Chapter Text
„Don`t touch me.“you recoiled from the Doctors touch, pulling your legs in, cradling yourself. She didn`t move an inch in return, her hands clasped together, her paper board on the bed next to you.
„My honored liege. I know you are still under stress, and that this isn`t the most convinient time. Esspecially after that Kit-“
„They would not have dared to do that.“ you hissed, staring into the brigth flame at the opposite of the room, warming it in the face of the Sneznayan cold outside. „They wouldn`t have dared to touch me...“
„Of course.“ she said and you rubbed the blanket between your two fingers. “But Lord Arlecchino herself asked me to check you up per letter, and see to treat any injuries that migth have acured.“
Your head turned back to her tired face rigth away, your eyes fell on the board and you saw her Signature, it had been written hastily, but it was present. „She did.“ you mumbled.
„As to make sure.“ the Doctor encouraged.
You continued to sit there for a bit, having the Doctor ruffle her hair with a stressed look on her face, glancing to the letter...was she perhabs scared of your soon to be? Your face softened, then you sat down properly. Only undergarments were covering your body. „Fine. I wouldn`t want you to get in trouble.“
She nodded „Of course, I will hurry.“
Arlecchino, in the meanwhile, stood in the brewing storm outside, pacing, trying to calm herself down by taking long sharp breaths, she hadn`t felt anger like this in a long time, perhabs it had a connection to her curse, that anger dwelling inside of her? She looked down at her hands, that still emited flames despite the cold, and as she watched that fire flicker, she figured it out. Her legs carried her into the Villa.
She pressed against a bruised spot around your mid „Does this hurt?“
You hissed, then nodded.
„Good.“ she continued „Do you remember being hit?“
You shock your head. „I was knocked out cold when they made the picture...I was generally asleep untill Arlecchino rescued me.“ they had send a picture of you, all bruised up as you were now, just with more clothes. They had attached a letter to it as well, together with threaths of what they would do to you. The children had told you after you asked how they had found you. They had also told you that she had neatly folded it, put it into her pocket, and then made the anouncement that she´d come along with them to get you. They already had an idea where you where before the letter, and that it had just confirmed their suspiciouns . „They migth have just...thrown me to hard.“
She looked at you for a bit, with an `Ah hu` look, before resuming her work.
Then the door opened, slowly, and the first thing that the doctor noticed were two red piercing x´s, while you noticed her shoulders, raising and falling unregulated, how her nails left dents as she slid them along it. There was also that smell of fresh blood hanging on her, and while you felt how the doctors breath quickened, how she grew more nervous, you calmed.
„This should conclude it.“ she said after some time. „There were no extreme injouries, if you however end up with any other complaints around these areas, do not hesitate to get me.“
„We won`t.“ Arlecchino answered for you, stepping forward, holding the door open. The doctor moved towards her, whispering something, Arlecchino listened attentively. But when she wanted to leave, Arlecchino stopped her.
„Do stay. There is a storm brewing outside, and we would love to avoid any...incidents, wouldn`t we?“ as always, it sounded like a threat.
You heard her gulp, then saw her nod, before nearly sprinting out of the room. The door closed with a thud, and you were alone with Arlecchino. Arlecchino who eyed you with worry, looking you up and down, and you could nearly feel her hands on your bruised flesh, it made you remember that she hadn´t actually seen you naked yet so you pulled a blanket over your shivering shoulders.
„I´m cold.“ you revealed. „And I feel dirty.“
Her gaze softened, it was only a sligth shift, but another sligth shift was the breath that left her, her shoulders that dropped lightly and the hands that were in front of her now.
„Understandable.“ she left to walk towards the small, barely lit, fire in the room. You dangeled your legs a bit, watching as she graped some stingy thing, stooking it. She snickered, then put a new piece of wood in, then repeat the older action. „That should suffice.“ She sat down on the Sofa then, rigth in front of the hearth. She looked back at you, tugging her head to the side. You jumped of the bed with a sligth groan, moving towards her with the help of different objects. She ended up pulling you into her lap, and considering the fact that she had spread her legs across it, there would really be no other option for you.
„The Doctor said that they only bruised you up a bit?“ her warm hand stroked against your back, and when you leaned into it, she made small circles with her thumb. „They didn`t touch you in any other way, did they?“ when you looked back at her, those red x`s of hers were glowing.
You smiled gently. „No. They wouldn`t dare.“
„Good.“
Silence spread in the room just like the warmth of the fire, but you still shivered.
„Still cold I see...“ she mumbled, and it soon felt as if she herself warmed up. She watched your face relax in pleasure, and she pushed incoming thougths aside like the hair in your face, and you once again became aware of the stench coming from her. And you got curious.
„What did you do to them?“
She sighed. „I migth have hurt them in the attempt of saving you.“ she had switched her hands, on now her fingers were tapping on your thigh.
„Did you kill them?“
Her eyes moved up to you. „Would you be more pleased if I said yes?“ There was a teasing gleam in her eyes, you realized.
„No.“ you lied.
She shock her head, sligthly dissapointed at how bad you were at it, and you turned back to the fire.
„I handed them over to the authorities. Though...“ you heard a smile in her voice, felt those sharp nails scrape you. „...they do have scars fitting the occasion and, well, some are in critical condition I have heard.“
„...what a pity.“ you said in a fauxed empathy.
„Truly.“ again, that smile in her voice.
You felt how the blanket started sticking onto you, how your neck was uncomfortably...moist. „I am warm.“ you revealed to her, hugging your legs. „I wanna take the blanket of.“
She crocked her brow. „What is stopping you?“
You shiftly slightly in her lap. „You...you have never seen me this exposed before.“
„Well, there is no need for worry.“ she patted your back. „It is destined to happen anyways, considering that we are sharing a room now.“
You considered, the nodded, dropping the blanket of your shoulders, having it pool a bit around you. Your eyes went straigth to hers, looking for something, any reaction, suprise, happiness...praise, perhabs? But they were unreadable as always. In difference to her hands, that pulled you close, and enclosed you, you smiled, making your head comfortable on her shoulder, her hair tickled you sligthly and by how close you were, you could hear her steady breathing. You felt her all around you, the flesh of her mortal body, her rough clothes on your skin. You would get something in exchange for your vulnurability soon, you knew.
„It is quite emberassing that I got kidnapped...“ you admitted, as the snowstorm breached against the windows of the house.
„Don`t be.“ she kissed the crown of your head. „Considering how close you are to me, it was destined to happen. The fact that you don`t stand under any real political protection yet just made it easier. But that will change once we are married.“
You blushed at the prospect of it.
This is also as to why you came to Sneznaya, something, something that I`d be smart to get the Tsaritsas blessing. It had been a bit difficult with your new job, the one that Arlecchino got for you, but, you had gotten enough time off for it.
„Maybe I should teach you a bit in combat, I`ve had the thougth for quite some time now.“
„I- I think I`d like that to happen.“
„Then.“ she stroked your hair gently, it made you yawn, and cuddle more into her. She meanwhile pulled something out of her pocket, you crocked a brow as she flicked it into the fire.
„What was that?“
„Something no one should have ever set their eyes on.“ you gulped. „Don`t you wanna ask how the children are?“
You were smart enough to not push her. And a sligth guilt picked at you, at the fact that you did not already ask about them. „Yes, how are the children, are they well, all warmed up?“ you inhaled her scent, still stained with blood. But wasn`t a sligth tint of that always present on her?
„They have fallen asleep near the hearth...I did not have the heart to wake them, they are all cuddled up, like they where when they were younger.“
You thougth about the four children that had stuck together since they arrived, and it made you smile. „You are such a softie for the kids.“
„I can assure you that I am not.“ she argued.
„But you love them.“ she hated saying it, you knew. You knew when she sighed, and hugged you a bit to much.
„That I do.“
It made you smile. „And you love me.“
„I think I have showed that enough, haven`t I?“ her own legs had been pulled up sligthly, and you were as close as humanly possible. Your head turned back to the windows, and you hummed.
„I do wonder how they are faring in Fontaine...“ a lot of the children, just like Lynette, Lyney and Freminete, were still to young to come along with their soft ages. „I mean, are they sleeping? Are they hungry? Are they maybe getting a midnigth snack?“
„It is late in Fontaine to, so most must be already asleep. Also, you needn`t worry, they are well taken care of.“ she whispered, kissing your head. You shifted again to hide in her neck, inhale her scent. You then sighed, closing your eyes. „Yeah, but worrying is just what a `Mother` does...“ you mumble.
„But not all-“ Arlecchino chuckled when she looked down, noticing your softly breathing form. „Sleep well my zaika.“