It took next to no time for Melanie to return to her former vigor. She slept soundly through the night, ate twice her weight daily and spend her time sparring against the other Knights.
"How much longer do you think it will be until you and Melanie will conceive?" Leon asked Gwain, the look on his face betraying that he only wished to know about sex. The two, joined by Percival, had decided to spend an evening at the tavern.
"That, Sir Leon, is between me and my wife." Gwain replied, clapping his counterpart on the shoulder.
"Certainly she's regained her prowess." Perceval chimed in.
"If you must know, you filthy minds, we've yet to have sex since she's recovered."
"What's stopping you?" Leon pressed. "She knows she can conceive. You both want children."
"I don't want to rush her into anything." Gwain admitted. "The pain she went through when she lost the child. I've never seen her so broken. As the father I was beyond hurt, but what she must have felt. To carry that child for so long, to go through the sleepless nights and days spent in bed, to feel the physical and emotional pain of losing it. I'm afraid for her. If she loses another child, I'm not sure she'd recover a second time."
"But the vision." Perceval pressed. "Surely that was enough to assure you."
"How many more times could it happen before we have a child that makes it to term? I can't put her through that." Gwain looked down at his mug in defeat.
"Has she attempted to initiate it?" Leon asked.
"You filthy bastard." Gwain laughed, downing the rest of his ale.
"I only ask because if she wants it, she's willing to run the risk again." He took a sip from his mug. "Melanie's stronger than you think mate. And I don't only say that because she's knocked us all on our asses more times than we're willing to admit. I've never met a fiercer, braver, or more passionate man or woman in my life."
"She's restless for it." Gwain informed his friends.
"You've turned down sex from your sexually deprived wife?" Percival looked scandalized. "If I were you I'd be jumping on her right now."
"Percival that is my wife you're talking about." Gwain smacked him in the back of the head.
"Ignore our sexually frustrated friend." Leon laughed, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You both want this so bad. Why hold back?"
"You men, though disgusting, are correct."
"Says the man who couldn't keep a woman longer than an evening before he met Melanie." Perceval jabbed.
"Say what you will." He pulled a handful of coppers from his pocket and placed them on the bar. "I'm going to be with my wife." He gave the two men one last knock on the each before leaving for the castle.
Melanie waited for him in their chambers, lying on their bed, practically touching herself. He watched her and felt his member rise. The other men were right, he needed to take her.
"I thought you'd be out all night." She commented as he approached the bed, shedding his tunic.
"I planned to." He replied, removing his trousers. "But I wanted to get my hands on you." He climbed onto the bed pulling her into his arms, his hands removing her nightgown in no time.
"Finally in the mood, Darling?" She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"For you? Always." He planted kisses along her neck, laying her back down on the bed.
...
"You certainly haven't lost your touch, My Love." Melanie said, curling up next to Gwain. "I'd almost forgotten what you felt like."
"It's only been a few months, Darling." He kissed her hair.
"Yes but it felt like ages." She kissed his neck.
"Not anymore, My Love." He promised. "You're mine. Forever."
"I love the sound of that." She wrapped her arms around his torso.
"I'll hold onto you until the day I die." He vowed. "Just as we said in our wedding vows."
"And I you." She replied. She yawned and pressed herself closer to him.
"Are you tired?" He asked.
"No." She yawned again. "I'm fine." She slurred into mumbles and her eyes drifted closed.
"Get some rest, Love." Gwain instructed. "I love you."
"Love you too." She mumbled, burying her face in his chest and falling asleep.