Through the open window, chilly air poured into the room, causing the curtains to flap in the wind. Fyodor got up from the bed and wrapped a towel over his hips. Laying in bed, Naavah watched as he started the fire in the fireplace while she clutched the blanket closer to her body. They spent the entire day in their room having sex, kissing, and sleeping without realizing when the night came. She thanked the odds for not being sought by any maid, afraid of what they would think upon seeing them like this. Although she suspected that Fyodor had told everyone not to come or call for them while she was asleep, she didn't say anything to him.
After the fireplace began to work, a dim light filled the room. Naavah carefully examined every detail of the chamber since it was the first time she had the possibility to properly see her surroundings. The stoned wall behind the fireplace held many shelves with books and clean towels. On the wall in front of the bed were two tall and wide wardrobes with massive wooden doors; one was Fyodor's, and one was her own. A thick, light carpet fills the floor between the bed and the fireplace, hiding the wood under it. Next to Fyodor's bedside was a sword stand. There were no bedside tables or other cupboards, so the storage was minimal. However, it was a simple yet welcoming room, she thought.
Seeing him approach the bed, she raised a hand in his direction and saw small spots of a light pink shade. She immediately pulled her arm back, embarrassed by the tooth marks he left on her body.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, frowning and following her eyes which were fixated on her arm.
“No, I... it’s… you left marks.”
“And?” he asked, chuckling.
“The maid will see,” she said in a low voice, blushing and avoiding his gaze by turning her head to the side.
“And?”
“It’s... something intimate. She will think lowly of me.”
“She will not think lowly of you. Everyone knows it is natural for this to happen.”
“Is it natural to bite someone while having sex?” she asked, bewildered.
“Yeah, that too,” he said, laughing and thinking of everything else they had done over the past hours.
She frowned and moved to her side of the bed, making him space to lie down in bed, wrapping herself with the blanket.
“Are you cold?” he asked, raising a brow.
Her cheeks became red, and she turned her head to the other side to avoid his gaze. Naavah could not possibly tell him that she was embarrassed by her own body or by him seeing her naked. So, she preferred not to say a word of it. Instead, she thought that a lie wouldn't hurt.
“Yes. Can you give me another blanket, please?”
“I have something better,” he said, smiling and wrapping his arms around her from the back. “Come here.”
She stayed in her husband's embrace for some time, feeling his breath on the back of her neck. It was comfortable, and it felt safe, almost making her fall back asleep. But his hand stroking her hip startled her, making her turn around and kiss him on the lips. She told him that she couldn't bear another round, which made him smile and reassure her that he would stop. Naavah cupped his hand into her own, dragging it under her chin, thinking that he would fall asleep. After a few minutes, she clicked her tongue in annoyance at not being able to and turned, once again, to the other side of the bed.
Fyodor, on the other hand, only thought about what she said to him that morning in his office room. He was obsessed with the idea that she thought their marriage was doomed because of a fight the night before. At that moment, he believed it was just an ordinary thought of a newly married woman without prior knowledge about it. Now, however, he understood that she had been honest and that it was one of her true fears. He could not let her think so, wanting to erase some of those worries.
“Do you know why it is said that the first night is the most important in a marriage?” asked Fyodor suddenly, stroking her hand. When he saw her shaking her head, he continued. “There is an old story about a witch that led to it. Do you want to hear it?”
Naavah nodded her head, slightly moving upward so she could properly look at him.
Smiling, Fyodor cleared his throat and spoke in a smooth voice. Apart from his voice, only the faint crackling sound of wood could be heard throughout the room.
“It is said that the witch had three daughters, each more beautiful than the other. They lived in an old, small hut in the forest near one of the villages that belonged to a respected Grand Duke. The man was wealthy and enjoyed considerable influence in the high society, being well known for his incredible courage and swordsmanship skills. One day, rumors spread throughout the kingdom that he was looking for a wife. In every village, city, and capital, people were talking about his search, craving for him to choose their daughter as his future wife. The witch heard the rumors too, and the thought of wealth and power made her greedy. She was envious of each and every family that had an honorable and beautiful maiden who could have become the Grand Duke's wife. She wanted everything he had and decided that he would only marry one of her daughters. The man, however, would not. He was in love with the daughter of an Archduke’s family and hoped to be able to take her as his wife. She found him endearing and accepted his proposal. The wedding took place a week later. A magnificent ceremony was held, and everyone in the kingdom attended the event, wishing to see the Grand Duchess. It is said that even the Emperor and Empress were present and blessed the newly married couple with a prosperous life. The witch, however, watched as all her dreams were ruined, and hatred began to spread in her heart. She wanted to take revenge on the pair. On the night of the wedding, the full moon rose in the sky. The witch used the power of black magic to inflict a curse on the couple that would never allow them to spend their first night together. The reason was for them to see their incompatibility, which should have led to a divorce. The two newlyweds argued from their first night, then the day after that, and the day after that, until a month passed by.”
Naavah winced at his words, eyes wide open and biting her lower lip in distress. She could not stop herself from making the connection between the story he was telling her and their fight from the previous night.
Fyodor, however, noticing her concern, held her tighter in his arms. When he saw that she was paying attention to him again, he continued the story.
“However, on the first day of that month, the two began to understand each other again. The witch was enraged. With grief and hatred, she resorted again to black magic, this time aiming to kill the Duke's wife. But her curse never came true. The couple continued to try to maintain their marriage and to have their first night together. They wanted a child who could inherit all he had. They spoke with a priest, hoping for the best. But no matter what they tried, nothing changed. So, one day, thinking that their love for one another would suffice, they left the land and their titles behind, not telling anyone where they were heading to.”
Naavah looked intently at him with her brows raised, waiting for further details. She emboldened him by asking what happened to the couple next.
“They have never been seen ever since. Some say they moved to the mountains and had children. Some said they died out of hunger on their way to another land. There are rumors that they never actually left. But, it is only part of the folklore. Nothing more, nothing less. If the story is true, I don't really know.”
“I haven’t heard of such a story. In a way, it is beautiful. But only because they kept trying,” she said, with a serious expression, and rubbed her head on his chest.
“You think so?” he asked, smiling and laughing. “Well, the truth is that it has made an impact on how people see a couple's first night. Also, you can be relieved. No one had cursed us, and I believe our first night was a success. So, we are happier than them.”
“Yes,” she said with a smile and kissed him.
After ending the kiss, she saw that he was looking into her eyes with so much intensity, as if he was searching for something.
“So tell me, your eyes... have always been red?” he asked, still maintaining his gaze at her.
“No. They had changed into a red shade after the uh...”
“Accident?”
Naavah was dumbfounded. She understood at that very moment that Fyodor didn't know about the curse. But how was it possible? Dargan should have already told him about it. Doesn’t Fyodor let her know it on their first meeting? And, of course, he needed to find out. She wanted to have a relationship based on honesty and loyalty with him. But she made a decision without a second thought.
“Yes,” she answered him.
