They were tangled in bed, a desperate mess of rumpled sheets and bare limbs. With her silver hair sprawled out every which way beneath her, some loose strands stuck to Oswald's wet mouth, she laid beneath her husband and tried to catch her breath. The suppleness of her chest rose to fully meet his firm one. Even without the armor, he was strong.

Settling his weight in his hips, sinking deeper into bliss, it took all of Oswald's willpower not to collapse on top of her.

Releasing her grip from the bedding, she reached up to smooth her fingers over the Knight's clenched jaw. Taking hold of him, she dragged him down for a deep, velvety kiss. "Gwendolyn…" her name rolled off his labored tongue like the low, distant thunder. "You are more magnificent than the heavens above and more spellbinding than the stars. Surely, you must know my amazement in knowing your deepest love."

The royal Valkyrie, her breath drawing more rapidly, merely moaned as his lips moved over her ear. Her slackened grip reaffirmed itself on his narrow waist, willing him to slow down lest she become incoherent. She could fend him off for only so long. "Oswald," she breathed. "Your warmth astonishes me. That such a noble and fierce warrior could be so tender was but before a mere fantasy to me. I have never known a man to be the equal of a Valkyrie but you continue to defy my expectations."

"'Tis an honor that I should fight beside you in battle and lay beside you in bed," he said while interlacing his fingers through hers.

She relented with a hum of pleasure, drawing her arms up near her head so that she could angle herself better, allowing him to anchor her. "Mmm, that it is. Though you seem to favor positioning yourself above me, lately."

"Only so that your Highness might liken me to the cosmos that overlook us." His grip tightened, causing her nails to dig crescent imprints into his pulse line as she shifted beneath him. Her desirous gaze became hooded as he rocked slowly against her, building up their now familiar friction. His voice was heady, "I do not deserve to lie in your lovely shadow."

"Oswald," she panted, "You already dwell in the deepest part of me." Her words faltered for a moment as she focused on keeping up with his pace. "Surely, you will… let… my shadow… claim you."

After they had recollected themselves from their blinding bliss, Gwendolyn took her husband by the shoulders and gently steered him so that she could roll over on top of him. The brilliance of the night sky illuminated her silver curtain of hair that soon shrouded the both of them. "See? 'Tis not so bad."

Stroking his fingers up and down her bare thighs, he gave her a soft, lazy smile. You are the vision of a heavenly angel."

Her wings stretched out at his words, drawing to their full, magnificent length. "If I were heaven sent, I would assure you that falls from grace are not elegant." Her wings eased and folded in on themselves as she leaned into him.

His lips gave a melancholy twist. "You speak harshly of yourself, my angel. You could never disgrace yourself so. The kingdoms may fall in these coming days but you and I have conquered death before."

She gave a tinkering laugh and claimed his lips with a smile. "That we have," she agreed between the countless kisses that followed.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I purchased Odin Sphere Leifthrasir for my PS Vita around when it released and I have never enjoyed a game more than this! It's beautiful and so much fun! I found Oswald and Gwendolyn's slow developing romance endearing.

For those of you who follow my writing, you'll notice I often use song lyrics in my titles. I quote "Sacrifice" from the RWBY vol. 2 soundtrack by Jeff Williams feat. Casey Williams. This is my first foray into the Odin Sphere fandom and into rather "explicit" sexual content, so feedback would be greatly appreciated! A review is worth a thousand faves.

Originally posted on AO3.