Chapter 10: Prelude to Farewell

*Rosemary*

The sunlight struck me directly in the eyes as I rose the next morning. My body ached in various spots, especially in my nether regions. Marks had also formed on my neck, arms, and chest.

My husband was gentle, but a beast at the same time. I sighed. Why had I egged him on? Was I that deprived of love? Ugh, who was I kidding? Of course, I was! But did I have to go this quickly? No, I did. He would be gone for up to a year or so, depending on how long his assignment took. All of our interactions would be via letter or telegraph. If even that.

"Hey," Saffron said as he stepped out of the shower. He only had a towel on. Water dripped down his defined chest. Spots like mine had formed throughout his body.

My cheeks reddened. He wasn't the only beast here.

He turned away, but I could tell his ears were a bit red. Had it been his first time too? My cousin had said he was surprised to see him marry. But relationships outside of matrimony weren't unheard of. At least ours was within. If it had been out of marriage, I think I would've died from the sheer mortification.

"Good morning. Uh, do you want breakfast?" I asked, grabbing my dress.

"It's alright. I'll prepare something."

"Oh..." Well, it wasn't like I was a good cook. Orlin was better at frying an egg than me. But at least I could make scrambled eggs, even if they were a tad toasty.

"By the way, you don't have to wear that. I put away your clothes in the closet earlier."

"Huh? My clothes? How did you get them?" I asked, standing up, using my dress to cover myself up.

"Your brother packed them away in the carriage. Dancing must've really tired you out if you failed to notice them when you got in."

I sighed. Why didn't Ore tell me? Although, I didn't want most of my old clothes. The majority only brought nothing but bad memories.

My eyes widened as soon as I opened the built-in closet. Most of the clothes looked new and seemed rustic.

"These aren't my clothes!"

"Seems the crown prince bought you stuff befitting of life here," Saffron said as he zipped up his pants.

I smiled. Oh, Ore. Even now, he still managed to surprise me.

"Say, will you be fine here?" Saffron asked.

I looked down. "W-what do you mean?"

"In the countryside. It's more beautiful than the city, but life is completely different here. There are not as many people to interact with, nor many stores and the like."

I grabbed a red skirt from the closet. "That is alright." In fact, it was splendid. I didn't like interacting with people anyway.

"If you say so," my husband threw on a black vest over a white button up shirt. He had a very nice figure.

My cheeks reddened as I thought of last night. I shook my head to snap out of it. Last night might've been our wedding night, but today we were saying goodbye. For now, at least.

Saffron tied his purple tie and walked over and put a hand over my forehead. "Are you alright? You're burning up a little. Was last night too much for you?"

My face flushed. "N-no, it was fine."

"Maybe you should rest. Your legs are a bit shaky."

I gulped. Last night had taken a lot of energy out of me. But was resting really okay?

Although, my current state wasn't just because of my health. Being so close to him made my heart beat rapidly.

He let go of me and turned around. He walked toward the door but stopped halfway there. "What would you like?"

I wanted an Amadeus breakfast puff with cinnamon speckles, but that was a baked good.

"Uh, what do you know how to make?" I asked.

"I can make most basic breakfast items. And most of it is fresh too. Hunting and farming is common around here, after all."

"How about an omelet?"

"With what?"

Did he mean ingredients or side dishes?

"With onion, cheese, and chopped tomatoes, if possible."

He smiled slightly. "I can do that." He turned away. His ears were red like last night. "Meanwhile, you finish dressing up."

I covered my chest with my wedding dress. How mortifying! Ugh, but it wasn't like he hadn't seen me before. We really were an awkward pair.

I picked out a white blouse with floral patterns and a red long skirt. Ore really did a great job picking them out. He probably asked Artermia for advice. Or one of his fashion industry friends.

I combed my orange hair and headed downstairs. Saffron was cracking eggs into a glass bowl. His muscles became a tad more defined everytime he did so.

I gulped. No, Rose. Stop lusting after your husband! Last night was already too much as is!

"You can sit down. It will be done in a minute or so," Saffron said.

There were enough chairs at the wooden table for six people. Would all the seats be filled one day?

I shook my head. Look at me, barely married and already thinking about kids. Spending the night once with Saffron was already intense enough. Not sure if my body could take it. Although, he was going to leave for a while.

I took a seat. My husband was skilled in cooking too. Guess he did have many talents. Maybe Ore could recommend him for the court. Although, Saffron didn't strike me as a guy who would enjoy palace life. Plus, I didn't have any desire to return to it. Ever.

I sighed as I watched him beat the eggs. If only I could cook.

"Something bothering you?" Saffron asked, looking over his shoulders.

I fidgeted. I couldn't tell him. If I did, I might have come off as needy. When I agreed to go ahead with this marriage, I made a promise to myself to become independent. I didn't want Saffron to think ill of me.

"I was just zoning out. I do it a lot."

"That so? I did notice you zoned off last night. Did my scars interest you that much?"

I blushed. He noticed?

"They were from battles from last year. Got them from a couple of drug smugglers."

"Thought you were mostly involved in skirmishes with Kasai no Ki."

"Yes, but aren't officially at war. Some days we see no action at the border or in the seas."

"Are the Kasai no Ki good seafarers?"

"I would say so. Much better than us. It helps that they have plenty of coastline."

Coastline... That was what Kuroriku lacked. Well, we did have the lake coasts but those were on the periphery and didn't reach any countries we didn't already have a land border with. And then there was our gateway to the seas in Kuroyuki. Sadly, those ports were ice covered throughout most of the year. It took several Kuroyuki using their powers to make a way in the coldest of times. Even then, it took longer to transport goods that way than sending them by land. And airplanes couldn't carry as much as barges could.

"How long will you be stationed there?"

"I want to say about a year, but it could change."

"I see..."

He took out an onion from a cupboard and started chopping away. He looked so natural doing it. Come to think of it, his siblings did mention that he took care of them. I imagine that meant preparing their meals too.

I rubbed my arms. Was Saffron lonely back then? I knew he had his subordinates, but did he have any family besides them to rely on. He father died, his mother worked, and his siblings were young.

I needed to make myself helpful too. Standing up, I reached for the eggs on the table to prepare the next round of omelets. Back in the city, people refrigerated their eggs. If not for my books, I probably would have been shocked to see someone leave a raw egg out in the open like this.

"Let me help," I said, holding the egg up.

Saffron looked up at me and smiled. "Sure, crack these eggs into the bowl. Be careful not to get any shells. I don't like mine with shells."

I did as he instructed, feeling a bit nervous. Why did have to say it like that?

As we worked together, the tension gradually eased. I even felt a little closer to him, despite neither of us speaking a single word to the other. I couldn't help but feel grateful for this moment. Despite the awkwardness between us and uncertainty over our future, I was glad to have him by my side.

Only the Sky Father knows, but maybe one day we would have a house filled with children running around and a table stuffed with delicious food. But for now, I was content with this simple breakfast and the company of my new husband.