A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, guys! To the guest user, I am starting on the next chapter for 'Start of Something New', and I have to admit, it would take me a while to get back into the story, but I will try to post a few chapters by the end of next week! I'm so sorry you guys, I went on a little trip to Adelaide (South Australia) for a Chinese competition and I had to prepare, so I didn't get much time to write. Please forgive me and my empty promises of posting chapters. Hope you enjoy this xx
"Something smells awfully delicious," Kenna groaned as she clutched her grumbling stomach as they walked along, "do you mind if we get something to eat?" She looked at her husband who nodded in confirmation.
"No, I was going to suggest we stop at the bakery first, anyway." Bash turned and smiled at her. He held her hand tight in his as he dragged her in front of a bleak and worn-down bakery, a sign which faintly read 'Lea's' hung crooked on the door.
"They have the best pastries in all of France, I can tell you that much." He beamed at her as he opened the door and led her in.
"Is that why Francis always says that you were such a stout little boy? Because you were stuffing yourself with pastries from here?" Kenna teased.
"No!" Bash replied too quickly. "I'm going to have a talk with my little brother when we get back..." he muttered to himself, but Kenna heard and giggled as she kissed his cheek.
"Don't worry, Bash. You would have been adorable either way."
Bash pouted but said nothing as they walked over to the counter, still hand in hand, and looked at the pastries and breads displayed on the countertop. Kenna's mouth watered as the scent of strawberries wafted through her nose.
"Is someone hungry?" A voice spoke up and broke Kenna from her reverie. She looked up and saw a woman with warm eyes and a kind smile holding up a tray of freshly baked bread.
"A little..." Kenna blushed as she sheepishly admitted, "but I don't know what to have, everything looks so delightful!"
Bash chuckled next to her and kissed the top of her head. He looked at the woman and asked "Could you give us a few of everything you have?"
Both Kenna and the young woman looked incredulously at him. "Really?" They chimed.
"Really." He repeated and nodded at the two women.
The young woman nodded back at him and asked, "No problem, I'll have that ready for you soon. I'm assuming you're eating here? Would you like to take a seat around the ground floor or would you like a private booth upstairs? I know of this one with stunning views of the village..."
Bash and Kenna looked at each other and instantly knew what the other was thinking. "Private booth, please." They said at the same time.
The private booth was located on the upstairs balcony – composed a simple table with a comfortable-sized sofa lounge – which looked over the quiet village, and Kenna could also make out the nearby forest and the outlines of the faraway mountains. She smiled at her surroundings and thanked the woman profusely before running to lean over the ledge. The young woman smiled back warmly at the couple and excused herself to fetch them their pastries.
"Bash, this is beautiful! I just want to stay up here forever!" Kenna gushed at her smiling husband, who walked over to join her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" He narrowed his eyes at the scenery before him before pointing a finger at faint structures in the distance, "Is that French Court, do you think?"
Kenna sighed sadly as she cuddled into her husband's side. "God, I hope not. I don't want anyone else to find this place. I want this village to be our little getaway. Just you and I."
"Well," Bash chuckled, "after our week here, we can come back whenever you desire. Just not too often though, I wouldn't want to keep troubling Nicolas."
"I don't think I can get sick of this place, it's too beautiful and wonderful and-"
Bash leaned in to whisper into her ear, "Now you know how I feel whenever you belittle yourself and our marriage."
Kenna gasped softly and looked at her husband, eyes already brimming with tears. "Bash...you...don't really mean that."
He turned her in his arms so he could look into her eyes. "But I do, Kenna, I do." He grabbed her hands and held on to them tightly. "I can never get over the feeling of being with you every time you and I get intimate," Kenna blushed a deep red at that, "I can never tire arguing and bickering with you because I know our little arguments mean nothing. I don't care that the King, my father, held me at sword point to marry you. Do you know why?"
By then, tears were already falling down Kenna's face. But despite the tears, she smiled as she shook her head. "No, why?"
"I don't care because, despite how we got together, our marriage-God, Kenna, you turned out to be one of the greatest things that have ever happened to me." He kissed the knuckles on both hands. "I just wanted you to know that, alright?"
Kenna took her hands off his grip and cupped his face. She looked into his bright, blue eyes and saw something in them she had never seen before. "Bash, you are perfect."
He scoffed lightly, "Hardly."
She caressed his cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. "No, you don't understand. You're always looking out for me and making sure I'm alright, you gave me your grandmother's ring, for heaven's sake!" she showed him the modest ring he gave her as a promise to make their marriage work. "Every morning before you leave to go hunting, you always place a flower on your pillow. Do you know how many flowers you've left me? A whole dresser's worth! They're all wilted and disgusting but I keep them anyway because I-because they're from you." She let out a shaky breath. She was so close to telling him that she loved him, and she almost hit herself. He may care for me, but he will never come to love me, she repeated to herself over and over.
"So yes, you're perfect. You're the perfect husband and you're a wonderful man, Sebastian de Poitiers."
He said nothing but leaned his forehead against hers as he looked at her with admiration. They stood there relishing each other's presence for what seemed like a lifetime, until the young woman came back, holding several trays of food that Bash had requested.
She smiled widely at the couple and set the trays down on the table. "Would you like me to bring the rest of the trays up? There are about five more."
"This is fine, thank you." Bash smiled back. "Do you mind wrapping the rest of the bread and sweets up? We can bring it back to the inn and share it with Nicolas and the servants." He looked down at Kenna, who kissed his cheek in return.
She mouthed, "Perfect" to her husband, who rolled his eyes in good nature at his wife.
The young woman nodded at Bash, "That's not a problem. It'll be downstairs for you whenever you finish eating. Enjoy, you two." She bowed and left.
Bash dragged Kenna over to the lounge and sat her on his lap. She rested her feet on the arm of the lounge and made herself comfortable in her husband's embrace, sighing contentedly as she did so. "Where shall we begin? They all look so good." She gestured to the pastries, which were still steaming with freshness out of the ovens.
"Try this," Bash grabbed a round puff from the nearest tray, rich, custard oozing out of the pastry, "this was one of my favourites."
He held it out for Kenna, and she took a generous bite, far from the ladylike eating etiquette her mother had taught her back in Scotland. Bash chuckled softly as Kenna licked off the excess custard from her lips, blushing lightly at how ridiculous she thought she looked. She laughed at her husband as he hungrily consumed the rest, leaving a mess of custard around his lips.
"What?" he eyed her curiously. "Do I have custard on my face?"
She nodded. "Yes." She kissed his chin. "Here." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Here." She looked him in the eyes and said, "And here," before capturing his lips in a fervent kiss.
For a few hours, that's all the pair did, feeding each other sweets and pastries and stealing kisses while basking under the afternoon sun. They had nearly finished all three trays of patisserie, with Kenna taking the last bite of a strawberry tart and leaning her head on Bash's shoulder.
"So, what did you think?" Bash asked as he traced nonsensical patterns on Kenna's arm.
She lifted her head up and kissed his cheek. "Those were the best pastries I've ever had in my entire life."
"Only the best for my wife." He smiled and kissed the side of her head.
"I like it when you call me that," she smiled back, "your wife."
"Oh, really now?" he turned her in his arms so they directly faced each other. "Well, I guess it's good that we're married, isn't it? I can call you my wife for the rest our lives."
"It doesn't hurt to call me that now..." Kenna hinted as her fingers wove into the hair on the nape of his neck.
"Wife." He kissed her softly. "Wife." He kissed his way down to her neck slowly, covering her sun-bronzed skin with light kisses as her fingers tightened their grip on his hair, her breathing beginning to uneven.
"Mmhm, husband." She managed to breathe out, raking her nails all over his scalp, eliciting a deep groan from him.
"We shouldn't be doing this here, right now, you know." He said in a husky voice.
"No one can see us, and we're not even doing anything," she argued, but nevertheless, she kissed him on the cheek and removed herself from his grip, "But you're right. We should probably head down and collect our pastries, the poor footman must already be waiting for us."
Once they reached the foot of the stairs, the young woman rushed to their side, a large basket in her arms. With outstretched arms, she bowed to the couple as Kenna took it with a smile. "I hope you liked our pastries, to be honest, we were surprised you would even visit our humble bakery. Nicolas had announced the visit of nobles from French Court, and we are so honoured to have you here and enjoy our patisserie. We bid you a lovely stay in our little village, please come back whenever you wish."
Kenna curtsied and moved to kiss the young woman on the cheek, a gesture which surprised both Bash and the woman. "Thank you so much, everything was lovely."
The young woman beamed and spluttered a, "You're welcome!" Before bowing to the couple once more and rushing back to the kitchens.
"What was that for?" Bash mused as he circled an arm around her frame as they exited the bakery. He kissed the top of her head and smiled at her.
Kenna instinctively leaned into his warmth and smiled back, "She was lovely, the food was lovely, everything was just perfect! I really like this village, Bash. Thank you for this." She smiled warmly at the villagers who walked by as they greeted the couple.
He kissed the top of her head again and continued to walk down the footpath. As soon as the carriage was in sight, the footman shaking his head in mock disapproval for their tardiness.
"You know Nicolas is going to be angry because you're late and he has to pay for the time this carriage has been used, don't you?"
Bash looked down at his wife and smiled, "I don't even care."
