"Rooonnnaaakkk! How much longer is it going to be? If we hit one more bump in the road, my bottom is going to get bruised. Why are the roads so bad?" It had been four and a half days! I was so sick of riding in a carriage. I don't know how Ronak was managing to read and respond to letters while getting jostled around. I felt like I was about to be sick as the carriage managed to snag another hole in the road.
Ronak looked up from the report he was reading and smirked. "I can find more interesting ways for your bottom to get bruised if you would like, Micha." Gah! Y-you weirdo! You're just upset that I haven't let you touch me while we've been staying at inns. It had taken me a while to become comfortable making l-love at the capital estate, and you want me to do something so shameless in an inn where the walls are so thin I can hear Jade and her twin brother Amon arguing two rooms away?! He was completely insane!
"D-don't make me fill this carriage to the brim with pillows." I held my hand up in the air threateningly as Ronak raised an eyebrow.
"You stole pillows from the estate? What's wrong with you? Are you going to steal all the pillows from the dukedom estate as well?" Ronak's smirk slowly turned into an annoyed grimace as he set the document down next to him. Sometimes I'd sit next to him, but most of the time I'd sit across from him since there was so much space. Also, moving around kept me at least a little preoccupied during our long days. Ronak didn't seem bothered at all by the long journey, which was completely unfair.
"Who knows…" I mumbled as I stared out the window at the freshly fallen snow. No wonder it was such a long journey to Ronak's dukedom when we had to traverse snowy roads like this. "Though, this time of year, I like to store something extra special in there…" I eyed Ronak mischievously, and he gave me a slight glare.
"You better not try anything of the sort…" Ronak glared out the window for a moment before talking again. "We should be nearing the dukedom border in a few hours. You should be in better spirits then." Ronak picked up the document and returned his attention to it without giving me any further details. What? That's all you're going to tell me?
"Why would I be in better spirits?" The only thing that would make me magically happier would be arriving at our destination, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
"Because the roads have been paved with stones in my dukedom. It makes the journey faster and smoother."
"Like all of them?" Ronak glanced up from his document and gave me a small smile.
"Almost all of the roads. By next summer, I believe the project to finish all the major roads within the dukedom will be complete. Smaller, less often used roads will take more time to complete because they're less important." Ronak flipped to his next document in the stack and sorted the one he was done with into the little crate of folders by his feet. His eyes began to glide over the document, and yet he still managed to hold a conversation with me. "I'm also in conversations with the emperor and the other three dukes to have it done all through the empire to make traveling and trade easier. I guess you could say I'm emotionally invested in it because of Elutra. Though the Draedor Empire is falling behind the times because most other empires and even some kingdoms have at least major trade routes paved." We hit another bump in the road, and I almost fell off my seat from the momentum. "This road makes our empire seem out of touch and outdated."
"I see-! Ack!" The carriage hit its umpteenth hole, sending me careening to the other side of the carriage and, essentially, Ronak's lap. "How?!" I know Ronak was built like a boulder, but the fact that he didn't even budge as the carriage was violently shaken was completely unfair.
Ronak laughed and pulled me slightly up onto his lap. "I've held loaves of bread that were heavier than you." Gah! Th-that is not true! I know I don't weigh a ton, but that's just rude! I went to complain, but of course, as if to mock me, our carriage hit another bump, causing me to fall forward. Thankfully, Ronak abandoned his papers and caught me before my face hit the bottom of the carriage. He pulled me back up onto his lap with a slight frown. "Do you need me to hold you?" I wasn't sure if he was being serious or kidding, but I didn't like his question.
"No!" This loaf of bread does not need to be held! I angrily puffed up my cheeks, and an idea came to me. I held out my hands, and the air filled with a shimmery golden light before spewing pillows from my storage spell. "I have a better idea!" I slid off Ronak's lap and went around arranging the pillows into a plush layer on the floor. I even used them to cushion the bench sides so that if I rolled, I wouldn't smack my face into any wood. Honestly, I thought it was a genius idea. I wish I had thought about it days ago.
I excitedly flopped down onto my new seat and barely noticed as the carriage hit another bump. "You're so adorably proud of yourself." Ronak snickered as he picked up the papers he had dropped to catch me.
"Yeah, I am!" I thought it was a good idea… A yawn escaped me now that I wasn't being violently shaken. Yeah, this wasn't too bad at all…
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Ronak
I couldn't help but snicker at Micha as he almost instantly fell asleep the moment he snuggled up with a blanket. I swear the moment he gets comfortable, he'll fall unconscious. I wasn't all that bothered, though. I knew that this journey had been rather hard on him, so the fact that he was managing to get some proper sleep made me happy.
Here I thought inn's bothered me, but it turns out that Micha doesn't like them much either. He kept waking up through the night and peering over at the door, even though it was locked. I admit that I hated inns too, but it probably wasn't for the same reasons that Micha hated them. Yeah, I didn't enjoy how thin the walls were, nor did I like how filthy they were, but worst of all, I couldn't make love with Micha. I wanted nothing more than to hear him squeal and moan, but it had been four long days of nothing. I could tease him a little bit here and there, but since we were traveling with almost all of the nobles who attended the academies, Micha was incredibly tense. I thought traveling with others would make him feel at ease, but I feel like it's done the complete opposite. Maybe we should have left at a different time than everyone else.
There was a light knock on the carriage window, so I slid down the window I was seated near. "Sir, these just came in." One of the regular guards I traveled with handed me another stack of letters. Damn, it's endless, isn't it?
I accepted the letters and quickly closed the window as Micha slightly stirred. Go back to sleep. Yeah, who's a good omega? The smile on my face disappeared as I looked at the seals on the letters. Ugh, I can't wait to crush these insufferable bugs.
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Micha
"Oh, Micha. You need to wake up. Everyone is waiting for lunch." I groggily opened my eyes to see Ronak staring at me from the carriage door. "I wasn't going to wake you, but everyone was becoming a little tired of traveling and needed a break. Plus, you're holding all the food hostage."
A massive yawn escaped me, and Ronak chuckled. "Ten more minutes." I rolled to my other side to avoid the light streaming through the door of the carriage. Ugh, I don't wanna wake up!
"Oh, we're not having that." The carriage wobbled as Ronak jumped up onto the floor next to me. Ack! Ronak began tickling my sides, making me gasp for air. "Wake up now." He ordered as he continued to tickle me.
"Okay! Okay! I'm up! Stop it!" I squealed in terror as Ronak relentlessly tickled my sides. By the time he stopped, I was red in the face and breathing hard from begging him to stop.
Ronak's smirk was massive as he exited the carriage and turned back towards me. "Come on. I have people that need to be fed."
"So mean!" I grumbled as I crawled out of the carriage.
There were thirteen carriages in our caravan, but one was used strictly for storage, one had attendants riding in it, and almost all the others had a mix of students who lived in the same areas. Once they got to said areas, they'd branch off and travel home alone, but it was an extremely convenient way to travel. The ten carriages were strictly for students attending the magic academy. Each held anywhere from four to six students. Of course, that last carriage was mine and Ronak's; we didn't have anyone else riding with us. Not only do I think that Ronak wouldn't tolerate it, but it seemed improper for someone to hitch a ride with their literal archduke.
The esquires all rode their horses that they brought to the knight academy with them, which was neat. I asked Ronak about it, and apparently, many of the horses are technically owned by Ronak but used strictly for military purposes. He lets students who need horses for the academy borrow them as long as they are properly cared for. They, along with the five actual knights guarding Ronak and the thirteen carriage drivers, brought our party total over a hundred. When he said he had people who needed to be fed, he meant it.
"The sleeping beauty wakes from his slumber." Terra snickered as I stretched. It was unusual for me not to see her in either an academy uniform or a fancy dress. Her travel attire was a rather simple dress that looked comfortable for the long journey, plus she had a thick cloak on to protect her when she exited the carriage. Even her sage green twin tails were braided to keep her hair neat. She didn't look bad at all, but it was just so different compared to what I was used to.
I can't believe we have four more days of this. I'm sick of it… I glanced around and noticed that we had stopped in a rather large clearing. Most of the knights had dismounted their horses and had them hitched along the perimeter of the clearing while they sat around campfires. "How long have you all been waiting? You could have woken me up sooner." I noticed it a few days ago, but the knights and the nobles attending the magic academy really didn't mix. There were a few fires that had a mix around them, but the rest either had nobles or knights around them, not both.
Jade came bouncing up next to Terra, wearing a charming traveling dress with a wide leather waist belt and a soft-looking cloak. "Sleepyhead! We've been waiting an hour for food! Big meany archduke said we couldn't wake you up! He even shooed me away from your carriage." Jade! You can't say stuff like that!
Terra beat me to the punch of correcting Jade. It was one thing for me to call him a big meanie, but Jade definitely shouldn't be. "Jade, you need to watch what you say about the Archduke. I know we're friends with Micha, but you're being disrespectful." Jade bashfully looked at the ground as Terra scolded her.
Speaking of the big, scary archduke… where is he? He woke me up and then just disappeared. I glanced around as Terra continued to scold Jade and ended up spotting Ronak. He was under a shade tree talking to Gerard, who was getting plates and bowls prepared for everyone to eat. I guess I'd better go deliver the food as requested.
Before my storage spell, Ronak told me that they simply ate simple rations-like food when they weren't near settlements, but with me around, I was able to store hot, fresh food for everyone. It's been a real highlight of the trip, according to the few people I've overheard.
I slipped away from Jade and Terra and wandered over to deliver the food, but the moment Ronak spotted me, he scowled. "Where is your cloak? It's cold out here." He pulled his cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around me. Because it was custom-made, it completely drowned me in fabric, but I couldn't deny that it was soft and smelled just like Ronak.
"I was warm from napping on the pillows and didn't notice that it was cold. Don't you need this to stay warm? I can pull mine out of my storage." My words said one thing, but my actions said another as I happily wrapped his cloak tighter around me. Hehe, so warm and smelly.
"It's fine, I don't get cold all that easily." I guess that was true… Ronak was a rather big fan of running around shirtless. He slept shirtless, he trained shirtless, and he even would unbutton the top few buttons while working. I mean… I didn't mind the free view, but he must really like being cold.
"What food do you want brought out of storage, Gerard?" I still felt a little weird knowing the truth about Gerard and Olivia, but neither one of them acted strange in the slightest. They've been acting the same since the day we met, so I think it's best not to bring it up…
"Please bring out the soup, breadsticks, and some hot tea. I have everything else ready, my little lord." I stuck out my bottom lip slightly as he referred to me as his little lord. Gah, were him and Olivia ever going to not do that? It's not my fault that Ronak's so tall! He's taller than your average alpha!
"Alright…" I held out my hands, and my shimmering golden storage spell shone above the tables as an intricate rune before depositing exactly what Gerard had requested onto the tables. My spell was so convenient because all the items that went into storage were frozen in time. Of course, in the chilly air, they started releasing steam and delicious scents, so it was up to us to eat it all before it got cold. The instant the food was brought out, people excitedly started wandering in our direction. It was a bit odd to me, but it seemed there was a pecking order. Nobles of higher ranking would get their food before lower ranking ones, and finally, the knights would get theirs. I guess Ronak and I were the weird ones. Sometimes we'd go first, other times, we'd wait. Today I wasn't all that hungry, so I wandered over to stand by Ronak.
I couldn't take just standing next to him, so instead I snuggled up next to him, and eventually his arm wrapped around me. "Are you still half asleep? You're never this cuddly when others are near."
"I didn't want you to get cold…" That was half of the reason why I snuggled up to him… I tried wrapping the cloak around both of us, but because I was a good head shorter than Ronak, I only really managed to wrap it around his torso. "Everyone would be mad at me if you got sick." It was obvious to me how much everyone respected Ronak the moment we left the capital. Gone were the nobles who feared and shunned us. Instead, we were constantly surrounded by nobles who had nothing but respect for Ronak. It was a bit odd to adjust to. The atmosphere was so much more… peaceful. Ronak rarely scowled, grumbled, or growled at the nobles and knights traveling with us. Yeah, he was still rather blunt and rude, but it was completely different behavior compared to how he acted at the academy.
I even heard multiple students raving about how Ronak swooped in and prevented them from getting bullied. I guess I was glad they were impressed with Ronak beating the snot out of people… The one who had the most to say was Benedict. Gosh, he was constantly singing praises for Ronak. It was… sorta getting on my nerves, but I'd never say anything to anyone. I was glad that he thought Ronak was generous and kind, but it felt like a bit much…
"I'm not going to get sick." Ronak scoffed as he pulled my arms off him and guided me over to a large tree next to one of the fires. The knights must have cut down a few trees because multiple logs had been split in half and set around to act as chairs for everyone. Ronak sat down on the log and hauled me into his lap. Since we were covered by Ronak's large cloak, I sat with my legs on either side of Ronak's. I took his cloak, wrapped it around his shoulders, and cuddled close to him. Mmm, that's better. So warm! It would have been better had there not been other people present, but when there were so many people traveling together, it was hardly avoidable.
"Get a room." One of the esquires snickered under their breath as they saw us.
"Archduke Abraxos is making us all jealous that we're single." Whimpered another one of the esquires.
"Speak for yourself. I'm engaged. Count me out of your complaining." That voice sounded familiar. I turned my neck enough so I could see Guerin sitting with his chest puffed out. That's surprising. Someone as young as Guerin getting engaged was uncommon… I guess I was technically engaged, wasn't I? Gah! I-it's still so weird to think about…
"You barely got engaged. It's not too late for her to get a whiff of you and call it off." Someone called over to our campfire, making most everyone laugh. "She might think you stink when you meet her."
"I don't stink," Guerin grumbled. I couldn't help but chuckle. It was funny how obsessed alphas and omegas were with pheromones. However, I would be rather upset if I had an arranged marriage and found out my spouse's pheromones didn't smell good. Being married to them would be difficult. I'm glad Ronak smells so amazing. Like my own personal cherry tree.
"My lord." Gerard approached while holding a mug. At first I thought it was tea, but when it got lowered down to us, I saw that it was soup. We weren't exactly sitting in a way that was good for bowls, were we? Ronak pulled the cloak down just far enough so he could pull his arms out and accept the soup. I thought he was going to eat it, but instead, he gently blew on it and offered it to me.
I was rather embarrassed, but I opened my mouth and accepted the yummy food. It was rich and creamy with loads of vegetables. Ronak would probably be pleased with how healthy it was. He was so picky about what I did and didn't eat after all. He kept feeding me a spoonful and then would take a bite for himself. I tried to focus just on Ronak, but we were drawing quite a bit of ire from the jealous single people. Ronak wasn't tolerating it at all, though. All it took was one quick growl, and they were silenced right up.
"Do you bastards need to run laps before settling into the barracks?" Ronak snapped. Oh, were the esquires not going home? I thought everyone was going home for the winter break. I know they're future knights, but I was surprised to hear that they weren't spending time with their families. Especially with Winterfest coming up.
Ronak's comment made all of them fall silent. To be fair, although I think I would be more embarrassed than jealous to see a couple cuddling and sharing food, I could see why they were upset. Ronak wasn't hiding his affection at all, and while I was embarrassed, I guess I had grown used to Ronak's antics. He cared very little for who was around and had only become sweeter in recent months after the incident. I didn't hate it at all. I-I really liked Ronak being so cute.
Ronak handed off our now-empty mug to Gerard, and I snuggled my head against Ronak's chest. "You don't need to be so mean. They were just teasing; let them rest a little once we make it to Ebonhold. Eight days is a long time to travel like this."
"They'd best be grateful that my omega is forgiving." I heard some nervous mutterings of yes, sir across the way and let out a little scoff. Wasn't I just thinking about how sweet you were? Stop being a crab. "How long does it take you to get to your hometown from the capital?" Huh? Oh, I'm surprised he's curious.
"Mmm," As I rested my head against Ronak's chest, I listened to the sound of his heart thumping away. "Once, I managed to hitch a ride with a traveling salesman who was going past, and it only took five days with little to no stopping. Other times when I've had to figure things out as I went, it's taken six or seven." The capital sat a bit more north and wasn't located in the center of Draedor, so I didn't have that long of a journey to travel home. "It just depends."
Ronak fiddled with the hem of my shirt under the cloak as he listened to me. "Your family never sends a carriage for you?"
"Can't. I normally go home in the summer, remember? That's the time of year my father gets called to meetings, so he uses the carriage. We only have one horse, so it's not like I have a lot of options." Ronak's hands snuck up my shirt as they rubbed circles around on my back.
"Are there no nobles in the area you can ride with?" Pft, Ronak was really struggling to understand what it was like not being wealthy. I've gotten rather spoiled living his extravagant lifestyle with him, not that it's been the easiest adjustment for me. Just the other day, I asked if we needed to start packing up our wardrobe for the move, and Ronak gave me a rather strange look. I was pretty shocked to hear that there was a new, fully stocked wardrobe waiting for us at the dukedom. Of course, I brought all my personal stuff with me, but a lot of things were left at the capital estate for our return.
I chuckled softly as I nuzzled my cold nose against his neck. "No, when I got accepted at the academy, it was a pretty big deal. No other nobles we live near have been able to send their children to the academy. In my opinion, you're the odd one. Arranging a travel caravan and giving out scholarships. It's pretty strange, Ronak." It wasn't like him in the slightest. Who was this man, and what did he do with the big meanie I knew so well?
Ronak let out a bit of a grumble as I continued to press my cold nose into the crook of his neck. "I started giving out scholarships so that I'd have people to help run the dukedom when my father stepped down." Ew, I didn't like Ronak referring to that man as his father, but the people around us weren't aware that he wasn't Ronak's biological father. So he had no choice but to refer to him as such. "After a few years, I ended up arranging the traveling caravan when some of the scholarship students were struggling to make it to the capital. Nowadays, it's just rather convenient to travel this way. Safety isn't a concern for anyone, and I provide rations for people to eat. I just hope the seeds I've sown actually produce fruit one day." Robak said the last bit rather creepily, which sent a shiver down my spine. I sat up a bit to see him glaring at the people around the clearing. Gosh, being nice just isn't his thing, is it?
"Remember that scared saplings don't grow very fast." Ronak didn't even blink at my comment, so I grabbed his face and pulled him back towards me. "Stop giving everyone a hard time. You're supposed to be chatting with me."
"I am chatting with you, but based on the silence, there are a lot of ears listening in to our conversation." Oh… now that Ronak points it out, it was rather quiet for over a hundred people milling about. I turned slightly to peek, and almost all the people at our fire circle had pink faces, which were pointed anywhere but at us. The other people near us were all turned and looking away, too. Talk about being completely obvious.
"It's not like we're talking about anything particularly interesting." I snickered as I lay my head back down against Ronak's chest.
"I guess not…" Ronak let out a bit of a sigh and wrapped his arms snuggly around me. "Shit, there's a lot to get done this winter break…" Ronak mumbled under his breath, but what he said caught my attention.
"Can I help?"
"Hardly. Besides, you'll be busy learning about all the families who live in the dukedom this winter." I frowned slightly, and despite just getting comfortable, I sat up and gave Ronak a slightly annoyed look.
"Can't I help with things other than that? I know there are a lot of families, but I'm not going to spend every waking hour of the day studying."
"You're that determined to help, huh?" I nodded my head excitedly, and Ronak raised an eyebrow. "Okay then. You can work on learning all the nobles in the dukedom, then what exports and imports Ebonhold specializes in, the geographical landscape of the dukedom, plus the political landscape, how to deal with commoner requests, how to host charity events, hosting noble social events, can't forget about public engagements, and then you can learn how to manage the staff and record books for all of five estates. After you get all that under control, then you can help manage Elutra with me." I don't know what was worse, Ronak looking more and more tired the longer he talked, or my jaw slowly falling off as I listened.
"What?" I was so stunned that I could hardly find any words to say. What sort of list was that?! It just kept going on and on.
Ronak chuckled and gave me a slight squeeze. "I know you're a guy and wouldn't become an archduchess, but that's the stuff an archduchess would normally manage. I've been handling all that plus my responsibilities as an archduke since I was about ten. That doesn't count anything I do for Elutra either. If you want to help, I recommend starting there."
I knew I wasn't going to be able to sit around all day and nap as Ronak's fiancée, but holy cow, that was a lot to throw at someone. "I-I'll try my best…" My eyes felt the size of dinner plates as I looked at Ronak.
Ronak laughed again and pulled his hand out of the cloak so he could pat the top of my head. "I admire the enthusiasm, but you don't need to rush into anything. I have everything under control, so you can take your time learning. I doubt you've ever helped with anything like this before, have you?"
"No…" I-I'm not completely useless! I swear! "I planted a g-garden last summer…" Ack! That wasn't impressive at all! Why did I say that?! I slowly slid down so I was hiding in the cloak. I was a bit too aware of everyone listening now… Besides learning medical knowledge so I could wield light magic better, I was never given any responsibilities by my parents. I don't think marriage ever crossed mine or my parents' brains…
"And yet you act like vegetables might kill you at the academy."
"I-I do not! I just prefer sweets." I mumbled from my hiding spot.
Ronak scoffed, and it was hard to tell from my angle, but I'm pretty sure he rolled his eyes. "Alright, enough casual conversations. We're wasting daylight. Get loaded up and ready to travel." His comment was more of an announcement to everyone than it was to me. Ronak was probably trying to distract people from my stupidity. Ugh… I need to learn to stop talking!
My face was pretty pink, but I pulled myself off Ronak's lap. I tried to give him his cloak back, but he told me to keep it. Guess we were getting back into the heated carriages so he'd be fine… I did my job of putting the dirty dishes into storage for the attendants and headed back over to the carriage. Though… I still have a bit of time before we depart. I think I should be able to make it back in time…
I had snuck over to the attendant's carriage and had the far door cracked so I could slide one of my pouches of cookies onto the seat. Right as I clicked the door closed, I turned around to see Olivia staring at me with her wide, pearlescent eyes. "I had a feeling that it was you putting cookies in here after every lunch."
"Ack! Olivia… What are you doing over here?!" I fidgeted uncomfortably, but it wasn't like I was doing anything inherently bad…
Olivia snickered and pointed to the ground where Ronak's cloak was dragging the ground like a fancy skirt. Gah! Ronak's going to be mad that I got his favorite cloak dirty! "I noticed something lurking behind our carriage and came to investigate."
"I just wanted to leave them as thanks. You all have been working so hard for us… Has everyone been enjoying them?" I fiddled with my fingers and looked at Olivia, who was all smiles.
"You're far too kind to be a real noble, but yes, they have been enjoyed." Knights were getting into position, and I could hear the bustling of the other carriages around us. "You'd better scurry over to your carriage. I doubt my lord will be happy if you're missing."
"Right… Please make sure they're enjoyed." I hitched up Ronak's cloak so I wouldn't trip and headed back towards the front of the caravan where our carriage was located.
As my foot caught the first rung, my ears picked up the sound of Ronak's voice. "You'll have to wait for additional materials until we arrive at the estate."
"Yes, of course, Archduke Abraxos! I'll keep perusing this book until we arrive. Sorry to bother you over something so trivial." I couldn't help but make a bit of a face as I heard Benedict's voice along with Ronak's. I peeked around the corner and sure enough Benedict was standing there with a rather large book in his arms and wide starry eyes that stared up at Ronak. His dark brown hair almost covered his muddy brown eyes, but I was able to see and recognize that gaze in his eyes.
When I first saw Benedict, I had a hard time believing that he was an alpha. He had such a slender build that he didn't fit the standard. I thought for a second he was an omega like me, but I accidentally caught a whiff of him and thought I was dying. It was the most rancid thing I've ever smelled in my life. Ronak even chastised me for smelling other alphas as if almost vomiting wasn't punishment enough. It's not my fault, alphas go around wafting their stink everywhere!!
"Shouldn't you be in the carriage by now?" Gah! I was so lost in thought that I never noticed Benedict scurry off, nor Ronak approach.
I wasn't completely sure why I felt so annoyed, but I did, and Ronak didn't help either. I let out an annoyed huff and stormed into the carriage so I could flop down amongst my pillows.
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Ronak
I gave the signal for the caravan to start moving as Benedict made his way to the staff carriage. My attention was being fully consumed by Micha's emotions, though. The hell was he feeling jealous of? It started when I was talking to Benedict… I sat down and noticed that Micha was facing the opposite direction from me. "Why are you jealous over an alpha?" I just couldn't process why talking to Benedict would upset him, so he needed to shed some light on it for me.
"I'm not jealous!" He snapped. I noticed out of the corner of my eye as I glanced out the window that he peeked over at me. Was he dumb? It was obvious that he was jealous. I felt the damn feeling all the fucking time. I just couldn't comprehend why he was feeling it right now.
"Oh, but you are. I know the feeling all too well. Each time you utter a word to another alpha, it consumes me like torturous flames. Benedict is an alpha, though. The idea of being interested in him is horrendous." Embarrassment started to flood Micha's senses, and he fidgeted nervously.
"Th-then why are you sharing books with him and chatting all the time?" Micha turned toward me with a flushed face and stared at me with wide eyes. I don't fucking chat with him all the time. Talk about being melodramatic.
"Do you know why I decided to send him to the magic academy when I hadn't sent any in the past?" I strummed my fingers on my knee and paused to pull the last window blind closed as I shifted to better face Micha. Light was still streaming in around the edges, but it did make the carriage rather dim.
"No…" Of course, he wouldn't know. He's jumping to conclusions again, but it was rather cute seeing him become confused by my slight shift in topic.
"He has interesting magic that's a bit rare. Some nasty people were using it to their advantage, so I essentially saved him and am making use of him for my own benefit. He's a bit too grateful for the opportunity, but it will wear off over time. Remember, I'm trying to see if some of the seeds I planted bear fruit, so if all it takes is providing him with books, I'm fine with obliging. That's where my interest in him begins and ends. Though if we're talking about my interests," I leaned over and grabbed Micha's butt through my cloak. Damn, the way his body squirms and the expression he makes is never going to get old, is it? "I'm rather interested in making love to you."
The carriage conveniently hit a hole in the road as it rattled along, so I used it as an opportunity to 'fall' down onto the floor with Micha. I wasn't actually going to go that far with him because I'd have to kill anyone who heard his moans of pleasure, but the expression he made as I went about making myself comfortable next to him was pretty funny. Damn, it was cramped down here. Not that it was designed for people to lie down here… I managed to be slightly comfortable by throwing my leg over Micha's and pressing my back against the bench's front. It was tight, but I didn't mind being so pressed up against Micha.
Micha pulled my cloak slightly up and over me, which was highly unnecessary. I made sure before we left the capital that my carriage was outfitted with plenty of heating enchantments to keep Micha warm in the winter. I cupped his face between my hands and leaned forward slightly so I could kiss his forehead. "You're the only one I'm interested in, so I wish you wouldn't be jealous over silly things. I love you, remember?"
Micha's gaze darted away from me as his face went pink. "Th-then you should stop being jealous too…"
"Oh? Are you saying that you love me too?" My grin only widened as Micha's face turned even pinker. Heh, he still hadn't admitted anything to me, but it was obvious from how cuddly and clingy he's gotten that his feelings have developed.
"N-no!" He managed to squeak.
I didn't want to tease him anymore and make him skittish, so I rolled my eyes and leaned in rather close. "That's good, because I want to hear it properly one day." Micha started to panic, but as my lips met his velvety soft ones, the anxiety within him faded away. Fuck, he always tastes so damn good. Was he even wearing vanilla lip balm? Shit. He was like a drug I never knew was missing from my life. Micha shifted to sit up slightly as our tongues began to intertwine and play with one another, but it was like the fates themselves were jealous. The carriage hit a bump in the road, and like always, Micha went careening. Except he didn't just fall to the side, his head popped up and bashed against mine like a coconut. I wasn't all that bothered, but Micha wasn't feeling the same way.
"Owie!" He whined as he fell back onto his bed of pillows. I couldn't help but laugh as Micha rubbed the now red spot on his head. "These stupid roads are going to be the death of me!" As if to mock us even further, the carriage went over a bump and the ride instantly became smooth. So we've arrived. "Wh-what?!" Micha sat up with wide, startled eyes and gave me a rather confused look.
I pulled his hand up and gently kissed it with a smile on my lips. "Welcome to my dukedom, where we see value in paved roads." I snickered slightly and released his hand. The dumb look on his face only made me laugh more. Why he puffs up his cheeks like that is a mystery, but it was rather adorable.
The more I laughed, the more his face scrunched up. "Your head is too hard!" He rubbed the red spot on his forehead, and I leaned over to run my thumb over it as I continued to snicker.
"You should be grateful my horn wasn't out. It probably would have knocked you unconscious."
"I'm glad you're finding my pain so hilarious." Micha was clearly annoyed with me, but I couldn't help it. "When you introduce me to people, you're going to get to explain why you have such a hard head." He snapped.
My laughter dissipated at his comment. Damn, I forgot that he bruises so easily. "You don't think it's going to bruise, do you?"
"Oh, so now you're worried?" He gave me a rather perturbed look, and I let out a soft sigh.
"I'm always worried about you." I leaned forward so I could gently kiss his sore forehead. "You're so accident-prone. I can't even believe your parents would let you travel to the capital alone. You have no sense of self-preservation."
"I do too! Besides, I've never had that many problems with betas, and the few I did backed off real fast once they discovered that I could use magic." Micha stuck out his chest slightly as a wave of confidence passed by him, but it faded rather fast. "I've just never been around alphas that weren't recessive. I wasn't aware how dangerous you were." He gave me a rather blunt look as he emphasised you.
A small grin began to form in the corners of my lips. "You're right. I am a dangerous and hungry beast." I grabbed hold of the sweater he was wearing and tugged it down to reveal his shoulder. The marks I had given him before we left the capital were starting to fade, which was totally unacceptable. Yeah, he has a beautiful golden mark that adorns his body from me, but I wanted everyone to know just how much he was mine. My teeth sank into Micha's shoulder, and a small gasp escaped his lips as his body lightly shivered.
"Wait!" Micha nervously breathed.
"Not happening." Despite wanting to strip him naked, I wasn't going to do that. I was even having to hold back from making a mess of his skin because I didn't want him crying out. I, however, needed to let off a little steam. Asking me to go almost four days without fucking Micha was torturous. We made love almost every night these days, and I was itching to make him squeal once again. I should have just hauled Micha off into the forest and had my way with him where no one could hear.
"Ronak, mphf!" I silenced Micha with a kiss. He was enjoying every second of this, too, wasn't he? Fuck. Forget paperwork. This was way more fun.
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Micha
I was barely able to drag my body from the carriage by the time we stopped for the night. My clothes were all disheveled, and I felt like a mess, but Ronak whipped his cloak around me with a grin. This meanie! He really is a dangerous and hungry beast. I thought all he was going to do was bite me, but no. He made a mess of both my shoulders, squeezed and massaged my butt for hours, making me uncomfortably wet, and worst of all, he pulled my pants down so he could grind his beast against mine. I thought I was going to die. Each time I'd make even the slightest sound, he'd kiss me with such force, I thought my soul would leave my body. I thought the carriage was going to leave me battered and bruised, not Ronak.
"Micha, are you alright? You look ill." Terra wandered over to where I was huddled with a look of concern.
It wasn't like I was going to say what Ronak did to me… "I got a bit motion sick. I thought I was going to hurl."
"That's odd, I would have thought the bumpy capital roads would have bothered you more, but you seemed fine earlier." Terra tilted her head to the side and gave me an odd look.
I took a second to glare over at Ronak, who looked completely unfazed as he gave orders out. Such a meanie! "I wasn't feeling great at lunch time either… That's why I was napping. I think the rough capital roads helped to distract me from my sickness by tossing me about, and the smooth dukedom roads heightened it." H-hopefully that was believable. I didn't know what else to tell her. I didn't actually get motion sickness while riding in carriages, but she didn't know that.
"I see. Well, I hope you get a good night's sleep here. The nicer beds should leave you feeling refreshed." They probably would. Just the exterior of this inn far exceeded that of any of the inns we have stayed in so far. I could only imagine how nice the interior was.
"Here is your room key, my lord," Gerard said as he approached Ronak, who was finishing up talking to the carriage drivers.
"Have dinner delivered to our room. Micha isn't feeling well." The corner of Ronak's lying lips turned up into a smile as he glanced over to me. So he did listen in on our conversation.
"Yes, of course, my lord." Gerard bowed his head and headed off to help oversee the esquire's luggage. Most everyone had their own luggage on the back of their carriage, but the esquires had theirs in the spare carriage to help ease their horses' journeys.
"Shall we go get some rest?" That smile that had started forming on Ronak's face was complete now. I-I'm not getting any actual sleep, am I? "I was going to show you around Swansburg, but it seems you're feeling too ill."
"Whose fault is that?" I grumbled as Ronak guided me inside. Just as I thought, this place was rather fancy for an inn. It must only cater to nobility… The fireplace that was crackling away in the corner was incredibly cozy, and there were tables set around for people to eat at. Guess we wouldn't be coming back here until morning, though, since Ronak wants our meal brought to our room.
Ronak completely ignored my comment as we went up the stairs. "Swansburg is one of the larger cities in Ebonhold. I'd say it's one of the big three."
"Big three?" I asked as we went up a second flight of stairs. Admittedly, I didn't know much about Ronak's dukedom.
"There are three major cities in my dukedom. First of course, is Ebonhold." That made sense. It was Ronak's dukedom capital. "Second is Cloudbrook." I had never heard of that city before. "It sits right on the empire's western border and deals with all incoming and outgoing trade that comes from other countries. Due to the landscape of the western border, it really is the only place to cross unless you want to deal with savage monsters or sandy deserts. Lastly is Swansburg. They make up a sort of belt across my dukedom, but since all three have their hands so heavily in imports and exports, they're thriving." Huh. I'd have to see a map for it to make complete sense, but I was following what he was saying.
"That's interesting. The northern dukedom, from what I know, specializes in lumber."
"That it does. While my dukedom could do more lumber exports, it could never catch up to the sheer volume the north does." We arrived at our bedroom door, and Ronak opened it for me. Whoa, this place was incredibly nice.
The room was nice and large with a bed for two in the center and side tables on either side. There was even a small dining set near the entrance of the room. I, however, was far more interested in face planting it into the bed. Oooh, soft. "This place is incredibly fancy," I said as I turned my head to the side.
"That's because it's a branch of the Cerulean Meadows Inn. They're organized by the innkeepers' guild." Ronak must have picked up on my confusion because he chuckled as he worked on kicking off his boots. "I'm a shareholder. That's why I know so much about them."
I sat up a bit so I could give Ronak a puzzled look. "What aren't you involved in?!" The more I got to know Ronak as we traveled to his dukedom, the more I realized that he was a book that I had simply skimmed over. I didn't truly know him at all, did I?
Ronak scoffed as he stood from the dining set chair and unbuttoned his shirt slightly. "You have to realize, I was a bored, wealthy teen who was avoiding the duke as much as possible."
"That doesn't explain how you're a shareholder." Was Ronak just throwing money places or something?
He came and sat down on the bed next to me and looked out the window. "Hmm, I believe I was at a bar when I met the kid. He yammered on and on about some dream he had to run an inn. I threw some money at him out of curiosity, but he didn't squander it. Instead, he turned that little bit of money I gave him into a highly successful chain of inns, and he established the innkeeper guild. I think his current goal is to standardize inns across the empire, or at least that's what the most recent letter I got from him said." Ronak shrugged as if he was simply talking about the weather.
I sat up and poked his side so he'd look at me. "What other cookie jars have you stuck your big mitts into?"
His brow furrowed for a moment. "That's an odd way of referring to business ventures…"
"Just answer the question," I grumbled. His eyes met mine, and he let out a soft scoff.
"Obviously, because of Elutra, I'm involved in many things. I own lots of quartz mines for glass making, many farms for herbs, and mines for the production of metals. I have a small unit of paid adventurers who gather monster parts for me, and I have all the brewing factories that produce potions. If you're asking about ventures I'm not directly involved in, then there's the inns, the innkeeper guild, a brand of cosmetics, a soap manufacturer, a printing company, a jeweler, and a few other small things." Huh?
I flopped down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. "I-I don't know you at all…" Who was this man?! How did I not know any of this?!
"I told you I was bored." Ronak leaned over so he was within my sight. "I'm not directly involved in those other things. I simply funded their idea or sold an idea that I had while working on Elutra. They've all paid me back tenfold, and now they simply keep me updated or send me new products from time to time. That's where I got that ruby necklace of yours." Oh, the one he gave me when I went to dinner with his family?
"That doesn't make me feel better. I-I feel so boring…" I tried rolling to the side so I didn't have to look at Ronak's pretty crimson eyes, but he stopped me from doing so.
"We've lived completely different lives for twenty years. I don't expect you to know everything there is to know about me. Just like I don't know everything there is to know about you." Ronak grabbed my chin and pulled it towards him as I tried to look away. "Nor should you be comparing yourself to me. It might sound charming and interesting, but it wasn't. I'd much rather live a simple life like you had."
A knock on the door pulled Ronak's attention away from me. He left the bed to answer the door, and I rolled back to my stomach. I-I know I shouldn't compare, but it just feels odd. I thought I was finally getting to know Ronak really well, but now I feel like I'm starting from nothing all over again…
Gerard entered our room to drop off our traveling bags for the night. "My lord, you've received a dinner invite from the Swansburg's earl. What would you like me to tell the messenger?"
"I already told you, did I not? We're having dinner in our room. The journey has been long, and I have to imagine that the last place Micha wants to get hauled to is dinner with someone he doesn't know." I peeked over to Ronak, who had his arms crossed.
"Yes, of course."
"I-if you want to go, we can." I didn't want to be the reason that Ronak didn't go.
"You already announced that you weren't feeling well. If we left, it would seem suspicious. The key to lying is to follow through." I furrowed my brow and glanced over to Ronak, who had a smirk on his face.
"I will bring dinner up in a moment." Gerard bowed his head and left.
"You know that from experience?" I asked as I watched the door close behind Gerard.
"A little. You met the bastard I had to grow up with. Being a good liar was key." That sure didn't make me feel warm and fuzzy. Ronak let out a big sigh and wandered back over to where I was splayed out. "My, my, my. So many big feelings from you today. What's bothering you now?"
"Does that mean you lie to me all the time?"
"No, of course not. What good would that do for me? All it would do would make you hate me." I had no way to tell if he was lying or not, so I simply had to rely on his words. "Alright, enough of this cloak. I want to be able to see you." He started peeling his cloak off of me, and I let out a little squeal. Noooo! I liked it a lot! "We should finish what we started." He grumbled as he yanked it out from underneath me.
"Ronak! There are people d-downstairs!" I did notice that our room was the only one on the third level, but that meant that any rooms below us would be able to hear what we were up to! I tried scurrying away from Ronak, but he grabbed my ankles and dragged me back across the bed.
He leaned down, pressing himself against me so he could grab my chin and pull my head back. His voice was rather gravelly as he whispered into my ear. "Then don't moan so loudly. Those pleasurable sounds are for my ears only." His free hand slid up under my shirt and grabbed my chest. I couldn't help but make a soft squeal as he massaged me. "Heh, you're always so sensitive. It's so fucking hot." It's sensitive because you teased it earlier! His breath was hot on my ear as he gently nibbled my earlobe. "I won't be too rough; you have to have energy to break in our new bed with me." Ack! I-I mean… It was hard to ignore what I was actively feeling pressed against my butt, but I was fearful of his weird desire to christen our new bed. Just what sort of thoughts were running through his head?
"H-haven't you done enough already?!" My body was incredibly sore from him nibbling and gnawing on it for half the day. Besides, did we not sorta make love in the carriage?! I let out a soft whimper as his hand released my jaw and gently rubbed my shoulder.
"I could never get enough of you." Ronak sat up, and his shirt landed on the opposite side of the bed. I was pretty startled as he pulled mine off and tossed it in the same location.
I rolled to the side to see him pulling his pants off. H-he was serious, wasn't he? "What about Gerard? Isn't he coming back with food?"
"I told him that I'd let him know when we wanted our food." Ronak tapped his head as he stepped closer to me. Gah! You can't cheat and talk to Gerard through your telepathy! I don't know if I'm really into doing something so personal here! Ronak didn't seem to be bothered, though, as he pulled my pants down and ground against me. I already knew from him leaning against me that he was hard, but only having a thin piece of fabric between us was tantalizing.
Despite being slightly uncomfortable, it was like Ronak was doing everything in his power to make me excited. He knew exactly what I liked and how to get me turned on. It wasn't fair at all! It was a battle I didn't stand a chance in. I rolled to my back and, as Ronak excitedly leaned down, I wrapped my arms and legs around him. His hand drifted down my torso and began teasing me relentlessly. "Ch-cheater." I mumbled into his ear as his pheromones tickled my nose.
"I'd cheat life, death, and even the gods if this is the reward. You're so damn cute." Ronak leaned up a little so he could stare down at the mess he was making me into. I was panting and desperately trying not to make any sounds while my face was bright pink, yet Ronak's eyes were greedy for more. "Fuck I'm glad you're mine-"
A knock on the door froze us in our tracks. Ronak looked off into the distance for a moment before a nasty scowl appeared on his face. What? Was it not Gerard or Olivia at the door?
Ronak stood all the way up and glanced back over at me. "Get under the covers. I'll pluck the eyes from anyone who sees you." Th-that didn't sound like an idle threat… I did as he asked as Ronak pulled his pants back on. Pft, he was barely able to zip them halfway up because of his boner. Eventually, he gave up and tossed his shirt on. Apparently, he was going for the 'I'm in the middle of changing' look. Gah, his hair was a mess from me running my hands through it… oops.
He looked over at the bed to make sure I was hidden before heading toward the door. I'd hate to be on the other side and have to be greeted by the face Ronak was making. There's that old wives' tale that looks can kill, and Ronak's face sure looked like he was out for blood.
I didn't want to be seen, so I stayed facing the wall with the covers pulled all the way up and over my head. "Greet-tings s-sir…" I could be wrong, but that voice did sound like Guerin. I was no way going to peek, though.
"The fuck do you want?!" Ronak angrily snapped.
It didn't take much to imagine the poor look on the esquire's faces. They were probably horrified. Guerin's confidence completely fizzled out, though the longer he talked. "We were seeking permission to explore the town… Your private knights said that we had to… ask you since we aren't th-their esquires-"
"I don't give two fucking shits what you do! Just don't get goddamn drunk! If you're not sober in the damn morning, I'll make you fucking walk back to Ebonhold!" Ronak snapped. "Spread the word that I best not be bothered for the rest of the fucking evening or I'll have you run so many goddamn laps that your legs fall off!" The poor esquires all yelped as Ronak started to growl, and I heard the sound of rustling as Ronak slammed the door.
I rubbed my thighs together for a moment and rolled to watch Ronak angrily growling at the closed door. "You didn't need to be that mean."
Ronak whipped towards me with annoyance in his eyes. As he stormed over to the bed, he kicked and ripped the rest of his clothes off. "I don't appreciate being interrupted over such trivial questions." He snarled. By the time Ronak slid under the comforter with me, he was completely naked. I scooted over to him, but his arms darted over and quickly dragged me to him. "This is far more important to me than the sobriety of some esquires."
I couldn't help but giggle as Ronak nibbled on my bare neck. "Oh yeah? I'm that important to you, huh?"
"What a dumb question." He snapped.
"Someone's still feeling a bit crabby." I shimmied my way onto Ronak like a starfish on a rock and stared down at his angry eyes. Instead of responding to me, he let out a bit of a growl. "Aw, who's so grumpy? Ack!"
Ronak rolled, pinning me underneath him. "You're the only thing I find important in the entire world," Ronak grumbled as he reached his hand down and started rubbing circles with his middle finger around my bum. I-I was? Gosh… That would have been so romantic had he said it while not agitated.
"Hey! A-are you trying to rile me up or drill a hole? Settle down a little." Ronak did slow down a smidgen, but he had this gruff urgency to him. "N-not so rough," I whined again as his second finger tried to press into me at the same time as his first.
Ronak's hand pulled away from me, and he shook his head. "I think my rut is approaching." A-again? I guess his last one was in early summer… Gosh, so much time has passed.
"So you have ruts twice a year?" Was it because he's dominant? That's not very often. I thought my four times a year was odd.
Ronak gave me a slightly perturbed look. "This is what you want to talk about?"
"Y-you brought it up…" I wrapped my arms around his neck and tugged as I tried to convince him to lie down beside me. "I think it will be a good opportunity for you to calm down."
Ronak let out a frustrated grunt, but lay down beside me like I wanted. "Yeah, I usually go into rut in the summer and winter. I get… a bit more aggressive during the lead up." Is that why Ronak was so dang crabby in the dungeon?
It was a bit hard to think with Ronak still rubbing me rather aggressively, but at least he was calming down. "Oh… Th-that's probably why I missed my heat-"
Ronak's hands popped off of me, and he sat up in bed faster than he ever had before. He gave me a rather concerned look as his face turned panicked. "What?"
"I-it was around when we asked Doctor Rayner to come to the estate… That's why I was in such a panic… b-but he said our heat and rut cycles should line up because we're bonded, remember?" Ronak's concern slowly stopped flooding my senses, and he lay back down beside me. I just assumed it was normal after missing my usual heat cycle.
"Don't make me fucking panic like that." Pft, he's so tense. I snuggled closer to him and managed to wiggle my leg between his. "Is that why you've been so cuddly?" Huh? Ronak rubbed his foot against the one I wrangled between his legs. "You've been getting rather clingy, not that I hate it." Ronak's hands resumed exploring my body, and I couldn't help but scoot even closer to him… M-maybe I have been a bit clingy…
"I-I don't know… I've never really been around anyone during my heat…" It's not like I had anyone I was interested in before Ronak. My hands nervously traveled down his chest and stomach, pausing before Ronak's dick. I was still rather hesitant about initiating things, but I brought myself to carefully touch him. Gosh, he was so embarrassingly huge compared to me. I thought he was going to snuff me out earlier when he was rubbing his on mine in the carriage. Even my fingertips barely lace when wrapped around his shaft. H-how does this fit inside me again?!
I let out a little gasp as I noticed Ronak watching me closely. "Don't stop. It's a rare occasion when you do stuff like this. Besides, you're clearly enjoying it." I-I was? More like I was struggling to process how something this big didn't reorganize my internal organs each time you swing your hips. I'd say I was intimidated more than finding it enjoyable.
Despite wanting to pull away, I found it in me to continue rubbing. He really liked it when I laced my fingers together and used my thumbs to massage his tip. Ronak rewarded my little massage by giving me one of my own. Well, sorta. He was back at it, massaging my bottom. Though this time he was being far more gentle.
"I-I c-can't-!" Ronak had a whopping four fingers wedged inside me, and I was barely holding onto his dick. I was so distracted by what he was doing to me that I was struggling to breathe.
"That's okay. I think you're plenty ready for me." Yeah, wh-whatever j-just get on with it… Ronak pulled his fingers out and pushed me over onto my stomach. I nervously pulled the pillow in close to help block my voice as Ronak's tip teasingly ran up and down my bottom.
"I-in! P-put it in!" I whimpered. He's teased me enough for a lifetime! Stop draggin' it out! Wasn't he the one desperate to make love a moment ago?
"I couldn't be happier to oblige." Ronak started pressing into me, and I let out a rather loud moan into the pillow. "You've gotta be way quieter," Ronak grunted into my ear. I nodded my head, but it was so hard to do as he asked. Every time a vein along his shaft would slip inside, I would flinch and make an embarrassing sound. Finally, Ronak let out an annoyed growl and stuck his hand in my face. "Bite down as hard as you can."
I nodded my head and claimed the second knuckle on his pointer finger as mine. It was the finger I bit twice before, and I sure wasn't going to turn it down for a third time. Also, I noticed the second time around that Ronak really likes it when I bite him and leave marks. He stares at them and runs his fingers over the pattern I leave behind for days after. It was a bit cute to see him do it.
Despite focusing on biting Ronak as hard as possible, I still let out a slight, muffled cry as Ronak began thrusting rather hard. I wasn't sure if it was residual irritation from the esquires or his approaching rut, but he hasn't been this rough in a long time. I-I liked it, but it would have been more enjoyable if we were somewhere more private where I didn't have to muffle my voice. We should have just waited until we made it to the dukedom estate in four days.
My back arched, causing my stomach to press into the bed, and my hips popped up to meet Ronak's as my brain was consumed with tingles. Even though I was trying my hardest, I still accidentally let out a rather loud cry. Apparently, Ronak was feeling it too because as the sensation started to fade, I noticed a new full feeling overwhelming me, but… he didn't even knot, which was honestly odd. Okay, it wasn't normal for alphas to knot every time, but Ronak had been recently, so the fact that he didn't was abnormal to me.
Ronak slid out of me and flopped down onto the bed next to me. He was breathing slightly heavily, but nothing compared to how he normally does. "Why are you so stressed?"
I squirmed over and rested my head against his chest as I caught my breath. His heart was beating surprisingly fast for how unbothered he seemed. "I-I don't like being at an inn… and I… like it better… when I can… be… l-loud…" I was pretty embarrassed about admitting it, and the fact that I was still actively panting didn't help.
"I… didn't mean to force you… I like it too when I can hear your adorable cries. I was just feeling pent up…" Ronak gently rubbed my back as he let out a frustrated grunt. "I've noticed that you don't like inns…" Nope, I didn't like them at all. I've heard way too many stories about people breaking in through the door, and it stresses me out. I was quite the heavy sleeper, and if that happened to me, I would be in a bad situation. I don't think it would happen at this inn, though. This place seems relatively nice. I opened my mouth to speak, and my stomach ended up growling. As if my face wasn't pink enough! "Fuck, I even got impatient and ignored dinner… Shall we get washed up and eat?"
"I-I was just about to say that." Ronak left me feeling all sorts of sticky. I wanted nothing more than a nice hot bath, but… "Does the inn have a bath we can use?"
Ronak pointed towards the wall where a door was tucked away. Oh, I guess I never noticed it earlier. "There's one in the room."
"Th-then let's go get cleaned up."
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Ronak
Shit. I should have controlled myself a bit better. I didn't mean to force Micha to do something he didn't want to do, but I was so incredibly riled up from our carriage ride, and knowing that this inn has decent soundproofing didn't help either. The only pleasant thing to come from that was hearing that Micha likes to be loud. Fuck I could get hard from just thinking about it. I guess he has gotten used to crying out, however he pleases at the capital estate, so it's probably a habit at this point. Not that it was a habit I cared for him to break.
"Are you upset with me?" I asked. It was hard to ignore Micha just absentmindedly poking around his plate of food. I don't think I did anything to upset him in the bath. I even washed his hair for him and assisted as he pulled his beautiful golden locks up into a bun. He seemed in a fine mood then…
His eyes darted over to me, and a little smile formed in the corners of his lips. "What? No." He snickered. "I was just thinking about what you said." The tops of Micha's cheeks started to get a light blush to them, which only succeeded in making me more curious.
"I said something?" I've said many things this evening. He has to be more specific if he expects to hold a conversation.
"Yeah, you said your rut is approaching…" Micha's golden eyes slowly drifted away from me as his cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. "Wh-what are we going to do?" Ah… That's a valid question. Neither of us are interested in having kids right now, at least that's the impression Micha gave me when we last talked. Though… it was less of a talk and more of me teasing him the entire time. I'll have to cross that bridge eventually since Micha wants kids, but I'd at least like to delay it for a while. We weren't even married.
"I'll probably have the knights lock me in the dungeon and have Olivia lock you in the room." Micha's eyes instantly darted back to me, and his eyebrows furrowed to the point of almost touching.
"I-I'm not trying to poke holes in your plans… b-but you can easily move around with your travel spell and I can teleport…" Well fuck. He wasn't completely wrong. Those two spells would indeed cause us problems.
"I guess we could resort to ability tranquilizers." The moment tranquilizers left my mouth, Micha's face scrunched up in horror and disgust. Guess he didn't like the last experience we had with one, granted, they were damn foul. Like some mad scientist mixed every pheromone in existence. I even lost my breakfast over the smell.
"I-I'd rather not…"
"I wouldn't use one on you." Like I'd let anything that foul come into our room, nor would I subject Micha to something so awful. Micha became a bit less tense, but he was still eyeing me with suspicion. "You don't have the slightest idea where the estate's dungeon is, so it's not like you can teleport there. That's half of our problem solved, and if I have some brave betas, chuck those ability tranquilizers at me every so often through the bars, then I won't be able to escape." Micha narrowed his eyes as he stared at me.
"I-I don't know… Won't that make you more desperate to escape?" Yeah, it probably would, but it's not like I can cast spells while under its effects. The betas will just have to have perfect timing in-between tranquilizers.
I watched as Micha nervously scooted his pasta from one side of the plate to the other. "I admit it's not the best plan, but it will have to work until we come up with something better." I wasn't even all that confident about the plan, so I could see why he wasn't.
"I-I'd like it if we could come up with an idea that doesn't involve you basically being tortured for the duration of your rut." He glanced up at me, and I noticed sadness swirling around inside of him. Was he concerned about me? Can't say I hate that. Life was so incredibly different with someone who actually cared in it…
"Fine, I'll put more thought into it." I definitely can't try and force it to stop again like last time. That made me feel disgusting for weeks after. Ugh, it was a damn mess.
"Okay." Micha smiled at me, and it was like all thoughts inside my head died. Yeah, I'll come up with a better solution. I promise.