Like A Thief In The Night

Hector blinked a little disbelievingly. Even though, he knew she would ask, he was still surprised when she did. She was looking at him with the most pure, unadulterated love in her eyes, and he swallowed, finding his resistance chipping away slowly.

"I..." he started to say, but she cut him off, her finger on his lips. He swallowed, trying hard to mask his nervousness.

"We are married, Hector. I respect the circumstances under which that happened, but I really hope you will not deny me this one wish. I just want you to spend the night with me in the same chamber. Would that be too much to ask?"

Hector blinked a little. "No. It is not. I will remove my coat and join you shortly."

She nodded, and watched him keenly as he leaned slowly away from her, then went around to find the changing room. But there was none. The palace was a little less spacious, so the changing room had been left out.

"You will not find a changing room. There is none."

He swallowed, then started to walk to the door.

"You want to walk that far just to remove an outer coat?" She found it funny.

He swallowed and turned to her. She was lying on her right side, watching jim. He walked slowly to the other side, and started to remove the heavy buttons.

Slowly, Queen Elvira turned on her left side, her smile plastered on her face like a symbol of mockery.

Hector looked at her, then slowly walked to the right side again, then started to unbotton. Again, she turned on her side, this time even changing her position so she was laying on her stomach, her head held up by her arms that were propped up, her feet swing in the air like that of a child listening to a rather interesting folktale.

"Your highness...can I.."

"Another letter for tomorrow night. Interesting."

Hector pursed his lips. "Elvira, Can I..change? Please?"

She blinked innocently. "Go ahead."

He bit down on his lips. He has never felt this shy in his life. "You are...you are looking."

She raised her brows, then adjusted and slowly stood up from the bed. "If I do not, who will, then?" Her tone was a little serious, as her treacherous mind thought of something. She thought of how many times Lana must have seen him without a coat, and how many times he did not mind it.

She swallowed the green monster and it hardly passed her throat. She needed to keep it down if she was going to keep being sane. She could never change the fact that he had been with someone else, all she could do was to dominate those thoughts with hers and clear off those memories in her wake.

She took slow steps toward him, and he took a step back. Something in her eyes told him she felt a little jealous, but he could not quite pinpoint why.

She looked at him. "I will do it for you."

"Elvira, I..."

She looked up to him. "Yes?"

"I can do it." He said assuringly, but she could not fight it off. She needed to do this to reassure herself more than anything else. He now was hers. She had to feel it while she waited for him to make her feek it.

"I would like to, Hector."

He pinched his nose and nodded slowly and she covered the small distance between them. She slowly removed the first button, and Hector closed his eyes. He was embarrassed enough, so he did not need to see it happening.

She removed the second, then the third and the fourth, her eyes taking in everything she could.

When the last button went open, Hector let out a small breath, then opened his eyes. But she was not quite done yet. She gently pushed the fabric over his shoulder, then swiftly down his arms.

She then wrapped it, and kept it on the small stool behind them.

He was standing there, shirtless, and he had never felt so bare. His eyes met hers, and strangely, it did feel a little comforting. She looked like she had won something, or that she had achieved something so beautiful just by removing his coat. It was crazy how in love he knew she was. And it was crazy what sort of emotions she could make him feel just by being this intentional about him.

"Thank you," he said. He did not need to thank her, but he felt like doing it. He infact, wanted to.

She gave a small smike. "I got out of bed for you."

He could not help the small smile and he leaned forward, then carried her in his arms again. This time, it felt a little more intimate, like a drawing from a poem book.

He tucked her in slowly, then went around the bed and tucked himself in. He was not sure if he should face her or not, but decided to.

It would feel bettter if he was facing her, and he stayed there, watching her, the way she did him.

"On the morrow... I would like to swim." she said, her voice low. The cackling of the candles made the whole situation a little more romantic and Hector smiled.

"I swim well too."

She nodded. "Then we will swim together."

She closed her eyes, then extended her hand to his. He did not protest and let her intertwine her fingers in his. They filled the spaces between his fingers so perfectly, he found himself thinking...thinking that they were always meant to be there. Despite hinself.

"Have a goodnight, Hector." she said with a little smile.

He moved a little closer to her, his eyes tracing the outlines of her face. A face that was such a secret that he could boast about being one of the few to see it.

"You too, Elvira."

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as she adjusted. Slowly, like a thief in the night, sleep came to both of them, rendering peace, and maybe sprinkles of the blissful beginnings of a romance.

But neither was aware, and neither did they need to be. They could live in the moment and nothing would matter.