Road to the Crown

Chapter 102: Trouble

15th April 1574

No matter how insane Elia's revelation was, in the end, it was nothing but a guess. And even if we could confirm it right away, we would still be forced to push this matter for the later time, as our absence was slowly reaching the limits of what could be acceptable for our guests.

After our lips parted for the last time, while reluctantly we still had to separate ourselves completely and go on to dress in the clothes that we prepared in advance. With my mind now fully focused on Elia's health and safety, I even went for the additional mile of helping her dress up, unwilling to see her stretch her arms and belly for the sake of reaching the buttons at her back.

"Oh my, how kind of you!"

Seeing my poor attempts to save her the trouble, Elia couldn't help herself and stare at me with a teasing smile, before finally giving up and presenting her still exposed back to me. With how vengeful I was all the way down in my core, rather than helping her out, I placed my finger on her neck and slowly tracked it down, along her spine, all the way to the back of her crotch. Just as I was about to reach her sweet spot, I suddenly retracted my hand and started pulling on the sides of the dress, slowly buttoning it up from the bottom up.

"Okay now, until we will be fully sure, let's not reveal even a hint about the matter. I don't want to start the inheritance struggle before we will be fully prepared for it."

While the marriage itself was a joyous event, some venomous snakes were bound to appear. For as long as I remained childless or rather, without a male heir, some people were bound to eye my lands, especially with how they were turning richer and richer by the day. If the news of Elia's potential pregnancy were to reach their eyes, then even with all the possible attempts of mine, I would be unable to fully guarantee her safety!

"Yeah, I get it. Let's not think about it for now, and enjoy this party of ours instead!"

As soon as she finished dressing, Elia wrapped herself around my arm and pulled me outside of the tent, while pretending to support herself on my side. While the times where the crowd would demand the newlyweds to show the bloodied blanket as the proof od the bride's purity were long gone, there was no point in stirring up the more traditional folk, especially with how the potential birth of our child would be rather quick when compared to the wedding date.

"The young ones have returned!"

I couldn't tell who was so daring to announce our reappearance on the open field. As soon as the shout resounded in the air, a crowd of people instantly jumped at us, swiftly kidnapping Elia from my hands only to lift the both of us on their hands and start throwing us in the air!

In a flash, my heart froze. While for them this was nothing but a silly fun, just a single slip of hand of one of the main supports for our landing was enough for Elia to fall down and end up being hurt! But while I instantly attempted to free myself from the overjoyed crowd, against the few dozens of hands throwing me up to the air over and over again, no matter what I attempted to do, it all ended up failing.

When this moment of stupid, drunken fun was finally over, I was barely able to stand on my own legs from the fear that something would happen to my wife, unable to be even bothered by the fact that while throwing her around, some of them statistically looking, had to end up touching the parts that should belong solely to me!

While this thought was enough for me to place my hand on the top of my sabre, according to the noble tradition - always hanging down from my belt, yet rather than pulling it out and freaking everyone out, I could only use it as a stick to support my own body.

"Come on guys! We couldn't start the dances without you!"

Rather than giving me some time in peace to recover my strength and make sure Elia was all right, as soon as I somehow managed to pull myself to a proper standing position, yet another group of nobles kidnapped everyone with them, pulling us towards the central point of the camp.

From the looks of things, the statement about the dances was true. With the musicians already waiting in a small group beside the open field, most of the guests could be seen trodding around and looking for the initial pair. Seeing this sight, I realised what kind of trouble I suddenly found myself in!

While I knew how to dance the most basic and culturally rich dance of the later ages that keep their legacy in modern times, I had no idea what were the moves for the dances of the current time!

Sensing Elia's hand suddenly taking over my own fingers and pulling me towards the very middle of the gathering of the guests, I started manically looking through the system, with the hopes of finding some way for me to avoid embarrassing myself in front of all the guests that I invited myself. Yet rather than helping me out, I wasted a few precious moments looking through the numerable menus and options only to find that in the end, I was left to my own devices!

"Darling? Are you okay?"

Seeing the distress on my face, Elia leaned towards me, shielding her face with my own torso from the looks of everyone around. From how her eyes were filled with worry reaching the level of fear, I instantly understood that with what kind of challenges we had to overcome to get to this point, being scared of a simple dance was simply silly!

"Don't mind me. It's just that, I never really had the chance to learn how to properly dance"

With how turning my head would expose my blush right to the eyes of the massive crowd setting itself behind me, I had no other choice than to let Elia feast her eyes of my own shame.

Yet rather than giggling up or even putting up a smirk, she instantly raised her head and gave me a light peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry. While I'm not the greatest dancer myself, I will help you out. And if you really won't be able to handle it, just give me a hint, and I will pretend to be unable to move properly."

With the fear now replaced by the determination in her eyes, all my worries suddenly disappeared. How I could call myself a man if I would even consider my wife taking a hit for me? Yet it went without saying that seeing her willingness to cover for me at the cost of her own face without even a hint of hesitation once again fanned at the flames of my affection to her!