Chapter 4
They had been married for two months and had since taken at least partial residence in King George's old castle with the new heirs complicating matters by abdicating at least in law this was his kingdom now, but, that was not what was worrying David as he frantically tried to capture the object of his affections by the waist and that was not why he wanted her in bed.
"I'm not going." She struggled and sniffed adorably against him, her nose as red as a reindeer's.
"Snow." He felt her forehead "You have a fever. Perhaps it's time to admit…" David paused as he lifted her eased body into his silken clad chest and kissed the burning flesh. "That you are sick."
"I… ACHEW!" Snow caught her sneeze with her free hand while wrapping the other somewhat weakly around her husband's neck.
"Admit that you may vaguely be correct in your assumption that I may be suffering from the effects of Influenza."
"Which means?" David said lovingly.
"I have to…. bed." Snow said drowsily instantly drained from her attempt at fighting the obvious.
Minutes later he tucks her in delicately and lights a candle to capture her night-mares.
He stays with her; dabbing her forehead with a bowl of cool water and a rag that the maids have brought in knowing at some point he will have to wake her from her slumber to administer medicine prescribed by Doc their new Dwarfen doctor.
"Snow…"
"Snow…"
"Wake up my darling." He whispers pressing a soft kiss to her contented and thankfully considerably cooler lips.
"David."
She sucked at his bottom lip before smiling wearily.
"You look better."
"I feel much… improved." Snow said between a yawn.
Stroking her hair; he sighs "So what have I missed today?"
"I have no idea."
"You have not left my side have you?" Snow realises propping herself up against the pillows.
He nods in slow refusal.
"Oh Charming."
"Everything was taken care of except the most precious thing of all."
"If I wasn't ill…"
"You'll be better after this." "Open up." David quickly spoons some clear liquid into her mouth sets the bowl and spoon down on the bedside table and then helps her sip some water.
"Ah."
"Thank you."
Hours later he lies beside her stroking her hair with loose sheets draped over them.
"You have to go." She sighs happily.
"No."
"You'll get sick."
"I don't care."
"But, who will run the kingdom?"
"I thought of that…." He smothers her in kisses.
"You have?" "MA!"
"Yes, Grumpy."
"Grumpy?"
"I need to get better!" She laughs.
She does not get better if anything, the cold is replaced by hourly vomiting, cravings for little and then every concoction of food in sight and needing the lavatory more than once and yet, when he finds her beside the balcony in a lace dress of white with a woven shrug draped over her she looks like the happiest person in the world.
"Mmm. How was the council meeting?" She sighs as he wraps his arms around her his red velvet finery looking rather appealing as he dips his head down to meet her lips.
"Long and laborious. I spent the last three hours reasoning with the most pompous lord that the young farmhands did in fact deserve days off and higher wages."
"Lord Lucas?"
"Mmm." Breaking the kiss as takes his arm and he leads her back inside their bedroom/ already prepared nursery.
"What a snooty…."
He nods as she twists and holds him in the centre of the room. "So what did you do?"
"I threatened to have his title stripped and his lands given to the very people he treated so poorly."
Snow smirks broadly "I was so proud and incredibly turned on."
"You listened in."
"Every word." Snow presses several sweet kisses on his lips before stroking his chin, the scar she gave him with her ring finger, peridot gleaming in the streaming daylight.
"You little sneak."
"We had to do something while we were waiting for you and Emma got restless." She says coyly and childlike.
"We?"
"We. Like I said… Em…" Her last few words were swallowed up by his hungry and desperate kiss which she naturally moaned into.
"That's why you've been so sick."
"Mhmm."
"OH GODS. I was so worried." David says holding her close when they do finally part for air.
"I know and we love you for it." She gasps as she feels him bend down and press the lightest kiss to her abdomen the connection to her child and the man that she adores almost too much to bear as the joyous tears flow.
"I love you both so much." He swears as he rises to his feet and kisses her again.
"And we love you."
They hold each other for hours frozen in that same spot, a moment in time no one can take away.
Until...
"Snow?"
"Yes, Charming."
"I'm going to need to baby-proof the whole kingdom aren't I?"
She just laughed.