I Followed Fires

LXI. Bash and Adèle

The arrival at Adèle's château was much later than they had expected, for they encountered very severe weather along the way.

Their maids, having left Adèle and Bash alone in each other's company, carried out Theo and Cyril to their chambers. Adèle had urged others to let her help take her valises to her chambers, and when she had returned to her chambers, sweat was dripping from her forehead, due to the scorching heat of the sun. She lied down on her back on the bed, gazing at the ceiling above in a dream-like state, whilst placing her hand on her stomach.

Bash, too, had entered her bedchambers, but she had not noticed this, for she was startled when she felt his hands run through her hair. Bash climbed on to the bed, lying beside her. "You seem absorbed by your thoughts," he uttered, in an attempt to start conversation.

"I'm just thankful to be back at home, really," Adèle grinned from ear to ear, and then turned her head to gaze into his eyes. "What are you thinking of?"

"You," 

"You complete liar," she chuckled. Her fingers moved from her stomach to Bash's hand, interlocking and playing with Bash's fingers. They shared a comfortable silence on the bed, as they basked in the moment.

"Adèle?" He spoke her name softly. She looked up from her hands to his eyes, which were looking back at her with pure infatuation. "Are you prepared to be a married woman yet?"

She remained silent for a moment and said confidently, "Yes, I am quite sure that I am. Why do you ask?"

"And.. are you prepared to have children, and leave a life of freedom, and all?"

"Who says a married woman has to sacrifice her freedom?" Adèle pointed out. "I am fully prepared to raise my future children to love the outdoors just as I did when I was young. I know my ways around taking care of children and all, but the best way to raise your children to let them have a taste of freedom, and before you know it, you will too,"

Bash nodded in agreement. "I don't want you to be tangled up in a life of domesticity, for I know that that would pain both of us," he spoke softly."Although.. you still have not responded to my first question yet,"

"What, about me being prepared to have children? Well, something tells me that I am, given that I have experienced raising two little boys already, but it is best that you leave me to decide in my own time. Still, if we do ever have children, do you think it best that we raise them outside of Aix-en-Provence?"

"Why?" asked Bash with full curiosity.

"I was thinking that we should raise them somewhere else, somewhere nearer to the castle. I know you do not want to be parted with your brother, regardless how much you may despise him at times, and you will miss court life far too much to leave it just for me, even if you would not admit it."

"You're suggesting that we leave Aix-en-Provence to live near the castle?"

Adèle nodded, and when she noticed that Bash was being eerily quiet, she realised she might have made a mistake bringing that up to him. "Oh, forgive me.. I meant—if you want to stay in Aix-en-Provence, it's completely fine with me, I just thought—"

"No, it's a wonderful idea," replied Bash. "I.. I just never thought you were willing to leave Aix-en-Provence, especially since it is where you spent most of your childhood in,"

"I'm prepared to give up some things if you are willing to do the same,"

"Don't you know the answer to that question already?" Bash gave a toothy grin, and kissed Adèle's hand. Outside, they heard the sounds of Theo and Cyril's small feet running through the halls, being chased by their maids, as usual, making them both burst into a fit of giggles. 

"Let's just hope that we will have children who are more willing to follow rules more than Theo and Cyril," she joked. 

"I'd like to imagine that I would be a great father, don't you agree?" Bash said proudly.

Adèle said nothing at first, and only looked at him and chuckled. "Sure," she said sarcastically. "Even though I would make a greater mother."

"Well, it is a known fact that women are better than men in many ways," Bash spoke with gentleness in his voice. "Not one stable boy was able to fully tame Midnight before you took a liking to her."

Adèle beamed at him, gave him a small kiss on his forehead, and placed her head on his chest, before they began to doze off together once again. As the summer breeze that entered from the Adèle's windows blew against their skin, they slept soundly throughout the afternoon.