fit her original world. There was a multitude of choices depending on the kind of lifestyle he had in the castle. "Oh, oh, how about a chief of a precinct?

"Captain Ellis..." She waved her hands as if the words formed in the air. "That sounds so nice… but… would he still be named Larkin Ellis if ever?"

"Why, is there a need to change names?"

Artie jumped from her seat and got to her feet when Larkin entered the room. He went straight to the side to remove his heavy clothes, Artie helping him with them with hesitation. As for how much she would help him with, she had no idea. It depended on how much he was willing, right?

Like expected in the back of her mind, Larkin only stripped to the innermost underpants… before scooping her into his arms. She didn't really want to admit that she saw it coming. Larkin took her inside the four-poster bed filled with darkness and lay her next to him.

Moreover, he didn't seem to have any designs on her tonight. Whatever they spoke about with the emperor must have been enough for him to extinguish the fire that Artie started. It was good for both of them actually.

The archduke only held her closely against him as if compensating his own body for the lost sleep. He had to rise before the sun again tomorrow after all. Artie only rolled to her side and cleared his face from any stray hair before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Good night, Larkin." She then rolled to her other side, hoping to fall asleep as fast as she had as if she was sleeping in her own room.

…

The winds whistled as they rushed towards her on such a very wintry night. Artie Shen opened her eyes and felt like she was braving through a snowstorm. Unlike what she remembered to be, she had gigantic wings in a flight stance behind her. Her body was also clad in a thin white tube and white shorts. The armors on her shoulders, arms, and hips were rent, and her shoes had one missing.

However, she continued flying towards a direction even if there was nothing but white in sight. What made it strange was that she couldn't feel the cold. She could feel the battering winds and see the white mists her breath would create, but she never felt the cold kiss her exposed skin.

'Where am I going?' Artie blinked and moved her arms to protect her face from the gusts. However, the torn armor on her arms reflected a strange image. Artie was shocked to see a face different from what she was accustomed to. 'This… is not me? Is this a memory?'

The woman she saw was a beautiful young woman, but half of her face was distorted by a scar and wrinkled skin. However, her eyes were clear and kissed by the blue skies, and her hair golden like the sun.

Soon, the arms moved on their own, shocking Artie as she seemed to be not in control from the very beginning. The lone angel continued on her path until she got out of the storm. She broke out of the terrible white storm and into the lands with nothing but desolation. Sheer black covered the plains, and a gasp came from her.

"The marsh… I made it..." she whispered into the wind and continued to fly straight through the dark skies. "Let the sun chase and the winds lash… I will find the heir… in the vast lands of the devildoms… I will find him…

"So wait for me..."

…

The dream tonight was rather short, but Artie was left with a lot of questions. She had no idea who that was and why she would be dreaming of a flash of the woman's memory. Moreover, this phenomenon only happened whenever she slept on Larkin's bed. Was there something about his chamber that was letting Artie connect to strange things?

'I might just be overthinking it.' Artie sighed, thinking of moving around to invite sleep again. However, a slight movement grazed over her chest, and she quickly tried to map whatever was on top of her. When she looked down, she could barely distinguish a hand cupping one of her breasts. It was a big hand… and probably a man's.

Her eyes blinked. She then turned towards Larkin who was still sleeping next to her. There was peace on his face, but his hand was surely in a better place. Artie moved her arms slowly to get the hand off of her, but it slipped to the side of her body and pulled her closer to Larkin.

"The bells are yet to ring..." Larkin whispered as he pressed Artie's head against his face as if breathing in the scent of her hair. A small smile was curling his lips as if he was relieved that there was no refusal coming from the woman in his arm.

'…' Artie's eyes flickered. For a moment, she didn't know what to do. Should she cuddle with him some more, or should she try to escape his hold? She was wearing nothing but the sleeping gown, and her chest was reacting to the subtle rubs Larkin was giving her. 'It feels so strange. Does he hold his wife like this every morning? Well… they wouldn't have three children if they… they weren't actually...'

Artie closed her eyes as if distracting herself from her thoughts. A tinge of hurt and jealousy kicked in, and she didn't want any of it. She probably had the right, but wouldn't it be senseless to be affected by a woman who had been kicked out and banned from reentering Ellis Plains? Even if Larkin enjoyed her company, that woman—the mother of his children—was already lost.

"What troubles you in such an early morning…?" Larkin whispered again, but Artie twitched a little as his breath blew on her ear.

"...Just overthinking." Artie giggled before turning to him slightly, catching those cold silver eyes look at her with a strange warmth. "What did the emperor come here for? Can you tell me?"

"...he… was upset for missing a wedding..."—Larkin moved closer and nibbled on her ear—"we have yet to hold."