Chapter 11:
Epilogue
Steadfast as thou art
The next week, the newlyweds departed for an extended grand tour of Europe. A couple weeks in Germany, nearly a month in Paris followed by a couple weeks in a chateau in the South of France near the end of November before spending winter in Spain, Italy, and Greece.
Their time in the French countryside was their first away from city life since Runnymede. The happy couple spent long hours in bed together, or could be found roaming the hills holding hands and smiling. One evening, just before the sunset, Chuck gathered some blankets, and took Blair to the small observation tower on the roof. The sky filled their sight, the world below disappeared; it was as though they were flung into the heavens, stars twinkled down at them, a sliver of the moon hanging low on the horizon.
Chuck's fingers stroked the softness of her cheek, "It is beautiful, Chuck, but, what are we doing here?" Blair inquired.
"Shhhh…." He kissed the corner of her mouth, "it is about to begin."
A bright light streaked across the sky, and Blair's breath caught in her throat. "The stars!" she whispered and saw him smile at her. She turned to see more stars fall from the sky; Chuck watched her as he removed his shirt and trousers. He kissed her neck, his fingers unfastening her pretty country frock, letting it slip to the ground, shortly followed by her skirt and corset. Blair leaned back against his hard chest, his fingers traveled up her thighs, across her stomach, then he held her breasts in his hands, kneading them softly. Her head rolled back, she felt him pressing against the small of her back, hard, hot, and throbbing. He now traced a fingertip along the edge of her ear, his hot breath whispered, "Do not close your eyes, my love."
Chuck gruffly tossed a blanket across the tower's balustrade before pressing Blair upon it. Wet with anticipation, he filled her easily as they both gasped at the sensation of completion. They rocked hard together, the heavens falling down around them. Their lovemaking seemed endless as they kissed, bit, scratched, cried out. They glistened with sweat, appearing godlike from the light of the stars reflecting off of their straining bodies. He bit the soft flesh of her neck, her nails dug into his back, both crying out to the heavens as he poured himself into her.
Staggering to the ground, they collapsed into the pile of blankets in a tangle of exhausted limbs. Hundreds of stars continued to streak across the sky before them. Chuck smiled, holding Blair in his arms; he kissed her temple, whispering, "My beautiful wife, I love you." She nuzzled her face against his chest, too happy for words, "A good wedding present do you suppose?" Chuck queried.
"I was not aware you could command the heavens?" Blair quipped.
"Perhaps not, but I am an excellent planner, and can keep a secret when I have to- even from my dear wife." He stroked her lovely hair as he spoke.
"I hope…" She grew quiet, a little scared of her own desire, at saying it aloud, "I hope out of all our love making, we might conceive our son tonight." She looked at him, her eyes shining in the starlight. He kissed her fiercely, loving the way her mind worked, for making him feel this way. He moaned in her ear, "Perhaps we need to try to make sure of that." pressing his knee between her legs, he took his wife a second time under the falling heavens. Her body arched under him, her eyes wide as she moaned his name. Vexed that she had climaxed so quickly, she pushed Chuck onto his back, taking the dominant position. Watching Blair above him was pleasing enough, but with the sky full of starlight behind her, there was little hope he would last long. He grabbed her hips as she rocked into him. His eyes rolled back, a deep, primitive groan, and he erupted into his wife's delicious body. Still straddling her husband, Blair smiled, her love on full display, and reached down to touch his face.
Chuck swore from that day, forever after, he could see the dust of the stars in his wife's eyes.
They returned to London in the spring, in time to see Serena and Nate wed. Kati married a successful MP not a month later, and during the winter Penelope had married Lord Randolph Churchill, quite happy with the title of Lady Churchill in exchange for 'helping' bolster her husband career. The month before their first wedding anniversary, Blair gave Chuck their first child, a son: Bartholomew Perseus Bass. Bartholomew for Chuck's father, and Perseus, the Greek hero who saved Andromeda- the constellation from which the meteor shower they witness that special night in France had come. Chuck had commemorated that night in verse, something of which only Blair could inspire from him:
Throughout the night, our passion outshines the darkness,
Like so many shooting stars,
But during the blinding light of day,
She remains, steadfast in her love and splendor,
My one and only, My Bright Star
Though Blair and Chuck created many other little stars to add to their universe, she forever remained his Bright Star.
AN: Looks like Serena was right, and we love her for it!
Thank you to all who read this, but most chiefly: The Very Last Valkyrie, Geller516, and ACocoNut.
Also, to all the scholars, historians, musicians, artists, performers, and lovers of humanities who keep the great works alive for you, me, and the future before us.
