On the soft, spacious bed, Rossweise's long legs were crossed gracefully. The pale skin of her legs gleamed under the room's gentle light, appearing even smoother and silkier than usual. Her rounded knees had a faint pink hue, and her slender toes varied between delicate shades of pink and softness.
One hand rested casually on her outer thigh, fingers lazily tracing circles, while the other supported her body as she leaned slightly to one side. Silver hair cascaded around her shoulders, framing a face with enchanting eyes half-lidded yet gleaming with teasing light. Her silver irises gazed with open affection at the man before her.
The ticking of the wall clock provided the only sound in the room, accompanied by the occasional drift of incense and faint water sounds from elsewhere in the sanctuary. She remained silent, maintaining her playful yet tender smile as she watched Leon.
After a prolonged moment, a faint purple glow began to flicker across both their chests. A wave of heat passed between them, though this initial sensation was trivial for a couple long accustomed to dragon marks. Yet both knew that once the marks began to glow, the night ahead was bound to ignite. This wasn't the calm before the storm, but the slow, inevitable build toward intimacy.
The queen finally broke the silence. "I understand. I've read about it in books. The struggles of married men."
Leon, holding a stack of papers he'd unconsciously picked up, countered dryly: "You're calling fighting Tiamat to the brink of death and winning 'a bit of fatigue,' is that right?"
"Mhm~~" Rossweise smiled, her eyes narrowing to crescents. "Why wouldn't it be? My husband is the strongest man in the world, after all."
Of course, it was only during moments like this that she'd openly admit Leon was the strongest. Most times, her words tended more toward: "What's the point of you? Isn't it still me running this household?" Or some variation thereof.
"Alright, alright. Let's just say you're a little tired. But as your wife, isn't it my duty to completely drain your energy..." she paused meaningfully, "...and replenish it with dragon essence?"
Rossweise laughed lightly, twirling a strand of silver hair between her fingers. "Although, I can't guarantee it'll feel exactly the same as it did back then. After all—" She trailed off, her implied meaning pointing directly to the little pill their beloved Aurora had concocted.
Leaning forward like a cunning cat, she slowly approached until stopping at an intimately close distance. Her eyes locked with his as she spoke with a sultry smile: "What I can guarantee is this—if we indulge ourselves all night long, we'll be just fine."
Leon let out an internal sigh. "Are you really this impatient, Your Majesty?"
"Oh, please. Don't make it sound like I'm begging you." Rossweise huffed, her tone playful but determined. "Back when we inscribed the third dragon mark, you were just as curious as I was to know what it would feel like, weren't you?"
"Uh." He couldn't deny it.
Half a month ago, they'd taken the risk of adding a third dragon mark in preparation for the final battle's immense stamina requirements. Why was it considered a "risk"? Because throughout dragonkind's history, one mark was common enough; two marks happened occasionally. But three marks? That was unheard of—an anomaly never recorded in any text or legend. No one knew what additional effects might come with a third mark, nor how intense those effects could be.
For two weeks, the couple had deliberately avoided exploring these possibilities, waiting until after their victory to experience the mark's effects in peace and comfort. Rossweise's current impatience was the culmination of all their restrained endurance since the marks were engraved.
"Do you think it's possible," Leon ventured cautiously, trying to steer toward neutral territory, "that living beings have a limit to how much... pleasure they can perceive?"
"Oh? What makes you ask that?" Rossweise tilted her head, genuine curiosity in her expression.
"It might be possible... that the sensation from the third dragon mark feels similar to the second one, simply because two marks might already represent the limit. Adding more won't necessarily enhance anything."
Leon knew he was talking nonsense—he had no idea if dragon mark numbers affected perception. Right now, he was simply stalling, hoping to survive this long night intact.
Rossweise, of course, saw through his ploy. With a soft chuckle, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her soft chest against his. The unexpected intimacy made the general tremble, the glow on his chest brightening noticeably.
She shifted further, settling herself on his lap. Deliberately deepening her breaths, her chest and abdomen brushed against him with tantalizing softness. "If you want to know the answer to that question," she whispered, her voice sultry and low, "the best way is to... test it out."
Rossweise leaned into his shoulder, speaking softly into his ear. Her tone was like that of a seductive devil, slowly but surely drawing its prey into her trap. Her fingers lightly brushed through his hair as her body pressed even closer.
"Also," she continued, her breath warm against his ear, "I know your third dragon mark is on your other arm. But... do you know where mine is? Hmm?"
The first dragon mark always appeared on both partners' chests—a fixed location. After that, however, each additional mark appeared randomly. Leon's second dragon mark was on his left arm, while Rossweise's was on the curve of her lower back. When they'd first inscribed the third mark, Leon had curiously asked where hers was, but Rossweise had coyly refused to answer, calling it a "post-battle surprise."
Now, the time for that surprise had come.
Leon's emotions and tense nerves began to focus, his gaze softening and becoming unfocused. Rossweise knew the dragon mark's effects were taking hold—on both of them.
"Come on, Leon," she teased, her voice dripping with allure. "Don't you want to know where my third mark is? Tell me, hmm~~?" She lightly nipped at his earlobe.
A gentle yet electrifying sensation coursed through his body, starting from his ear and spreading down his spine, igniting every nerve along the way. Leon let out a low groan and instinctively reached for Rossweise's slender waist.
Rossweise laughed softly, unabashed, as she leaned back slightly. Her hands cupped Leon's face, and since she was sitting on his lap, her elevated position allowed her to look down at him. With her silver eyes shimmering with affection, she gazed deeply into his eyes and said in a low, lingering voice: "If you want to know, you'll have to find the answer yourself, my little lion~."
As she spoke, she let one hand trail behind her, guiding Leon's large hand toward her chest. Naturally, that was where her third dragon mark lay, glowing faintly with a seductive purple hue.
"Where could it be... hmm?" She guided him lower, her fingers tracing a path past soft curves and inviting sensations. "Perhaps... my lower abdomen?"
Rossweise smiled, answering her own question: "No, no, of course not. My dragon mark... is in a much deeper place. Can you find it, my dear~?"
"Mmm, keep looking." His fingers glided over her smooth, toned stomach, eventually reaching her perfectly sculpted thighs. The search continued, the tension building with each moment until Leon's fingertips finally brushed against a patch of warm skin. The temperature was distinctly higher—a telltale sign of the dragon mark's presence.
"Ah~ you found it." Rossweise cradled Leon's face, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Yes, the third dragon mark is on the inside of my thigh."
"And," she added, her tone playful, "since dragon marks appear randomly, part of it extends just a little further... Can you guess where?"
"Yes, that's right, Leon. You're looking for it, aren't you?"
"There you go... right there—oh."
"Mmm~~ is it very painful? Hmm? No, no, you're doing wonderfully... so wonderfully..."
"And now, my little lion, let's begin this long-awaited night of pleasure."