The four hours that they were betrothed ended as soon as Jefferson and Karenina stood facing each other in front of the cleric.
Jefferson wondered how come the gods didn't strike down Rumpelstiltskin as they were making their vows to them but it was something that he didn't really want to delve into. If they'd done that then there wouldn't be a witness to the wedding.
Karenina didn't show any emotion as the cleric droned on about the sanctity of marriage and how it took work and one should not enter into it lightly.
So Jefferson took another look at his bride. Her hair was clean; it was pulled into a fancy braid that ran down her back. Rumpelstiltskin had taken her to the back room before he'd went to find a cleric and whatever adjustments he'd made had turned her almost pretty. Rumpelstiltskin had given her a white slinky embroidered dress with large hanging sleeves that fanned out from the elbows and extended just slightly passed the wrists. IT wasn't a fashion choice like those at his neighborhood would wear but He was sort of grateful for that. He didn't want to imagine his monster hunting wife walking around in a poufy wedding dress for the rest of his life. It just clashed with her personality.
Oh, was the cleric still talking? Even Rumpelstiltskin was tapping his boot impatiently and rolling his eyes.
He saw Karenina look at him out of the corner of his eye and then she looked away when he turned to get a better view. She kept peeking his way and then settling back on the cleric when he didn't take his bold gaze away.
She wasn't too bad to look at, but beauty wasn't what he was looking for in a wife, he just wanted companionship and hopefully Rumpelstiltskin granted him that.
"In my kingdom, there is legend of a cup. It has the power to grant eternal life. And so, may the love between you always be strong, true, and eternal."
He handed Karenina the cup and she took a sip of the chalice before handing it to him. He took a sip as well and slipped his hand against his new wife's face. He saw the inexpression give way to vulnerability and he saw a little bit of doubt and maybe some worry that he knew was the exact same kind that was churning inside his stomach.
He gently pulled her towards him and gave the chastest kiss that he had probably ever given a woman. She was tense at the show of affection but she returned the gesture slightly. He couldn't say he blamed her being uncomfortable. He took her hand and squeezed it to reassure her and when they pulled away, he still saw doubt in her eyes but not as much as there was before.
She didn't take his hand out of his.
The magic of the moment was ruined when Rumpelstiltskin giggled with glee.
"All without a hitch!" he said in a singsong voice and gave Jefferson a rather hard clap on the back. Jefferson stumbled forward and then watched as Rumpelstiltskin gave a rather…long hug to Karenina and kissed her on the cheek. He cupped her face and congratulated her…and she looked like she felt as comfortable with the gestures as Jefferson felt watching it.
"Well, I'm sure you two want to get an early start," he said and turned on his heel, "I'll be home in case you need anything. Feel free to use the carriage tomorrow if you wish. Be sure to make each other quite happy tonight, you know what they say about first impressions!"
Jefferson felt mortified even though he'd been known to make worse comments. Karenina's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her skull and she looked at him apprehensively. He quickly wrapped his arm around Karenina and ushered her out of the room. People were starting to watch in the front hall and he wanted to get away from their prying eyes.
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Jefferson was pretty sure that he didn't leave the room like this.
He was pretty sure that he hadn't had this much food set up on the table and he was CERTAINLY sure that he hadn't put any rose petals on the bed.
"Bloody Rumpelstiltskin," he muttered and saw that even his hat had rose petals in there. Now Jefferson was certain that Rumpelstiltskin was doing things like this to embarrass him.
"This was not my idea," he told her quickly.
She surveyed the room with exhausted resigned eyes. She shuffled her bare feet and used it to clear a path among the rose petals that led to the bed.
She brushed her hair over her shoulders to show him the back of her dress, "Just…unlace me please."
Jefferson had a bit of trouble working the gold laces. Why must women's clothes be so complicated? Eventually he was able to separate the back of her dress and exposed the white corset underneath
She was completely still as he looked at the scars on her back. He saw her muscles coil as if she was ready to strike as he gazed at the bare skin. Some scars were from arrows but he recognized several that were similar to his own that the master of the orphanage had given to him as a child. The same kind that stayed on someone long after the belt or whip was gone. He bore some of his own still, though they were faded with time.
He gently took his wife's shoulders and pressed his lips to one of the scars and then to her neck. He didn't care about such things as these. There was no need to be self-conscious about having physical proof that she was a survivor and he wanted to show her that he accepted her.
She drew in a sharp breath and he felt her pull away slightly at the gesture
And that was all he needed to know. She wasn't ready for where he had planned for this to lead and maybe that was better for both. He should get to know her first
He released her and moved away, "I've begun to untie your corset," he took off his coat and threw it on the nearest chair, "I'm going to take a bath..."
Jefferson waited until he was behind the curtain before he removed the rest of his clothes and sank in the cool water that he'd been hoping to get into several hours ago before Rumpelstiltskin decided to interfere on the day that he wanted to take off.
Could he do this really? Be a husband for this woman? He wasn't sure exactly what a husband was supposed to do but then again neither do most men when they were getting married. And some of them turned out fine. Some. Not all.
He was going to be one of the ones where it doesn't work out, he knew it. He didn't even know what he was thinking when he suggested that Rumpelstiltskin pay up on his promise to give him a family. He shouldn't expect any woman to follow through with this, he didn't care if she agreed to the terms; it wasn't right
He bathed, dried off and changed into a nightshirt and pants. He peeked out from behind the curtain to see that his wife had changed into a nightgown and was already in bed. Her back was facing him but her unsteady breathing meant that she was awake.
Probably waiting for him to see what he was going to do.
He dimmed the lanterns before he went to the bed and lay on top of the covers. It was far too warm to sleep under them. He was hoping for a freezing winter, he had enough money saved up to just spend it in the house…and now it looked like he was going to be spending the winter getting to know his new wife if they made it that far together.
He lay on his back and they were silent for a few minutes. He heard Karenina give a small sigh and turned to face him. When she was certain that he wasn't going to at least TRY to take advantage of her, she scooted closer to him. He could only see her from the dim light of the torches but it was impossible to really see the expression on her face.
"Thank you," she whispered. He extended his arm out; she lifted her head and placed it on his shoulder.
"Well do you really think I was going to try anything?" he asked, "You're a monster hunter! Attempting to do so would've probably resulted in my nose being broken."
He heard her laugh slightly and then he realized that she hadn't denied it.
"Besides, we need to get our rest," he said and looked to the foot of the bed where his hat was, "We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."
"Your house is that far away?"
"Oh no, we're not going home yet," he said with a smirk, it was easier to fall into his old flirting habits, "I believe it's customary to take one's wife on a honeymoon. And luckily dear, since you married a man who travels and sees much, you're in for a honeymoon unlike anything anyone else could ever give you."
"Oh, trying to impress me with your ability."
"Trying," he sneered, "Darling, I'm pretty sure I already have."
"Bold one, you are," she noted.
"I'm certain I can back it up," he told her, "Now go to sleep. I'm not sure about you but marriage to me is very exhausting work."
"And to think, you're not the one who wore the corset."
He playfully nudged her with his foot, "That's what you think."
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Jefferson kept waking up that night and every time he did, he found his wife in a different position. At first she slept with her arm slung over him. Another time when he awoke, he found her on her stomach and taking up half the bed. The third time that he awoke, her feet were where the pillows should be and her head was near his hat at the foot of the bed.
He saw the open window and a cool breeze lift up her hair.
The room was suffocatingly hot. Jefferson pulled off his night shirt and moved so that he was laying the same direction that she was. He didn't care if it made her uncomfortable; he was desperately trying to cool off too.
He took a second to look at his sleeping wife, he could see her a bit better because of the light outside. Now that she was asleep, her guard was down, the lines were gone in her face and she looked at peace. Far different from the hardened warrior that he'd been looking at since yesterday.
He put aside his own defense wall for a second and smiled shyly at her. He brushed a knuckle down her cheek and rested his hand on her side.
He could be a husband…he could be a good one. If she was just as broken as he was then he could relate to that…they could…they could figure this out somehow. He had achieved everything else he'd set out to do, so marriage was just another thing to brag about.
A slight breeze hit. He didn't remember it stopping before he fell asleep again.
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When Jefferson woke up the sun was beginning to rise. He reached over instinctively to make sure his new bride was still there but he found the side of the bed that his wife slept on was empty. He sat up and looked around in a bit of a panic. There was food that was waiting on the table…what else did she need? Where would she go?
He heard the slight splashing of water and he looked up to see his wife come out from behind the curtain, black trousers and a grey tunic as her attire this time.
She smiled slightly when she saw him and he saw himself in the mirror. His hair was tousled and he looked horribly confused. It almost made him look endearing and not as confidant as he would've liked.
He stood up out of the bed and gave a short bow, "My lady."
She nodded and stared boldly at his bare chest, "You've seen some fights too."
"I'm a man who travels and sees much and I've made some enemies along the way," he said with a casual shrug, "Nothing to worry about, the queen gave me a royal passport and if I understood correctly, that was part of the reason why you married me."
"I've made some enemies along the way as well," she said, "Luckily royal passports extend to any spouses and children that can come out of the arrangement of marriage."
"Arrangement," He gave a faux pout, "After all the hours that we've spent working on this relationship and you call it an 'arrangement."
She gave him a charmed smile that sort of uplifted him a bit, "Please don't cry, the servants where charge extra for snot on the pillow."
"No, I'm going to cry in the pillow of where we're going tonight. Alone. And you can sleep on the floor because I am not giving up the bed."
"And Rumpelstiltskin implied that you were gentleman!" she said in a deadpan voice that somehow held some teasing in it.
"Oh, he would never imply anything of the sort."
She smiled and slipped a dagger into her boot, "So where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere cold," he said and stood closer, "And isolated…"
"Cold means a possible fireplace…isolation means either you plan to murder me and make off with my fortune or you plan to seduce me and you don't want neighbors nearby…or both. Hopefully not in that order."
"Well, whichever comes first," he said with a smirk, "We need to get some things bought before we leave, I'll make you a list of what you need. Luckily Rumpelstiltskin let us have his carriage and bought us a servant for the day. Do you need money?"
"No. Where are you going to be?" she asked.
"I believe it's customary to get a man's wife a gift for their honeymoon and I'm going to get you something that you've probably never seen before in your life."
She narrowed her eyes, "And here I am with no clue what to buy you."
He stopped and gave an exaggerated look of thoughtfulness.
What did he want from her? He already had everything he could hope for.
Instead he shook his head, "I have your companionship. That's enough."
He expected her to be touched by the compliment. And for a second, she looked like she was. But then she quickly covered it up with a scoff and a roll of her eyes. She put her wall back up before he could tear it down, "I'm buying you something."
"I'm a hard man to buy for."
"Oh, well then I feel like I've been issued a challenge," she said and turned, "I suppose I'll meet you back here?"
"Do you know the village?"
"My brothers and I have been working with Rumpelstiltskin for years, I know the village."