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Prince Neuvillette remembered the first time he met his new royal guard, after the previous one met his demise protecting Neuvillette from an assassination attempt. In hindsight, it was the beginning of his troubles.
He had been sitting in the palace gardens, reading one of his favorite books, surrounded by the flowers in full bloom. The sound of heavy footsteps approaching had reached his ears and the prince had lifted his head to look at the one disturbing his peaceful solitary moment.
He had known immediately, by his attire, that the man approaching was to be his new royal guard. Neuvillette had expected it, since his father, the king, had mentioned it in passing the day prior. What he had not expected was to be faced with the most handsome man he had ever seen.
Icy blue eyes the same color of a frozen lake shimmering under the sun; a strong jaw freshly shaven; wild curls of salt and pepper hair, falling over his forehead in a chaotic, charming mess; a scar running under his right eye, giving him a roguish look; a well-built physique that no amount of clothing could hide.
He was tall, taller than Neuvillette no doubt.
The man had stopped in front of Neuvillette and their eyes had met. Neuvillette’s heart had skipped a beat, and his breath had gotten stuck in his throat. His royal guard had bowed deeply in front of him, and had said in a pleasant voice that had sent shivers down the prince’s spine, “Your Highness. My name is Wriothesley. I have been affected as your new personal guard from this day forward. I swear on my honor that I will guard you with my life.”
When Wriothesley had straightened up, his eyes had subtly roamed over the prince, and their intensity had shaken him to the core.
That first meeting had left a deep impression upon the young prince.
At first, Neuvillette thought it was only because Wriothesley was vastly different from his previous royal guard. Wriothesley was young and handsome, while the previous one was well within his forties, and not particularly pleasant to the eyes.
Surely this attraction Neuvillette felt, this infatuation, would fade away with time.
However, after the first few weeks of being constantly in Wriothesley’s presence—it was part of Wriothesley’s duty to be by his charge’s side all day long until the prince retired to his chambers for the night—Neuvillette had come to the realization that he was wrong.
His infatuation wasn’t going anywhere.
Neuvillette had always hidden his true nature from the rest of his family. While his brothers spent their free time chasing after the ladies of the court, Neuvillette much preferred to go watch the soldiers train. While they admired the curves and the softness of the female form, Neuvillette appreciated the hard muscles, scars, and rough calluses of the male body.
It was his deepest, darkest secret, one that could never be exposed publicly.
Up until Wriothesley arrived, Neuvillette had been able to repress his unnatural urges well enough. But now, with such a temptation always within his sight, it was becoming difficult.
Maybe if Wriothesley had been strictly professional, like the prince’s last royal guard had been, Neuvillette could get over his infatuation. But he noticed it.
Noticed all the glances Wriothesley threw Neuvillette’s way when he thought the prince wasn’t looking. Those icy eyes always burned a hole through him, as if they could see down to his very soul.
Noticed how Wriothesley’s touch lingered when he needed to touch Neuvillette. A hand against his back, guiding him away from a rowdy crowd; offering his hand to Neuvillette to help him out of the carriages. Keeping as close to him as physically possible when in public, so he could protect Neuvillette in a split second if need be…
Neuvillette was weak for it all. He craved more of it.
He didn’t just crave the physical touches and the lingering looks, but also…companionship. Neuvillette was lonely most of the time. He found it hard to mingle with others, preferring to keep himself to his books and other lonesome activities.
With Wriothesley it was…different. Neuvillette didn’t mind his constant presence. He wanted to learn more about him, wanted to form a deeper relationship with his guard. But Wriothesley was stubbornly keeping a wall between them, as expected from a royal guard tasked with protecting the prince. Neuvillette didn’t fault him.
But the prince was nothing if not persistent.
It took about three weeks before Neuvillette managed to chip away at that wall. His success happened during a mundane horseback riding session through the palace’s massive gardens. Usually, Neuvillette would keep an even, leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery, and Wriothesley would be right by his side, ever vigilant even in the confines of the palace.
But that day, Neuvillette threw a mischievous smile at his royal guard before he kicked the sides of his horse, breaking into a gallop.
He heard a muffled curse behind him, which made him chuckle, followed by the sound of another horse breaking into a gallop behind him, Wriothesley giving chase.
It was clear the prince had more experience in riding horses, as he was steadily growing the distance between them. He slowed down a little, feeling pity towards his stoic companion, letting Wriothesley think he had a chance of catching up to him.
Neuvillette did want to be caught, but it would be a shame if he made it too easy for Wriothesley.
The prince reached the hedge maze in the middle of the palace gardens, and promptly jumped out of the saddle just as Wriothesley caught up to him. Neuvillette ran into the maze, and he heard Wriothesley curse loudly once more as he promptly gave chase to Neuvillette through the maze.
Neuvillette was smiling as he ran around randomly, wondering how much time it would take for his royal guard to find him.
It turned out, not that much. Barely a few minutes passed before Neuvillette was grabbed from the side and Wriothesley pushed his back against the hedges.
Neuvillette looked up into Wriothesley’s concerned eyes. The royal guard’s hands gripped his arms tightly, just shy of hurting.
“What do you think you’re doing, taking off like that?!” seethed Wriothesley.
Neuvillette smiled innocently at his guard. “I just wanted to have some fun. I know you did too.”
The prince could see it; The glimmer of excitement hiding under the concern in Wriothesley’s icy eyes. He had enjoyed chasing after Neuvillette.
Wriothesley sighed, and his hands left the prince, to the latter’s disappointment. “No, I didn’t. How am I supposed to protect you, Neuvillette, if you pull stunts like that?” argued the royal guard, sounding highly frustrated.
Neuvillette smiled wider and chuckled, which made Wriothesley frown in return.
“What?” asked the royal guard with confusion.
“It is the first time you are not using honorifics to address me,” noted Neuvillette with happiness.
Wriothesley was taken aback. He looked almost horrified at the realization. He stepped back and bowed deeply. “My apologies, Your Highness. It seems I let my frustrations get the better of me.”
Neuvillette sighed in annoyance. He put a finger under Wriothesley’s chin and lifted it up until their eyes could meet once more. “None of that now. What will it take for you to treat me like an equal?” implored Neuvillette.
Wriothesley was speechless for a moment. He straightened up as he looked at the prince with wide, uncertain eyes. “Your Highness—”
Neuvillette pressed on with an earnest expression. “You spend every day by my side; is it so strange that I would like us to become friends?”
More than friends, If I had my way, thought the prince, but these thoughts were better kept hidden. They were dangerous, forbidden.
A heavy silence fell between them. Wriothesley’s eyes softened as he gazed at Neuvillette. The prince took a step forward, and he heard the hitch in his royal guard’s breathing.
“It is lonely, you know. This kind of life,” admitted the prince with a sad smile.
It truly was. Neuvillette never truly had friends, or a confidante. Wriothesley was the only person apart from his family, with whom Neuvillette felt comfortable being around. Felt like he could just be himself.
Wriothesley sighed. He carded a hand through his hair and a small smile made its way upon his lips. “... I can try. But my priority will always stay your safety, Your Highness.”
Neuvillette felt happiness take root inside his heart. “Please call me Neuvillette, Wriothesley,” he implored with a genuine, hopeful smile.
Wriothesley chuckled. “Neuvillette,” he conceded, and the way his name rolled off his royal guard’s tongue made pleasant shivers run down the prince’s back.
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
From that moment on, they became closer. Wriothesley not only was Neuvillette’s guard, but he was now his confidante. Perhaps he could even call him a friend. Many a day found them taking the horses out for a daily excursion after Neuvillette was done with his princely duties. Many an evening found them sitting in the gardens, talking about every subject under the sun.
But the prince would be lying if he said he didn’t want more. His infatuation with Wriothesley only grew stronger the closer they became. Neuvillette became bolder with his touches while still making sure no one was around to see him. He was well aware of the disastrous consequences that would follow should anyone suspect anything about the prince’s unnatural urges.
Neuvillette would let their fingers brush whenever Wriothesley would hand him something. When they sat together, he would make sure that their thighs would brush. He would press himself close to his royal guard when they were out in the streets, using the pretext of Wriothesley having to protect him, thus making his job easier if he was to stick close…
It was all subtle gestures, but they obviously affected Wriothesley. Neuvillette could see it every time; The glances Wriothesley would send him afterwards, the way his fingers would twitch, the tensing of his body…
The royal guard was affected by it all, but Neuvillette was unsure if Wriothesley was merely uncomfortable or if he was stopping himself from reciprocating.
The prince decided he needed to make sure.
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
A knock resounded against the doors of Neuvillette’s bedchambers. He let out a soft, nervous sigh before calling out, “Come in!”
He heard the doors open, followed by heavy footsteps coming in and the doors closing behind the newcomer. “Your Highness?”
Neuvillette took it as his cue to emerge from behind the partition separating his bedchambers from the bathing area.
His gaze met Wriothesley’s surprised one for a split second before he saw those icy eyes trail down his figure.
Neuvillette didn’t blame him. It was the first time Wriothesley was seeing him so disrobed. The prince was only wearing a flimsy bathrobe, tied so loosely around his waist that it was slipping from one slender shoulder.
Wriothesley was quick to avert his eyes when he was caught staring, but the intensity they had held as they roamed over him sent shivers of excitement down Neuvillette’s spine.
The royal guard cleared his throat and turned to the side. “My apologies. I had no idea you were getting dressed,” he said, his voice sounding more hoarse than usual.
The prince ignored the fast beating of his heart and slowly walked towards his vanity, where he took a seat. He looked at Wriothesley through the mirror, and he refrained himself from smiling when he caught him staring at him.
“No need to apologize, Wriothesley. I am the one who called for you. And please, call me Neuvillette when we are alone. I keep having to ask you,” said the prince with a hint of exasperation in his voice.
He grabbed his moisturizing cream from his vanity and opened the bottle. He kept staring at Wriothesley through the mirror as he swiped the cream with his fingers.
“Because it is not proper,” answered Wriothesley with a frown.
Neuvillette began to apply the cream over his shoulders and neck, and he was acutely aware of the fiery gaze watching every last one of his movements. He pretended that he didn’t notice it as he replied softly; “Please. We are friends now, are we not?”
Wriothesley huffed fondly, a fond smile painting his lips as their eyes met in the mirror. “Yes, Neuvillette. We are. Now what can I help you with?”
“Duchess Marie is visiting the palace. My father would like me to accompany her until dinner. I fear I will be running a bit behind. Could you relay the message to my father? He will make sure someone is there to welcome her in my stead,” explained Neuvillette.
He could have asked a servant to do this, but Neuvillette needed an excuse to have Wriothesley enter his chambers at this precise moment. From the slight frown that marred his royal guard’s face, Wriothesley seemed to have caught onto the unusual demand.
But he didn’t protest; he was too busy watching Neuvillette as the latter slowly extended a bare leg, bending down to lather the cream over his pale flesh. The loose robe allowed for an unhindered view of Neuvillette’s chest this way, and the prince caught Wriothesley staring intensely before he quickly turned away from Neuvillette altogether.
“Of course,” answered Wriothesley with a tight voice.
The red coloring the tip of his ears was fascinating. Neuvillette smiled victoriously, elated that his experiment proved itself fruitful.
“I shall get dressed soon. You will accompany me for dinner, I hope?” asked the prince as he finished applying the cream to his legs. He closed the lid of the bottle, and the sound was enough to have Wriothesley turn back towards him, not quite meeting his eyes.
“Of course. It is my job to look after you,” replied the royal guard in a voice that sounded almost casual, but Neuvillette knew him better than that.
He saw how tense Wriothesley was. The prince decided to push him further. He stood up from his chair and slowly advanced towards Wriothesley, stopping a mere two feet apart from him.
Wriothesley grew even more tense as their eyes met. “Just a job?” whispered Neuvillette wistfully.
Wriothesley’s gaze roamed all over his face before flicking down to Neuvillette’s exposed collarbones. The prince saw him swallow, saw the tip of Wriothesley’s tongue dart out to moisten his lips. When those eyes returned to hold Neuvillette’s, they were filled with hunger.
It made goosebumps raise all over the prince’s flesh.
He knew it. Wriothesley desired him. There was no hiding the truth now.
Before Neuvillette could do anything with this revelation, Wriothesley abruptly turned around and muttered under his breath as he opened the doors, “I will go inform the king right away.”
He was gone before Neuvillette could say anything, but it didn’t matter.
Neuvillette knew the truth now, and the prince had every intention to act on it…
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
Several more weeks passed with Neuvillette trying to confront Wriothesley about their mutual attraction, which so far proved to be an absolute failure.
He grew increasingly frustrated with each attempt, with how Wriothesley always expertly thwarted the subject.
Neuvillette hoped that this latest attempt would finally bear fruit.
He just received a fine old vintage as a gift for his birthday from the father of a duchess the man was hoping would be a good match for the prince. Neuvillette had no qualms using the gift in his plan to crumble Wriothesley’s resolve. He wasn’t one to drink much, but it would be perfect to create a very intimate atmosphere for his plan.
Neuvillette was a bundle of nervous energy, pacing back and forth in his bedchambers when Wriothesley knocked against the doors. “Come in!” said the prince loudly.
He turned towards the doors just as Wriothesley entered the room.
“You wanted to see me, Your Highness?” said the royal guard as he closed the doors behind himself, enclosing them in the privacy of Neuvillette’s bedchambers.
Neuvillette smiled at him, and warmth pooled in his belly as the icy gaze of his companion roamed over him. The prince was considerably dressed down compared to his usual royal outfit. He was wearing a thin, dark blue silk robe slightly parted at the collarbone. He remembered Wriothesley’s reaction when he saw him in his bathrobe a few weeks ago, and thought it would be a good start to his plan.
The spark of desire in Wriothesley’s eyes was unmistakable.
“Yes. I was hoping you would be amenable to spending a quiet evening in my company. I have a delicious vintage just waiting to be opened,” said the crown prince, pointing at the bottle of wine sitting on the small table next to the love seat in front of the hearth.
Wriothesley didn’t move from the entrance, a frown marring his handsome features.
Worry filled Neuvillette’s heart. He took a step closer and put a hand on his royal guard’s bicep. Wriothesley tensed up under his touch.
“Wriothesley? Is something the matter?” asked the prince with worry.
The royal guard shook Neuvillette’s hand away, causing pain to flash in the prince’s eyes. Wriothesley noticed, his expression softening as he sighed.
“What are you trying to do, Neuvillette? Enough of this. Tell me honestly,” demanded Wriothesley firmly.
Neuvillette’s mood soured. “Are you really going to make me say it?” he asked quietly.
Wriothesley watched him silently, stubbornly waiting. It seemed like the time for games was over, then.
With his heart hammering in his chest, the prince looked straight into Wriothesley’s eyes as he said confidently, “I want you, Wriothesley. And I know you desire me too.”
Neuvillette saw something glimmer in his companion’s icy blue eyes, but it was gone so fast that he couldn’t recognize the emotion.
Wriothesley opened his mouth, and the words he uttered were like a dagger through Neuvillette’s heart.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but you are mistaken. You are my charge, and I merely perceive you as a friend. If any of my actions have been interpreted differently, then I apologize for it.”
The rejection felt like a slap to the face to Neuvillette. He narrowed his eyes as sadness, pain and anger coalesced like an ugly cocktail of emotions in his heart.
“You liar. At least have the decency of looking me in the eyes when you lie,” said the crown prince.
Indeed, his royal guard had averted his eyes when he had spewed that nonsense. Neuvillette had no problem calling him out on it.
Wriothesley winced, and Neuvillette instantly regretted his harsh words. He reached out to him hesitantly, fingers brushing against the back of Wriothesley’s hand, but the latter brusquely took his hand away.
“I should go. I truly am sorry, Your Highness,” said Wriothesley in a wavering tone. He turned around and hastily escaped Neuvillette’s bedchambers, leaving the prince distraught.
He wanted to beg Wriothesley to stay, but Neuvillette found himself rooted in place. He stood there for a long time, drowning in the intense emotions overwhelming him. He felt lost. Neuvillette, in his relentless pursuit of Wriothesley, had not expected for the royal guard to deny everything when being confronted.
Wriothesley rejected him, and the pain was unfathomable.
Neuvillette badly wanted to hold onto the idea that Wriothesley rejected him solely because of their status, that he didn’t feel like the rewards of being with Neuvillette would outweigh the risks, and not because he truly didn’t feel any affection towards him. He knew he didn’t imagine all the stolen glances and the heat behind them.
The prince suddenly felt like he was suffocating in his bedchambers, surrounded by everything that reminded him of his title and of why Wriothesley couldn’t be with him.
He needed to get away from it all. Needed to get away from his broken heart.
Neuvillette was in a kind of trance as he finally moved, reaching his dresser to change clothes. He pulled out a simpler outfit with more sober colors that he only wore whenever he snuck out of the palace undetected, something he used to do quite often before Wriothesley became his royal guard.
Wearing his usual royal, vibrant clothes wouldn’t do to try and blend into the populace.
Once he was dressed, he hastily put on a dark cloak, pulling the hood over his head to hide his silver hair before leaving his bedchambers.
Getting out of the palace undetected was tricky for those who did not know its secrets, but Neuvillette, having grown here, knew the place like the back of his hand. Thus, he managed to easily sneak past the patrolling guards, hiding in the shadows as he made his way to the catacombs beneath the palace, where there was a secret exit through a storm drain.
Neuvillette emerged from the storm drain behind the walls of the palace garden and made his way down the hill to reach the capital proper. The prince didn’t have a specific destination in mind. He just needed to get away from the palace before he suffocated. Walking through the city would at least distract him from his troubles for a while.
Due to the late hour, the merchants in the city square would have all packed up their goods, making room for the night entertainers; Musicians, dancers and the like. Having nothing else to do, Neuvillette decided to make the city square his stop for the evening.
He was careful to keep his face hidden beneath his hood as he walked through the streets, looking down at the mud-covered cobblestone. Because he was keeping his head down, the prince wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings.
He bumped into someone and heard an annoyed grunt. “Pardon me,” said the prince as he quickly tried to push his way past the man he had just collided with.
Neuvillette gasped when his arm was grabbed in a tight grip, and when he carefully lifted his eyes from the ground, he saw a mean-looking man with rotten teeth. The man snickered gleefully. “What do we have here?”
Neuvillette didn’t miss the glimmer of interest in the man’s eyes. Fear gripped his heart, and the prince harshly yanked his arm free and pushed his way forward towards the square. As he briskly walked away, he threw a look over his shoulder and his heart sank when he noticed the man following him.
Did the man recognize him? This was bad. Neuvillette hurried his step, but he abruptly stopped when he saw two more men blocking the street up ahead.
The prince quickly darted into a side street, and his heart raced in his chest when he heard the men give chase with gleeful laughter.
Dread overcame Neuvillette when he reached the end of the alleyway. It was a dead end. He was trapped.
He turned around just as his pursuers caught up to him. Neuvillette was harshly pushed against the wall, an arm pressed against his throat as his hood was yanked down.
The man pinning him to the wall whistled. “Would you look at that! We caught ourselves a prince!”
The other two men cackled gleefully, and dread and panic settled in Neuvillette’s heart. He struggled against the man holding him, but it was useless.
What were they going to do with him?! Neuvillette should have never sneaked out alone at night like that. Tears of frustration welled up in his eyes as he blamed only himself.
“We’re going to fetch a good price for you, little prince,” said one of the other two men.
A good price? They would either try to sell him to someone or demand a ransom from his father. Both options were equally bad.
Neuvillette trashed harder to free himself, and he opened his mouth to scream for help, only to have it covered by his captor's hand. The man grinned sadistically, but he wouldn’t for long.
Neuvillette’s eyes widened in fright as a sword stabbed through the man holding him from behind. The prince’s attacker crumbled to the ground with a gurgle of blood, revealing Wriothesley standing behind him, holding his bloody sword.
The dark expression on Wriothesley’s face sent shivers down Neuvillette’s spine.
“Scram, before you suffer the same fate!” barked Wriothesley to the other two men looking at him with a terrified expression on their faces.
They scurried away in terror, leaving Wriothesley and Neuvillette alone with the dying man, his blood staining the cobblestone around their feet.
Without saying a single word, Wriothesley grabbed Neuvillette’s arm and began pulling him out of the alleyway and back towards the palace.
“Wriothesley—” began Neuvillette meekly, but he was abruptly cut off.
“Not now.”
Neuvillette swallowed nervously and kept his mouth shut as Wriothesley brought him back to the palace. The guards at the entrance looked puzzled as they did not see the prince and his guard leave the palace earlier, but one look from Wriothesley was enough for them to not ask any questions.
Wriothesley promptly led Neuvillette through the maze of hallways towards the prince’s bedchambers. Neuvillette knew that the moment he was brought there, Wriothesley would leave him. Neuvillette wouldn’t let him, not after how their last conversation ended.
They were walking down a deserted hallway when Neuvillette yanked his arm out of his guard’s grip and stopped walking. Wriothesley huffed in displeasure and glared at Neuvillette. The prince glared back defiantly.
Wriothesley crowded Neuvillette’s space and hissed, “Do you have any idea what could have happened to you out there if I didn’t show up when I did? You could have been kidnapped or worse!”
Neuvillette bristled. “Do you truly care about my wellbeing? You made it clear that I am nothing more than your charge.”
“That’s a lie, and you know it,” replied Wriothesley with frustration.
Neuvillette stayed stubbornly silent.
Wriothesley sighed. His anger deflated, replaced with concern. “Why did you take off like that without me? I was lucky that one of the guards spotted you sneaking into the catacombs. Otherwise, I could have lost you today,” said Wriothesley quietly, distress and pain obvious in his tone.
A mix of pain and hope filled Neuvillette’s heart after hearing Wriothesley’s words. He forced himself to meet his royal guard’s gaze as he said in a pained voice, “Please don’t speak this way, Wriothesley. After you rejected me earlier…must you hurt me so?”
His eyes burned with unshed tears, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Wriothesley. Neuvillette didn’t want to see pity on the other man’s face. He tried to walk away from his royal guard, to retreat to his bedchambers, but Wriothesley didn’t let him.
He grabbed the prince’s arm and yanked him closer. Wriothesley held the sides of Neuvillette’s face as he captured the latter’s lips in a desperate kiss.
Neuvillette gasped against Wriothesley’s lips, and he clung tightly to him as he hesitantly returned the kiss.
Wriothesley pushed forward until Neuvillette’s back hit the wall behind him. The royal guard pressed him tightly against it, and the prince moaned into their kiss as Wriothesley pried his lips apart to deepen their kiss.
Neuvillette surrendered to the other man, lost himself in his heady kisses to the point where he forgot they were standing in a hallway, where anyone could see them. He lost track of everything apart from Wriothesley’s lips and the warmth of his body pressing him against the wall.
Wriothesley wrapped an arm around the prince’s waist, pulling their bodies tightly together as he devoured Neuvillette, as his tongue mapped out every inch of his mouth, chasing his taste.
Arousal pooled in the prince’s belly, cloying and heady. He whimpered against Wriothesley’s lips, hands clutching tightly at his biceps.
A sudden sound not far away broke the bubble of their intimate embrace.
Footsteps.
Wriothesley cursed and dragged Neuvillette to a shadowed corner of the hallway, behind a tall armor display. They stood there in a tense silence, and Neuvillette’s heart beat madly in his chest as he waited nervously.
The footsteps did not come in their direction, fortunately, and soon enough they vanished in the distance.
Wriothesley sighed in relief. Their eyes met, and Neuvillette was taken aback by the lust and longing shining in his royal guard’s gaze.
Wriothesley cupped his cheek, thumb brushing over the skin under his eye, and brought their foreheads together.
“I only rejected you because I’m scared, Neuvillette. I’m scared of the depth of my feelings for you. I’m scared of what could happen should we get caught,” whispered Wriothesley, and his words were a balm for Neuvillette’s heart.
He wasn’t rejected. Wriothesley desired him.
The prince brushed their lips together, and he murmured back; “Then come to my bedchambers. No one will disturb us there. No one will know.”
Now that Neuvillette knew with certainty that Wriothesley held the same feelings towards him, he didn’t want to ignore them. He would rather their love be a dirty little secret, would rather let it consume them both than let it die along with his heart.
Neuvillette pulled back, and their eyes met once more. Wriothesley’s hungry gaze sent shivers down his spine. The royal guard nodded, his eyes straying down to Neuvillette’s lips as if he wanted nothing more but to devour them again.
It took all of the prince’s self-control to not succumb to the temptation. He threw a lingering look at Wriothesley before grabbing his hand and guiding him towards his bedchambers. His heart raced in his chest in anticipation of what would happen as soon as they were behind closed doors.
He was looking forward to finally spending the night in his beloved’s embrace.