Chapter 5: Love is a River
The interior of the ship is a marvel of craftsmanship, with intricately carved wooden panels lining the walls and plush carpets in deep, rich hues cushioning our steps.
As we round a corner, we come face to face with Raven. His piercing eyes meet mine for a brief moment, and I catch a flicker of concern in their depths before his gaze shifts to Vallenora.
"You," Vallenora says, her voice carrying a sharp edge that cuts through the air like a blade. "With us. Now."
Raven's eyebrows raise slightly, but he nods without hesitation, falling into step behind us as we continue our descent. The tension in the air is palpable, crackling like static electricity.
As we walk, my mind drifts back to the incredible scene I've just witnessed. The image of those massive dragons being reduced to nothing more than ash and gore in a matter of moments replays in my mind. Even through the numbing effects of the spell, I can't help but marvel at the sheer magnitude of what I've seen.
"Val," I say, my voice sounding distant and dreamy to my own ears, "how did you kill those dragons so easily? They were so... big."
Vallenora turns to me, her crimson eyes sparkling with delight. Her face lights up with a smile so pure and radiant that for a moment. She looks like a child who's just been praised for a job well done, her expression a mixture of pride and eager anticipation.
"Did I do good, honey?" she asks, her voice lilting with excitement.
Looking at her now, it's hard to reconcile this image with the being of immense, terrifying power I saw on the deck. Her smile is so genuine, so full of warmth and affection, that I find myself nodding almost instinctively.
"Yes," I hear myself say, the words floating out of me as if carried on a gentle breeze. "You were amazing."
Finally, we reach the familiar doors of our bedchamber. As they swing open, I'm struck by the transformation. The room is immaculate, with no trace of the gruesome scene from earlier. The plush carpet shows no sign of blood stains, and the air is fresh and fragrant with the scent of lavender and sandalwood. It's as if the horrific event never occurred, wiped clean by some powerful magic.
Raven steps in behind us, his face a mask of careful neutrality. As the heavy doors swing shut with a soft thud, he lets out a weary sigh. The sound seems to fill the room, heavy with unspoken tensions.
Vallenora turns to me, her crimson eyes softening as she raises her hand. With a gentle gesture, shimmering tendrils of magic flow from her fingertips, enveloping me in a warm, tingling sensation. "Release." As the numbing spell dissipates, reality comes crashing back with startling clarity.
The full weight of what I've witnessed, the guard's brutal execution and the devastating destruction of the dragons, hits me like a physical blow. My breath catches in my throat as the memories flood back, no longer muted by magical calm. I stumble backward, my legs hitting the edge of the bed as I sink down onto it, my head spinning.
Vallenora sits beside me, gently taking my hands in hers. Her touch sends a jolt through me, and I feel my muscles tense involuntarily. Her crimson eyes search my face, concern etched in her delicate features.
Raven observes our interaction, his brow furrowed. "Are you upset about the dragons?" he asks, his deep voice laced with genuine curiosity.
Vallenora shakes her head, her raven hair swaying with the movement. "No, he witnessed me execute a guard who interrupted our lovemaking," she explains matter-of-factly.
Raven's eyebrows shoot up, but he simply nods in acknowledgment. His gaze shifts to me, and I see a flicker of sympathy in his eyes.
"Then you manipulated his mind?" Raven asks, his tone careful and measured.
Vallenora's grip on my hands tightens ever so slightly. "I needed to calm him so i could handle the dragons," she replies, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice. "It was necessary."
"I see," Raven says finally, his voice low and measured.
Vallenora turns to me. "Saber," she begins, her voice soft yet heavy with emotion. "I know I scared you when I killed that guard, but you need to understand someone such as I..."
She trails off, seemingly at a loss for words. Her delicate brows furrow as she searches for the right way to explain. The silence stretches between us, broken only by the distant creaking of the ship.
Finally, Vallenora takes a deep breath, her shoulders squaring as she finds her resolve. "As a Duchess, I am held to the highest standards of propriety and decorum," she explains, her tone taking on a formal edge. "To be seen in a state of undress by a member of the opposite sex who is not my husband is... it's unthinkable. It's a violation of the most sacred tenets of noble etiquette."
Her eyes flash with a mixture of anger and shame as she continues, "That guard's transgression was not just an interruption of our intimate moment. It was an assault on my honor, on the very foundations of the social order we uphold."
"At that moment, I wasn't just Vallenora, your wife," she says, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "I was Duchess Vallenora Darkmoon, tasked with upholding the ancient laws and traditions of our realm. His death was not just retribution, but a necessity to maintain the balance of power and respect that keeps our society functioning."
Raven stares at Vallenora, his expression a mixture of exasperation and begrudging understanding. His piercing gaze flicks between us, taking in the scene with a calculating intensity.
Finally, Raven turns to me, his eyes softening almost imperceptibly. "The guard should have known not to walk in. It's as simple as that. I will make sure it doesn't happen again, Saber."
Raven pauses, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. The sound seems to carry the weight of countless untold stories of secrets and promises long kept. His gaze locks onto mine.
"I promise on my life," he says, his voice low and intense, "The Vallenora I know would never hurt you."
Something about Raven's words resonates deep within me, stirring a feeling of trust that I can't fully explain. It's clear a part of my subconscious recognizes him and knows him on a level beyond my fragmented memories. His promise, spoken with such unwavering conviction, settles over me like a warm blanket, comforting and reassuring.
I feel Vallenora's grip on my hands tighten, her delicate fingers pressing into my skin with surprising strength. Her crimson eyes flash with annoyance as she turns to face Raven.
"He doesn't need that kind of assurance from you," she says, her voice sharp and clipped. The air around us seems to grow heavy, charged with the tension of her displeasure. "Saber already knows that I would never harm him."
Her gaze shifts back to me, softening slightly but still tinged with irritation. "You already agreed to trust me implicitly, didn't you, my love?" she asks, her tone somewhere between a reminder and a demand.
I nod slowly, feeling caught between the two of them. The weight of Vallenora's expectations presses down on me, but Raven's words have kindled a spark of something familiar and comforting.
"Thank you, Raven," I say honestly, meeting his gaze. "I appreciate your promise."
The words have barely left my lips when Vallenora's eyes narrow dangerously. The temperature in the room seems to drop several degrees as she fixes Raven with a withering glare.
"Don't reward his negative behavior," she snaps at me, her voice laced with thinly veiled threats.
"It seems a good time for me to take my leave." Raven speaks, seemingly unfazed by Vallenora's displeasure. As he turns to leave, I catch a glimpse of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. It's a subtle thing, there and gone in an instant, but it speaks volumes.
As the heavy doors close behind Raven with a soft thud, the tension in the room dissipates slightly. Vallenora's grip on my hands loosens, and I feel her body relax beside me.
Vallenora's eyes soften as she gazes at me, the fierce intensity from moments ago melting away. With surprising gentleness, she pushes me down onto the plush bed, the silken sheets cool against my skin. She crawls on top of me, her lithe body moving with feline grace. Her dark hair cascades around us like a curtain as she lowers herself, resting her head on my chest.
I can feel the steady beat of her heart against my body, a soothing rhythm that seems to sync with my own.
"I deserve a reward," Vallenora purrs, her voice a low, sultry whisper. "For killing those dragons so easily."
Her fingers trace lazy patterns on my skin, leaving trails of tingling warmth in their wake. I find myself relaxing into her touch, my hand instinctively moving to stroke her silky hair. The strands slip through my fingers like liquid shadow, impossibly soft and smooth.
"What would my wife like as a reward?" I ask, falling into the role of doting husband with surprising ease.
'Did god put me here to be a house husband?'
Vallenora's crimson eyes sparkle with mischief as she lifts her head, her gaze locking with mine. "What I want," she purrs, her voice low and sultry, "is for you to tell me you love me."
The request catches me off guard, a knot of anxiety forming in my stomach. I swallow hard, suddenly very aware of the weight of her body on mine, the warmth of her skin against my chest. The ornate ceiling above us seems to spin slightly as I struggle to find the right words.
"Val," I begin hesitantly, "I... I don't know if I can say that yet. Not confidently." I pause, watching her face carefully for any reaction. "Everything is still so new to me, so confusing. I feel a strong connection to you, but love... that's a big word."
As the last word leaves my lips, the atmosphere in the room shifts dramatically. The air grows heavy and cold as if all the warmth has been suddenly sucked out. Vallenora's body, once soft against mine, becomes rigid. She slowly pushes herself up, her movements deliberate and controlled.
When her eyes meet mine again, I feel a chill run down my spine. The crimson orbs that sparkled with life moments ago are now flat and emotionless, like two pools of frozen blood. Her face, usually so expressive, has become an impassive mask.
"We've been married for two years," Vallenora says, her voice eerily calm and devoid of any warmth. "And you don't love me?"
The question hangs in the air between us, heavy and accusing. I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. My heart races in my chest, pounding so hard I'm sure she must be able to hear it.
Vallenora's lips curl into a sneer, a flash of hurt and anger breaking through her emotionless facade. "Was everything before your memory loss a joke to you?" she hisses, her voice dripping with venom. "You can't just tell you love me from our incredible sex?"
'Lady, I'm still not convinced we were ever even married.'
As she speaks, the temperature in the room plummets further. I can see my breath misting in the air, and frost begins to form on the ornate mirror across the room.
I gaze up at Vallenora, taking in every detail of her ethereal beauty. Her porcelain skin seems to glow with an inner light, a stark contrast to the inky blackness of her hair. Those crimson eyes, now hard and cold as rubies, bore into me with an intensity that steals my breath away.
Despite the chill in the air, I feel a warmth spreading through my chest. It's a feeling I can't quite name, a mixture of fear, awe, and something deeper, more primal.
With trembling hands, I reach up to cup Vallenora's face. I can feel the barely contained power thrumming beneath the surface, like lightning trapped in a bottle. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at once.
As I hold her gaze, memories flash through my mind. The passionate lovemaking, the tender moments shared in quiet intimacy, the raw display of her incredible power as she obliterated those dragons. Each image stirs something within me, awakening feelings I'm not sure I'm ready to confront.
I know I fall easily for wild, unpredictable women. It's a pattern I've recognized in myself, a weakness for the dangerous and the unknown. That was always true especially in my last life. And Vallenora... she embodies that allure in ways I never thought possible. She's a force of nature given form, beautiful and deadly as a summer storm.
The rational part of my mind screams that it's too soon, that I can't possibly love someone I've only known for what, a couple of days. But my heart... my heart tells a different story. It whispers of a connection that transcends time and memory, of a bond forged in fire and sealed with blood.
'No. I know I don't love her yet…. But I think with enough time maybe…'
I take a deep, shuddering breath, steeling myself for what I'm about to say. The words feel heavy on my tongue, laden with meaning and consequence. But as I look into Vallenora's eyes, I know there's only one thing I can say.
'I have to say it. Or else this could blow up on me.'
"I love you," I say with my hand cupped onto Vallenora's cheek.
As soon as the words leave my lips, I feel a change in the air. The oppressive cold begins to recede, replaced by a warmth that seems to emanate from Vallenora herself.
Vallenora's eyes light up, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. It's a startling transformation, in an instant, she goes from terrifying goddess to playful child. With surprising strength, she pushes me back down onto the plush bed.
"I know," she says, her voice lilting with barely contained glee. Her crimson eyes dance with delight as she leans in close, her raven hair falling around us like a silken curtain.
"I love you," Vallenora whispers, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.
"I love you," she says again, this time placing a kiss on my left cheek.
"I love you," she murmurs, her lips brushing my right cheek. Each declaration is accompanied by a burst of tingling energy that spreads from the point of contact, like ripples in a pond.
"I love you," Vallenora breathes, kissing the tip of my nose. Her crimson eyes are half-lidded, filled with an intensity that makes my heart race.
She continues her loving assault, peppering my face with kisses. Each touch of her lips is accompanied by those three words, spoken with increasing fervor.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," Vallenora chants, her voice taking on an almost musical quality. The words blend together, becoming a melodic incantation that resonates through my very being.