Really, he was worried about what Abrose is thinking or what he would say. He has always been reserved about these kinds of things for a long time. Malachi even wondered if he used the wrong words. Nevertheless, everything seems to be alright. He smiled faintly at what Abrose said and laughed a little too.
Hearing the words "my king" made his heart sink a little. While he is the king and all, he doesn't wish to be called so by his husband when they are alone. They are united in matrimony after all. They are equals. "Please Abrose, call me whatever you wish aside from 'my king' or 'Your Majesty' when it is just the two of us along together," He whispered. "And if you are unsure of what to call me, 'Malachi' will do just fine."
The sensation of Abrose's hand brushing against him left him with goosebumps. A shiver ran down his back. He sighed while leaning into this touch. "I want to learn how to love and how to love you," He breathed. "I want to know how to be the husband you have always dreamed of, where the best places are to kiss you…I want to know all those things and more."
Abrose smiled softly and shook his head slightly, "Dearest," Abrose murmured softly, moving his hand so that he was cupping Malachi's cheek. "know that when I say 'my king' it is not out of obligation. I am proud to call you that, as anyone should be. I say out of love and adoration for you, not because I am a civilian of Atrovia but because I am your husband." He reached up and gently pressed a kiss to Malachi's brow. "But if it truly is something you wish not to be called in private, then I'll have to find more creative names to call you, hm?" he grinned teasingly, watching as Malachi pressed into his hand.
"I'd say you're doing a fairly good job so far, dear. a vast improvement from when we had first met." He murmured softly, tipping his head to the side as he brushed through Malachi's hair, finding the gesture comforting. "Would you laugh at me if I told you I had never though myself married so I never had given though to what my dream partner would be like? As for the best place to kiss me, I'd be discovering it alongside you, dear." Abrose admitted, his blush returning. "We have all the time in the world for that. I want to take time to get to know you and know myself with you and anything in between."
Dearest. Just hearing the word has left him in a state of enchantment. He hasn't been called such a thing for a terribly long time. Malachi was in a daze that his reaction to the kiss was delayed. Briefly his eyes shut and his heart thumped out of rhythm. Looking away, he gave a shrug playfully. "I suppose so, Your Highness," He jokingly responded before adding, "Although, do not stress yourself. You shouldn't have to."
"You think so? Thank you. I believe there is still progress to be made." Malachi laughed softly but soon fell silent. His gaze lingered on Abrose. A faint light in his eyes gleamed. He shook his head at his husband's question. To be honest, he never would have expected to hear of this. Of course this is understandable. On the other hand, he is a little confused. Perhaps the position of needing to marry in his life has caused him to be this way.
Oh well. He couldn't help himself to kissing Abrose's forehead again. After returning his gaze to his husband, he deeply exhaled. For a while he stared at the blush on his face. What a beautiful color. "I would not laugh at you for such a thing," He assured. As he spoke, his fingers brushed through Abrose's hair for a few moments. Malachi bit the inside of his lip then shook his head. "I must admit that I always tend to make haste. Even if you haven't thought much about what your dream partner would be, I hope I can be what you've wanted more or less."
Abrose scoffed with a laugh "ah now I see what you mean." He sighed happily chuckled "I don't believe I will. In fact I think I'll find great enjoyment in finding a pet name that'll make you as flustered as you are now." He said, determined to make it true.
"I really do. Despite us not knowing each other for all that long, I've seen your love and passion for your kingdom. Slowly I see that seep into what we have, at least bit by bit." He replied, leaning into Malchi's gentle caresses and soft kisses, practically melting against him as closed his eyes for a moment. "I doubt any of my ideas of an ideal partner could match up to you, dear. You're far better than anythinjmg I could possibly imagine for myself." He murmured softly, finding warmth and comfort in Malachi's arms again as he nestled back into his embrace.
Malachi moved his face close so his lips were hovering over Abrose's ear. "I look forward to what you come up with, honey," He whispered. "I love hearing the determination in your voice."
At hearing what Abrose said, Malachi was about to shake his head before stopping himself. He believes that he is not the best man, lover, and even king. Of course this doesn't mean that he isn't trying to be the best that he can be. A part of him really hopes that he is everything that Abrose wants. It shone in his eyes.
"You really flatter me without trying." Malachi tightened his embrace. The feeling of Abrose in his arms was something that he hadn't expect to enjoy deeply. He wants to savor it even though he knows that this will not be the last. To be honest, he wants to be embracing Abrose throughout their stay at the villa. "I hope I am the one that you deserve. You are kind and gentle…things that I typically am not. And for everything you have said, you deserve so much…someone who can give you everything. I hope I am that someone, Abrose."
Abrose hid an embarrassed laugh against Malachi's chest, surely it couldn't be this easy to make him so flustered. Though if he were being honest, he loved it. The way Malchi was soft with him compared to how cold he had come off to abrose when they had first met. He peeked up and grinned "then consider it my first act as King Consort of Atrovia. Finding you an embarrassingly cute pet name." He declared boldly.
As Abrose rested against Malachi he studies his features, the planes of his face, the brightness in his eyes even as it became dim in the library, the now braided streaks of silver in his hair. He was beautiful. Breathtakingly so, at least to Abrose. It had been a mystery to him how the young Atrovian king had not aquired a spouse yet. Though he supposed it would be the last thing Malachi would want considering what had happened to his family not too long ago. He flicked his gaze a way for a quick ment to hide his sadness at the thought before refocusing.
"You give me more than enough. Me and my kingdom. I could never repay you for what you've done for us. I only hope I can be as good of husband and king consort to you and your kingdom as you are to mine."
There is something in the way that Abrose sounds when he is determined. The boldness in him piques Malachi's interest. It was both adorable and strangely breathtaking. He found it to be very cute, but also very handsome. Why? He wishes that he knew. All he could say in response was, "I wish you the best of luck, Your Highness, on your first act as King Consort of Atrovia. I wish nothing but luck."
Awe lingered in his eyes. Malachi was not able to look at anything else aside from Abrose and his facial features. Feeling his husband's gaze on him made him feel warm. The whole room was heating up. And yet, he still could not look away from him. He doesn't know what else to say. He wondered what Abrose was thinking right now. He wondered what tomorrow would be like.
The thing is is that Abrose already is a good husband to him. The fact that he, his brother, and mother accepted Malachi's proposal says a lot. After all the failures of asking other royals for their hand in marriage, Malachi was hopeless when thinking to seek a regular noble instead. If the royal families had denied him, then noble ones would probably do the same. And now they are here: him and Abrose as husbands. They're having a nice conversation while Malachi is embracing Abrose. This has been something he has been dreaming of since he was a child.
Somehow tears were forming in his eyes, but he blinked them away. He deeply sighed too. "You are doing fine and you will be a great king consort to our kingdom," He assured. "Believe me, the people are happy to have someone like you representing them, being their king consort and all. Not to mention the advisors, council, royal guards, even the palace staff…They all are happy because of you. Trust me, you will be great."
Abrose nodded slowly, realizing Malachi was right. "Both our kingdoms, yes of course." It was still very new to him to now consider Atrovia his kingdom. In the months he had been there, Abrose had tried his very best to educate himself on Atrovia's history, politics and culture, anything that would prepare him for the role as king consort. While he had done all this research as well as brushed up on Carniel's history as well, Abrose still felt severely underprepared and under qualified to be any sort of leader to such a kingdom as Atrovia. Carniel was no where near the level of sophisticated politics and refined culture Atrovia had managed to become under the Leeros' rule, despite their tragedies. Their only main alliance was the one Abrose's father had made with the Southern Continent and considering how…disagreeable…Atrovia seemed to find the south to be, Abrose highly doubted he'd have any luck in trying to bring them together.
He glanced in surprise to hear the Atrovia people were happy to have him. "Really?" He blinked, trying his best to recall when he had last ventured out to the Atrovian cities surrounding the castle. Months ago, right before the wedding he supposed. It had been genuinely lovely to meet the people of Atrovia as well as to experience the first true winter in his life. It had been much colder than he had first initially thought. While meeting his soon to be subjects, Abrose hadn't really thought about the impact the had been making, surely it hadn't been enough for Malachi to have noticed. As for the Guards and advisor's council, and palace staff, Abrose had treated them like he would have done at home, neither expecting them to do much if anything for him, but also thanking them and helping out when he could to show his appreciation, again nothing he had thought particularly astounding.
"I'm genuinely glad then, that they like me. even if I do come from a smaller kingdom, I'm glad they're so willing to accept me as a King Consort. I will do my best, for them and for you."
Malachi giggled watching as his husband was surprised by what he said. He nodded, "Yes, really. If I may be honest, some of the advisors and councilmen were having doubts about me marrying someone. And then you have the kingdom still going through all of the deaths of the family that have happened…Not to mention the troubles at the northern border…Everyone needed something…or someone to assure them that everything will be alright, that they can be happy. Honestly I am worried if I can deliver the promise of safety and happiness to them, but I am grateful for you and Carniel for multiple things, especially letting me marry you."
Gods, sometimes he doesn't even want to think about the troubles plaguing Atrovia. He doesn't want to think about life in the palace for it can be exhausting. But he can remember the excitement bubbling between everyone surrounding him the days before the wedding. Even the palace guards and military soldiers had shown happiness in their own ways. He can recall being relieved for not having everyone breathing down his neck on trivial matters for once. But just to be clear, he too was excited.
Gently, he took hold of Abrose's hand. Malachi lifted it up to his lips then placed a kiss on the knuckles. "It does not matter that you come from a small kingdom. Carniel is wonderful, but to some, it is important the kingdom is an ally as well," He winked. His thumb rubbed against the back of Abrose's hand. Malachi yawned despite doing everything in his power to fight it. "I'm sorry if this is sudden, but would you like to continue this conversation in bed? We can talk more for as long as you wish."
Just the mention of everything they still had to tackle once their honeymoon was over made Abrose nuzzle deeper into Malachi's hold, never wanting to leave the comfort and moment of peace they had found amongst each other. He didn't have the slightest idea of how to handle Atrovia affairs, much less how Carniel would be able to deal with them. He'd have to consult with Chire soon once they were back. It couldn't be too hard, considering his brother had told him he wanted every detail of the wedding and honeymoon once they had gotten back. Abrose breathed a small laugh, Chire was forever the over protective older brother Abrose loved. "Ah I believe you have Chire to thank more than anyone else, dear. He had threatened to bring what little soldiers we have at any sign of mere discomfort reported back to him." He smiled fondly and shook hi head, silently cursing his brother for thinking Malachi so indecent.
He tilted his head up when Malachi took his hand and kissed it, smiling softly and lacing their fingers together, "I look forward to the alliances, both for Carniel's sake and to assist other kingdoms in any way we can." Abrose perked up "and by the time we get everything in order here, we can visit in the spring-time. I can show you around the markets that come from the villages and the fields that bloom near the forest edge." He said excitedly, already thinking of all they could do when the weather got warmer. Abrose laughed softly and nodded, slowly detangling himself from Malachi. "of course, my love. That is if you keep a conversation going before you fall asleep." He teased, tugging the robe around his shoulders and choosing a book from one of the nearby shelves to take back to bedroom to read just until he fell asleep.
Feelings started to bubble up as he watched his husband laced their fingers together. It only persisted when seeing light shine from Abrose's eyes when talking about visiting Carniel together. He would love to visit. During the spring would be a lovely time to go because the weather will be suitable for traveling. Not to mention that he was planning to help develop Carniel's military and to have their militaries train together. He would like to visit as well as try to solidify a good relationship with Chire; diplomatically and as brother-in-laws.
Malachi smiled while watching Abrose get up. When he first met him, he never expected for the future king consort of Atrovia to be such a tease. He loves it. "If I do not continue our conversation because I fall asleep, I will continue my embrace. Strange enough, I have always dreamed of sleeping with my spouse in my arms." It is true. It goes back to him yearning for physical affection, but now, he wishes to have more moments like the one they just had.
Getting up, he strolled over to his husband then draped an arm around him. His eyes landed on the book. Taking a brief look at the cover, he doesn't recall seeing a copy of it back at the palace. "Hmm, I wonder what book that is," He mused. "Would you please read some of it to me? Or perhaps read it together silently that is if I still manage to be awake."
"I'd be more than happy to continue. If I may make a request, can I be the one to hug you now? You rest ontop of me." He asked, tucking the book under his arm once he took another quick look at the title. A story of an unprouncible hero, seemed intriguing enough. "It'll be a journey for the both us then, something new." He mused softly, briefly leaning into Malachi. He wasn't even sure if he'd make it through the first chapter before he gave into sleep.
"Of course, dear." He agreed, taking Malachi's hand from his shoulders and tugging him toward the doors of the library, then down the hall leading to the bedroom. He gently nudged open the door, glad to see the room was empty, though someone had lit clandles and lanterns before hand. He set the book on the nightstand and grabbed a set of pj's that had been folded and left out for them. "I'll be right back," he promised, dessapearing into the joined bathroom to freshen up and change before he settled in for bed.
Malachi nodded, "If it is what you want, honey, then of course." He has always been the one to wrap his arms around the other. Of course, embracing Abrose just moments ago was the first time he has done so in a long time. If anything, he might fall asleep when in Abrose's arms. He will just have to wait and see. Either way, he is looking forward to this. Is that strange for him to be eager about?
He walked along with Abrose down the hallway. The villa is significantly smaller than the palace and he is happy that it does not take long for him to walk to the bedroom or anywhere else. When they had entered, he was surprised to see that one of the servants had taken care of the lights. The room was decently light with the candles and lanterns.
"Alright, take your time." Going up to the windows, he pulled the curtains in. The moonlight still shone through, but not much. While Abrose was in the bathroom, Malachi got changed into his pajamas and left his robe draped over the chair on the other side of the room. Just like before, he disregarded the top. Then he spent the rest of the time waiting by sitting on the edge of the bed. He wanted to make sure that Abrose was on the side of the bed he is comfortable with.
Abrose made sure to enjoy his first bath at the villa, scrubbing himself clean of the sand that still clung to his hair and skin after he had enjoyed the beach. He soaked for a half an hour afterwards until his inders got prunny before stepping out, drying off, and getting dressed for bed. When he stepped back into the bedroom, he had expected Malachi to already be in bed, what he hadn't expected was to find him only half clothed. He stared for a while, eyes trailing over Malachi's form before he quickly looked away and preoccupied himself with blowing out the candles and turning down the lanterns, only keeping the ones that were closest to the bed on so he could read. He scooped up the book from where he had set it down and pulled away the covers before slowly sinking into the bed. He sighed softly as the bed sunknaroind him, perfectly cradling him in comfort and warmth, more so when he pulled the covers over himself. He turned on his side to face Malachi and lifted his arm, inviting him into his embrace. "Join me, my love."
In the time that he waited, he almost fell asleep three times and yawned only five times. The surrounding air felt cold, but he liked it. That is why he started ditching the long sleeve shirts when going to bed, because that would mean he is less likely to wake up all sweaty and gross. While the feeling of being sleepy lingered, he was determined to stay up as long as possible. He did say that he would try his best to.
Malachi gazed up at Abrose when hearing the floor creak. He got up from the bed, shyly turning his head away. Curling his lips back was the only way to fight back from any kind of laughter. In the corner of his eye, he saw the way that his husband was staring at him. It was amusing in its own adorable/handsome way.
Ultimately, he did end up chuckling. "I will not keep you waiting," He sighed. Malachi pulled the sheets up before getting into bed. Putting himself into Abrose's embrace, he was a little stiff at first. It took him a moment to relax, sinking into all of this. He rested his hand on the middle of Abrose's chest. "If I do end up falling asleep, I am sorry in advance."
"Don't be sorry, Malachi. You deserve rest, something you've been lacking for months, and what I can assume years. For five minutes, let someone else take care of you. Rest your busy, beautiful mind, love. You can go back to being a king after the honeymoon. For now you, you are relax and enjoy this." He murmured, slowly settling into the familiarity of having Malachi so close to him, like at the library. Abrose gently stroked through Malachi's hair, pressing a kiss to his brow.
He opened the book he had chosen, using Malachi's back as sort of a book rest as he found the first page ad starting to read. He kept his voice soft as he read, mostly because he had no clue how to pronounce half the names in the book, but he kept trying.
Occasionally he'd glance at Malachi, looking for a sign that he had fallen asleep before he would continue on, now genuinely finding the overall story intriguing. he liked the characters, finding them amusing and charming. The story itself was simple, a hero's journey but it was lower stakes, taking the Time to look at finer details in the world instead of skipping past them. Abrose really didn't want to stop reading, he even told himself one more chapter, before he promised himself he put the book aside. He had told himself that three times in the span of 45 minutes.
He wants to try to stay awake. Even spite the fact they have all of the week together alone, he wants to take advantage of every single moment possible. Especially for moments like this. His nose scrunched as he smiled at the kiss. "Thank you, my dear. I will relax and enjoy your story."
Malachi did in fact fall asleep, but it was halfway through the reading. It was not in the manner of one going to sleep for the night rather it was like a nap. Faintly, he could hear Abrose reading the story with his gentle hushed voice. He listened even as his chest slowly rose then collapsed. In a way he paid attention, although details of the story are going to end up fuzzy to him. On the other hand, the bits and pieces he will be able to recall sounded lovely.
After rubbing his eyes, he looked to see that the book was set down on the nightstand. "I was ready to assume that you would read the whole book by the morning," He mused, "I hope you found it to be enjoyable as much as I did. Do you like it? I loved listening to your voice as you read it."
Abrose lifted his head from the pillow, having lost himself in thought about the book and the future, not only of Carniel but of his marriage to Malachi. He had started to fall asleep, lying there with Malachi ontop him, a comforting and warm weight. All the while he ran his fingers through his husband's hair. He gave a soft, if not tired smile as he watched Malachi.
"I very well could have it sleep wasn't a priority. But alas I haven't quite figured out how to keep myself awake long enough." He chuckled softly and tugged the covers closer to them to make a pocket of warmth. "If you mean reading to my sleepy husband as he lays on top of me half dressed? I'd be lying to you if I sad no. If you mean the story, I actually like it quite a lot so far."
He gently nudged Malachi's affectionately closed his eyes, ready to give into sleep. "Then I'll have to read aloud more often, seeing as my dear husband enjoys it so much." He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Malchi's temple.
Seeing Abrose and his sleepy look, Malachi breathed deeply. He was about to apologize for waking him up. If it wasn't for the mesmerizing smile of Abrose, he probably would have. He probably will in the morning. Seeing his husband with a sleepy smile is a sight to see. Malachi wants to see it every morning and night. Hearing his husband's low chuckles is music to his ears.
His brows rose up while he tilted his head. In the midst of trying to jokingly look confused, he yawned. Covering it with the back of his hand, he mumbled an apology. "You make it sound like me being half-dressed is a bad thing. I'll have you know that I enjoy it while sleeping or at the beach," He pointed out. Then with a sleepy smirk, Malachi added, "It is almost as fun when I am not dressed at all."
Somehow he made himself laugh at his own words. It took him a moment to stop. "I am glad you like the story." Malachi kissed the side of Abrose's cheek. "Get some rest, my beloved king consort. We will have time to read to each tomorrow and stay up if you so wish." In the following moments, he fell asleep in Abrose's embrace.
Abrose shook his head, "no, most definitely not a bad thing, believe me." He admitted with a laugh, his hand trailing from Malachi's hair to the nape of his neck then to his shoulder before moving back up to his head in a continuous rhythm.
He was suddenly very glad Malachi wasnt able to see his face at the moment, seeing at how quickly Abrose had turned red, though he could probably feel his heartbeat quicken in his chest. He huffed softly and shook his head, trying his best not to imagine Malachi without clothes, as tempting as it was. "You are a menace." He muttered in mock annoyance as he glanced down when he felt the kiss at his cheek. "We will indeed, my dear. For that and far more, I promise. Sleep well, my love." He pressed his lips to malchi's brow in a lingering final kiss before he curled among the sheets, pillows, and most importantly of all, in his husband's embrace. He slowly let his head relax against the pillow, letting the sound of the ocean waves and his husband's breathing finally lull him into sleep.
For once, he did not wake up in the middle of the night in a state of panic. He didn't even have any nightmares let alone any dreams. It was nice. Malachi slept comfortably with Abrose being in his arms. The soft sounds of his husband breathing mixed with the faint whispers of the ocean waves soothed him while he was asleep. This was different compared to the silence he sleeps in alone back at the palace.
He woke up when the sun peeked through the drapes. Looking over to see Abrose still asleep, he decided to cautiously slip out of his husband's embrace. Once he was out of bed, Malachi tip-toed to go the wardrobe and opened the left door. When they first arrived to the villa, he pulled one of the servants to the side and asked them to place a small box in the wardrobe.
The box was a gift to Abrose from Malachi's mother. She wrapped it in a sky blue silk scarf long ago. From her kingdom, it is tradition for the groom's parents to give gifts to the spouse-to-be and their family. His mother had put aside some simple gifts for whoever her children's spouses to be, knowing her condition was unfortunate. Malachi remembered when Thaleia, his sister, had given hers to the crown prince of Brastilux and Sohan had given his to Princess Vera. He doesn't remember what the gifts were for his memory is not the best.
It was difficult to combat the giddiness of this little tradition. Malachi was worried about making a sound then waking his husband up. So he quietly tip-toed to place the gift on top of the book. Then he had slipped back into bed and Abrose's embrace. Before returning to sleep, Malachi kissed Abrose on the cheek.
Abrose had fully expected to have a hard time sleeping with another person in the same bed, let alone his new husband. Thankfully that wasn't the case at all. Malachi's presence in his arms was a constant comforting reminder that he no longer needed to hug a pillow as a replacement for another body.
Early on in the morning, what Abrose could only guess later on to have been at sunrise, he did notice the adsence of warmth around him gone. Suspecting Malachi had gone to use the bathroom or check the villa, Abrose didn't bother to fully wake up. He shifted slightly and fell back into a light light sleep, only relaxing fully once he felt Malachi back in his arms. He mumbled something incoherant, close to 'are you alright?' but Abrose couldn't recall if Malchi had responded or if any of what he was thinking actually happened.
Later in the morning, much later than Abrose was used to waking up at, he slowly opened his eyes to glorious morning sunlight streaming in from a part in the curtains, painting the already gorgeous room in oranges and golds. He glanced down at Malachi and smiled in relief. At least that hadn't been a dream. He hummed softly as he took in every detail he could about Malachi, every dip and curve if his shoulders and back, every birthmark, even the steady breaths he took while still asleep. He pressed a light kiss to the top of his husband's head and looked towards the window, the view of the beach stealing his breath away just as it had yesterday when they had arrived. Then something else stole his attention, a small box on the bedside table where he had set the book aside last night. He didn't remember either of them ptutting that there. Had it been a servant early in the morning? Abrose studied the intricate designs of the scarf maticulously wrapped around the box, ornate and pretty. He could even recognize some of Atrovia's favored symbols amongst the swirls and patterns. It was beautiful, perhaps he had over looked some of the decoration in his excitement to spend time with Malachi last night, though he was almost positive he would have noticed and asked about such a pretty heirloom.
Somehow he managed to get more sleep in a brief amount of time. He was conscious enough to know he was kissed on the top of his head by Abrose. It was this little kiss which made him wake up. His eyes flickered open, but when they landed on his husband, they immediately shut. When it comes to surprises and giving gifts, he does not want to ruin or leave out a single detail. He does not want to give anything away.
But waiting is a dreadful thing. Patience is a skill of his, yet there are times where he ignores it. This is one of those times. And while he still sleepy, he is excited already. Malachi tried to keep his eyes closed and pretend to be asleep, but it was only bearable for him for so long. Ultimately, he decided to open his eyes and sit up in bed.
His hair was disheveled. He stopped to rub his eyes so they could get used to the sunshine that was coming in through the window. Everything is really bright. When he finally was able to see normally, he turned his head to glance at Abrose. He said in a low-raspy voice, "Good morning, my love."
Pretending to not know the gift on the nightstand, he leaned a little bit over to see it. His brows rose. "Oh. What is that?" He squinted his eyes. "It looks like a gift of some sorts…Why not open it?"
Abrose glanced up in surprised when Malachi sat up and pulled out of his embrace. He smiled softly as he gazed up at Malachi "good morning, dearest." he greeted warmly, stretching out and yawning before looking back towards the box. Abrose sat and gently picked up the box and setting it in his lap.
He looked up to Malachi again, suspicion rising about his husband's knowledge about the box. He narrowed his eyes even as an excited smile spread on his features. "You're sure you don't know anything about this little box that mysteriously appeared at our bedside table, my dear? By any chance it wasn't you waking up earlier this morning?" He questioned, even as he carefully unraveled the beautiful scarf from the little box.
To tease Malachi's patience and to take the time to enjoy their first morning as a married couple, Abrose took his time neatly folding the scarf, trying his best to get the wrinkles out from being tied for so long. "Its beautiful," He said softly, nodding to the neat little square he had folded the scarf into. "just as its owner is." Abrose now recognized where he had seen the scarf before. In his studies of Atrovia, he had seen many portraits of the royal family. One in particular he had favored was one of the the Queen, regal and proud, with the scarf used to wrap around her head. In other portraits he had seen her wearing it as a shall or a sash. She had looked stunning and could easily see her as the strong and loving queen her family as well as her subjects had known her as. Abrose was glad that there was still a physical reminder of her influence throughout the kingdom and even in the small things like the scarf. He set the box on the bed in between him and Malachi and slowly lifted the lid.
He shook his head. "I am sure that I do not know anything about that box…Well aside from the fact that it must be a gift to you." Looking the other way, he covered his mouth using his hand to cover a yawn. He kissed the side of his husband's cheek. "I did not wake up earlier this morning. I was sleeping in your arms."
Is he good at hiding his excitement or the truth? He does not know. Still, he is quite impatient in moments like these. While watching Abrose gradually folding the scarf, Malachi bit the inside of his cheek. He moved closer then placed his chin on Abrose's shoulder. From there, he observes the scarf and its details. "It is beautiful," He concurred, "Just like its new owner."
When the lid was completely lifted off, he peered a little bit over to see what it was. The gift is two bracelets made of red silk threads. In the middle, each bracelet has a knot symbolizing luck. They come from his mother's homeland, Maehwa. Maybe she had made them a long time ago or she had them delivered from a ship. Underneath the bracelets were a pair of mittens with the same matching blue as the scarf.
One could tell that they have been in that box for a long time. Malachi could see some dust on the bracelets and mittens. His eyes softened. "I do wish that you would have had the chance to meet her," He mused. "She would have loved you and treated you as her own. She would have showered you with more gifts too."
Abrose tilted his head when Malachi rested his head against his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his temple as he set the lid on the bed and looked inside the ornate box. His breath hitched as he carefully lifted the pair of bracelets, silky red thread wound and twisted together to make an intricate braided cord, neatly tied together with a knot. He carefully put the bracelet around his wrist, adjusting the size before wrapping the remaining cord around the bracelet itself so it didn't hang loose. He then gently took Malachi's hand in his own and put the matching bracelet on his wrist.
He peeked into the box again and carefully took out the mittens matching the scarf he had folded. "Was she by any chance clairvoyant? I've been looking for a pair of gloves since I arrived in Atrovia" He asked with a light smile as he brushed off the dust and looked over the mittens, already picturing himself wearing them everywhere, the wool soft despite how long Abrose assumed the mittens have kept away for and the fur inside was still fluffy. He carefully tugged them on to see if they fit. "These will be put to good use, these and the scarf, I promise." He pressed the gloves to his cheeks, loving the softness and warmth they provided, despite them being in a relatively warmer part of Atrovia.
"Thank you, my love. It would have been my greatest honor to meet your mother as well as your siblings. In a way I still get to do that, through you and the kingdom they all have had such a great impact on." He leaned into Malachi and closed his eyes for a moment, truly wishing he could have met the Atrovia royal family before hand. From what he had read and the little he had managed to learn from the older palace staff, they were wonderful people, even greater rulers, just as Malachi is now. Abrose was grateful he could at be a part of this family, despite not being able to meet any of the family now. "Can you tell me more about them? Even if its something small for now?" He asked carefully, knowing when it came to the topics about his deceased family, Malachi was reluctant.
Blush rosened his face. Malachi looked into the box then watched as Abrose took the bracelets out. His husband put one on himself and then the other on him. The weight of the bracelet felt heavy around his wrist. Rarely did he ever wear something like this. He adjusted the cords so it would fit snuggly around his wrist without sliding off. It is beautiful. Seeing him and his husband wearing the matching accessories is beautiful.
He shrugged, "Maybe. I was told that she was good at making predictions." The gloves surely will come in handy by the time the winter season returns to Atrovia. Every year, delegates, diplomats, and visitors from other countries would always tell him how cold it is here. Funny enough, his mother had told his father the same. Malachi does worry about Abrose getting used to the bleak weather. "Of course. You look lovely with them on."
It would have been amazing if everyone in his family was still around, especially so Abrose could have met them. He lightly grinned at his husband's words. "Is there anything that you want to know about them?" As much as talking about his family is still a sensitive matter for him, he felt the need to ask such a question. Half of him had no idea what to tell Abrose while the other did not want to say anything at all. Regardless, he cannot avoid this forever. He should be able to talk about his parents and siblings to Abrose or anyone else for the matter. And yet, it is still a struggle for him. It is likely that it will always be.
Winter had never been a priority worry for Abrose or the rest of Carniel considering they were closer to the south than Atrovia. Their winters came rarely colder than an overnight frost. Sure there were times where crops would be lost due to an unnaturally cold period but it was nothing even close to a full season like he had heard Atrovia experienced. He wasn't fond of the cold but he was excited to see a good amount of snow, having always thought that snow covered anything looked pretty. He was sure he could find ways to find ways to warm up beside a nice fire and with plenty of blankets.
Abrose carefully put the mittens back in the box as well as the folded scarf, keeping them both safe for now. He set the box back on the night stand before shifting on the bed to be able to look at Malachi. He shrugged slightly, toying with the bracelet at his wrist. "Anything really. I read a lot from the books at the palace but most of it was based on history. Not that Atrovia history isn't interesting! It's just not the same hearing about them from someone close to them. The books don't tell me about Her Highness's favorite recipe from her homeland or how Prince Sohan and his wife met and fell in love. Their favorite shared memories or even how the three royal children grew up. I've learned about the court politics and the history and the finances but when it comes to the personal life of the royal family it's a bit more convoluted." He flicked his gaze up for a moment and flinched. "Its understandable of course. Still, it'd be nice to know something."
There is only so much about the family in books. Anything personal about them is hidden in journals and letters that are hidden; even he does not know where some of his family's belongings are. He managed to find his mother's only because he searched high and low. His father probably burned some things to protect the family from any possible enemies. He just wished that he had more time with them all so he could learn about them and to be with them more.
His hand combed through Abrose's hair. "Well, let us see what I know, hm?" Malachi reclined against the backboard. His head pressed against it as he looked up at the ceiling. "My mother's favorite recipe is a stew made of tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, pork, and chili paste served in a large stone bowl." Biting his bottom lip, he thought about Sohan and his former bride-to-be. He exhaled deeply then continued. "Sohan and Vera were betrothed since they were four, but they first met at a ball celebrating Vera's father's birthday when they were sixteen. It wasn't love at first sight. They disagreed on a lot of things, and Vera thought Sohan was stern yet sensitive. But they courted and their relationship miraculously blossomed. It was love till Sohan's last dying breath."
Malachi blinked the tears away. He looked around at random things in the room, trying to distract himself. "Sohan was twelve years older than me. He always was out traveling as a diplomat or spending time in a military base. I only ever saw him maybe three times a year before he became an advisor for our father. Thaleia was ten years older. She would play with me sometimes, but she overlooked the palace till she married Prince Matteo. No matter where we all were, we wrote to each other. I still have some of their letters."
He looked over at Abrose with a light grin. "Is there anything else you would like to know?"
Abrose happily let his head drop into Malachi's hand. He closed his eye and rested against Malachi as he tried to picture the countless portraits of the royal family he had seen in the books. First was Her Highness, someone Abrose took a liking to the moment he had first read about her. A kind yet straightforward queen who took no nonsense from anyone. She was a wonderful ruler that adored both her homeland and Atrovia deeply. He hoped to visit the late Queen's homeland one day to learn about its history.
Perhaps a step towards that would be finding the recipe Malachi had said. Abrose by no means an expert in cooking, in fact he known to burn many of the dishes he had tried to make, much to his siblings dismay, but he liked to experiment regardless.
Abrose glanced up as Malachi shifted his attention to his siblings, his heart clenching as he recalled the tragic way both the crown prince and princess, as well as their spouses had died for seemingly no reason other than being monarchs. He knew very little of the eldest sibling Sohan or the princess Vera but he imagined they were very much like his own family, at least in terms of dynamic. Abrose couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen if he lost Chire or Lily in such a way. He had barely gotten through losing his father. Losing his mother or his siblings would kill him.
Abrose sucked in a shaky breath, not realizing tears had formed until one slid down his cheek. He whipped it away with his sleeve and nestled himself closer to Malachi. "Is that why you wanted to get through the wedding so quickly? Were you afraid of something like what happened again?" He asked softly, finally looking up at Malachi when most of the tears had dried.
