Princess Axelia
Relaxation is not my forte; however, throw me in a hot spring with a maid massaging my shoulders and I will have a change of heart.
Elysse, Aiko, Ereni, Corrine, Kaisa and I didn't have a clue Rerimas had a tower dedicated to methods of relaxation. It was apparently built for Leonidas in consideration of his trigger.
Queen Ida granted us access to the hot springs for tonight but I truly hope I will get to come more often in the future.
Potent scents of lavender and jasmine which are floating in the dark tinted water steaming around us. I appreciate how dimly lit the room is as well with only a few torches along the black stone walls.
My muscles feel like jelly and for once there is a looseness in my shoulders but most of all, my mind isn't running wild with anxious or stressful thoughts.
I'm actually so calm that I have to keep peeking my eyes open to make sure I haven't fallen asleep.
"Elysse, are you fond of anyone?" Kaisa asks.
Quirking a brow, I wonder if she will actually tell them.
"I've always had a hopeless crush on Prince Herakles," she divulges with a gentle sigh. "He is very charming and seems as though he walked straight out of a book."
Cliché and boring; is for some reason her type.
"Why do you say hopeless?" Corrine wonders. "A Prince would be wise to fall for someone as sophisticated as you."
"Perhaps," Elysse sighs, "but a Prince must marry a Princess."
My heart numbs as I open my eyes to look at her. Despite how sadly true her words are, she still appears at ease as a maid rubs her neck.
I never really thought about how things could have been without royal blood flowing through my veins. If I knew Leonidas as a peasant child or maid's child, would our relationship be the same?
Could I have stood by to watch him marry another just because of status?
"I think Maynard is quite handsome," Ereni speaks up next, and I catch her pale, freckled cheeks turn red.
"Have you seen those blue eyes?" Corinne gushes with her.
"In contrast to his brown skin, he looks divine," Kaisa agrees.
Maynard has always been one of the most handsome Cadomians. I would swoon over him finding love. Elysse, too.
"Is he single?" Ereni inquires, and smiles bashfully when we all glance at her.
"Very," Elysse chuckles. "He is your partner during the wedding, isn't he? Make sure to dance with him."
"Then you must dance with Herakles," I chime in, poking her shoulder with a finger and laughing when her jaw drops.
"N-no way!"
"Well, if he asks are you going to turn him down?" Aiko grins deviously, and Elysse pouts as she shakes her head which makes us all laugh.
For the next half hour, we listen to Kaisa make up fairytale stories for each if us. Then, they all begin coming up with ideas for where I could spend a Honeymoon with Leonidas.
It isn't something I even thought about until now. My mind has been a blunder with the wedding ceremony plans and council meetings about the future of Cadomia.
According to my friends, a Honeymoon can last from a few days to an entire week.
Who knows what kind of mayhem Leonidas and I could get into being left alone in each other's company for that long?
Ideas that come to mind humor me until I recall his words about dealing with my insecurities. He has been very clear about wanting to consummate our marriage and then some. I didn't think much of it before but come tomorrow night our relationship will discover new territories.
"Axelia, we're leaving," Elysse taps me on a shoulder while Aiko stands by with a navy blue robe for me to slip on.
"You guys go ahead to the guest house," she tells Elysse once I'm dried off. "Axelia and I will catch up."
Surprisingly, nobody questions her as to why, but I figure it is just because she is a Queen and they're intimidated by her authority. It isn't until she guides me all the way back to my room in Queen Ida's tower that I realize we won't be joining the others without being late.
"Aiko, what's going on?" I hesitantly ask once we are sealed in the room.
Her chocolate brown eyes melt with a bubbly smile as she pulls her hair into a ponytail and flops down on a long couch patting the spot beside herself.
I grab a glass of water from the nightstand and take a sip as I join her.
"We have some things to discuss, Princess," she chirps and whips out a notepad. "Queen Ida gave you that medication from Perseus, correct?"
A jar of small white pills that the Reriman council said is their wedding gift.
Suspicious.
"Yes, I've been taking them since the day after he proposed."
"Wonderful!" she says and checks it off her notes before peering over the pad at me. "You do know what they are, yes?"
Honestly, I was too exhausted to pay attention to the details. I only recall Perseus insisting I take one every day without fail.
"Nope."
She purses her lips and sets the notepad in her lap. "Birth control, Love, to make sure you don't get pregnant your first week of marriage," she reminds me just as I take a sip of water, causing me to choke half-gulp.
"Oh-- right," I rasp, hoping to play it off but by the shaking of her head my act wasn't convincing.
"My informant tells me that you and Leonidas intend to consummate your marriage. How are you feeling about that?" she continues to interrogate in such a casual manner one would this this was tea-talk.
"Nervous, I guess. I haven't really thought much about it or rather," my cheeks warm as I trail off in thought, "I don't really know what I would think about in regards to it."
"Ooo, so you're a virgin virgin," she comes to her own conclusion, and I go along with it not even sure about what that means. "No worries, Princess, I'm here to teach you anything and everything you want and need to know."
Rising from her seat, she pulls a rolling chalk board from behind the wardrobe closet.
I sit in a state of shock, awe and confusion as she begins a lesson on the anatomy of female bodies specifically in regards to genitalia when she discovers I've never journeyed below my own waistline before.
Then, she goes on with more elaborate details about the male body which I thought would be weird to discuss until she makes it fun with odd diagrams and use of visual aids which incorporate my favorite thing: food.
Elysse must have told her my weakness. Why else would a vampire of bland dietary taste use fruits and vegetables as props for a presentation?
"Communication is key!" she shouts and slams down her notepad when my attention drifts to the platter of food set on my lap.
"Uh huh," I nod. "Communication. Got it."
"You will tell him when--?" she trails off expectantly waiting for me to finish her words.
"When I'm liking something, it makes me uncomfortable, or I want to stop," I quickly murmur before gnawing at a piece of chicken.
She stares blankly at me for a moment before sighing in surrender and moving on to the next subject.
"Now, there are four categories I am going to explain. Your first time could count as any of them so pay attention because come tomorrow night you will want to at least have an idea of a game plan."
Hands.
Mouths.
Clothes on.
Clothes off.
"Understood?" she crosses her arms as she finally turns to face me after disorienting me with information I find both fascinating and intimidating.
"S-so we don't have to make it to the clothes off category?" I wonder, feeling a sense of relief when she shakes her head.
"Is that something you'll be uncomfortable doing this soon?"
"Yes," I blush, "but what if that's what he expects after--"
"Do you think Leonidas spent the last thirteen years fighting you, waiting for your memories to return and risking his life for you just to get your clothes off for one night?" she inquires with a huff. "You will be his Queen, Axelia, and I have no doubt he will treat you accordingly."
That's actually the most comforting thing she could say.
After seeing how those men were treating the women in our prisons-- I guess I thought all men would be like that with sex; forceful, selfish and out of control.
Sighing, I almost forget Aiko is still in the room until she cups my face in her hands.
"Be honest with him about what you want and don't, okay? He will be new to this, too, so you guys have to work together; something I think comes beautifully natural in your relationship," she smiles reassuringly.
Her words make me feel much better about everything, so I nod and we slip on matching white cotton trousers and long sleeve shirts before she starts leading me to the others.
"Hey, Aiko," I say as I slip my hand from her grasp to stop our stride, and she turns with a tilt of her head, "I know tonight you all want to celebrate with me, but I was hoping to spend time at my mother's grave."
"Isn't that in Cadomia? Are you sure you want to travel all that way tonight?" she asks, and I nod. "Okay, I can find some horses to--"
"Preferably alone," I timidly add.
Her eyes express an internal battle as they dart between me and her notepad, but then she tucks it into a pocket.
"We will see you in the morning then," she strains a peaceful grin, and I laugh before wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug.
"Thank you for everything," I whisper, and then borrow Shadow to ensure a quick trip through the forest.
My mother's grave is at the lake where she taught me how to ice-skate and although the weather has begun to warm, the ice sheet is still thick enough for another session.
"I brought you Freesia flowers," I speak to her gravestone as I kiss and set them down. "I wish you could be there tomorrow," I then murmur, and allow a few tears to slip from my eyes before I wipe them and pull my skates out from a tree trunk behind her grave.
Shadow watches me from the shore as I take to the ice.
Time ceases as the wind caresses my skin while I glide across the surface of the crystal blue water. A full moon's light reflects off the ice making me feel as though I am under a spotlight with every twirl, spin, and landing.
I only decide to stop when I glance over to check on Shadow and see Leonidas leaning with his arms crossed atop her saddle watching me.
"H-hi," I breathe when I finally make it back over to them. "What are you doing here?"
He walks around her body offering a hand for me to take as I step off the ice.
"A baby bat told me my fiancé was crying on her wedding night," he mutters, cupping one of my cheeks in his hand tilting my head up to see for himself.
Behind him, I spot the baby fruit bat clinging on to his wool blanket which is rolled up in a sac attached to Shadow's saddle.
"I came to visit my mother's grave," I explain, meeting his concerned gaze. "You're not supposed to see me before the wedding. It's bad luck," I add, lowering his hand from my face and stepping back.
"Bad luck has kept you from me long enough," he lightly scoffs and then tilts his head towards Shadow. "I have something for you."
Frowning, I follow him over to where she stands only for him to set a Sweet Potato Pie on top of her saddle with a fork's handle sticking out of the center.
"No way," I gasp and slip out of my skates to run over to it, taking a bite as soon as the utensil touches my hand. "You know how to cook?" I mumble as I chew its savory goodness.
"Absolutely not," he chuckles. "I stole it from Elysse on my way over here."
My jaw drops and his sheepish grin allows his fangs to glisten in the moonlight.
Then, Shadow tires of standing so we both take a seat leaning against her left side to face my mother's gravestone as I nibble away at my pie.
Leonidas doesn't talk. He just stays and allows me to rest my head on his shoulder while I try to imagine what it would be like to have my mother here.
It feels as though we remain like this for hours before I notice my tears begin to drip on my bites of pie.
"What is it?" he murmurs onto the top of my head while scooping my free hand onto one of his, interlocking our fingers. And the gesture turns my silent tears into soft cries.
"I'm just so happy," I barely manage to whisper. "It would have made her smile to see us together like this."
He pulls me onto his lap letting me sob into the chest of his shirt until my cries dwindle into quick shorts breaths, and I fall asleep listening to the steady beating of his heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for reading.
They are such goals ~sigh