Chapter 109: Mornings With Her.
As morning light seeped through the curtains, Salviana blinked awake, stretching slightly as the warmth of the bed enveloped her.
She turned, only to find Alaric lying beside her, his gaze unwavering, watching her intently. His hair was tousled, and they were shadows of fatigue under his eyes, yet his expression was soft, his lips curved into a gentle smile.
He had come back to his wife after the meeting and watching her now assured him that it was the right decision, she was ethereal.
"Good morning," Salviana murmured, feeling warmth rise to her cheeks under his steady gaze.
"Good morning, Fiery," he replied, his voice low and tender. His hand moved to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, his fingers lingering on her cheek.
Salviana smiled, reaching up to hold his hand to her face, savoring the comfort in his touch. But as she attempted to sit up, he gently pulled her back down, wrapping his arm around her waist. His hold was warm, possessive, as if he couldn’t bear to let her go just yet.
"Stay a little longer," he whispered, his voice almost pleading.
"You’ve barely slept," she whispered, her brows knitting in gentle concern as she touched his cheek, tracing the sharp line that is his jaw. "You were out all night, weren’t you?" There was a period in her sleep that she felt restless and she’d woken up to find herself alone.
"I returned at first light," he admitted, his tone softened with weariness. "There was... too much to do, to prepare for." He exhaled, his eyes drifting as he recalled the urgency of the night’s war council. But here, with her, he found an oasis of calm that he hadn’t realized he needed so desperately.