Disclaimer: An AU inspired by Asuras Bride by LilyDusk and the novel The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan. All credit for their works go to them. Check them both out!
Warning: Mentions of abuse.
I recommend listening to "Only if for a Night" by Florence and the Machine (live version)
Yuwa couldn't say what woke her. Perhaps it was the soft silvery moonlight that shone through the window of her thatched roof cottage. After the long day of work and her unwilling but necessary visit to the village for tools, she was completely exhausted and figured she'd sleep through the night. The villagers still thought she a witch. A beauty who bewitched and wedded the most eligible son of the Baron and lured him to this coastal town. Their gossip would take on more hushed tones as some still dare insinuated she killed her husband.
What really happened was she had been married off to a man she did not know and her family gave her no option but to accept. A commoner girl shouldn't ask for more and should count her blessings. Such an honor it was, they repeated to her. More like an honor for them, she'd thought at the time. He had been well spoken of by the village and seemed pleasant. But, immediately after they married he moved her miles away from home in search of booze and treasure. He was an unfavored third son and it seemed his father would give him nothing for an inheritance. His real excuse to marry her was to give him a reputable cover story to leave and have a servant.
Now awake, Yuwa sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. It had been months ago but the feelings and memory still felt new. The first week they arrived at their new home he had shown his true colors. He said he'd heard rumors she had been an 'easy' girl in the village. A nasty rumor started by scorned village boys who thought they could grope her behind the barns. He then treated her like an object..a whore..that first night they consummated their marriage. She shuddered and shut out the memory of the verbal and physical abuse. She had washed her body in the nearby ocean while he slept that night, trying to rid herself of what had happened.
However, he lost interest in forcing himself on her quickly but continued the abuse. Calling her a prude and seeking pleasures back in town only to come back and torment her. They had only been married a little less than a month when he had been fixing their roof in a drunken stupor and fallen. His death was a swift one and she did think herself somewhat wicked for not feeling much about his passing.
From then on she had lived off the land and supported herself with help from Father Anders, a local priest who wasn't like the villagers. She had told him she did not want to return to a family who didn't care about her well being. Plus, maybe she brought this on herself. Ever since the first night of her marriage, she had thought some dark things. Maybe it was her that really did cause his death with wishing...well that her pain would end. Maybe she deserved this isolation.
A soft knock on her door startled her and she gripped her blanket closer to her chest. Yuwa waited and heard a familiar knocking pattern. Ulaan, she thought as a warmth filled her and curiosity why he was here so late.
...
Ulaan was the secret name she gave him, from a story about a hero king of old. She couldn't say why she gave such a grand name to him. He didn't even have a name prior. The villagers thought him possessed by a demon as all he made were garbled sounds and acted wild. Yuwa had only heard of him at that point and then met him by chance coming home. He certainly had an intimidating physique in height and strength that wasn't masked by the basic clothes Father Anders supplied him. He had an uncommonly long and messy black mane that hid most of his face as he seemed to look down most of the time. When their eyes met she couldn't help but be overtaken by them. They were beautiful eyes that oddly did remind her of something wild...a lone wolf. Wary and observant but not one of a mad man.
No one knew where he lived and he wasn't welcomed in town. He would just show up from time to time. She had given him food, feeling sorry for him as he looked in dire need and was scuffed up from possible bullying from the townsfolk. She wondered why he did not fight back given his size and intimidation. But, it seemed he would just take it and leave.
He kept appearing after that at her cottage, bringing her fish sometimes, seashells, or wood for her fire. It wasn't too long after more attempts to communicate she figured out he couldn't hear. And probably had never been able to hear which prevented him from communicating all this time properly. She worked on basic signs for things to see if he'd be able to understand if they practiced. And after a time he did catch on. The joy on his face when he understood was something she could never forget. He had her come up with signs for many things and she share them with Father Anders too. But, there were times she come up short for signs and he get frustrated and leave. But, he always came back eventually.
They spent more time together and it seemed often they didn't need signs to understand one another. He treated her with a respect that no man had ever given her. Maybe being shut out of normal society had made it so he didn't have a superiority complex. He had no guile and always was authentic, even if it sometimes did get a little awkward. But, it was extremely refreshing. He was strangely gentle for a man of his size and would softly touch her shoulder to get her attention when they communicated.
Recently he seemed a bit distant in their interactions. She would catch him staring at her and then his eyes would dart away when they made contact. She often wondered what he was thinking, where he lived, and how this became his life. She hadn't seen him in a few days and she had begun to worry.
...
Yuwa went to open the door after lighting a candle and saw Ulaan there. He must have come back from swimming because his wild hair was slick and away from his face. He towered in her humble doorway and the moonlight shone around him. She was awestruck for a moment and then motioned for him to come in. He followed but seemed to still not want to meet her eyes. As they sat she quickly signed if something was wrong.
He shook his head but seemed a bit tense until he finally let open a hand facing her. There was the most beautiful pearl she had ever seen. She could only stare and then pointed to herself. He nodded and grabbed her hand closest to him and put the pearl on her palm.
Others might have thought this a silly thing to wake someone in the dead of night for. However, Yuwa knew once Ulaan set himself to something that he was all in. The pearl was lovely and she had never really received gifts growing up, not even on her wedding day. More than the pearl, it was the action of his search for it that truly moved her.
"You didn't have to." she whispered more to herself and looked up at him with a beaming smile and went to sign. Her motion stopped abruptly when their eyes met. Ulaan seemed in a daze almost as if he was mesmerized by her, his eyes almost seemed to burn in their intensity. She couldn't help but feel her heart begin to quicken and the warmth continue to grow. This wasn't the crude stares she had received by men before. More of a complete and powerful adoration that shone in Ulaan's eyes. After the horrible treatment she had to put up with, this threw her world off balance.
A tear streamed down her face and Ulaan instinctively reached out and brushed it away looking slightly concerned. His hand lingered softly on her face and she shook her head and smiled. Never had she thought someone would care for her like Ulaan did. Ulaan moved to press his head to hers in a comforting gesture. Then he pulled back and they both stared as one another. They were incredible close and heat seemed to radiate off him despite his recent swim.
Ulaan leaned down and placed a feather like kiss to her lips. It was nothing like what she had before with her late husband. Ulaan was cradling her face with both his hands and Yuwa was surprised she didn't feel like pulling away. Thoughts of societal standards, the gossips, the whispers, becoming an easy woman, the abuse, and everything else faded away. She thought she would never feel this way with a man after what happened to her. The primal energy and the rightness of the moment hummed through her entire body. Moonlight seemed to have followed him as he was surrounded in the unearthly light.
Yuwa felt like he was waiting for her to give a sign of permission. She slid her hand up to his and held it softly pausing. There were many practical reasons to stop this now. But, her heart gave one good reason to give in.
Only if for a night. This was the last thought she had as she opened her mouth to deepen his kiss.
**To be continued, maybe. I'll probably do a love scene next.
All my works are unedited and just for fun. Hope you enjoyed!**