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"Marry me, Britta."

As soon as the words left my tongue, I felt exposed and vulnerable, laid bare before the woman that I had fallen in love with. The blonde curly haired woman that shook up everything I knew - my beliefs, my relationships, and more. But I could not imagine my life without her.

I watched as her jaw dropped, those gorgeous and captivating hazel eyes widening at my sudden words. My upper lip curled as I gazed at her shocked expression. I believed for the first time since I brought Britta back to my manor I shocked her speechless. She always had something to say back to me, either a retort or verbal jab.

I could not help but feel smug as I had silenced my beloved. She was tongue-tied.

And yet, the unwanted dark swirls of uncertainty in my gut made my head bead with little drops of sweat as she remained quiet. My rough callused palm reached up to stroke away the little lines crinkling her forehead. My harsh blood-stained skin should not be allowed to touch the ungodly softness of Britta's flesh, yet the connection developing between us made physical touch damn near a necessity.

Or mayhap that was only me.

But it was not as if she refused or pulled away from my touch, I thought with a twitch of my lips.

Her face remained almost impassive, her eyes unreadable, and I began worrying that she was not breathing. Why was she not answering? The smug smirk fell as my confidence dwindled.

"Say something," I pleaded, the silence becoming too long for my nerves.

My thumbs caressed her cheekbones, moving slowly up and down the ridge of her cheeks where freckles lightly sprinkled like flecks of snow on her ivory skin. I could see the beginnings of a low pink blush rising to her face and the slight heaving of her chest, the only indications that she was processing what I asked.

Was it too soon? I inwardly cursed, berating myself for thinking this was the perfect moment to finally start over for all of us. For the two of us to properly get married - not under the circumstances Britta believed when she first arrived. A captor ensuring his captive to be his bride as soon as we arrived back home.

Everything unraveled too quickly until we reached that night - the night where she nearly killed herself. It made my chest ache as I remembered that night. That I made her do that - pushed her to the point where she believed ending her life was the best option. I was scared out of my mind when she did that, even more so when she left. Then to see her in that vermin's arms, that vile drittsekk holding onto her like a lover made my blood boil and see red with rage and bloodlust.

I had thought I had given her enough time to adjust to my life but through all the events that have occurred since she arrived - the man in the woods and all the nightmares - 'twas if the gods were testing us.

To truly see if we were fated to be together - though fated or not - I would be by her side anyway. This woman called to me; called to the bloodthirsty beast within as well as the man who wished to be loved unconditionally. She was too precious to me to let someone else have her.

She was mine; to love, trust, and cherish by my side.

If I had to be the rock beneath her to hold her up in these precarious times then so be it. I would do anything for her.

Anything.

I understood now that I was meant to be with Britta, despite our trials, with that little girl that I laid my eyes on ten summers ago that made my little boy heart race and my troubles leave for just a moment.

Just gazing into those golden orbs with green flecks now made my insides warm, yet my stomach felt like 'twas dropping towards the floor as the silence continued.

I finally tore my gaze away from hers, unable to take the quiet any longer.

Doubt and disgust for myself made my hands pull themselves away from her face and I quickly rose to get off the bed, avoiding Britta's stare as I threw on a shirt then tied my hair up in a bun. I glanced over at her, she had a puzzled look on her face as she sat up in the bed. I turned away from the tempting image before me; her long blonde curls in a disarray around her face, the dark furs contrasting her pale features, the thin shift transparent for me to soak in the sight of her lovely figure - her hips and breasts a call for my hands to caress and love on. I wanted nothing more than to kiss the shit out of her and press her into the furs, making her moan underneath me as I brought her to the brink of ecstasy like before.

But now I knew I could not.

Not anymore.

Her sharp gaze trained on my back felt like a heavy weight on my shoulders, but 'twas nothing compared to the deep ache in my chest.

I suddenly hated this feeling of love. The hopeful and energetic sense of happiness and admiration towards the person you loved; yet it all crumbled to dust as you realized 'twas all in your head. The gestures, words, and touches all nothing like you believed.

I had my answer. Her silence was enough for me to conclude what she thought. What I felt for her was like a bright flame to perchance the small spark of her feelings towards me.

I could not look at her, the horrid sense of self-loathing rolling deeply in my gut. I inwardly laughed at myself. I was a fool. A love-sick, hope-ridden fool. My feelings were one-sided, yet how could I blame her?

Who would want to spend their life with a man who was scarred, on the inside and outside, and was told that no woman could ever love him? That the scar upon my face would make any woman cower and flinch, wanting no sort of relationship except for brutal unemotional fucks that I could give.

Just as my hand reached the door, I heard her soft voice pierce that gods-awful silence.

"W-Where are you going?"

"Out," I growled loudly.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her flinch, and remorse instantly flooded me. Yet I could not be in her presence any longer. I was wounded on the inside, and I would be damned to show her the damage her silence and refusal inflicted on the outside.

"No, Aderick! Wai-" I slammed the door shut and strode down the hall.

I needed to get away.

Away from that room, away from that bed, and most importantly...

Away from her.

My bruised and battered heart would not be able to take a verbal refusal from Britta. I left before she broke me completely.

Only because she held the power to do so.

I gave her power over my heart, unfortunately unbeknownst to her, and yet I did not think of my asking for marriage going this way. Nei, I imagined it going very differently.

I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling the scar and facial hair rough under my fingertips. Thankfully no one was in the hall and did not see me like this. Their Jarl weak and insecure. A broken hearted fool. I ducked into an open doorway that led to an empty room and leaned against the wall with my head in my hands.

What was I going to do now?

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers, willing myself to think of someway that I could fix what we had. Or was it even fixable?

I groaned silently in devastation. Damnit! I ruined it. I ruined what we had - what we were ever going to be. I looked down past my bent knees and I felt something strange fall onto my cheek.

Frowning, I wiped the liquid from my face and I could not understand where it came from. Yet another fell, hitting my fingertips. My hand began to blur and I nearly yelped in surprise as I realized what was happening to me.

I was crying. Leaking wetness from my eyes. Tears of devastation, frustration, and regret fell from my lashes. Never before had anyone reduced me to tears. Not even my mother or Ingrid.

If any of my men caught me like this, I would never hear the end of it.

"Aderick? Aderick! Where did that man run off to?" I stiffened as I heard her voice close to the room where I hid.

I kept my breathing soft, careful not to disturb anything to give away my location. Much to my dismay, my knee that was aching from my crouching position suddenly slid to the side, knocking hard into the desk with a thud. I winced as everything upon the desk rattled dangerously and I let out a low hiss at the dull sting. My gaze flickered towards the door. Her curvacious shadow lingered around the entrance and I nearly groaned aloud as I pictured her in the transparent shift but that thought made me freeze.

No one was allowed to see Britta in her shift but me. I grumbled low, my eyes drying, at the thought of someone gazing at her with nothing else on. I shall kill them...kin or not. Balder got off easy.

Tearing away from those angering thoughts I focused back onto the shadow in the hallway. I inwardly snorted as I was hiding away from the one person that I always wanted by my side. Now I wished to avoid her. Was that wrong? I did not know. I did not want her to chase me down only to say "no" to my face.

I did a double take. That shadow seemed to be made of silky and sturdy material and closer than I originally thought.

I froze as I realized the shadow was the curtain of my cloak, black as the sky outside. My eyes trailed slowly upward towards the face that stared down at me with a raised blonde brow.

"Are you hiding from me, Aderick?"

"No," I lied, my voice gruff.

I slowly rose to a stand, now towering over her smaller frame. I was horribly tempted to wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close but I resisted, stepping back slightly. Hurt flashed in those beautiful eyes of hers as she took in my aloof facade. I swallowed hard and kept my face expressionless. I would not let her show how hurt I was.

I would not.

"You did not let me answer your question," she began softly.

I nearly scoffed. "Your silence was your answer." I crossed my arms defensively.

Her brow furrowed. "What? I was in shock, Aderick! You cannot spring something like that upon me and expect an immediate answer!"

I refrained from rolling my eyes. "What else were you planning to say? I knew from your reaction what you were going to say. I did not need any words to confirm it."

"You are such a fool, Aderick! If you had waited for my answer just a few moments longer you would have received it!"

Anger began to build within my body, making my skin flush hot. "Why would I stay if I knew you would say no?" I boomed out.

Her eyes flashed and she seemed to lean up towards me, pressing up on her toes. I angled myself away from her, suddenly intimidated by her aggressive stance. I could tell a trace of smugness in those hazel orbs, and the solidness of the wall behind me suddenly hit my back. My eyes widened as she successfully backed me up against the wall.

This time, my beloved shocked me speechless.

"How did you not know I would say yes?" Britta whispered against my neck, her lips skimming the flesh at my throat. Her nails skimmed down my stomach slowly.

I had initiated nearly every moment where we kissed like we were almost peeling at one another's clothes. This time, she was the one to press her lips to mine.

I groaned as I closed my eyes and delved my hands into her unbound wild curls, pulling her body closer to me. By the gods, I adored this woman.

And her lips. Her lips.

I groaned louder into her mouth as she moved her lips slow and sweet with mine like she always did. I nibbled on her lower lip, silently begging entrance into her warm mouth. She responded instantly and our kiss deepened like never before. My tongue danced with hers, tapping into the unreleased passion between us. 'Twas like a brightly burning flame that would consume us both if we continued.

If I was to be scorched by Britta, the one I loved, then I would walk into the flames willingly.

I pulled away, giving ourselves a chance to breathe. I rested my head against hers as my palms slowly trailed down from her hair to her curves, my thumbs brushing against the top of her breasts before gently squeezing her tiny waist.

A moan escaped her swollen lips at my touch, making my shaft twitch and harden with need. Her lashes fluttered open before she gazed up at me in confusion. With a smirk, I twirled our bodies around, now pressing her body against the wall. Britta let out a gasp in surprise as I pressed every muscular plane against her curves, making sure she felt every part of me against her flesh. A blush rose to her cheeks as she felt my hard-on against her belly. I chuckled low before raising a hand to unclapse the brooch holding my cloak together on her body. It fell away with a swoosh of fabric and she stood before me proudly only clad in her shift.

I soaked in her beauty, her raw form of woman with all of her curves and satiny skin. Her red mouth was swollen from my kisses, her hair messier than before, her lids heavy desire. My mouth watered at the sight. Keeping my eyes on hers, I slowly reached up and slid my thumb under the strap on her shoulder. I gently pulled the small piece of fabric down her arm and a creamy breast was exposed before my eyes. My thumb lightly grazed her rose-colored nipple and Britta let out a shuddering breath, almost a light moan.

I loved her reaction to my touch. It made me crave things I knew she was not ready for. Slowly but steady, I reminded myself. I so desperately wanted to taste her, all of her, to roll her pointed tips between my teeth and play with my tongue. I would need all day to memorize myself with her body. Images of finally tasting her nether lips made me inwardly groan and harden even more.

I gently laid a kiss upon her breast before pulling slightly away, keeping my eyes trained on her. The slight nod of her head was all I needed. Her chest was heaving, her fingers wrapping around the roots of my hair as I pulled back and finally sucked her breast into my mouth. My tongue swirled around the tip, provoking another loud moan from Britta. Our gaze met again and I continued teasing her with my teeth and tongue, making her squirm against the wall. Lifting her up by the back of her thighs, I pressed my erection to her core and continued my devoted attention to her breasts as I ground my hips to hers. Our harsh breathing synced together with our hearts beating frantically against our chests. She continued to pull my hair, her nails digging into my scalp yet I did not mind the pain.

Britta began muttering incoherent words and phrases, moans and little mewls leaving her mouth as I ground my hips faster against hers and moved my attention to the other now exposed breast.

"Aderick, yes! Please! I cannot, I l-" She stopped talking as a loud moan left her throat, her head thrown back against the wall.

I leaned away from her upper body as Britta came down from her orgasm and our heavy breathing was the only music in the empty bedchamber.

I gently pressed a kiss on her lips, lightly tugging at her bottom lip before laying one last full caress on that tempting mouth of hers.

Silence embraced us. But this kind of silence, I did not mind at all.

"Do you have your answer now?" Britta asked, out of breath and her face flushed.

I smirked down at the woman I loved. "Yes, I do."

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