Chapter 2: A Wedding Gift
Claire held a puzzled expression as she looked at the puzzle in front of her that sat upon the table; She reached out her hand hesitantly before retracting it for the 15th time and Erik chuckled from the other side of the table,
"I am trying" Claire wined with an embarrassed smile on her face before picking up one of her pieces and tried to move it to another square but Erik reached out and gently moved her hand so she rested it another square,
"See?... That makes check" he told her, watching as she smiled brightly,
"Ahhhhh... Now I see" she said but Erik smiled smugly before moving his own piece, claiming one of her own,
"And check mate means I win" he told her and Claire couldn't help but laugh as he chuckled,
"You cheated" she accused,
"Well how do you expect me to teach you how to play chess if I were to let you win so easily. It is when we fail that we learn how to succeed, my dear" Erik told her before standing and reset the chess board,
"Another game?" he asked,
"Maybe later. I was hoping that you might teach me that trick you performed for the shah the other night. The one with the pack of cards" Claire explained and Erik chuckled. It had only been a couple of days since their 'Wedding' but he and Claire had become close friends; Erik was trying to teach Claire how to play but he couldn't help but admire her curiosity when it came to his illusions of magic.
Erik took a pack of playing cards before proceeding to show his young bride how to create the illusion of having a stranger pick a card and then 'read their mind' in order to guess which card they had chosen,
"The Shah has requested another show at court tonight. I want you to stay here so that you will be safe" Erik explained,
"But what if he asks you to..." she tried but remembered the rules he had only told her a few days earlier,
"What if he hurts you again?" she corrected with an expression that matched her concerned tone,
"That shouldn't matter to you. You'll be safe here and that's what matters" Erik told her in slight confusion,
"You're my husband, Erik. I care about you" Claire told him and Erik felt himself grow numb for a moment as he pulled on his long coat... Care... No one had ever cared for him. Not even his own mother. She hadn't even been able to ever bring herself to look at him,
"... Yes... I suppose you do. You are my wife and... It is a wife's duty to care for her husband I believe" Erik reasoned more to himself and left quickly, not giving Claire a chance to speak.
Claire spent her day reading a book on the rules of chess that Erik had purchased for her; She had vowed to herself to beat Erik in one game at least once in her life; Her peace was disturbed when Nadir helped Erik into the apartment,
"What happened?" Claire asked concerned at the sight of blood on Erik's shirt as he limped with Nadir's assistance,
"The shah wanted him to remove his mask... When he refused the guards took Erik outside and beat him for a whole 2 hours. One got a little excited and decided to slice Erik across the chest with a dagger" Nadir explained as Claire helped him to get Erik into his room and laid him down on his bed; Claire looked upon Erik's broken and bruised body with a sad expression,
"... Thank you for bringing him home, Nadir. I'll take care of him" Claire assured before seeing him out.
Erik winced as Claire tended to the flesh wound across his chest,
"Merde" Erik growled,
"I'm sorry but this ointment will prevent infection" Claire explained as she continued to cover the wound in the herbal oil,
"It stinks" Erik grumbled like a small child throwing a tantrum but Claire held back her amusement as she continued to care for him,
"... Do you think I should give in to the shah's demands and remove my mask the next time he asks?" Erik asked after a long moment of silence and Claire was surprised by his question,
"I hate him. I can't bare the fact that he hurts you for standing up to him... But no. I don't think you should give in" Claire answered and Erik was surprised by her answer,
"Your mask is one of the first things I know about you, Erik... I know that it is something that makes you feel safe and I respect you far too much to ask you to remove it. I wish that the shah respected you as I do. I admire you for how strong you are... Every time the shah orders you to remove it... You refuse despite knowing that he will injure you in some way. You're the bravest man i've ever known" Claire admitted, standing before retrieving a fresh night shirt for him and returned to his side, helping him to sit forward before helping him to put it on and piled up his pillows so that he could lie back against them comfortably and she saw how he looked up at her curiously,
"... Do you like living here in Persia, Claire?" Erik asked causing her to give a humorless smile,
"No one I know likes living here" she replied,
"Then let us leave. Find a new home" Erik proposed suddenly,
"You know that the shah will never give his consent for us to leave the Persian border" Claire reminded him,
"We don't need his consent" Erik told her and watched her look stunned,
"You... You mean... Flee Persia?... They... They'd kill us. It's treason..." Claire tried,
"Let them try and catch us. I am a magician remember? I can make us vanish without a trace" he told her smugly with a smile on his masked face before reaching over to the table by his bedside and retrieved a small box,
"I made this for you using a spring from one of my music boxes and a diamond I borrowed from the shah's throne" Erik told her and Claire smiled in amusement as she opened the box to admire the elegant yet simple engagement band,
"It's beautiful, Erik... Thank you" she told him as he helped her put it on her finger,
"A late wedding gift" he told her before becoming timid,
"I was hoping that... I might ask for something in return" Erik explained causing Claire to become curious,
"What is it you would like?" she asked, noticing how he avoided eye contact,
"... When I was a boy... I remember my 8th birthday. I asked my mother for only one thing... I asked for a kiss. She struck me, screaming that I was to never ask for such a sinful thing ever again..." Erik murmured before looking up at Claire sadly,
"I understand that it is a common thing for a wife to be expected to kiss her husband but... I don't want you to feel obliged too" Erik explained but was stunned when Claire placed a gentle hand upon his masked cheek and leaned down before pressing a soft kiss to his lips... The blissful moment seemed to last forever until Claire slowly pulled away with a gentle smile,
"I didn't do that because I felt obliged too... You're my husband and I care about you" Claire told him before standing and made sure he was comfortable before turning down the oil lamp,
"Try and get some sleep" she told him before heading off to her own room and Erik slowly brushed his fingertips against his lips in a soft manner; When he had asked for a kiss... He had meant for one to his forehead or perhaps his cheek but... Claire had willingly pressed her lips against his own without fear and Erik couldn't help but allow a tear of happiness to fall down his cheek.
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Kind Regards,
TheAuthor1996