As always, thank you for your never ending patience between updates for this story.
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XIV.
For as much as Daryl often grumbled about it beneath his breath, Richard was not a stupid man, by any means, and after the evening meal and Elizabeth had gone upstairs to return to Judith, the last thing Daryl wished to do was sit with Richard by the fire for their nightly ritual of discussing that day's events and the man had been able to guess that for himself.
As the maids cleared the tables and everyone left the Hall to go about their own business before laying their heads down for a night's sleep, both Richard and Daryl stood as well and Richard leaned over to clap a hand on his shoulder.
"Sleep well, brother," Richard gave him a grin that let Daryl know that he was not necessarily speaking of sleep at all. Daryl frowned, but made no comment of his own in return to his.
Daryl left the hall and headed towards the stairs that his wife had ascended just a short time before. There was a maid on her way down, fresh linens folded in her arms, and Daryl turned, pressing himself close to the wall so she would have room to pass by. She threw a smile at him, but Daryl hardly noticed for as soon as she passed, he turned and resumed climbing, each step taking him closer to Elizabeth, and his heart pounded in the base of his throat in anticipation and a little bit of hesitation, as well.
She had said that she wished to speak with him that evening before they retired to bed and though he had done his best to think of the topic his wife wished to discuss with him all through the meal, Daryl admitted that he was at a loss. The female's mind was a complete mystery to him – one he had never wished to figure out for himself before.
But then he married Elizabeth and quite suddenly, he found himself wishing to crawl into her mind and discover and acquaint himself with every nook and cranny she had in there.
Stepping into her chamber that was now his as well, he saw that it was empty of her, but there was another door that led into Judith's nursery and that door was open. Daryl closed the main door that looked into their chamber and then crossed the room so he could look into the nursery. He watched as Elizabeth walked a slow circle around the room, the babe cradled in her arms and Elizabeth's hand gently patting her rump as she sang to her a song so soft, Daryl could only hear the gentle rise and fall of the cadence instead of the words.
He stood in the doorway between the two rooms and found himself unable to look away. Hell could burst open at his feet right this moment, but he still wouldn't stop watching the woman tend to the babe in her arms. His wife. He was married to this woman before him and her words from earlier echoed in his ears.
I like you very much, husband.
There was little more in this world that he could ask for than that. He wished for her to care for him; to not be frightened of him. And not only was she not frightened him and she did care for him, she had also accepted his kiss and from the way her soft lips had pressed to his, it would seem that perhaps she wanted another one from him.
Daryl would be more than pleased to kiss her again – if that was what she truly wanted. But first, he wished for her to speak to him with whatever was on her mind.
He knew it was not the way things were generally done between men and their wives. Most men could not have cared less what their wives thought or how they felt. Most men had gotten their wives in exchange for money or land or simply because there was an agreement between the man and the woman's father. The man simply wished for the woman to give him children – preferably sons – and as long as they were healthy enough to do that, the man did not spare much time thinking of his wife.
Daryl knew that was the way of things. He knew Richard loved the Lady Lori very much, but even the man had his own secrets; secrets that he confessed to Daryl rather than to his wife for in Richard's opinion, it was not his wife's place to know everything. But the way Daryl saw things, if Elizabeth had the courage to tell him something that was on her mind, there was no reason that Daryl did not wish to hear it and perhaps tell her something in return that was on his.
Elizabeth felt his eyes watching her for she lifted her eyes and fell them onto him instantly. She gave him a soft smile and Daryl felt himself smiling at her in return. Elizabeth then looked back down to Judith and kissed the babe on the head, bending over and laying her down as gently as she could into the cradle.
"Sleep well, little one," Elizabeth whispered to the babe and then with one soft rock of the cradle, Elizabeth crossed the room and Daryl stepped back into their chamber so she could enter as well. She closed the door a bit – not completely – and then she looked up to Daryl with the same soft smile that she had just given him a moment earlier.
Suddenly, Daryl felt that perhaps he was standing too close to her and he went to go bring the fire in their hearth back to life so it could give them some warmth in their small space. When he turned again, Elizabeth was sitting on the edge of the – their – bed, taking the braids from her hair and combing her fingers through the long blonde strands.
Not too sure what to do with himself now, Daryl came and hesitantly sat him down beside her, but made sure that he was not too close to her. Now, up in this chamber with her with no one else was around, he found himself to be nervous at the idea of Elizabeth telling him that she was ready for them to consummate their marriage. He did not know if he was ready to do the consummation; at least with not a bit fair of warning ahead of time.
"You must tell me if I am stepping too far from my place," she began quietly without needing him to prompt her to do so.
Daryl said nothing to that for he could not imagine her saying anything that would not be her place to do so. He simply looked at her and waited for her to continue and her fingers dropped from her hair, falling into her lap, and almost hesitantly, she lifted her eyes to look at him. She was nervous. That much was obvious to him. Without much thought behind the action, Daryl reached his hand out and covered both of hers in her lap with his. Her skin was soft and cool to touch and Daryl wondered if he needed to add more wood to the fire to help her warm up quicker.
She exhaled a breath as if that was what she needed from him.
"At Laird Phillip's, I overheard you and Carl speaking by the stables. It was not my intent to eavesdrop," she then quickly added as if perhaps he thought she was a spy. "I was out with Judith for a bit of air after eating and you were speaking with the boy as you brushed Fowler. I was in the shadows near the Keep and neither of you knew I was there."
Daryl's mind began to race the instant she said that she had heard him and Carl. What was it that had been said? It had been many days before and there had been many conversations he had been a part of since. But this conversation with Carl had obviously been one to stay on her mind and after another moment, he remembered what had been said and he looked to her, already knowing what she was going to say next to him.
"If you wish to have a mistress even though you are now married to me, I know it is not my place to comment on it," she said and her eyes had fallen from his to look down to his hand still resting over hers.
"I have no desire for any other woman besides you," Daryl heard himself speak in response before he could even fully process the words in his own mind. "When I said those things to Carl, it was to put him more at ease because he is going to be marrying a girl he has no feelings for."
Elizabeth lifted her eyes once again to look at him and Daryl knew that she understood what he meant and his unspoken words hung in the air heavily between them.
Not like me.
For an extended moment, she stared at him and nothing else and Daryl sat still, letting her get her fill of him though he felt like squirming from feeling uncomfortable. A person had never stared at him like this unless they were doing their best to intimidate him and Daryl usually responded with either his sword or a fist to the person's jaw. But Elizabeth was staring at him right now, studying him to learn that he spoke the truth. She would learn over time that he always spoke the truth.
"And if you change your mind, will you tell me first?" Elizabeth asked. "I know you do not have to, but there are many women in this Keep who find you to be a handsome man and I do not wish to walk upon a scene with you and someone else and feel completely blinded. If you wish to be with another woman, I just ask that you tell me before-"
Daryl was not sure where the boldness came from. He supposed he could tell himself that he was a husband, simply acting upon the right that was simply his. But he knew it was not that. He knew it was more than that. There was something about Elizabeth that made him want to act like this. He found himself wishing to be everything that she probably had daydreamed a husband to be before she was married to him.
He leaned in and cut the rest of her words off before she could speak them and his other hand found a home on her cheek as his lips found hers. He heard the words die in her throat and she was surprised for a moment, her lips not reacting against his, but Daryl simply kept his lips where they were until after a passing second, he began to feel her lips softly press back against his. And her body relaxed under his touch and his eyes slid shut as he kissed his wife – softly and slowly, sure not to rush or frighten her. Daryl supposed he was kissing her in this manner for his benefit as well.
He knew he and Elizabeth would consummate their marriage sooner rather than later, but for now, this was more than enough to do. Kissing her and having her kiss him in return and feel her soft, delicate body beneath his hands. She was already his with or without a consummation just as he was already hers.
…
Elizabeth followed the Laird and Lady from the Chapel and the instant her eyes fell upon Daryl, standing outside the doors, waiting, she smiled. She stepped out of the way of the others coming out behind her and she waited as the Laird and Daryl stepped away for a moment, exchanging words not meant for any others ears besides their own.
The conversation ended with Richard clapping a hand on Daryl's shoulder and then turning back towards Lady Lori, he beckoned her to come forward. Daryl stepped back to Elizabeth and she was not sure what caused her to, but she slipped her hand into his.
"I know today is your day of rest," Daryl said and Elizabeth was grateful that he had not brought attention to her hand in his. "Do you wish to go see your father and sister?"
Elizabeth smiled that he already knew that that was what she did. "Yes, but first, I was hoping to stop in the woods to pick some flowers for my sister."
Daryl nodded and without a word, he jerked his chin forward, signaling to her to lead the way. She kept her hand tucked into his, liking the feel of how warm and rough her husband's skin was against her own, She felt almost giddy at the idea of her – a little nothing, just a nursemaid – leading the Head of the Garrison through the bailey as if she had any sort of power over him. She felt giddy that Daryl was letting her lead him.
She could feel eyes on them as they passed, but she did not look to see who it was; already knowing who it was that watched them. It was not the first jealous look she had been on the receiving end since Daryl had returned and she knew it would not be the last.
Once they were among the trees of the woods that surrounded the Keep, Elizabeth finally dropped his hand as she began searching the ground for the flowers she wanted to take to Margaret. And once she saw the familiar white buds, she knelt down on the ground and began picking a bouquet, feeling Daryl standing behind her, watching over her and the woods around them, always on guard for a possible breach of their safety.
"Does this flower mean something?" He asked.
Elizabeth smiled as she continued picking. "All flowers mean something. Baby's breath means many things, but right now, I am giving it to my sister to signify newborn babies. She and her husband have begun making attempts at having a babe and all the prayers help. But I hope this brings them good luck as well."
She finished plucking a small bouquet and then stood up, turning towards him with the flowers in her arms. "May I ask you something?" She looked to him.
"I married a woman, not a dog. You do not need to ask for permission to speak," Daryl said.
And the image of that was so silly to her, Elizabeth felt laughter bubbling in her throat, escaping past her lips, and as Daryl heard it, his own lips turned into a tiny smile of his own.
"Why do you not attend chapel with the others?" She asked.
Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "My mother took me when I was little, but then she passed, and my father never cared for religion. The only reason I started going again was because Richard's father forced me to attend. Richard knows better than to force me. I can find better ways to spend my morns than to sit and listen to a man speak on things I do not believe."
Elizabeth nodded as if that was the very answer she had been expecting. She fell quiet.
Daryl cleared his throat. "I am not insulting you for believing those things, my Lady," he said.
Elizabeth gave him a small smile. "I know you had no intent of insulting me. I am just thinking of ways I can get you to attend chapel with me," she admitted, her smile growing.
Daryl smirked. "Good luck to you on that."
Another soft laugh slipped past her lips. "I am going to ask you something else," she informed him and Daryl smirked again – this smirk one of amusement – and she felt a burst of pride for being able to differentiate some of her husband's smirks already. "Everyone knows you and the Laird are as close as brothers and his father took part in raising you. Why has the Laird not given you a title?"
Daryl looked at her for a moment and then exhaled a stream of breath. "Richard has offered such a thing to me many times. But I have refused."
That, Elizabeth had not been expecting and her eyes widened a bit.
"I am a son of a drunk. I am not the sort to have a title before my name," Daryl said.
"But you are so much more than that," Elizabeth rushed out. "You are the Laird's closet confidant and you lead the very men who keep us all safe. You have earned everything you have now in this life."
Daryl shrugged and said nothing more.
She took a step closer to him, the space between them so small now. "You deserve much in this world, Daryl. I see now that it is my job as your wife to show that to you."
No more words passed between them as Daryl stared at her. His eyes seemed so dark all of a sudden and she was not sure if she had something that had upset him, but what possibly could have upset him over what she had just said?
Her words were true. Others had told her that her husband was a good man and she was beginning to see that for herself. And in her mind, good people were to be rewarded in this life and the next for being good. To Elizabeth, it was as simple as that. Perhaps Daryl did not think the same.
Just as he had a tendency to do, he kissed her suddenly, catching her off guard for a moment, before she was able to press her lips back against his and kiss him in return. His arms slipped around her waist and around her back, bringing her in close to him as his lips moved against hers and the flowers in her arms were crushed to his chest, but the flowers were honestly the last thing on her mind. His kisses were a bit harder now, more pressure pressing to her lips, and again, Elizabeth felt a tightening in her stomach that she did not quite understand, but she knew that she wanted it to be quenched somehow.
When Daryl began lowering her gently to the ground, she thought – in the back of her mind – to stop him. This was the Lord's Day and doing such a thing today was a sin against that, but his mouth moved against hers as if he was starving and she was providing him nourishment and the blades of grass tickled the back of her neck as he laid her down and she could not imagine stopping him right now for anything.
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