Interlude.
As had become his habit since the castle became his, Oswald stood on the balcony of the master bedroom and gazed out at the view below him. It was hard to believe that he had once stood here, his heart full of despair...completely without hope.
And now, everything has changed. From the moment he woke up and realized what Gwendolyn had done, risked her own life to rescue him from the Netherworld.
Was it only a few hours past that Gwendolyn and he had stood in this very balcony? Exchanging vows of love?
All his life, from as far as he can remember, he had been used by people for whom he had only shown loyalty...for what is a knight without a lord to obey?
He had been trained harshly, from the moment he was strong enough to lift a sword. No softness was ever allowed, he had been trained to be a killer, and he rose among his peers with his exceptional skills.
But...
It wasn't just subjugating unwilling allies, he had also been trained to seduce the wives, daughters of powerful rivals. Add to his blood-stained hands, the relationships he had destroyed, all the dreams he had shattered—all that for the man he'd looked up to as his father. There was nothing he would not do for Melvin, even though there was never a kind word for him from that scheming fairy.
He knew who he was, and he's not disillusioned to think that he would ever be worthy of her love. That was why he had been quick to give up when Gwendolyn gave away the ring. He knew there was really nothing he can offer, what her father cannot give better.
Odin's Witch.
She was not called that for nothing. Oswald himself can attest to her skills in battle, reclaiming Titrel from the Fairies, ending the domineering rule of Odette, the Queen of the Dead—all on her own, was a feat few can ever claim to accomplish.
She was also beautiful, loyal and pure. Was it any wonder that the Inferno King Onyx lusted after her?
Oswald sighed as he leaned on the balcony railing, knowing that such musings won't take him anywhere. Gwendolyn had accepted him for who he is, no secret schemes of using him, no ulterior motives.
Like him, she only wanted to be loved, appreciated...for who he is, and not for what he can do.
The heart is such a mystery, no powerful magic can ever manipulate it, nor teach it who to love.
That she would love him...the Shadow Knight who have killed so many of her people--
"Oswald...there you are."
He didn't hear Gwendolyn enter the room, her voice startling him from his thoughts.
"Dinner is almost ready." She said as she approached him. "Myris is such an exceptional cook. There's Consomme for appetizers, Lamb Steak for the main course, and...Strudel for dessert!"
Oswald smiled at the enthusiasm animating her face.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Nothing...just thinking..."
Oswald traced the feather ornament on her hair with his fingertip, awed once more by her startling loveliness. The blue gown enhanced the shimmering beauty of her eyes while it brought out the pale gold of her silky hair. A subtle perfume rose from her, pleasing him.
Gwendolyn's head barely reached his chin, the difference in their heights only made him more protective of her, despite knowing her prowess in battle.
A soul deep longing seemed to grip him then, nearly consuming him. His heart ached from all the emotions she engendered from him.
"You look so beautiful in your mother's dress..." He murmured, taking one of her hands.
Gwendolyn looked up at him, clearly surprised. "How did you know?"
"I...I was there that day...in your father's throne room. It was I who took out Brigan."
"Brigan..."Gwendolyn murmured, for a moment, disgust entered the blue eyes. "Why did you spare his life? It would have saved my father a lot of grief..."
"Gwendolyn..."
"But then...if that happened, I would not have to rescue my sister, and disobey my father's edicts...and then my father would not have been able to make a pact with you..."
For a moment, they looked at each other, wondering how things would have been if Brigan died by Oswald's hands instead of Gwendolyn's.
"Would you...would you have given me a second glance if we met in a different circumstances?" He asked, trying for a light note, but Gwendolyn sensed his anxiety.
"I...I...don't know. Maybe I would have tried to extract revenge on you...and lose my life instead..." Then she remembered that moment when he had once pinned her down in the battlegrounds of tumultuous Valentine. He had his chance to kill her then and there, but he had not.
"Oswald...back then...why did you not kill me?"
He laughed nervously, looking away. "What can I say? You were so beautiful, so fearless...even in the face of death. How can I not admire such courage?"
She flushed in pleasure at his words. "I—"
"Begging your pardon for barging in, but supper is getting cold." Brom's voice startled the couple, making Gwendolyn jump a little.
"We will be right down, Brom." Oswald replied, clasping his wife's hand.
This domestic bliss...the happiness he felt, the glow of peace that seemed to permanently lodge in his heart...Oswald silently sent a prayer to whoever gods may be listening, to make these precious moments last.
-o-
He was definitely no green boy about to spend the night with his first woman. But Oswald found himself nervous, restless.
It had been like this from the start. Gwendolyn affected him like no one or nothing on this world ever has.
He never thought of himself as a possessive man, but Onyx...his encounter with the Inferno king shattered the illusion. Though he liked to believe he's better than most men, men who could only see Gwendolyn as an object to be used, Oswald couldn't help the possessiveness she drew from him.
"While I still live, I will not let you near her."
Those words he had spoken to King Onyx, he meant them. He couldn't stand the mere thought of another man with Gwendolyn.
She's mine.
No matter what he says, that simple truth is indisputable: He can never let her go.
He hadn't forced her to accept him in her bed, despite having the right as her husband, Oswald kept the beast of lust tightly leashed. She wouldn't deny him, that he knew, but to take her body when her heart's against him...Oswald needed her love more than his body craved for carnal gratification.
But now...now that she has come to him, there was no need to hold back any longer.
-o-
A/N: This was supposed to be part of the next chapter, but I decided to separate this part, just to warn readers that the next chapter would be a lemon. (ebul smirk)