Navarre eyes slid open in a peaceful and lazy manner.
Odd. He had no nightmares.
He felt movement beneath him and froze. It was a woman. He tried to get his bearings without waking the woman. He may not remember her, but she was harmless in her present state.
They were both stark naked, she laying on her back and he laying between her legs, his arms under her back, and his head laying on her.
He sighed happily as the events from yesterday trickled back to him. She had marks along her neck from him. He knew he ought to feel worse than he did, but he only felt a bit of pride at the sight.
He felt married now, sliding one hand out from under his lady to play with her. Isabeau turned her head with a sleepy sigh.
He had made sure to have today to himself as well. And judging by the sunlight peeking in between the bed curtains, it was already mid morning. And watching Isabeau awaken, it was the right decision to stay with her.
"Oh, Navarre," she breathed, bringing one hand to play with his hair and the other to scratch his back.
"I love you," he said, moving to kiss her smile. Her participation in the kiss was all he needed.
Oxoxoxoxo
"Where did you get this?" he asked seriously. Somehow Isabeau had two guardsmen uniforms.
"From the armory," she said as if it were simple. He chuckled as he took the shirt away from her.
"How foolish of me," he smiled, "how did you get this was a much better question."
"Sneaking," she smiled, wrinkling her nose in a tease.
"As your professed closest companion, you must tell me!" he grinned, leaning over to kissing her ear.
They had been properly married and together for nearly a month. He should have been exhausted, but he was too happy to be so.
He had just returned from training and had the rest of the day free. He took two or three half days a week to spend with her. His men were grateful for the rest. The Bishop's men were too, but counted it as a mark against him.
And now his security of the armory was obviously lacking.
"Oh alright," she said, her summer eyes glittering, "I came from above, window to window. I only took these."
"How do you know how to do all this?" he laughed, pulling her to him in a hug. He was surprised how quickly she darkened.
"My father," she frowned. His heart ached for his wife and he tightened his arms, with a kiss to her hair. She fumed in hatred for the man for a moment.
She shook her head, and when he looked down she seemed introspective. After another moment, she shook her head again and offered him an apologetic smile.
"Here I am feeling angry when you, dear sir, promised to show me your favorite spot today," she said. He smiled. He knew where his favorite spot was. It was three feet away in the form of a bed. But she didn't mean that.
"I see, so you've stolen a disguise?" he asked.
"Is it stealing if it's meant to be loaned out?"
"Loaned out to soldiers in a time of war, not faeries in times of peace!" he laughed, sitting down to remove his boots and change into his stolen red uniform. It was clever, no one would look twice at them. She scoffed and waved her hand, lifting her dress up and off.
Navarre nearly abandoned their plans for the day, in favor of spending the afternoon in his favorite place.
Somehow he managed and they were in the stables, helmeted and all. Isabeau forbade him of using Goliath, which made both man and beast annoyed. They preferred each other.
She drew out a bay named Guido, and he swung the saddle on for her, leaving her to cinch it down. He chose a light brown, light footed horse called Tybalt. He made quick work of his saddle and was right after Isabeau on the mounting block.
They walked from the stables to the gate, over the drawbridge and into the countryside. When they were out of sight and on a secluded road, they took off their helmets and tied them to the saddles.
Isabeau looked around her happily, watching the clouds and birds flit about. Navarre never just watched birds to watch, but when he saw the content smile spread on her face, he looked again. They seemed like happy and energetic little things. Did she feel happy just to see something else be happy?
This was a new idea for Navarre. He only made sure people were safe and secure. He tried to avoid making people cry, but that was the extent of his emotional connection. To see her happy, for the happiness of others, made him look closer at the world around him.
They traveled into a valley, which narrowed into a ravine. There lay a wide waterfall about six or seven feet tall. He leapt down from Tybalt, and went to grab hold of his delighted wife to bring her off Guido.
"It's so charming!" She said with a wide smile. The horses he tied to graze in the sunny patch of grass nearby. When he turned back around, Isabeau was half naked and still undressing. He followed suit
She climbed to the top of the waterfall, giving a small shriek from how cold the water was.
"How deep is it?" she questioned, her summer sky eyes enthralled.
"Deep enough, just avoid the rocks," he said, coming to stand just behind her, one hand to the small of her back. She leapt away from him, narrowing her eyes in accusation. His own eyes grew wide with confusion.
"You first," she said suspiciously, standing just out of reach. He scoffed a laugh, but nodded.
"As you wish," he smiled with a bow, before jumping off the falls. The water shocked his system with how abruptly cold it was. But after he had popped to the surface and swam around for a minute, it felt refreshing. Especially after their ride and a hot day of training.
"How cold is it?" came the voice of his wife.
"Not very, it's perfect!" he said, swimming to a submerged rock and kneeling on it. The water came to his collar bone and he settled to watch his beautiful companion.
She felt the water herself, and shivered. She looked at him lounging in the water. Her husband was a big man, and probably didn't realize how cold she got. She took a steadying breath because the water did look fun. She pushed down her spike of fear and jumped in herself. Her shriek could be heard over her splash.
Icy! It was icy! She kicked to the surface and took a grasping, shocked breath.
"It's so cold!" she shouted, to which he only laughed.
"Come here," he said, holding out a hand. "You'll feel better as you swim around." She swam out to him, knowing he was right, but not liking that he was right. But he looked so jubilant when he took her hand and pulled her to him she couldn't help but love him more. He let her do whatever she wanted, with no regard to her being a lady it seemed. He gave her a kiss for her efforts, which warmed her further.
"Will you try me as a witch sir?" she asked playfully. He burst into a laugh.
"You probably are one, willfully misusing potions, flying from windows, shape shifting to wander the city unnoticed. Swimming is the last of a long list," he said. She laughed at this picture he painted.
"Imagine that, the hero of the city is married to a witch!" she grinned. He kissed her smile adoringly.
"Happily married at that!" he declared. But she had too much energy to cuddle in the river. She slid from the rock and swam over to the bank. Navarre followed her curiously. She stood at the top of the waterfall with a thoughtful look on her face. He smiled in anticipation of what she could come up with.
She jumped high and far, flipping her legs backwards over her head. She splashed down on her backside, and popped up with a laugh, shaking her head.
"I wouldn't have landed on my feet would I?" she asked. He roared with laughter. She improved even jumping! He tested it for himself, throwing his arms down and his legs up. He felt like he got slapped across his whole back. It would have smarted, but the chill of the water stole that away. He exploded from the water with a laugh, hearing her cackling and unable to catch her breath.
They ran back up the waterfall again and again, Isabeau getting a faster tuck each time. At some points she over shot her turn, and splashed onto her face. Navarre could hardly remember how to bend his spine, from all the years of stress and beaten in rigid posture. So he just threw himself harder, flipping like a log into the pool below. They were soon breathless from their attempts, hot from scrambling up the waterfall.
They floated around down in the pool for a moment. Then Isabeau set to exploring the falls themselves.
She stuck her hand into the falls, and when she pulled it back out she rubbed her fingers curiously. She got onto a little submerged rock and disappeared into the waterfall. He swam to sit on the same rock– or ledge he supposed– where she had been. Her hand reached out of the waterfall, blindly, for him. He took it and allowed her to pull him in.
The water pounded on his head powerfully, but cathartically. He could lay under the waterfall for hours if it kept pounding on his muscles. But then he came to a warm little pocket of air, and Isabeaus enchanting face. There was enough room for three or four people in the space and the ledge extended into the pounding of the waterfall. He sat down next to her.
"Isn't it fantastic!" she said with a raised voice over the noise of the falls. He nodded, smiling at her. He had no idea of this place. Whenever he came previously he had only jumped once from the falls and floated around the pool with his thoughts until it was time to leave. Most of his thoughts circled around how lonely he was.
But he had Isabeau now! She improved his favorite spot! He loved her!
He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a searing kiss. She seemed pleasantly surprised and responded in kind.
After they did rated M stuff, they moved out from behind the waterfall and onto the patch of grass nearby. Neither felt the need to put on clothes after drying off with a blanket Navarre had brought. She lounged like a cat in a sunny spot on the grass as he started a little fire for tea and warmth. She had brought bread and honey which he toasted.
She looked so content and happy, laying in her sunspot, watching the world around her with fascination. Navarre sat next to the fire and watched her with fascination. This must have been what Adam felt for Eve Navarre thought with a smile. He walked into a cursed land for his Eve. And Navarre would follow Isabeau into the depths of hell. She sat up and looked at him with a cheeky grin on her face. God he loved her.
"Shocking as it seems," she said, "I think I would like to live out of doors and in the woods for a season. We can do whatever we choose, with no one to make up rules against it!" He smirked at this, but if any lady could handle it, it would be Isabeau. She was as beautiful as she was feral.
"Really?" he asked.
"Absolutely," she declared, "could you imagine the scandal too? A knight and his lady without even a roof? You could fight cattle and lay siege to rivers," His honor as a husband rebuffed that idea, but he laughed at the ridiculous picture. His heart was full to bursting.
"I'm glad you married me," he said while laughing. Quickly, a curious look passed over her face.
"I'm glad of it too, but now I'm curious as to how you remained unmarried," she questioned curiously. He thought for a minute. He had longed for a marriage, so why did it take him so long to get one?
"I suppose I never got around to it. I was too busy becoming a knight, and then a Captain. And then too busy as a Captain. I've also been told I'm too frightful and cold," he said slowly, almost thinking out loud.
Yes, I remember you glaring so fearsomely at me," she said with a smirk, coming to sit next to him. He blushed as he put an arm around her waist and drew her closer to lean on him. They watched the waterfall for a moment.
"How many girls have you brought here?" she asked next.
"Just you," he admitted, "I'm jealous of my spaces." She nodded. He was a very private man, and she felt honored he allowed her into his guarded life.
"Have there been other girls?" she questioned thoughtfully. Where were these questions headed, he wondered.
"Why? Will you be jealous?" he asked.
"Not as much as curious," she said looking over at him with her cheeky grin. He blushed a deep red. He had a shameful secret. He ought to have had other girls, but he hadn't.
"Are you a virgin?" she whispered with a secretive smile.
"No!" he protested, but she smirked, "at least not anymore... Why? Were you not?" She gave a delighted snort of laughter.
"I told you before I had gotten lucky! No one has ever touched me!" she said proudly. He felt glad about that. But ladies were supposed to be that way, as much as men were not supposed to be. He felt a twinge of failure.
"Are you disappointed with me?" he asked seriously.
"Of course not! I'm glad I don't have to compete against other girls in your mind," she said with a grin. He smirked at this. She was right, he could only think of her.
Silence fell between them as he practically heard her mind formulating her next, certainly shocking question. He was just glad she didn't see him as any less of a man.
"How do you know what to do then?" she asked. If she kept asking these questions his face would melt off due to blushing. But he was sitting naked, next to his equally naked wife. How could he have any secrets in this state?
"I hear talk from among my men and the women they bring around. The court ladies talk about everything, and don't try to temper their volume," he said, "and I listen to you. There's also some instinct as to what to do. Even a simple dog can figure it out." She laughed at this.
"I'm so relieved!" she exclaimed happily.
"Really?" he asked incredulously. He failed as a man and she was happy?
"Yes, I always thought it was silly to require a standard that one didn't live up to themselves!" she grinned looking over at him.
Well, when she put it that way, it made much more sense. He had to be the thing he wanted to see in others. It made sense on the training grounds. He had to be an excellent fighter to train excellent fighters. If he wanted a virgin, then he ought to be one. Thank god he'd never gotten around to it.
He squeezed her close to him and kissed her temple. She was his only, as much as he was her only. He felt a sense of pride in place of his shame.
God he loved her.