Chapter 13
-– Part 1 —
“It was… fine.”
Elfreda let the soft admission fall into the quiet room, pulling Ejnar’s focus back to her.
He began to pull away, his movements measured, but she seemed to deflate slightly at the loss of contact. He wondered what her face would betray if he chose this moment to exit. Was her disappointment rooted in the fear that they hadn’t successfully conceived?
Driven by a sudden curiosity, he broke their physical connection entirely.
Confusion washed over Elfreda’s features. She stared up at him expectantly, her expression mirroring a lost pup waiting for a command. Seeing her like that shifted something inside Ejnar; he lost the desire to bait her further. He suspected he already possessed the truth he was looking for.
She appeared as though she might burst into tears if he truly walked out.
“You should go if there are matters requiring your attention…”
“….”
“I don’t mind if you leave.”
A soft, unspoken laugh bubbled in Ejnar’s chest.
He found it impossible to believe her words when her face told such a different story. Perhaps this was some sophisticated ruse he hadn’t seen before.
His features clouded over for a second, causing Elfreda to recoil slightly.
She scrambled internally, wondering if she had uttered something offensive.
Before she could process the thought—
“Ah…!”
Ejnar gathered her into his arms with sudden speed and carried her toward the mattress. Even as he settled her onto the sheets, she looked utterly lost. He gave a sharp, somewhat awkward grin while shedding his coat.
“Shall I assist you with your clothes?”
The reality of the situation finally dawned on her. With a hesitant hand, she reached for the top of her nightgown, which was fastened all the way to her chin. Her pulse was racing so fast that her fingers fumbled against the stubborn fastenings.
He let out a short click of his tongue at her clumsy efforts and moved to hover over her.
“Ah…”
His large frame cast a heavy shadow across her.
At first, his hands were merely impatient as they worked the neck of her garment, but his movements quickly turned forceful. It felt as though he might simply shred the fabric. As his intensity climbed, so did her anxiety. Finally, the buttons were torn free.
Elfreda’s eyes followed the loose buttons as they fell away, prompting an incredulous look from him.
“You have your husband pinning you down, yet you’re preoccupied with the state of your laundry.”
“What? No, I—uh!”
Ejnar didn’t give her a chance to finish, burying his face against the curve of her neck. He claimed her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss, and that same sugary fragrance from the previous evening overwhelmed him. If her goal was to break his resolve, she had succeeded entirely.
“Wait, Your Majesty…”
She didn’t know how to handle the sensation as his teeth and tongue teased skin that had never known such attention. A soft cry escaped her.
Ejnar found himself clenching his jaw.
He wondered who had coached her to produce such sounds, or how much practice it took to sound so captivating.
His touch became more demanding. Elfreda writhed beneath him, her fingers digging into the bedding. She almost reached out to pull him closer but stopped herself, fearing such a gesture might be unwelcome.
“Ah…!”
When he finally united their bodies, all her self-restraint vanished into a mental fog. Her thoughts shattered. She could do nothing but move in rhythm with his will. She gripped the sheets like a person dangling over a precipice, holding on as if her life depended on the fabric.
The pace quickened, and she was driven deep into the mattress. Ejnar moved with a ferocity that suggested he wanted to merge her into the bed itself.
Powerful waves of sensation crashed over her.
Her gasps turned into sharp cries.
“Hah…”
The intensity became too much to bear, and moisture gathered in her eyes.
Like a traveler stumbling upon a spring in a wasteland, Ejnar leaned down to catch her tears with his lips. She gave a small start as his tongue brushed tenderly against her damp eyelids. It was the first moment of genuine softness he had shown her.
A tiny, involuntary smile touched her lips.
The expression vanished as he resumed his aggressive rhythm, but that brief flash of affection changed the experience. Though the act was much like the night before, she found a sense of genuine bliss this time.
-– Part 2 —
“Nnh…”
“Ah…”
He eventually finished, filling her completely. The warmth was a sensation she recognized now, though it still felt foreign on this second night.
She didn’t find it unpleasant.
She wondered what it would feel like to have a life growing in that space. Her pulse quickened at the thought of a future child.
‘…An heir.’
The conversation she had shared with Serena the night before bubbled to the surface just as she met Ejnar’s piercing gaze.
She hardened her resolve in that moment.
‘My father’s ambitions will not dictate my life.’
If they had a child, she would never allow that child to be a tool for handing Machi over to the Empire. She would ensure the child was raised with the heart of a true Machi citizen.
That decision helped quiet the shame she felt when she looked at him.
Elfreda lay still, her energy spent, while Ejnar took a few ragged breaths and began to sit up. He looked as though he intended to depart immediately, repeating the pattern of the previous night. She started to reach out to stay him but caught herself just in time.
Ejnar didn’t miss the way her hand hesitated in mid-air. He watched her closely. After a moment of internal struggle, Elfreda composed her face and spoke.
“Perhaps you could stay and rest for a while?”
“….”
“You look exhausted…”
She couldn’t bring herself to be honest about wanting his company, so she hid behind a polite excuse. Despite her attempt to remain poised, she felt her true emotions leaking through and had to look away.
Ejnar stayed silent for a long beat before asking softly.
“And if exhaustion isn’t the issue?”
“Pardon?”
“Would you have simply sent me on my way?”
“I…”
Her face burned with sudden heat. Ejnar felt a smirk tugging at his lips, tempted to push her further.
“You look like you might be tired yourself, though perhaps I’m wrong…”
“If my presence is a burden, I can be the one to leave…”
“Dressed like that?”
Elfreda looked down at herself, and the blush deepened until her skin was scarlet.
He realized that teasing her any more might actually result in tears. With a quiet chuckle, Ejnar settled back down onto the bed next to her. The mattress was wide enough that they weren’t touching, but Elfreda felt her heart hammering against her ribs regardless.
She had never felt this much anxiety simply lying in a bed.
She didn’t know where to put her hands or how to angle her feet; even the rhythm of her breathing felt forced and obvious.
‘…Even so.’
This was good.
Without realizing it, a small smile played on her lips as she drifted off. Ejnar watched that smile in the dim light before finally voicing a lingering thought.
“Did you speak with Princess Serena?”
“…Yes, briefly.”
The sudden pivot caught her off guard, and her voice wavered. Though she tried to hide her reaction, Ejnar noted the subtle shift in her mood.
“Her departure is set for three days from now. I suppose our kingdom failed to hold her interest.”
“I doubt that’s the case. She likely just realizes that an extended stay would be an imposition.”
“Most likely. But tell me something.”
Ejnar’s tone sharpened.
“Is it your custom to use such formal language with your own sister?”
“…Oh.”
For a split second, Elfreda went pale, but she managed to force a smile back onto her face.
“I am still adjusting to the speech patterns of Machi.”
“If formal address is proving so difficult, perhaps you should abandon it altogether.”
His voice was stern.
“You represent the crown of Machi now. Your behavior is a reflection of my own.”
The subtext was clear: she needed to understand the gravity of her position. Elfreda gave a stiff nod.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Her reply was strained, but she was grateful he didn’t press the matter.
Ejnar watched her for a moment longer before looking away. A strange sense of doubt flickered in the back of his mind, but with nothing to anchor the feeling to, he pushed it aside.
