I had fallen asleep almost immediately after settling in, but a soft breeze creeping across my bare shoulder was enough to stir me awake.
"Mmm", I grumbled, tugging the coverlets up to my chin.
"Mary, what are you…doing?" Charles awakened reluctantly and attempted a bleary-eyed stare.
"Freezing."
"Oh."
"Oh?" I echoed. "For all of your abilities, you are so very useless—"
Charles wasn't listening; he had drifted back into slumber as quickly as he had awoken.
"You," I rolled my eyes and gave my husband a resounding shove in the middle of his chest. "Give me those!" I tugged the covers away, further to my side of the bed just as the general reawakened, cursing under his breath.
"Bloody-"
"Well I'm not going to freeze!" I interrupted with a snort.
"At my expense?" Charles was fully awake and had a fistful of coverlets in his left hand, ready to jerk them back to his side.
"You're big enough," I replied.
"Tuck in closer," Charles barely suppressed a snicker.
"You move."
"Please?" The general's tone was innocent enough but I knew the glint in his eyes without needing to see it.
"Charles, honestly!"
"Have you any better solution, my dear?"
"Give me the sheets!" I huffed.
My husband laughed and held them away, sitting up to grab me around with his other arm, trapping me on his chest.
"Sir—!" The general stopped me with a forceful kiss, and I bit his lip in response.
"That's not an excuse," I growled, still sore after the covers, even if I did enjoy his teasing.
"I wasn't making one," Charles dropped his voice to a softer low tone, training his gaze steadily upon my own. "I was encouraging you to reason."
"Of course you were." I said dryly.
"Well, my dear," Charles shifted off of his back and I moved to lie beside him, "Are you tucking in closer or not?"
"If you give me my fair share," I replied, inching closer until I could feel my back pressed against his chest.
"As you wish," Charles pulled me to him, tucking the coverlets tightly around us, holding me firmly with his forearm barred around my middle.
"Better?" He asked, giving my side a gentle squeeze.
"For now," I answered loftily.
The general grunted his satisfaction and shifted for further comfort, lying with me in the quietness of our darkened room, idly loosening his hold as he moved his hand to the middle of my stomach. I reflexively inhaled and felt him tense nervously in response. There was hardly a scar anymore, but the internal wounds made years earlier from my late brother still managed to haunt my more private moments with Charles, even after endless time and reassurance.
"I'm so sorry…" the general murmured timorously.
"No-" my voice wavered.
"You're shaking," Charles cut it, clearly uneasy.
"It is not your doing," I said with unintentional force. "I'm sorry… it's not your fault. It wasn't then, and it isn't now."
"But do you know?"
I turned to face him; Charles' expression was serious; his brow was furrowed, and his eyes were dark and wary.
"Do you know?" He repeated quietly, reaching up to touch the side of my face.
"I…I am learning. There are moments that send me back, but I know you're not David. "
"Can I do anything to ease the memories?" Charles asked, still worried.
"No; they're slowly losing their strength. You're doing exactly what I need from you."
Charles searched my expression for a minute and then nodded in resignation.
"Very well." He settled back down, "but if this changes-"
"You'll be sleeping outside the door."