Chapter 183
When Rowan woke up, his lashes fluttering open, he instinctively reached for Rosalind, expecting to find her beside him on the bed, but the space was empty, and for a brief moment his brows drew together as he realized she must have already been up for a while.
He slowly pushed himself upright, exhaling softly, and his hand reached for his trousers on the floor before he slipped them on, still half-awake as he called out, “Rosalind?”
He looked around the chamber for her, moving past the bed and toward the balcony, where the curtains swayed gently with the morning wind, and as he parted them aside, he finally saw her standing there in nothing but his shirt, her figure softened by the early sunlight while she calmly petted the bird that had landed nearby.
“Good morning, husband,” Rosalind said, turning toward him with a gentle smile on her lips.
Rowan let out a quiet sigh of relief as tension eased from his shoulders. He hadn’t expected to find her outside, “Good morning, wife,” he replied, his voice still rough with sleep as he stepped closer while she turned back to the bird, her fingers still moving softly through its feathers.
His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than he intended, drifting over the way his shirt hung loosely over her thighs and how her bare legs were exposed to the morning air, and for a brief second he wondered if she was doing it on purpose because his body already reacted before he could stop himself.
Still, he forced his attention back to her face as he stood beside her where the rising sun slowly brightened the balcony. “What’s her name, Rowan?” she asked, turning to him with a bright and curious smile.
Rowan scratched the back of his neck lightly, glancing away for a moment before answering, “I… haven’t given her a name yet.”
Rosalind’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing in playful disbelief as she turned back to the bird, “You poor thing, how can he not give you a name?” she murmured as if speaking to it directly, her tone filled with gentle teasing.
“Is it okay if I name her?” Rosalind asked after a moment, looking back at him.
“Yeah, sure,” Rowan answered without hesitation. In his mind, whatever was his had already become hers in every possible way.
Rosalind smiled at that and turned her attention back to the bird, running her fingers over its feathers once more, “How about Liora?” she asked softly, and the bird seemed to settle into her touch as though it approved, which made her chuckle lightly as she glanced back at him, “I think she likes it.”
Rowan smiled faintly in response, watching her for a moment as the bird eventually caught the sound of another nearby call and flew away, leaving Rosalind to follow its movement with her eyes.
When it was gone, Rowan’s attention stayed on her instead. “Are you alright now?” he asked quietly.
Rosalind turned back to him and slowly nodded, though the memory of the night before lingered faintly in her expression as it settled in her mind again.
“I was so worried about you… what happened?” he asked, stepping closer with concern in his voice.
Rosalind hesitated because she did not want to disturb the peace of the morning or bring back the fear from the dream, especially after he had already lost sleep because of her, so she forced a soft smile and shook her head slightly, “I’m fine now, Rowan… there’s no need to worry.”
“But I do,” he said immediately, moving closer as he gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before tilting her face so she would look at him properly. “We promised to tell each other everything, no matter how hard it is, didn’t we?”
Rosalind sighed softly at that before finally giving in, and she began to explain what had happened in the dream, her voice quieter as she recounted it, while Rowan listened closely, his brows tightening slightly as she continued until she had finished everything.
When she stopped, Rowan exhaled slowly and stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her in a steady embrace as though to physically pull her back into calm, “It’s going to stay that way… just a bad dream, alright?” he murmured as his hand moved gently through her hair.
“Don’t think too much about it,” he added, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.
Rosalind nodded against his chest as her arms circled him in return.
In that moment she felt safe again, and his reassurance slowly settled the fear inside her until it no longer had a hold on her.
When he finally pulled back, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, and Rosalind’s cheeks warmed instantly as the memory of the previous night briefly resurfaced in her thoughts, making her look away for a moment in slight embarrassment.
“Let me keep you happy, dear wife” he said softly.
Rosalind let out a light chuckle as she looked back at him, her voice warm as it trailed off “You always do…”
Before she could react further, Rowan suddenly scooped her into his arms, making her let out a small gasp as her arms instinctively wrapped around his shoulders.
“Good,” he said lightly as he looked down at her in his arms, a faint smirk forming. “Then I suppose I’m doing my job well.”
Rosalind’s toes curled slightly at his words as he walked, her stomach fluttering again because even though her body still remembered the lingering ache and exhaustion from the night before, there was still that familiar pull between them that made her want him just as much again.
He lowered her onto the bed carefully, and she looked up at him with wide hazel eyes as he leaned closer, his fingers gently brushing her neck in a way that grounded her instead of alarming her, before he kissed her again and her breath slowly caught as the kiss deepened.
“I’ll need you to turn your back,” he whispered against her ear.
Rosalind met his gaze for a brief moment before nodding softly, and she slowly turned as he guided her into place, her hands stretching across the bed while her hips adjusted to his steady direction, settling into the position he wanted.