Day had turned into night before the newlyweds were allowed a moment just for themselves. The wedding ceremony had been followed by an excessive celebration most likely rather coined for distracting the participants from the current dire times than congratulating the bridal pair – although there were congratulants enough, that is for sure. The celebration consisted mainly of a sumptuous banquet and a dance event. Wynkin and Violant had the first dance, of course, much to the latter’s dismay. If the former’s feet were also dismayed by this turn of events, at least he neither did voice it nor show it on his face.

Only late in the night the pair of newlyweds was allowed to retire for the night, their bridal chamber located in the capital residence of the ducal hose of Ealdon. Said mansion was well kept – either it was continuously maintained since the death of the last Duke Ealdon or it had been renovated it spotlessly as soon as Wynkin’s inauguration as duke was foreseeable. The building and its extensive gardens appeared quite like a smaller version of Whitehill Castle back in the duchy.

Violant currently sat on the edge of what appeared to be a canopy bed in extra size, large enough to accommodate two Wynkins. Her face was flushed with bashfulness, for the only piece of clothing she was currently wearing was but a single nightgown. The style of the garment wasn’t really revealing but the problem lay with its material instead, consisting of almost transparent silk. Of course, the nightgown wasn’t Violant’s own but something that had been prepared for her. Woe to the one who instigated this, for the girl was sure to take revenge if she ever found out. Regarding her uncharacteristic bashfulness, so unlike the Valkyrie of the other march, it was quite likely that Violant still was influenced by her husband’s indescribably passionate kiss she simply couldn’t get out of her head. She believed that her heart didn’t even beat as hard when in her past life she experienced her first night with Gervase whom she genuinely had loved at that time.

“Waiting for me?” Wynkin asked when he entered, wearing an oversized nightgown that wasn’t nearly as revealing as his wife’s. The bulge of his muscles nonetheless was clearly outlined against the cloth. His handsome face flashed a seductive smile. The berserk prince really had grown up to be a ladies’ man, at least as far as his handsome face and his character was concerned. His berserk physique lead to him being avoided like the plague by the fairer sex though. Violant was one of few women not openly avoiding him. As for the rest, they were mostly part of or affiliated with his direct family.

“Yes… or no… I mean…” the girl stumbled.

“Relax. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” Wynkin promised “I believe we should use this chance to come clear with each other before we do anything else. I believe both of us have some important secrets we have kept from each other, but seeing as we henceforth will tackle the challenges of life together I believe it is important to be open and honest with each other.”

“I agree.” said Violant. It wasn’t a bad idea to keep as few secrets as possible if they wanted to trust each other. Only her return to the past she would take to the grave as a secret nobody, not even the ones closest to her were allowed to know about.

“Let’s take turns.” the giant suggested as he sat down on the edge of the bet next to his wife but leaving her some space nonetheless. “I will begin. I guess you already know about Dryp, seeing as I once carelessly told you about her.”

“Dryp?” the red-haired girl asked before exclaiming: “Ah, yes! The fairy.” The way how she shortly cocked her head in thought was indescribably seductive for her husband.

“The fairy indeed.” Wynkin confirmed after calming himself down “Dryp has been my steady secret companion since early childhood, accompanying me invisibly and rarely leaving my side. She owes me her life, to be honest. I guess I will introduce you to each other tomorrow morning. Dryp usually slept in the same room as I did, the earnest little thing, but she won’t do so in future. She herself said that she wouldn’t dare to intrude the marital bedchamber. Well, seeing as you already know about her this is no real secret anymore. Thus I will tell you another one. We are the same, for I also have the sight.”

This revelation came as a complete surprise for Violant. “How so?” she asked, appearing to be in disbelief. All previous bashfulness was gone while she earnestly engaged in their conversation.

“I don’t know why but I do have it. Look!” The berserk demonstrated his hazel eyes turning golden in color and then hazel again.

“Golden eyes!” his wife exclaimed in amazement. Golden eyes were as rare as they were powerful after all and it was unheard of that someone with the sight was able to change his or her eye color by any but magical means. Apparently it was possible though.

“Yes, indeed.” Wynkin affirmed “Imagine how disturbing it was for me back in the day when I was watched by those two wild huntsmen and had to act as if I didn’t know about their presence.”

“Sorry for that.” Violant apologized awkwardly.

“It doesn’t matter anymore” the duke replied “Especially since it was only thanks to your plan that I am still alive. Well, enough about the past. Now is your turn.”

“I believe there isn’t much you don’t yet know about me one way or the other.” the young lady said and had decided to come clear about aspects of her return to the past by using a white lie. “If there is one thing worth mentioning, then most likely it is the fact that I sometimes know about the future, albeit only one out of many possible futures. It was thanks to this that I knew about you becoming afflicted by berserk syndrome. Since, as I mentioned before, I can only see one possible future unchangingly, the divergences caused by me are altering our reality compared to the path the aforementioned future takes, thus leading to a decreasing success rate in determining the actual turn of events. There was no sign of the current war in that other future for example, perhaps since you were already dead. I believe I have this gift thanks to my father, not the margrave but my biological one whom I have met once this lifetime. I won’t say much, for most of it is better hidden, but my father is a demon from hell with time itself at his disposal. If I should sometimes do incomprehensible acts, it might be because of this one other future I know of.”

“Intriguing, really intriguing.” the berserk commented “Well, I believe it’s my turn again. Violant, I deem you worthy to know even the very last thing about me. Thus I will drop my act and allow you to see my true personality. The Wynkin you know of is only a façade I created to ensure my safety in the snake pit that is the royal palace. There, the allies and those who wish you well are always scarce when compared to those who are plotting your demise even if you are a sickly child, which I undeniably was at some point of time. I don’t believe to have ever spoken any untruth to you. Only, it surely never was the full truth all the same.”

Seeing the indescribably evil smile that formed on her husband’s face, Violant shrank back.

“You don’t have anything to fear from me, seeing that you are mine know.” Wynkin told his wife with a reassuring tone of voice while keeping his vicious expression “I do look out well for my people, including you of course. At first I was only interested in you as a pawn, to be honest, although you were always intriguing for me and you seem to have the talent of surrounding yourself with similarly intriguing people. At some point in time I became obsessed with you though, only without me realizing it at first. The further this obsession increased, the less I was willing to let you become the wife of another. Luckily, brother Edric soon met Myrtis who was turning his interest away from you. If he had continued being interested in you, I likely wouldn’t have taken it well in the long run. Regarding Gervase, this venomous snake, you abhorred him as much as I do. And now you are mine, so no need to dwell on the past anymore. Say, are you afraid of me now?”

“Well… I am surprised, that is for sure. I never would’ve expected your true self to be like this.” Violant answered after some thought “At least you are honest with me and didn’t continue to hide your true nature. I believe I can deal with this. Rather, you are much better than some other two-faced fellows who keep on smiling until you end up dead without ever suspecting them.” This other type of person the young lady was talking about referred to Gervase, of course. Wynkin coming clean about his true nature rather increased her trust in him. She was somewhat appalled by this though.

“So it should be.” the berserk nodded “You are mine, after all. And similarly I am yours. There should be no secrets between us. As for me regaining your trust, I will work hard on it from now on. How about we continue familiarizing with each other with actions instead of words?”

Violant was left dumbfounded for a moment before blushing harder than ever before. It was the first time someone wooed her so aggressively. For her, whose only experience with marital bliss consisted of the rather impassionate acts of Gervase in her last life, this was something completely new. Only now she understood that her husband of her last lifetime never had loved her, seeing intercourse and other body contact in bed as nothing more but a necessary chore. Gervase’s true love likely had been someone else all this time. Had it been Felicity, who had always been Lady Salome’s favorite, or had it been someone different altogether? It didn’t matter anymore. Shyly, the girl declared her consent with a nod.

Wynkin flashed another evil grin and said: “Then I won’t hold back anymore.” before pouncing on her. It should become an unforgettable night for both of them.