These dates had continued on a weekly basis, Erza had grown to long for the evening where she could sit with Jellal, recounting the events of the week and being able to laugh so carefree. Jellal was no monster, he had been quick to open up about his childhood, his regret of not having a mother figure in his life and his conviction to not become the man that his father was. The Prince had grand ambitions, a driving will to unite the Kingdoms, not simply to hold a greater power, but to foster a land of peace and harmony.

Erza could feel herself becoming swept up into his dreams, she too longed for an end to wars, rebellions and backstabbing. Her own family expected her to sway Prince Jellal to their side, yet she was quickly being swayed to his, and her family would be wise to follow her lead.

In turn Erza had detailed her life back in Dál Riata, the Prince had listened in rapt silence as she told him of her passions, horse-riding, archery and foraging for wild strawberries, her favourite food. She could not deny the growing attraction that she felt for her husband, over the weeks there had been strokes of the hand, fluttering of eyelashes and plenty of heated and heavy glances, but nothing more had happened.

Erza would be lying if she said she didn't want something more, Jellal continued to be a perfect gentleman, but it was clear that his restraint was beginning to slip, and on the eve of June 25th she was ready. She had discovered through Virgo that it was the Prince's birthday, he was reluctant to celebrate the date, his sadness of the death of his mother clouding what should have been a happy day. Erza was determined to bring light and love to this man, her bundle was wrapped within her cloak as she checked her reflection in the mirror one last time.

Jellal greeted her with his warm smile, his hand ghosted over Erza's slender back as he began to steer her towards his horse and a light shiver raced through her at what might lie ahead. She was careful not to squash her bundle during the journey, and it did not go unnoticed by the Prince, he chose to hold his tongue until she was ready to talk.

It was safe to say that Erza was distracted, she had poor Jellal repeating his words on more than one occasion, her mind continually diverting to other matters, unknown to the Prince. A deep sigh sounded in the clearing, Jellal grasped Erza's hand and pulled her attention towards him, "talk to me, my princess." He had taken to calling her 'my princess' as a term of endearment, and with every time it spilled from his lips, it only further heightened her lust for the man.

Erza stood, moving towards her cloak by their horse, Jellal could only look on in curiosity as she carefully unwrapped the handmade strawberry birthday cake. She placed a single candle in the middle and struck a small match on a nearby rock to light it. Erza turned to the startled man, his eyes shifting quickly between her and the cake she held, a stream of emotions crossed his handsome face before settling on a wide happy grin. "Happy Birthday Jellal," she spoke quietly, watching with a hammering heart as he stood to join her.

Jellal bent to blow out the candle, he quickly closed his eyes and the candle extinguished.

~.~

He couldn't have wished for a better birthday, having spent all his previous ones trying to forget about the pain of losing his mother before he got the chance to even meet her, this one was truly special. His fingers wrapped around the plump strawberry sat atop the cake, knowing it was Erza's favourite food and that she was willing to share it with him made the man want to sweep her into his arms.

He offered the strawberry to her, expecting the Princess to take it from his hand, what he did not expect was for her to open her mouth and take a slow bite from the juicy fruit as he continued to hold it. All the blood in his body rushed to his crotch, he was overwhelmed with the desire to ditch the cake and press his woman against the nearest tree.

He watched through hooded eyes as she placed the cake on the nearest tree stump and took his wrist in her hand to guide the strawberry back to her lips, she bit down and a gush of juice slipped over her bottom lip. Jellal could bear it no longer, hurling the partially eaten fruit deep into the forest he grasped Erza around the waist and wasted no time in pressing his lips to hers, savouring the taste of the sweet berry.

The normally so prim and proper Princess moaned into the kiss, fuelling Jellal's own lust filled haze, his hands seemed to move in a blur as he sought to touch her everywhere at once. He took two long strides until Erza was pressed against the trunk of an enormous tree, his tongue swept over her bottom lip, begging for entrance, yet he was denied. A growl ripped from the male, his mouth moved to her bare neck, burning the flesh with harsh kisses, his punishment for being denied entry to her mouth. Erza's fingers twisted deep in his hair, the light tugging eliciting a heavy groan as he attempted to leash his desire. "Jellal," she said lowly, forcing his attention to her face.

"I think I am falling in love with you," she whispered, her trembling hand cupping his tattooed cheek. Jellal's head was reeling, she was confessing her love for him, right here, right now? He watched as she brushed her sweet lips over his, the briefest of butterfly kisses.

The heavy cloud of desire lifted long enough for Jellal to find his voice, "I think I've been in love with you for quite some time," he confessed, chuckling as her eyes widened in surprise. "The time for talking has come to an end, let me show you how I feel," he continued, his fingers squeezing her hips ever so slightly.

Their kisses were so much sweeter, the spoken words of love trapping them in a seemingly tangible bubble of love filled lust, Jellal's hands roamed over the sides of his wife, memorising every inch that he touched. This time when he asked for admittance to her mouth, Erza parted her lips and welcomed him home, he explored every crevice of her mouth before dancing with her own tongue.

His hungry mouth slipped down her delicate throat, teeth nipping at her skin, he relished every little squeak of pleasure that slipped from his princess, his chest puffing at his ability to give her such pleasure. He wanted more, and the way Erza writhed in his hold, it seemed like she wanted more too.

Jellal swept his beloved wife into his arms, hurrying with her to the blanket spread out for their usual picnic, he knocked away the things from the centre, uncaring of where they landed, before placing Erza down. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, her hand reaching out for him and he was like putty in her hands, he dropped to his knees and quickly crawled atop her.

As the couple kissed, Jellal's fervour was increasing with each second, breaking for air, his fingers skimmed the low neckline of her gown, "may I?" he asked, his breathing ragged from his thinly veiled control. Erza flushed furiously, but nodded her consent, her eyes closing as he pulled the material down exposing her naked breasts to him.

His hands detailed her mounds, calloused fingers rubbing over the softness before him, her budding nipples stiffened as he circled fingers over both peaks. Erza's head was thrown back, biting on her plump lower lip as he continued to explore her more than heavenly body.

Dipping his head, his hot mouth devoured her left breast, teeth gripping the tender flesh with extreme caution, the mewls from his writhing princess spurred him on as he abused the perky bud, before moving to the other and giving it the same intense treatment.

Whilst Jellal's mouth was busy with Erza's chest, his hands had begun to roam over her lower half, inching the skirt of her dress higher and higher until the material met in the middle, and only covered her stomach.

He wanted to weep when his hand brushed over her underwear and an obvious dampness met his fingertips, he wanted to roar his joy to the entire Kingdom. As he let her nipple escape his mouth with an audible pop, he looked up to see Erza had both arms thrown over her face, a burst of concern dampening his lust. "Hey, princess, do you want me to stop?" he asked, tearing his hand away from her body until she answered.

"Yes, and no," she whispered, refusing to meet his eye. He couldn't help the frown that was forming on his face, she was clearly aroused, the evidence so very clear to see, why did she want to stop?

Erza sat up slowly, wrapping her arms around Jellal's neck and hugging him tightly, "I'm scared, this is all so new to me," she spoke into his neck, he tried to suppress the shudder that her hot breath caused on his skin.

He could have told her of his own inexperience, yet a sense of pride had him holding the information back, with one steadying breath he moved Erza's gown back up to cover her chest. He would restrain himself, wait until she was really ready, he had waited this long, what was a little longer?

The journey back to the castle was sombre, neither party looked at the other yet they walked with hands entwined. As they parted in the quiet darkness of the hallway between their respective chambers, "thank you for the best birthday ever, my princess," Jellal said, his hand lifting to kiss the back of Erza's before she departed for the night.

Erza smiled sweetly, their fingers trailed in parting, neither one wanting to the one to part them. "Good night, my prince," she purred, her eyelashes batting as she walked away, her door closing quietly as Jellal stood there, rooted to the spot.

~.~

An hour was spent tossing and turning in her bed, the covers felt too hot on her body, kicking them off only resulted in a case of cold toes as a light breeze swept into the room from her cracked window. Erza was perfectly furious with herself, she had gotten the exact result she wanted, yet when it mattered, she got scared.

Her skin burned from where Jellal had touched, she placed her own hands where his had been, and a deep pressure twisted in her stomach, she needed something, anything, what she needed was completion. That was it, she was no coward, how could she have stopped what happened? She wanted to give herself fully to her husband, and now that he had also proved capable of walking away, not forcing her, that made her want all the stronger.

Erza leapt from the bed, her white night gown was short and rather revealing, but did it matter considering what she was planning to do? Taking a candle from the bedside, she brushed her fingers through her hair and threw herself out into the dark corridor. She knew the way instinctively to his bedchambers, so much so that she was not looking where she was going.

She slammed into the hard chest of someone coming towards her, she gasped as a pair of hands stopped her from falling to her bum. Jellal was there, in the corridor with nothing but his sleeping pants on. No words needed to be spoken, Erza threw herself into his arms, their lips crashing together in a heated dance, the candle extinguished as it fell to the floor and rolled away.

Jellal's rough hands slipped under her thighs, lifting her with ease as she willingly wrapped her legs around his waist, the man strode in the darkness with her wrapped around his body to his room. The door opened and closed quickly, and she was pressed against a soft mattress as a solid body pressed its own weight upon her.

Her hands sought out his face that was trailing delicious kisses down her throat, she pulled him to her and whimpered out, "we're not stopping this time, I want you Jellal." These words were like a siren call directly to Jellal's groin, Erza could feel his length pressing down on her lower stomach and it intrigued her greatly. Her hand moved to seek out the hard length, her palm rubbed over the clothed mound and Jellal winced at the feeling.

In this night gown it was far easier for the Prince to gain access to her core, he could feel the heat it was radiating and the primitive growl that sounded in the room only heightened the dampness in her now glistening folds. Jellal was careful to remove her underwear before moving down the bed for a closer look.

Erza watched in the dimness of his room as Jellal's head moved between her thighs and his hot breath teased at her sensitive flesh. When he finally let two of his fingers dip into her slick folds, she threw her head back, her spine arched off the bed and her thighs attempted to close around his head.

With a strong hand, he gripped one thigh, trapping it against the mattress as his fingers continued to stroke her heat. "Watch me my princess, I want you to watch as I claim you with my mouth," his whispers were low and desperately heated. His lewd words and his actions should have been enough to make Erza flee, but it was having quite the opposite effect. She obediently raised her head to meet his steely gaze, he smiled wickedly before he lowered his mouth to her entrance, never breaking the eye contact.

The flat of his tongue dragged up her centre, wringing exquisite moans from the red head, it was hard to keep her head lifted as she desperately wanted to throw it back once more. Jellal was gentle, yet demanding all at the same time. He was careful to rain down soft kisses to her flesh as his fingers began to work their way into her welcoming entrance, he was met with no barrier as it had been broken many years ago from her extensive horse-riding. Her walls were forced apart by his thick fingers, twisting and splaying inside her, ensuring she was ready for the main event.

Erza felt like she would combust on the bed, her mind scattered as her prince continued to pleasure her with every touch, lick, bite and suck. The moment he had suckled on her tight bundle of nerves, she nearly lost it, her panting was so very loud in the otherwise silent room. Jellal's throat vibrated with his own enjoyment, the sensation only deepening the heavy feeling inside her stomach. A flick of his thumb over the sensitive nub had a release crashing over her, eyes rolling back and she screamed her pleasure to the ceiling.

~.~

Jellal's pride could not possibly get any higher, Erza's release at his ministrations was his greatest achievement to date for the young man. He was quick to slide up her body, kissing her deeply as she continued to reel from her orgasm. His tongue slipped into her mouth and pressed against hers, letting her taste her own sweet juices.

Her arms wrapped around his neck loosely, eyes finally opening and give him the sexiest smile he had ever seen. She looked truly like a well pampered princess, the blush of her cheeks and the rise of her heavy chest only added to his love for his wife. They had been married for six months, yet it only really felt like he had the right to call her his wife since their weekly dates had begun. Now he was more than ready to take that next step, consummating the marriage correctly.

As if she had been listening to his thoughts, Erza lifted her hips on the bed, her core rubbing directly on his throbbing erection. "Are you ready for this? I don't want to force -," Erza cut off his words with a deep kiss, one hand snaking between their bodies to rub her delicate fingers over his crotch. Her other hand joined it and she began to shove at the waistband of his pants, Jellal was wide eyed by her boldness, where had his prudish wife disappeared to?

After a second to collect his scattered thoughts, he assisted in the removal of his clothes, his erection springing free and landing heavily on Erza's mound. She gasped as it appeared, her eyes round with fascination, shaking fingers reaching out to touch the velvet skin of the moist tip. On contact Jellal gave a deep groan of approval, his body moved and the long shaft rubbed along the Princess's damp flesh.

Once he was coated in the juices from her earlier release, Jellal guided his erection to her entrance, and pressed forwards as gently as he could manage. Erza winced as he slowly filled her with his thick shaft, her walls were so warm and welcoming, yet he knew he was stretching her to a capacity she had never felt. It took every ounce of control not to immediately lose himself within her, he stilled his body when he was finally in up to the hilt and waited.

Sweat started to cover his skin in a thin sheen, his breathing was laboured as he waited for his wife to adjust, a slight buck of her hips caused him to huff out a deep groan. Jellal rolled his hips experimentally, testing the waters. A moan of delight bubbled from his wife, and he silently thanked the gods for being able to move at last.

Jellal formed a slow and gentle rhythm with ease, with each thrust or roll of his hips, Erza's walls pulled him back into her with pure greed. He knew he wouldn't last long, this being his first time, as well as his wife's but he was determined to wring one more release from his princess before he came.

With his hands on Erza's perfectly round bum, he lifted her pelvis as he straightened on the bed, he was now even deeper than he thought possible, and he could not stop the deep grunts of his pleasure from filling the air. Erza whimpered below him, her knuckles white from gripping the sheets by her sides. She let out a high mewl, and her heat crushed around him like a vice, trapping him in place and milking his own release.

Jellal could feel the release tighten sharply in his balls before his seed spilled into Erza's warming heat, mixing with her own pleasure. The ecstasy of the shared moment was overwhelming, the lovers panted in the dim room that was now heavy with the perfume of their lovemaking.

As they shared a loving kiss, Jellal stared down at the beautiful sight of his wife, his princess, his Erza and smiled warmly. "I love you Erza, I will do everything in my power to ensure your happiness from this moment onwards. You know I have ambitions for the Kingdom, and I want your sharp mind firmly by my side to ensure our success," his words were heartfelt and measured. He needed her to know that she would not simply be a trophy wife, a beautiful Queen to bear his heirs, she would be his partner and a guiding force in their Kingdom.

Drawing her still trembling body into his arms as he lay beside her, she turned in his arms. Quick butterfly kisses peppered his jaw and neck, she murmured against his skin, "thank you my prince, I love you too. I will stand by your side until the end of days." That was all Jellal needed to hear.

From that night, Erza permanently moved into his chambers and their loneliness was no more.

~.~

Five years later...

The blue haired man caressed the gently rounded stomach of his wife as he took her from behind, her whimpers of pleasure were like a trigger for the male, and he thrust into her with an immediate fast pace.

The redhead gripped the stone wall before her, letting her building pleasure intensify as her husband was merciless with her body. How she loved this man, his touch was still as intense as a branding iron on her skin and she utterly adored it.

The pair knew this intimate moment could not last long, Jellal reached around to firmly press on Erza's sensitive clit, her legs trembling as she felt her release cresting. "Come for me, my princess," he growled out, his teeth tugging on her ear as he slammed into her over and over.

With a final pinch of his skilled fingers, Erza's legs near gave out as she rode out her orgasm, her husband thrusting to his own completion as her walls milked him of everything he had to give. Loud pants filled their now much larger bed chambers, Jellal steadied his wife as he removed himself from her and fastened his pants back in place.

The charcoal gown that Erza wore fell back to the ground after a quick cleaning from her loving husband, he drew her underwear back up her shapely legs as she chuckled from his tender actions. "You know I am now your Queen, I am a princess no more dear husband."

He merely threw his head back in laughter, "that may be true, but you will always be my princess in the bedroom, or whichever room we choose to make love in," he retorted, his brow quirking as he dared her to refute him.

At that moment the door to the bedroom was thrown wide, a small girl ran into the room giggling merrily, her long blue hair streaming behind her as she hid behind her mother's skirts. Virgo was seconds behind, her face flushed from chasing the child around the castle.

"Just what mischief have you been up to this time Mavis?" her father called to the girl, his arms outstretched as she ran to him and flung herself into his awaiting arms.

"Miss Virgo wants to put me in that silly itchy dress that I hate so much, tell her I don't have to wear it daddy," the little girl whined, her bottom lip sticking out as she pouted at him.

Erza strode to the pair and smoothed down her daughter's beautiful blue locks, "you have to wear it sweetie, it's a very important day for your father, and we all need to look our best," her mother gently explained, patting her growing belly absently.

"It's an important day for all of us," Jellal corrected, clutching his wife's hand as the pair cuddled their daughter, "things will change for the better from this day forth."

~.~

Less than an hour later, the throne room was filled with royalty, nobility and dignitaries from all the allied Kingdoms. As the Queen she sat in her throne to the side of the King, their daughter sat just off to the side with Virgo keeping a very close eye on the mischievous girl. Erza watched with pride as Jellal stood from his throne to address their people. It may have taken many years, and a lot of strategic political manoeuvring to reach this venture, but it was finally time for the news to be officially shared.

King Jellal Fernandes was a breath-taking man, with a truly kind heart and a vision that would bring prosperity and happiness to all his citizens. Erza felt tears building in her eyes, she straightened her spine, blaming the pregnancy hormones for her erratic emotions. In truth she simply felt incredibly lucky and honoured to be by his side, through the good and the bad. He had never shut her out, never dismissed her feelings or thoughts, and no matter how late he slipped into their bed, he always kissed her goodnight and held her close through the night.

The crowd hushed as the King took to his feet, it was time to declare the new unified Kingdom, the Kingdom of Alba ruled over by King Jellal Fernandes and Queen Erza Fernandes in equal right.