Bride Of The Shadows

Chapter 7: Portal

Blair witnessed Agnes' departure after their discussion. Standing by the gates, she waved at the carriage until it disappeared. The information was given to her that Celeste would be spending some days in Ardenia before returning home and she couldn't be happier.
Agnes was happy to have Celeste's absence lessen her burden, while Blair was happy to have found a good match for her daughter.
She hoped Celeste's stay would yield positive results.
Flailing her cape behind her, she plowed ahead to leave the gates and enter the castle. When she arrived in the hallway after some time, her husband's magenta robe was the first thing she noticed.
He stood upright and erect, with his back facing her, while talking to one of the ministers about something. Having him back was a relief for her, but now that the children were gone, he would pester her. She resented the few days that he had not been with her in the castle.
Zephyr had detected her scent as soon as she came into the room, and it took a considerable amount of courage to avoid pushing the minister away and turn to his beloved wife.
He had to ignore her until he finished talking with the minister because this matter was important and needed to be handled quickly.
After the minister left and the hall was only populated by the two of them, he turned to her and a smile tugged at his lips at the sight of her soft features. He extended his hand to welcome her and she walked right in, hugging him tighter on her part.
"I've missed you" She spoke softly, glancing up to meet his gray eyes. She could never get tired of him.
"Likewise" The response he gave was short, but it contained the weight of his heart. he leaned forward and planted a soft peck on her lips. "How have you been faring?" He questioned. He had yet to pull away from the hug.
"Good" She responded meekly, her lips curling into a smile.
Zephyr was forced to become accustomed to hugging. He initially didn't appreciate it when they were together because he didn't like the gesture, but eventually grew fond of it because it was her love language.
He liked it too, he thought.
Her warm skin pressed against his as her arms twined against his neck. He breathed in her scent and couldn't be more overwhelmed. The smell of magnolia always rendered him senseless.
"That's great to hear" He asserted.
His strong arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer, so much closer that she began to feel his hardened need for her and she inwardly smiled.
"We have a visitor"
He raised a brow at the unexpected revelation, "Who might that be?"
"Agnes's daughter, Celeste. She wants to spend a few days here"
Oh, his lips parted but he uttered no word to counter to what she had said.
They didn't have visitors other than his parents, and sometimes, Blair's mother's ghost came to surprise them on a few occasions.
That was how it had always been, until now.
He didn't say anything, not wanting to hurt his wife, because she and the witch friend of hers had remained good friends since he knew her.
"That's fine" He responded.
Blair breathed out in relief. Blair breathed out in relief.
Since she told him about Celeste's stay here, she had been glancing at him, and he hadn't responded immediately, making her heart beat faster. She didn't want him to reject Celeste.
With hopeful and pleading eyes, she looked at him until he finally agreed to allow the young lady to stay.
"How are the children?" He questioned.
"They're good. All of them are in Hermione's chamber, and they seem to be getting along"
All? He narrowed his eyes, "Did Alistair cause any trouble when I left, and did you speak to him?"
Cause any trouble?
Her hands slipped away from his neck.
"You speak as if you don't know your son. Alistair has been a good boy and would remain that way, I don't know what you have against him" Her voice turned an octave higher.
She lowered herself to the ground and folded her arms across her chest, causing her eyebrows to tighten into a knot. They were aware that Alistair had been obedient, so why was he questioning him as though he were a rotten kid?
"I only asked a question" His lips twisted. Unlike her, his voice remained low and smooth.
"And I responded" She tilted her head at him with a sharp glare.
"Do you have to get mad at me every single day?"
"Oh yes I do" She countered. Her green eyes sharply focused on his appearance. Why did he have to appear innocent every time they argued?
It pictured her as the bad person when he was the one who started it.
His handsome face even prevented her from becoming too angry with him!
"I'm sorry, alright?" He pleaded.
He grasped her arm and pulled her close, causing her back to press against his chest while he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"I do not like what you keep yearning about Alistair, perhaps you're wrong this time" She whispered.
Zephyr narrowed his eyes; his intuition had never strayed from the truth, and his father's had too.
Blair was not interested in hearing anything like that. She believed that Alistair was a good child and could not harm his sister. Blair wanted him to also believe it.
He didn't push the matter further and simply accepted what she had said.
"I've heard" He replied. His breath fell against her ear and his lips brushed against the tip.
She could not deny that she was already flustered, and her anger toward him had dissipated. She poked her tongue out to wet her lips before turning her head to the side.
Her heartbeat accelerated in her chest. She saw him draw closer to her before taking her bottom lips in his, she sighed, her hands going to caress his dark hair as he deepened the kiss.
**

Back in the chamber. Hermione and Alistair stood before a large portal that had appeared in the room. They were mortified.
It was Celeste who had created the portal.
Now that she wasn't at her home to be chaperoned, she could use her magic the way she wanted, and watch the fascinating expression on their faces.
Pfftt, their reaction was priceless!
Alistair's jaw dropped. His eyes deeply scrutinized the purple portal, that was displayed before them.
It had a considerable number of crystals swirling in it because of a turbulent wave that was occurring there.
"Is this thing safe?" He inquired.
Alistair didn't even commend her for being so brilliant. He knew witches performed all kinds of tricks, but he wasn't expecting a young lady like her to be capable.
"It. Is. Very. Safe" She stressed her words and then inserted her hand into the portal to prove that nothing harmful was going to happen.
The twin's doubt was finally cleared by this and after a long while of reluctance.
They eventually clambered into the portal and disappeared from the chamber.