They had been riding for many hours, now. The sun was quickly rising beyond the horizon and Charlotte hurried to get back into the coffin, as if she was a vampire, too, and needed to protect herself from the sunrays. Meier's gentle embrace welcomed her immediately and she felt his lips on her hair.
She blushed. They had had barely any time to get out of the carriage to stretch their legs and she felt a bothersome heaviness near her groin. She knew she would soon need to relieve herself, but she didn't know how to tell the Barbaroi that they needed to stop for a moment and why. She knew Meier would smile at her and kiss her hands and call for a stop immediately, but she felt shy and didn't know how to address the werewolf and the shapeshifter lady.
But she and Meier knew each other well, better than they knew themselves, and he sensed that something was bothering her. He moved his head a little and lifted hers with a delicate touch to look at her and asked with concerned eyes: "Charlotte, love, what is wrong?"
She pressed her legs together and smiled at him.
"Nothing! I'm alright, honey."
He kept staring at her, unconvinced, and his hand on her shoulder squeezed it gently. She blushed again and admitted quietly, looking at the buttons of his waistcoat: "I… I need to relieve myself."
"Oh, Charlotte! Forgive me, I should have thought about it sooner!" He kissed her hand and lifted the lid of the coffin, helping her get out of it. Thankfully the thick curtains protected him from the sunrays, but she urged him to get back inside, noticing the slight tremor of his hands.
"Are you sure we can stop now? I can wait a little longer." she said, keeping the lid half-closed and standing in front of the coffin to shield Meier from the light. He smiled at her and caressed her cheek, his tone reassuring and sweet.
"Yes, my love. We are safe for now - one of the Barbaroi is keeping the Hunters busy. Take all the time you need." Then he turned his eyes to the roof of the carriage and she heard his voice echo.
"Stop the carriage, please. Find someplace quiet and private for my lady."
A brief moment of silence, then the werewolf holding the reins answered back: "Yes, Lord Meier Link!"
The carriage slowly came to a halt and Charlotte smiled at her beloved and kissed him.
"Thank you." she said and he pressed his lips on her hand and looked at her with infinite tenderness. They kissed again, then she softly closed the lid and went outside, holding the warm cape he had given her tight around herself, the hood pushed on her head.
They had stopped on a rocky slope overlooking a large valley where ancient satellites and old technologic wonders were scattered. The slope was used as a path on a short mountain and there was another narrow mountain road leading into its depths where Charlotte could have the privacy she needed, but still be close to the carriage in case of danger.
"The horses need rest, Lord Meier Link." the werewolf said, glancing at Charlotte for a moment before discreetly averting his eyes. "There's no grass and water here, though. We will need to stop again soon."
"Very well. Will your friend be able to stall the Hunters for a while longer?"
"Yes, my Lord. Benge is an extremely skilled illusionist and magician."
Charlotte had walked closer to the mountain road, in the meantime. She could see some bushes, large rocks, and even what looked like the entrances of caves and tight nooks on the mountain side and she let out a relieved sigh. She gasped and tensed up a little, though, when the tall shapeshifter woman approached her.
"I will accompany you, my lady." she said and her smile was kind and reassuring. Charlotte smiled back at her and together they went along the second path. They stopped midway, in a point from which the carriage was still visible, but far enough no sounds would arrive there. Charlotte excused herself with a soft voice and hurried inside one of the nooks, while the shapeshifter waited for her behind one of the large rocks, keeping an eye out for any peril.
She started humming and singing under her breath and Charlotte felt immensely relieved, because that sound would cover the ones she would make. As soon as she was finished, she hurried outside and thanked the shapeshifter with a smile and a timid voice.
"Thank you. Uh, for singing, also."
"Don't mention it, my lady." She smiled at her. "You are called Charlotte, right? Forgive me, I heard Lord Meier Link address you like that."
"Yes." She tugged the cape closer to the chest, the chilly mountain air so different from the warmth of the carriage and the familiar, reassuring coldness of Meier's embrace. "And you are… Caroline, right?"
"Yes. And that quiet hairy man leading the horses is Mashira." Caroline put her hands on her hips and looked at the werewolf with a cocky grin. "What a hunk, huh?"
Charlotte blushed and stammered, not knowing what to say. She hadn't even thought about that and she had eyes for Meier only, but she didn't want to offend the Barbaroi with a rude silence or a thoughtless response. Fortunately, Caroline laughed before she could do any damage and reassured her: "Oh, I know, you are in love with the Noble! It's me who's got an idea or two for that oblivious wolf."
Charlotte wasn't used to talking about boys with a friend. Her peers in the city had never liked her much and she had never participated to the conversations about love and men and sex she had heard the other girls have. But Caroline was kind and extrovert and cheerful and her eyes and smile looked sincere and amicable when she looked at her – Charlotte felt at ease, like she had never felt around human girls, and she giggled.
"He doesn't know you like him?"
"Oh, he does know! He's just too dense to do something about it!" Caroline turned to the carriage and waved at Mashira, calling loudly: "Oi, Mashira! The lady and I will go for a short walk!"
"What?!"
"What?" Charlotte moved to look at her, worried. "But… The Hunters…!"
Meier's voice echoed in the air, his tone soft and gentle: "Go, love. You need to stretch and move your legs a little."
She smiled at the sky as though she was smiling at him. "I will be back soon." she promised and she heard Caroline sigh: "Finally, a reasonable man! Come on, let's try this way."
Caroline did most of the talking. She was curious about Charlotte, but her questions weren't unpolite. She listened with a bright, big smile while Charlotte told her how she and Meier had met and how kind he was to her, then she lamented her relationship with Mashira.
"He's so slow! He rarely takes the initiative and his idea of romanticism is just holding hands!" Caroline huffed, kicking a pebble. "I'm not even sure we're together, at this point!"
"Maybe… Maybe you should ask him."
Caroline stared at her with big, puzzled eyes and Charlotte couldn't help but giggle.
"Ask him? If I asked him something like that, he would get a stroke!"
"But talking and having a good communication with your lover is important. Meier and I always talk about everything and we always listen to each other." She smiled and blushed, thinking of all the beautiful moments they had spent together in their secret garden and in his castle. "You said that Mashira is shy. Maybe he needs more time and patience from you to feel comfortable."
"You mean… I'm going too fast?"
Charlotte nodded, hoping she hadn't offended her. But Caroline looked interested and thoughtful and full of more questions. They walked in silence for a while and Charlotte used that time to admire the mountain flowers growing at the sides of the path.
"I've never seen or heard about a relationship like the one you and Lord Meier Link have." the shapeshifter suddenly said. Her voice and expression were softer and the smile she gave Charlotte was happy, even hopeful. "I've seen dhampirs, yes, and I heard about interracial relationships, but… what you have is special. Even the Elder of our village was surprised by it."
Charlotte blushed and looked down at the flowers with a happy, flattered smile.
"I'm blessed to have Meier." she said and Caroline laughed, folding her arms on her chest and stopping for a moment.
"More like he's blessed to have you! I've seen the way he looks at you. He's madly in love. Head over heels in love, like humans say. Aw, look how red you are!"
Charlotte giggled and played with the edge of her sleeve. Meier's loving smile and protective embrace came to her mind and she longed to get back in the carriage, even though she was enjoying Caroline's company a lot. She already considered her a friend, probably the first true female friend she had ever had, but she was too shy to tell her that.
"I'm sure Mashira looks at you the same way when you are not looking." she said and Caroline's surprised, but happy look gave her the courage to go on: "People show and display love in different ways. Meier and I don't hold back, maybe because we have had to hide our relationship for so long – but things are different for you and Mashira, right? I'm sure he feels very strongly about you, but he shows it in his own way. You just need to watch him carefully to see it."
She closed her mouth in a tight line, suddenly fearing she was being too forward. That wasn't her business and Caroline might feel offended and consider her too nosy. But the shapeshifter actually beamed at her and clasped her hand in hers, exclaiming: "You're right! I never thought about that before!" She let her hand go and sighed, a perplexed expression on her face. "Why are so many Nobles, humans, and Barbaroi so obsessed in saying we are different from each other? Look, we experience and feel love the same way and we share the same fears and doubts!"
"I don't know." Charlotte smiled. "But it's good to know there are some people who can see how similar we are."
"Isn't it? It makes me feel better about the future and this wretched world we're living in."
A few seconds of silence passed, then: "May I ask you a personal question, my lady?" Caroline lowered her voice and said with a silly grin: "Did you and Lord Meier Link already have…?"
"Have…?" Charlotte tilted her head, confused, then she squealed and hid her face behind her hands, giggling. Caroline burst into a loud laugh.
"Sorry! I was just curious!" She looked around before whispering with a sly grin: "Mashira and I haven't done it yet, but I had my fair number of experiences in the past. I could give you some tips."
"I… I read things in some books." Charlotte whispered back, eyeing the carriage with shy eyes. "Meier and I decided to do it once we will be completely safe, far from everyone else."
"That's a good idea. The first time is an important event. It'd be a pity to do it in a hurry."
"Is it true…" She hesitated, then took a deep breath and went on, her eyes wide and intrigued: "Is it true it hurts a lot?"
"What? No! Even the first time is supposed to feel good, if your lover actually has a brain and knows how to use it!"
"Oh!" Charlotte let out a relieved sigh, smiling. "That's good to know! Meier is always so gentle with me, I'm sure we will be fine!"
Caroline squinted at her, a confused look on her face. Then realization hit her and she said slowly: "Wait… Is Lord Meier Link also…?"
"Without any experience? Yes." Charlotte let out a soft giggle, stifling the sound behind a hand. "We still bump our noses when we kiss, sometimes. And I once saw him studying a book about sex with the most focused expression and the deepest blush in the world." She giggled again. "But please, don't tell him I told you that."
"Oh my days!" Caroline burst into laughter again, holding her belly and resting a hand on a rock nearby. "Our men are such cuties! An adorable pair of babies!"
The two women laughed together, not trying to stifle the sound anymore, until Caroline said, drying away her tears of mirth: "He's truly an uncommon Noble. But his family is famous for being extremely close to humans and for being very unorthodox in general, so I shouldn't be surprised."
She looked down at Charlotte's nightgown and at the soft shoes Meier had given her for the trip.
"You should have worn something heavier, my lady. How you two didn't already do it in the coffin when you are dressed in such a thin nightgown is beyond me."
"Meier is a gentleman. He never stares and he always asks for permission to even touch my waist."
"I swear, our men are so cute and dense at the same time."
They giggled again, then Charlotte felt the need to explain: "My family was keeping me under control. They would check into my room every night to see if I was still in bed. If I had worn something different while waiting for Meier to come and get me, they would have realized what was going to happen."
"Then he should have brought you a dress for the trip! Or taken one from your wardrobe! Damn, men can be so stupid sometimes."
"We just planned a few things. We really couldn't wait to leave the city." Then she hurried to add, flustered: "And this cape he gave me keeps me so warm! I need nothing else, really."
"I give up. We can't discuss this when you are so in love with him."
"But we did take another dress." Charlotte said, a radiant, lovestruck smile on her face. "A wedding dress. It's in the carriage and he will see it only when we will reach our destination."
Caroline's expression softened and she said quietly: "That's beautiful." She bowed her head. "I wish you and your beloved all the joy in the universe, my lady."
"Oh, thank you!" Charlotte smiled brightly. "I wish you and Mashira the same."
Just then, the werewolf called for them, saying they needed to resume their journey. The two women went back to the carriage, talking about this and that, and Charlotte thanked the fretting, impatient Barbaroi with a timid voice and a nod of her head. He nodded back to her, respectful and ashamed of his manners, but he tapped his foot and glared at Caroline once Charlotte had gotten back into the carriage.
"You've been away for almost half an hour!"
"The lady needed to move her legs and I needed some time to think."
"Think?" he repeated as he took place on the driver's seat. Caroline sat behind him on the roof of the carriage, looking at the valley below and avoiding his eyes.
"Yes, think. You know, that thing one does with their brain? The lady is kind and wise and she told me many interesting things." She grinned at the werewolf and he blushed, averting his eyes. "Don't worry about it. It was women's talk."
He gave her a short, slow nod and gently prompted the horses to move. He didn't complain when Caroline sat beside him on the driver's seat and this time she noticed the dark blush on his cheeks.
Inside the coffin in the carriage, Charlotte cuddled in Meier's embrace and he gently asked her, rubbing her back and arms to warm her after the walk on the mountain path: "Are you feeling better?"
"Oh, yes! And Caroline is a kind woman. I had fun talking with her."
Meier was happy to hear so – his smile was bright and loving and he held her more tightly, saying with curiosity: "I'm glad you became friends. So it was a funny conversation?"
"I can't tell you anything about it." she said, sticking out her tongue at him, making him laugh. "It was women's talk! Private and absolutely confidential."
"I see." He kissed her forehead, smiling softly. "Then I won't ask any questions, sweetest heart."
She kissed his chin and curled on top of him, pressing another kiss and a smile on his chest while his hand caressed her back. The carriage went along the path, taking them one step closer to their destination.
I'm sure Charlotte would have been such good friends with Leila and Caroline ;_; I like to think she had time to talk with the Barbaroi before the events in the overflowing ruins.
Also, yes, I totally think Meier was a virgin, too. The Japanese version of the movie says he's a Noble who never used his fangs on a human and he belongs to the only Noble family that never drinks from humans and is greatly beloved by its human subjects. I like to imagine him as a scholar who never went much outside and preferred to study the stars.