Two chapters in one month! WOOOO! Makes up for missing October, right? Right? Anyone? Hello?
Also, Wedding Night! Anyone excited? Yeah, I know you are. But no worries, nothing explicit happens. I mean, it probably will (like within the next couple chapters if my muse has anything to say about it), but not right now. At first I was gonna have Lifa and Rollo's night in this chapter as well, but then this part got longer than I expected and I figured each couple deserves their own chapter, so here's Temperance and Ragnar! Next chapter will be Lifa and Rollo! See ya then!
She was numb. That was the only explanation for the odd sort of unfeeling sensation that had enveloped her as her soul was tied to the man now leading her down the hall to his, their, room. Not even that thought could send anxiety through her like it normally would. She felt almost like she were someone else as a large warm palm pressed against her lower back, propelling her into the large, dimly lit room.
Only when the door snapped closed behind her did she really come back to herself. She flinched at the sound, her eyes going wide as she spun to face her…her husband. She was married. She was married in the ways of people not her own. Ragnar seemed to loom in front of her, large and foreboding as his ice eyes traveled the length of her body. She crossed her arms in front of her chest self-consciously, slowly taking a step back if only to put more distance between them. He smirked at the movement, causing her to stumble back another step. She didn't like the dark look in his eyes, unfamiliar and suggestive. It sent a shiver down her spine and heat pooled in the pit of her stomach.
Slowly, he stepped forward, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he deliberately shed the top layer of his clothes. Temperance froze at the sight, her mind refusing to comprehend what was happening as her limbs locked up on her. Soon he was bare-chested – something she was now sure wasn't all that uncommon amongst these people. She had seen far too many men in various states of undress since she'd been thrown onto that boat. But this was so much more, she decided. Ragnar wasn't stripping just for the sake of stripping, or for comfort, or whatever reason these men had. There was a purpose behind this that had Temperance blushing to the roots of her hair.
She bit her lip as her head automatically bowed in an attempt to keep herself from staring. She couldn't deny that he was very nice to look at. Muscles much more defined than the nobility she was used to bulged in places and laid flat in others. Beads of sweat rolled down within the contours, making her mouth go oddly dry. Her skin burned darker when he chuckled at her reaction, closer than he had been before. She jumped back, startled to find him a few scant inches away from her, easily invading her personal space. She continued to stumble back as he grinned at her, only to freeze once more as Ragnar's hands found the ties on his trousers. Her eyes slammed closed before he could get them loosened completely, her hands covering her red hot face for added protection. Unfortunately, she couldn't block out the sound of clothing hitting the ground a moment later.
Ragnar scoffed, probably at the picture she was making, blushing blood red with her hands pressed against her eyes, but she refused to budge. The whole marriage was unsettling and hardly felt real. Nothing she knew about weddings and unions had been addressed, and as such she didn't feel as though she'd been joined with this man today. She had merely been playacting, pretending to get married like when she was a child, playing in the garden with the other nobles' daughters. So she deserved a moment of childish hiding behind her hands.
Warmth seeped into her front as Ragnar stepped up to her, nearly pressing their bodies together. Before she could react, however, his hands grasped her wrists with a gentleness that startled her. She had been so sure he would roughly grab her and force her to their marriage bed. But all he did was pull her hands off her face and hold them between their bodies. His eyes caught and held hers for what felt an eternity before he dropped his head, chapped lips pressing to one palm, then the other. When he released her, her hands simply fell limply to his chest, the hairs tickling her palms lightly as she sucked in deep breaths to steady herself. Her eyes stayed on where her hands lay, not wanting to see whatever look he could be giving her. Large hands wrapped around her hips and drew her forward until she truly was pressed against him, her hands caught between them.
One hand slowly dragged up the side of her body, sending shivers down her spine, until it reached the side of her neck. Calloused fingers were gentle as he tilted her head back, forcing her to meet his darkened gaze. She shivered again, her lips parting on a gasp as he eased closer to her, allowing her time to prepare before his lips covered her own.
Temperance melted. Her body sagged against his, his arms the only thing keeping her upright, while her mind turned to mush. Whatever thoughts that might have passed through her at that moment, whatever panic she was sure she should be feeling, couldn't take hold as his fingers tangled in her hair, his other arm steadying her around her waist. She whimpered lightly, electricity sparking her nerves as he nipped lightly at her bottom lip. She hardly even realized he was inching her backwards until her legs suddenly hit the side of the large bed on the other side of the room.
Her eyes she couldn't remember closing snapped open and she immediately began to struggle. Fear and loathing for what she had allowed to happen, what had nearly happened had they continued, scorched through her and she was pushing against him with all her strength before Ragnar could even think of lowering her to the furs on the bed. He jerked back in surprise, his brows low over his eyes as he searched her face for some explanation. Their inability to communicate was never more of a hindrance as Temperance tried to squirm away.
She didn't bother with saying anything, he wouldn't understand anyway. Instead, she shoved at his chest, hit it rather hard quite a few times, if she were honest with herself, though he hardly reacted. He was like a wall in front of her, not even pretending to flinch as she lashed out at him. Finally, it seemed he'd had enough, catching her face in his large hands, making her feel dwarfed beside him. He made to bring his lips back to hers, obviously hoping to distract her back into submission. But she wouldn't allow herself to be caught up in the new feelings he urged from her. Not again. She did the one thing that had seemed to work before, back on the ship.
The resounding smack, made him break away. He gave her an unamused look that failed miserably in the light of the smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth. He stared at her, ice blue eyes serious, for too long before he nodded once with a sigh. He moved around her, carefully not touching her but not giving very much space either, and climbed onto the bed. The furs were draped over him and he twisted to blow out the candles on the bedside before he settled down with his back to her.
The only light left to her was the slowly dying embers in the fireplace, just enough to make out the bare minimum in the room. She stood where Ragnar had left her, hair mussed and wedding dress wrinkled. She was unsure what he wanted her to do, but after a few moments, when it became clear he wasn't intending to do anything but sleep, his breath evening and deepening as he drifted off behind her, she shuffled quietly across the room.
Lifa had promised there would be clothing available to her in the room, but Temperance wasn't sure where to look for a nightgown. She wasn't even sure if she felt comfortable enough to dress in the room with Ragnar, asleep or otherwise. She stumbled as she reached where Ragnar had undressed, his clothes catching her feet and making her tumble into a nearby chair. She bit her lip in thought. It wouldn't be seen as unchaste, as they were married, but it would probably give Ragnar the wrong idea. She sighed. She had little choice left to her. The embers were steadily darkening, leaving the room dimmer and dimmer. Soon she wouldn't be able to make out the hand in front of her face.
Reluctantly, she reached down, searching with touch for the garment she required. Once found, she stood, the surprisingly soft fabric clutched in one hand as she carefully stripped from her dress. Her eyes stayed locked on Ragnar, to make certain he was really asleep, that he wouldn't suddenly change his mind and force her to do something she simply was not ready for. She quickly pulled the shirt she'd taken over her head and immediately felt fooling. The fabric drowned her, the sleeves falling far over her hands and the hem dropping nearly to her knees. She had to continually adjust it as it slipped over her shoulder, revealing far more skin than she was comfortable with. She regretted her choice of night clothes instantly. What would Ragnar think when he saw her? Would he see it as some sort of invitation? What would he do?
The embers had almost completely flickered out by the time she gained enough courage to slip into the bed beside her husband. The cold room had begun to nip at her exposed skin, chasing her to the protection of the thick furs and shared body heat. She stayed on her side of the bed, however, hoping to not jostle Ragnar into realizing she had joined him. It seemed to work for a while until suddenly an arm was around her waist and a chest was against her back. She stayed as still as possible, praying he hadn't woken and expected her to…
A low snore had her biting back giggles and she relaxed once more. For tonight anyway, she was safe.